I Was a U.S. Soldier - Then a $900-a-Day Drug Habit Nearly Killed Me | Victor Woods

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 745 Ratings

🗓️ 16 October 2025

⏱️ 95 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Victor Woods opens up about his journey from a promising young man with dreams of becoming a lawyer to a U.S. soldier battling a $900-a-day drug habit that nearly took his life. Raised by a single mother and facing periods of homelessness, Victor found discipline and direction in the military — but the trauma of deployment and the chaos of life after service sent him down a dangerous path. In this interview, Victor shares what he witnessed during his time in Afghanistan, how addiction took control, and the near-fatal car crash that became his turning point. Today, he’s a devoted husband, father, and firefighter — living proof that redemption is always possible. #USArmy #AddictionRecovery #DrugAddictionStory #VeteranLife #RedemptionStory #MotivationalPodcast #SurvivingAddiction #LockedInPodcast Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Grab your Locked In Merch Here: https://shop.ianbick.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Victor’s Journey from the Military to Addiction02:32 – Moving to Danbury & Launching a Podcast04:34 – Growing Up in Brooklyn11:12 – Street Fights and Early Struggles18:16 – Getting Kicked Out & Living on the Streets23:45 – Choosing the Army Over College31:36 – Boot Camp Reality: First Days in the Military44:53 – Deployment to Afghanistan52:18 – Arrested Overseas: The Guardian Angel Program Story01:04:59 – Coming Home & Struggling with Civilian Life01:12:21 – Falling Into Opioid Addiction01:18:53 – Hitting Rock Bottom01:27:27 – Legal Trouble, Recovery, and Probation01:32:31 – Redemption, Purpose, and Life After Addiction Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	MPs came and then they just handcuffed me, put me in the Humvee, put me in a holding cell on that base.
0:06.7	What happens the second you touched down over there?
0:08.8	At my worst, it was 1530s in the morning and 1530s around 7 o'clock, 900 milligrams a day.
0:16.2	And I remember my first didn't rehab, everybody didn't believe me.
0:19.3	What do you think was the worst experience being in a cell like that for the first time?
0:22.9	They said that I was on 95 North. I OD behind the wheel and I was going northbound on 95 South.
0:29.8	What flashback do you think replayed the most in your mind from Afghanistan when you got back from that second tour?
0:35.4	Imagine going from serving your country overseas to spending $900 a day on drugs.
0:40.6	Today's guest, Victor Woods, was a U.S. soldier who hit rock bottom after two deployments,
0:46.1	an arrest overseas, and a near fatal car crash.
0:49.2	But instead of giving up, he turned his life around, and now he's a firefighter, husband, and father.
0:54.8	This is one of the most powerful redemption stories we've had on the show.
1:01.6	Victor, welcome to Lockton. Thanks so much for coming on the show today.
1:04.6	No problem.
1:05.2	You just moved to Damberry. Not too long ago, right?
1:07.7	Yeah, a little over a year.
1:09.9	Cool. And then we met you and your wife here at the studio last week and we convinced you to come
1:13.6	on the show.
1:14.6	Yes.
1:15.6	You're Mattie Eisen, your wife, convinced you to come on.
1:19.6	Maddie was a big convincer.
1:21.6	And you're our first guest in the brand new studio.
	...

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