Three Encouragements For The New Administration

December 1, 2016

Spencer Kympton, president of The Mission Continues and seated at far right, joins other veteran leaders on December 1, 2016, in Washington, DC.

Since our founding, we have always been a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to bringing together veterans and innovative organizations to create transformational change for communities in need all across the country. The past nine years of service have inspired countless opportunities to learn and grow as a nonprofit uniquely focused on empowering veterans. In that spirit, we joined nearly 30 organizations serving our veterans and military families this morning to share our experience at the first outside meeting with members of the Presidential Transition Office focused on veteran support.

These are the three key encouragements we offered at the meeting:

1. Adopt a team-based approach to veteran transition that restores belonging, connection and purpose. Veterans thrive when part of a team. Our programming supports the reintegration experience in part by creating opportunities for veterans to connect with their community through the vehicle of service. And the research suggests that when veterans are plugged into new missions that match their personal or professional passions, whether individually as volunteers at established nonprofits or as a part of a “platoon” in their community, not only are they stronger because of the experience, but so are our communities. This feeling is common among many veterans transitioning as a family unit as well, a key motivator in our expansion of our Service Platoon Program to include volunteers of all backgrounds, regardless of military experience. For an all-volunteer generation of military men and women and families, continued service can be the common bond that bridges military and civilian life.

2. Utilize an asset-based perspective and empower veterans as leaders in their communities. Our model at The Mission Continues is based on the understanding that veterans have unique skills and experiences that can be a vital resource when applied to our communities’ most pressing challenges. Thousands of veterans have assumed new missions of youth mentorship, environmental conservation, disaster response and advocacy for the underserved. This continued service is a win-win for our veterans and the communities they serve. As we continue to meet the needs of our veterans and military families, we must continue do so with a shift in mindset from veterans as a liability, as is so often the case, to an asset.

Veteran volunteers build a new learning garden at Hart Middle School in Washington, DC in May 2014.

3. Focus on the unique challenges and potential of women veterans. The post-9/11 generation includes the highest percentage of women veterans in American history,  and our programs reflect this demographic shift; women represent more than one-third of Mission Continues Fellows and Service Platoon members. Research conducted by The Mission Continues in 2015 surfaced a narrative that was common to many of these veterans – that they joined the military for similar reasons as their male counterparts, including out of a sense of duty to our country, but their experiences thereafter vastly differed. Nearly three-fourths (72%) of our Alumni felt they had fewer career opportunities in the military, and more than 50% experienced harassment, discrimination or marginalization.

As such, the challenges and opportunities facing women veterans on the backend of their service often deviate from the norm established to support a male-dominated community. If we are to fully to support our women veterans, meet their needs, and harness their potential to return home as leaders, then we must create a more inclusive transition and reintegration experience.

Report for duty in your community with The Mission Continues. Serve with a Service Platoon at an upcoming service event near you or apply for a fellowship. Stay updated on the latest news and announcements on Facebook and twitter.