JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas  –   He had lost his family, his home and nearly his job, but it took a near-death experience for Lt. Col. Bret Gilmore to finally quit drinking and regain his life.

The Army chaplain said it was a close call that he can't afford to repeat.

"If I drink again, I will lose my family," Gilmore said. "And losing my family is not now, or ever will be, an option."

Just over a year ago, after decades of drinking, Gilmore was deeply depressed, living alone in an RV, and downing a bottle of vodka each day – a stark contrast to the happy memories of his childhood.

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