FALLS CHURCH, Va. –
To say that the Lord works in mysterious ways is an understatement, according to Staff Sgt Junel Custodio. "Pops," as he is called, came into the Army at 31 years old and was in basic training as the "old guy," he says and has quite a journey to share. "At that time, I was in the Infantry, and I was staying away from chaplains because I wasn't a believer, and the things that happened up to then, I lost some brothers in the war and both my parents to cancer, so I strayed way too far from God at that time."
Custodio started in the Infantry as a Medic and is now a Chaplain's Assistant. He couldn't be happier. He says it all started when he went to a talk on suicide prevention and met Chaplain Brian Harvey. "We just clicked. It was about the time my contract was up, and I was going to get out, and then the opportunity to serve as a chaplain's assistant fell in my lap. Sometimes, I look at God like HE has a great sense of humor."
Custodio says he was always the Soldier who proved he could do anything. He was always physically fit and acted like he was invincible. Physical and emotional pain started taking its toll. "Sometimes, your pain is so thick you can't see through it or past it until somebody shows you how to see through that pain, and that's with the help of God. I am completely where God's plan brought me to," said Custodio.
"During my last deployment, I worked with Chaplain Brian Harvey. He was the beginning of everything for me—singing, praying, coming back to God. I stopped drinking because of this man."
The good Chaplain learned that Custodio could sing during his last deployment and put him to work performing music at the service. "None of my buddies believed that I could sing," said Custodio, who immigrated from the Philippines as a child.
"My mother was big on music. When I was four, she took me to the radio stations in the Philippines for competitions. If you sang in English, you were going to win a prize. The prizes were bags of rice or cans of beans. I did win a lot." That was the beginning of his love for music.
His love for this country made it easy for him to join the Army. Then, years later, as luck would have it, Custodio injured his back on his last deployment and required surgery. His Commander was sending him to the Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU) at Fort Belvoir, and it did not go well with Custodio initially. "I said I was not going; I haven't seen my wife in two years," said Custodio, who had back-to-back deployments.
He gave in and is thankful he did. "I had no idea about the SRU, but everyone—from the support staff to the squad leader to the Chaplain—was such a blessing, and the support was great. I've had two surgeries. They took out a bone and replaced the disc. I'm still healing."
Custodio is being medically discharged, and he is finding the silver lining. "It's not how I wanted to exit, but I am blessed, and things will be ok. I have a wife and 14-year-old daughter. I'm a welder by trade and an assistant foreman, but I don't know if I can return to that. My plan now is God's plan."
While learning about educational opportunities at the SRU, Custodio finds peace with his next chapter. "I will pursue a master's in clinical therapy or social work. It will still connect me to Soldiers; I love the military and this country so much I want to continue to serve."
Custodio also utilized music therapy in his recovery at the Fort Belvoir SRU. Because of his talent, he was allowed to sing the National Anthem at a Washington Nationals Baseball game last month. "The singing of the National Anthem itself was emotional because I thought about my brother's past and present and this beautiful country. It was surreal. I was so nervous, but the feedback from everyone was great. I am happy my wife and daughter could be there. It was a teaching point for her because she saw her Dad sign four autographs," laughed Custodio.
"When she witnessed this, I wanted to teach my daughter that you CAN overcome anything, do what you want, and be successful."