Home Coming - Episode 1 MANDATORY - Media

Podcast.mp3
[00:00:32] Oh

[00:00:33] Yes hello Walter. Heidi. Yes.

[00:00:38] Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Yeah. Do you mind if I record this too.
Sure. Just for my reference. OK. We're going to query. That. Yeah. You like fish. No. It
was the other guy I replaced. I think he like fish. He said. They're

[00:00:58] Going right over them. Yeah. I just wonder if they. Like it. Or it makes them
uncomfortable. I think fish enjoy things. Right. Why don't we sit down.

[00:01:16] Yeah. OK. I'm just gonna. Do this.

[00:01:23] Ok. Today is April 10th 2070 and 9 0 3 a.m. speaking with homecoming client
Walter Cruz. This is week one session one I'm Heidi Bergman many. Ten ten seven
eight. We're in my office at the facility. OK. While decreasing

[00:01:46] Ok what can be. Can I get this Caesar salad. But actually blue cheese
dressing and that's all we're. Shirt. You want out on the side. Oh sure. OK

[00:01:56] That's not weird. Sounds good. That's. It. Yes. OK. Sure.

[00:02:06] Sure. Order up. Patty Melt onion rings and a Caesar salad. Order. Hey hey

[00:02:14] Hey. The guy in the booth. That's right. Oh OK. Got it. Oh yeah. Anyway you
can take my shift on Sunday. Kevin wants to put his church. Sure. You're going to
church. Now.

[00:02:28] So how is everything here. Wonderful stuff really delicious. Good. Anything
else. No no. I'll be right back. Check. Heidi. That's your name. Yeah. Just just like the
nametag says. Have you been working here long Heidi. About four years I guess. Is that
long. You are Heidi Bergman right. That is your last name. Yes it is Carrasco. I work for
the Department of Defense. Are you asking me if you work for the department. Yes I do.
I do work for the department. And you are Heidi Bergman right you worked at the
homecoming initiative. Well. Yes that was years ago. What is this say. I just have a few
questions for you. I don't really. Did you work at the homecoming initiative. I. Think. I.
Can Wait. I have a break. Can we can we talk outside.

[00:03:27] Sure sure. Right now yes. Back. I'll meet you there. OK I'll be right there.

[00:03:38] Ok. Walter Cruz. 26 years old. He talks. About your win Tuesday. Yeah yeah.
Tuesday. Wonderful. Now there's this sort of welcome that I have to do. It's fun to read it
and to warn you it's very very boring. With

[00:04:04] This. OK. Welcome. Walter Cruz first allow me to thank you on behalf of the
president and a grateful country for your valuable service. We thank you for keeping us
safe. It's kind of cheesy. I know it's fun. KINKADE My name is Heidi Bergman. I'm your
caseworker which means I'm at your disposal to assist whoever I can in the
reintegration process. Our facility is a safe space for you to process your military
experience and re familiarize yourself with civilian life in a monitored environment which
just means that

[00:04:38] I'm helping to get you situated now that you're back and career wise health
wise basically I work free you OK. Yes. You all did really tough work and you deserve
this Frank to kind of get your feet under me. Yeah. The only thing. I don't want to say
mandatory. But. Mandatory. Yeah I guess so. The only mandatory elements in this is
your your lunches in the cafeteria and these weekly sessions with me. So hopefully that
won't be too painful.

[00:05:09] No no that's. It's all sounds really good. And I want to be in compliance with
all that. Or just. I know why I'm here

[00:05:18] And I'm glad to be here. I've talked to other guys who came home and they
got really amped and they drove into everything and they just they had some problems.
And I don't want to end up. Like them. Right. But. I'm eager. Eager for
[00:05:36] Everything. I guess we're just just. A life

[00:05:42] Really. You know a clean normal life. And I don't want to. Pollute things back
here with my stuff. My stress or whatever so. I'm glad to be in the program. And I'm
ready for whatever moves that process along.

[00:05:56] Good. I hear what you're saying and that's exactly what we're going to do
here. OK great. Good. And you acknowledge that your participation in the homecoming
initiative is voluntary and of course. I need you to believe. Oh yes yes I do. Good good.
That's done so. So how are things going after

[00:06:22] I get my room and stuff like how am I suddenly in. It's good. Everything's fine.
Any trouble sleeping. Yeah. Little nightmares

[00:06:35] Things like that. Yeah that's very normal. We can see if one of the guys
wants a roommate for a couple of days. Huh. You know. What I mean. Well some guys
when they first get here they may find it difficult sleeping in a room alone away from
their units. Just a little too quiet you know. So I can just I can ask around if anybody
wants. Yeah yeah.

[00:07:00] That might be good. Actually just not. Not if it's rainy.

[00:07:05] He's a very good guy and always just. Right. I heard there was a little bit.
Well it was it wasn't really a big deal. Mm hmm.

[00:07:12] Do you want to tell me what happened.

[00:07:26] Hi Colin. Hello. Hi. What are your connections really shoddy there. I'm here to
meet. Can you hear me OK. Yep just barely I barely got you. Go ahead.

[00:07:40] Go ahead. Yeah go ahead with the update.

[00:07:43] Oh are you all right. Yes well with entangling that everyone in their rooms
everyone got it right with a phone.
[00:07:54] Wait a minute.

[00:07:55] Colin I'm in transit here I'm switching at the airport in Detroit. They did a nice
job actually.

[00:08:02] Hey how did the presentation go so fantastic.

[00:08:06] I love the program. Love the early indicators love the broader application. Oh
that's great. No idea if that means we can re budget around the numbers. We were
asking for a course of double talk. When it comes to the money. Shit. I'm sorry. I'm
sorry.

[00:08:20] I didn't say that. You be right. I'm sorry about that.

[00:08:26] So I just stepped on a little girl's backpack. It was in the middle of the
walkway.

[00:08:30] This was a walkway. Yeah. All right. Bye. Talk Colin. There you are. I told
them we need to move on this. You know fast fast fast fast.

[00:08:42] Yeah. The early interviews are really promising. I think really encouraging
these guys seem highly processed. I mean I don't miss already training and a really
great director right.

[00:08:50] I still have a lot of time. Oh God this terminal is is enormous. You need to
run.

[00:08:57] I do. Yeah but I really want to impress on you the importance in the in the
subject history right of collecting our data and then showing week by week progress.
Right we need to be surgically precise in identifying their experiences exactly what they
remember. Absolutely. We need to get really granular with all that shit. OK.

[00:09:19] Absolutely. Absolutely yes. That that kind of brings up an issue that I wanted
to speak with you.
[00:09:26] I I have literally one more minute. OK. What is it. Where the fuck is twenty
six. This is the eighth. These are the eight Gates i.e. the sign maturity is a lot of work.

[00:09:40] I was just working with a client today mortar crews and I think I was thinking
as far as being very deliberate and as you said granular what we would if we could be
holistic approach just to the initial stages of treatment holistic. I mean at this holistic at
this point right here we're throwing them in the chair and starting the process without
developing much of a dialogue and we could get deeper more individualized outcomes.

[00:10:09] Ok Heidi I'm going to stop you right there. OK look Heidi I've got to say I'm
not loving some of these words I'm hearing we aren't looking for individualized or holistic
or whatever results at all right. What we're what we're seeking here is information Heidi
not relationships not the poor. Your job is to conduct interviews and record facts. That's
it. Whatever these men are holding onto that's exactly what we need to know suit Heidi.
You need to do a 180 on this right now. OK.

[00:10:40] No I get that. But the client doesn't think about what you just said.

[00:10:44] You don't Heidi. So you need to do a 180 on that. OK.

[00:10:49] Got it. It was really Colin it was just an idea for. You can improve the data.

[00:10:55] Look I'm I'm literally flying to D.C. as we speak and the guys that do they are
going to ask me where we're at at this and I say holistic they're going to I even know
what they're going to do. So whatever the fuck you're saying to me right now about
slowing down muddying up the process. That's exactly the opposite of what we need to
be doing. OK. We need real proof of concept just a house of data to drop on the
appropriations people so they shut their mouths and stop prevaricating and open up the
approval process. That's our goal. OK Heidi.

[00:11:30] Ok. Understood. Yes I understand. Good. Hope that I'm going to run. Hey
hey.

[00:11:37] Wish me luck. Good luck Colin. I don't. I don't know where that is. Colin. Oh I
call it.
[00:11:46] Well let's say that we run the background check on the bus boys background
check the way the bus boys did we background check the bus boys. We'll be working in
the cafeteria. I didn't I didn't realize that was part of it. Of course it's part time. We have
to be freely served with the food service. You're my point person there right. Yes
definitely. Okay great.

[00:12:07] You need to stop whatever it is you're doing right now and get into that
busboys caterers whatever. Background checks for work ups. We got to be seamless
about that shit.

[00:12:16] All right I got it. OK. Yes Colin. Great. OK. Got to go. OK. Good luck.

[00:12:29] Do you want to tell me what happened.

[00:12:32] Yeah sure. Me and him and Shriver were on KP or like we were supposed to
cook dinner for everyone right. Yes. A collaborative active right. Yeah. Yeah. One of the
activities so we decided we were going to make spaghetti and meatballs. So we turned
in our list the cafeteria staff and they gave us the stuff back the ingredients and and we
were like Okay sure you make the salad I'm I make the pasta and the sauce and rainy
you're going to make the meatballs. Mm hmm. So we divvy up all the ingredients and
we're cooking and at some point. He just walks off

[00:13:04] He just leaves the kitchen. Where do you go. Yeah. I don't know. He just
leaves and the meatball stuff is sitting there and me and Shreya we're just like

[00:13:13] Ok I guess we should just do the meatballs ourselves. Sure yeah. But then
after a while Rainey comes back and sees us doing the meatballs and he has this like.
Tantrum

[00:13:22] Which again I'm not sure why. Because we he walked off and didn't come
back for an hour and people were coming in to eat and we weren't going to be ready.

[00:13:31] So then what happened. Nothing we. Just had some words about it and then
you left. Did it become physical. Yes asking if he hit me. Yeah. He did. Yeah but. It
wasn't anything like. I mean I don't blame him. If he was dealing with some of his own
shit and it came out sideways. It happens to all of us sometimes it. Me included. Yeah.
How how does that happen with you in. Different ways. Can you give me an example.
It's mostly. Like. I'll get these flashes of things that I could do to myself. It's just tension
right. Yeah I mean I wouldn't really do it. But. OK. Just an example.

[00:14:21] There's a desk in my room. It's wooden it's got these sharp corners and the
day I got here I don't know why but I saw the desk and I just imagined sitting down and
leaning way back and like slamming my forehead into the corner as hard as I could.
Over and over or into my eye. But. That

[00:14:37] Was an extreme. It's not like that all the time. Well how often

[00:14:45] Is that. Does that happen. Oh. I'm sorry. It's just this year as hell just stop in a
second. Wow that is incredible. Yeah. It's driving me nuts. Some kind of protected
species so we're not even allowed to. Touch him. I could take care of you would you.
Yeah no problem.

[00:15:08] Dead of Night for camera. He'd wake up in the Everglades everyone wins.

[00:15:13] Oh my God I'd love that. I'd be forever in your debt. But

[00:15:28] I got five minutes. Appreciate your cooperation to step away from the door
please. Thanks. Just. Over here. So. So I'm Thomas Carrasco and work for the
Department of Defense. And you are Heidi Bergmann. You were. At the homecoming
Initiative at the Tampa facility. Yes I did. That was a long time ago. When exactly. Was
an. Well it was before here so five years or so. Tell me why did you leave that job. I.
Quit. You quit. Why. My mother got hurt so I came back here to take care of you. OK so
you quit your job to take care of your mom and now you work here at this this restaurant
restaurants little generous. But yes I work here. Yeah. So you're not a counselor
anymore. In other words you're doing this kind of. One. Kind of menial work. Well. It's
not menial it's what I could get. I had to come home. It's like you said because your
mom got her.

[00:16:22] Yeah. It's not that you're. Hiding

[00:16:25] Now moving away to this different world. You do want to talk I signed you
said you want to talk out here. What is this. Why are you not hiding. You know. This.
Almost done with you right. I'm sorry. Two minutes.

[00:16:36] I'll be right there. This is it's just a little embarrassing. All right. I had this
whole career and now I'm back here I'm doing this and that's it. I need to get back
inside. Just what are your duties now at the initiative. I was a caseworker case. What
did that involve. I. Worked with soldiers who have their mental health. How. How did you
do that. How. Well you mean. I mean what what did you do exactly to help these men.
They were soldiers

[00:17:12] Therapy counseling I told the Colonel I have to say Miss Bergman can you
see how this might sound like you're hiding something this this sort of vagueness. You
see how someone might have this reaction. No I don't I honestly don't remember. That's
all I still remember.

[00:17:26] This was difficult work and it just turned out to not be a good fit for me. But
can you tell me the names and ranks of any of your individual clients. Do you have any
identification. Yeah. Yeah. Sure I do.

[00:17:53] Ok. Why are you here. What's going on. As I said Miss Bergman I am asking
you about your work at the homecoming initiative. But I have to say you seem to be
refusing I'm not ready to provide anything I just don't remember nation. What about the
name Walter Cruz. Does that ring a bell. Not that I can recall. Homecoming was created
and written by Eli Horowitz and Michael Bloomberg

[00:18:44] Directed by Eli Horowitz sound design editing and music by Mark Henry
Phillips produced by Alicia of Vancouver. And Mark Henry Phillips casting by Henry
Russell Bernstein with performances by Catherine Keener Oscar Isaac David
Schwimmer David Cross Amy Sedaris Marcia Stephanie Blake Aaron Swarovski Robert
Taffy and Phyllis Somerville. Homecoming is a production of Gimlet Media.