He didn’t grow up dreaming of military service — but after watching friends deploy multiple times while he stayed home, he chose to enlist at 23. He served as a machine gunner with 1st Battalion, 1st Marines in Afghanistan’s Helmand River Valley, where he earned the Navy Achievement Medal for valor in combat. His time overseas — marked by the birth of his son, the death of his friend Doc Beauchamp, and the later suicide of his squad leader Jeff Reber — reshaped his life.After leaving the Marine Corps, David found success in real estate but not fulfillment. He built a large company but experienced a breakdown that led to a deeper breakthrough. He turned to mental health treatment through the VA and later studied post-traumatic growth at the Boulder Crest Foundation. This inspired him to found Our Community, a mission-driven real estate hub that hosted programs for veterans, women, seniors, ministries, and the arts — putting his belief in service into action. He also authored Common Sense for California, a two-part call for a new revolution rooted in rebuilding rather than tearing down. David’s journey — from homelessness and war to healing and leadership — drives his mission to create a California that serves its people with courage, compassion, and common sense.