Eric DudashChief Master Sergeant, USAF (Ret.) · Mentone, Alabama
Alabama Veteran of the Year
Thirty years in uniform. Still serving.
Eric Dudash spent more than three decades in the United States Air Force and every
major conflict since Desert Shield. Today he speaks to businesses, schools, churches
and community groups across the country about teamwork, servant leadership and
resilience — with his service dog Phantom beside him.
Every Monday morning, Eric makes a cup of coffee and talks about
something that matters — leadership, mental health, looking after the people
around you, and being alright with not being alright. No studio, no script. Just the
conversation most people are waiting for somebody else to start.
Veterans: call 988 and press 1,
or text 838255. Anyone: call or text
988. Free, confidential, 24 hours a day.
Merchandise
Shirts and mugs, with the lines that have come out of the episodes
— and out of what people have said back. Here is the honest position: nothing has
been printed yet. Tell Eric which one you would actually want and he will know what to
make.
One person. One conversation. One cup of coffee.The line it all started with
Where the coffee is hot and the conversations are realSays the whole thing
Coffee. Fresh air. Real talk.Short enough for a cap
Some of life's best conversations happen over coffeeFor the back of the shirt
Serving others one cup at a timeThe one about him
I'm a member of the Coffee Cup ClubFor the regulars
Connect · Conversate · ServeStraight off the badge
Speaking
One voice, three rooms. Eric tailors the talk to who is in front of him,
and he brings Phantom.
Phantom works the room too — he goes where Eric goes.
Schools and student groups
Teamwork, resilience and what service actually asks of a person — told by someone
who did it for thirty years, in language a classroom stays awake for.
Businesses and leadership teams
Servant leadership from a career spent advising leaders on the readiness, morale
and welfare of warriors across the globe.
Veterans and community events
Memorial Day and Veterans Day programs, PTSD awareness evenings, VFW and civic
luncheons. Eric speaks openly about life after service, and about Phantom.
What people say
Eric has spoken at Veterans Day and Memorial Day programs, charities and
benefits, schools and college commencements. Here is what some of them said.
“Eric is an incredibly gifted speaker and storyteller. He is poised, articulate,
and direct, but what makes him so compelling is his ability to weave his own experiences
into his presentation with honesty and heart. He brings the realities of combat-related
CPTSD to life in a way that facts and statistics alone simply cannot, while also using
meaningful information and data to help drive his message home. … Eric knows how
to connect with an audience, hold their attention, and help them understand something
they may never have personally experienced. His presentation is powerful, personal,
educational, and deeply moving. I would highly recommend him to any organization or
group looking for a speaker who will make a genuine and lasting impact.”
“I have been blessed to hear Eric Dudash speak at both Leadership DeKalb and our
Lions Club meetings. He is a wonderful speaker who brings wisdom, passion, and
encouragement to every room he enters. More than that, Eric is someone who truly cares
about our community and is committed to making a difference.”
“Eric Dudash doesn't just talk about his time in the service, he brings you into
it. Every story lands with heart, every lesson sticks. What gets me most is how he shows
up for the next generation, pushing young people to lead with purpose and grit. You walk
away both inspired and challenged.”
“Thank you for your service, your friendship, and your constant support of
Scouting. Your willingness to help with flag ceremonies, open the doors of the VFW, and
invest in our youth means more than words can express. Thank you for being an
inspiration and a true partner in serving our community.”
“Eric Dudash has a gift for turning battles into blessings, trials into testimony
& pain into purpose. His story—from Air Force Special Ops and multiple
deployments to the life-changing bond with Warrior Freedom Service Dog, Phantom—has
brought tears, hope & healing to Veterans, donors, workers & anyone willing to
listen. Eric doesn't just speak to people; he speaks straight to their hearts. And I
believe there are no coincidences with God—only divine connections and purposeful
paths.”
“Encourage each other and build each other up.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)
“Eric, I'm blessed to call you my brother in Christ—and my brother by
heart.”
On the water
Eric fishes competitive kayak bass tournaments as ChiefD — from an
adaptive setup, because service injuries made a standard boat impossible. He is
straightforward about why he does it: time on the water does more for him than any
medication.
The trail
Bassmaster Kayak Series, Guntersville Kayak Anglers, the Alabama Kayak State
Championship and NAKA Big Bass.
The boat
One kayak now — a Bonafide XTR130, rigged the way he needs it. An injury changes
the setup, not whether you compete.
Sponsors
Seven businesses ride on the jersey, at the ramp, at the weigh-in and in every
photo afterwards. There is room on it for more.
Who backs him
Harbin Automotive
Epic Baits
Duckett Fishing
Eco Fishing Shop
Bruces Foodland
GSox Rod Covers
Royal Fishing Hooks
What he fishes
Bonafide XTR130
Garmin Kraken trolling motor
Garmin electronics
YakAttack
Power-Pole
FishTX Trailers
Gear he chooses and pays for, not sponsors — listed because other kayak anglers
ask what is on the boat.
Put your name on the water
Eric fishes a full season around the country with the
Bassmaster Kayak Series, and his home waters are across Alabama and the Tennessee
Valley. He wears his sponsors where the cameras are: on the jersey, at the ramp, at
the weigh-in and in every photo afterwards.
Post 3128's patch sits on that sleeve
for the same reason a business's would. If you want a spot on it for next season,
ring him.
Eric M. Dudash retired from the United States Air Force on 1 December 2018 as a
Chief Master Sergeant, after more than thirty years and every major conflict since
Desert Shield and Desert Storm, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2022 Governor Kay Ivey named him Alabama's Veteran of the Year. He lives in
Mentone. He has served as a VFW Commander at every level — Post, District and
State of Alabama — and today sits on the VFW National Council and, by the
Governor's appointment, on the board of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.
He mentors veterans through Warrior Freedom Service Dogs, volunteers with Comfort
Care Hospice, and places flags at veterans' graves.
Phantom, his service dog, is the reason a lot of that is possible. Eric says so
plainly, and says it in public, because he wants the veteran in the back row to
know it is available to them too.
“I want to always help and be a servant leader.”
Eric Dudash
Phantom, and the boots that came home.
30+ yearsUnited States Air Force, retired 2018
2022Alabama Veteran of the Year, Governor's Award
National CouncilVFW · past Commander at Post, District and State
Get in touch
To book Eric for a school, a company or a community event, or to talk
about sponsoring the season:
