First responders understand tight knit communities and stressful job situations. Perhaps that is why these professionals are often the first to offer support to veterans. In Dearborn, Michigan, the firefighters and police officers show their support every year at a charity softball game.
The first responders use the proceeds from this event to sponsor veteran support groups like the American Legion Michigan Wounded and the Returning Warrior Program. Both programs help veterans with their transition to life after service. The goal this year was to raise $13,000 for these organizations.
According to Press & Guide, the first responders formed one team called Guns n Hoses and challenged the team of veterans from as far back as World War II.
"The best part about this game is the comradery between the departments," police officer Jason Skoczylas told the news source. "Competition brings out the best in people, makes you work hard, keeps you physically active and we're having fun, it's fun to get together like this."
Rainy skies and chilly weather hindered attendance slightly, but supporters still showed up to cheer on the local heroes and encouragethe returned servicemembers. The game was a close one with the teams being tied for most of the game, and the participants told Press & Guide that it was a fun time.
According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 12 percent of the homeless individuals in America are veterans. In April, President Obama called on American cities to work together to End Veteran Homelessness. The city of Long Beach, California, stepped up to this request wholeheartedly.
"I accepted President Obama's challenge because every veteran deserves a home and support from their community," Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia told Press-Telegram. "We have stepped up our outreach efforts and coordination with our federal and local partners and am confident that we will reach functional zero in the next couple months."
Long Beach hopes to reach functional zero when it comes to veteran homelessness by the end of the year. This means all veterans will have access to the resources they need and will be able to find interim housing.
According to the Press-Telegram, the city government partnered with companies like American Family Housing to increase the number of veteran transitional housing units and raise awareness on resource availability.
The Department of Health and Human Services will continue to monitor the number of homeless veterans and adjust the plan as needed until the goal is reached.
Sociology major Devin Mitchell spends the majority of his time in front of the bathroom mirror with a camera. However, it is not selfies that the ASU junior is taking. Mitchell found inspiration in the untold stories of returned veterans as they transition into life after service.
Mitchell, who is based out of Los Angeles, started the Veteran Vision Project on Sept. 1, 2014 after one of his photos went viral on his Reddit forum. According to The State Press, his goal is to photograph 10,000 former servicemembers in their civilian clothes while the mirror reflects how they feel about their service and the transition to civilian life.
"We all go through life transitions and I think the overarching theme of this project is that reintegration happens in so many different life situations," Mitchell told The State Press. "I would only hope that when the student body looks at this work, they're seeing that too."
For now, all of Mitchell's work is featured online on the project's website. However, Mitchell and his team are trying to transition the photographs to a physical format that can be displayed in galleries.
New Carlisle, Ohio, is a town known for its patriotism. Every year, the community hosts the Heritage of Flight Festival, a 3-day community gathering that celebrates the area's flight history. This year's event, which also marked the celebration's 11th year, featured a ceremony called The Blessing of the Badges. Dozens of local first responders showed up to have their badges prayed over by a local chaplain. Firefighters, first responders and emergency medical service workers lined up in hopes of receiving divine protection on the job.
The blessings took about 40 minutes and were slightly formal.
However, when the event was over, the first responders took to the streets to cut loose and perform a fun dance routine. The popular song "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" blared through the square while 20 of the 75 first responders in attendance performed a dance number to accompany it.
The Dayton Daily News reported that the Clark County Sheriff's deputies and Bethel Fire Department members were some of the first members to start the routine.
Spectators smiled and filmed the uniformed men and women shaking their groove things. Check out the video of the first responders' dance here.
Every Eagle Scout is required to follow through with a community service project before they can complete their Scout program. A young man in Lakeland, Florida, decided to use his project as an opportunity to help veterans in their community.
According to The Ledger, 15-year-old Corey Cullaton decided to partner with Recycled Ride, a local charity, to restore two cars for local veterans. He employed the help of Clark's House, a program that identifies veterans in need, to determine who would get the finished cars before he began work in June.
Cullaton finally presented the restored vehicles, which included tags and registration, to Pamela Washington and Tanya Mann on Oct. 3. The ceremony was held at the Autobody Resurrection Carstar in Lakeland.
"What we need in this town is a lot more men like Corey Cullaton," Howard Wiggs, the Lakeland Mayor Howard Wiggs, said at the event. "You fully represent those who love Lakeland."
Both veterans were extremely grateful for Cullaton's work and generosity. Washington told The Ledger that she planned on using the car to pay it forward. She intends to drive seniors to doctors appointments and help her church with volunteer projects.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are over 2 million female veterans in the U.S. When these women enter life after service, they sometimes struggle with finding employment or housing. A veterans advocacy group in Pittsburgh, Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, is trying to reduce the number of homeless female former servicemembers in the region.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the city is home to the 7th largest female population, and the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania created Project Journey to support them. In the program, female veterans and their families can go to the Crafton House where they will be given a room, access to the home's facilities and a pan of brownies.
The house provides a safe place for female veterans to get back on their feet. According to local news affiliate WPXI 11, Crafton House is located near a local VA and has counselors on site.
Project Journey's main goal is to provide a helping hand for female veterans trying to transition back into civilian life. The organization told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it understood the difficulties veterans faced upon returning home and wanted to alleviate some of them.
For more information on Project Journey, click here.
First responders serve their communities on a daily basis, but because they are so busy protecting their friends and neighbors, they do not always have a chance to bond with them. The people of Nolanville, Texas, wanted to change this by organizing the town's first civilian vs. first responder baseball game.
"The goal of the event is to bring awareness to the community of National Night Out, to promote our event, and to strengthen first responder-community relationships," Nolanville Police Department corporal Heather Worsdale told the Harker Heights Herald.
As part of National Night Out, a nationwide event intended to get families out of their homes and to encourage bonding with the first responders in their communities, the baseball game will be held on Oct. 5. Firefighters, police officers and emergency medical service workers from Nolanville and the surrounding areas formed the first responders' team while local residents of every age made up the civilians' team.
The event will be held in the city park and is free to anyone who is interested in attending. There will also be block parties, food vendors and family-friendly activities in addition to the baseball game.
Over 30 veterans from West Virginia recently took a trip to Washington, D.C., to tour the war memorials and share stories about their experiences. The trip was called the Veteran Appreciation Tour, and it included veterans who served in World War II, the Vietnam War and the Korean War.
The event was sponsored by American Destinations Inc. and took the veterans through national landmarks like Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. Participants got to witness several different wreath laying ceremonies during their travels.
Many of the former servicemembers who went on the trip were eager to share their experiences in combat with fellow veterans. They talked about the people they had served with and what it was like when they returned home.
"All I can say is, I'm very proud to have served during this time, with these people," a veteran told WBOY 12 News upon his visit to the Korean War Memorial.
The trip was free for veterans due to the generous donation of local sponsors. The group departed from the Clarksburg VFW on Oct. 1 and is expected to share their thoughts on the tour upon return.
On Oct. 1, more than 200 veterans gathered across the state of Tennessee for the fourth annual Paychecks for Patriots networking event. According to WBIR.com, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development sponsored the statewide initiative to increase veteran employment. Those in charge stated that former servicemembers make some of the best candidates for employment.
"All veterans have something that the average person may not have," Tony Whatley of the department told WBIR.com. "They understand structure. They understand teamwork."
Wallace Memorial Baptist Church hosted the event in Knoxville, where veterans had the opportunity to apply and interview for positions with a number of different local employers. All of the positions to which the veterans were applying were full-time and came with benefits. Some of the participants told local ABC news affiliate WATE.com that it was difficult to find local civilian employment on their own and that they were grateful for the opportunity with Paychecks for Patriots. Many of the veterans who attended the event were hired immediately.
Some of the employers who participated were FedEx, Aramark, Penske truck leasing and Weigel's. The date for next year's event has not yet been announced.
Every year, the number of veterans entering life after service grows. These former servicemembers seek jobs in the civilian workforce and hope to make great additions to most companies. However, as an employer, it is important to know how to approach the process of hiring and retaining veterans. AFBA has listed six tips to assist you with potential veteran employees.
1. Make an effort to understand military terminology
Veterans are a highly skilled group of people. Their experiences and training has given them deep knowledge in a variety of areas, and many of these skills can be translated for use in a civilian career. However, former servicemembers may not always know how to translate their talents in a way that you will understand. By educating yourself on some basic military terminology, you will be able to recognize when a potential employee has abilities that would be advantageous to your company.
2. Be patient
For many veterans, your interview process may be the first one they have ever gone through. While many may impress you with their professionalism and punctuality, they may appear slightly uncomfortable. Try not to let this influence your decision, as they are most likely just trying to adjust to an unfamiliar situation. Keep in mind that these are highly skilled individuals who simply have not had the opportunity to go through the same processes as civilian candidates. After veterans come aboard at your company, recognize that these people may have been through some traumatic experiences. Allow veterans to take a break as needed if they are experiencing issues related to post-traumatic stress disorder. You may also establish a work from home policy if possible, so that your veteran employees can stay home when these PTSD-related incidents arise.
3. Know what to ask
Because many veterans have not held civilian jobs, they may not be as prepared as other candidates. Instead of asking work place-based situational questions, ask how the veteran's experiences would help him or her in the position for which he or she is interviewing. It is also important to know what not to ask. Questions about the veteran's discharge or potential disabilities is not only irrelevant, it is also illegal.
4. Focus on performance based interviews
Monster.com recommended using performance based questions when conducting an interview with a former servicemember. These types of questions allow the veteran to use the experience they have instead of grasping for answers that relate to an industry they may not yet understand.
5. Provide mentors in the workplace
The transition to life after service can be a confusing and stressful time for veterans. By providing a mentor at work, you can give these individuals someone to lean on when they need extra support or encouragement. These mentors can be other former servicemembers already employed with your company or civilian workers who have demonstrated strong leadership.
6. Be clear with expectations
Military servicemembers are trained to adhere to strict routines and uphold the highest standards. These habits do not go away once an individual retires from military service. As an employer, you need to clearly communicate the expectations of the position and the workplace. Understanding what is expected of them will likely help veterans adjust better in their new roles.
Former military servicemembers can be an invaluable addition to your company. They have more diverse experiences than most other candidates and are trained to perform well under pressure. However, hiring and retaining veteran employees can be difficult if the gap between military and civilian worlds cannot be breached. By following the advice above, you can help veterans with their transition into the civilian workforce, and you may have the opportunity to hire some of the best candidates available.