When Veterans Return Home

At some point, everyone who serves in the military returns home from serving our nation.  Some return only because of limits imposed by Congress on how long our warriors can serve their country.  Many warriors affected by that mandate have served as senior military leaders for as much as three decades. Their unique experiences honed them into smart, disciplined leaders with a depth of purpose and understanding that civilian CEOs and board chairs cannot claim.

Meanwhile, junior officers and skilled enlisted troops return home after having leveraged their talents to achieve positions of trust and responsibility that far exceed their non-veteran peers. 

Finally, let us never forget, the Americans that return home for their final rest, whether in spirit or in body, their last breath taken far away from their home. No veteran ever forgets them.

What happens when veterans return home? When they arrive, are they embraced as potential contributors to the success of businesses and nonprofits?  Are our veterans asked to share their unique experience and skilsl to help our communities prosper?  Are their strong character, education, and technical skills being used to ignite waves of innovation and efficiency?  Sometimes that answer is yes.   

However, studies say that collectively, only a quarter of community members view veterans as an assets, and  veterans’ advocacy organizations tend to agree with that statistic.  Furthermore, my personal interactions with veterans in my community support the same conclusion.  In fact, my personal experience says veterans receive  lots of pats on the back in gratitude for their service to the nation, but when they seek a tangible form of affirmation that would enable them to feed their family, people mostly offer shrugs.    

Since my return to civilian life two years ago, I’ve been on a fascinating journey as a student of the military transition.  I have listened to the frustrations of veterans, and, surprisingly, employers too, who are looking for the right fit, but neither fully understanding how to take advantage of the true value veterans bring.

I won’t be content watching productive veterans sit on the sidelines.  It’s my goal to educate veterans and employers alike, to find the right match for both, and together take business to the next level of success.  I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting experts who have studied the plight of veterans in the workforce, and have instilled hope that there are resources that available to help veterans reach their goals. 

Thankfully, the journey is far from over.  I’m hopeful that soon, veterans will come home victorious, with opportunities to fulfill their dreams of being valued contributors to their communities.  Remember, we all come home….