Our newest article is from Omar Armstrong, our Deputy Executive Director. His message about Veteran service comes at a key time, as Memorial Day is only a few weeks away. Omar officially came to MilitaryMentors this past October, but he has known Chevy since they were about 14 years old. One of Omar’s key roles in the organization is to oversee the eMMissary Program. A play on the word emissary, eMMissaries (MM is an insider term used by the leaders within MilitaryMentors) are industry leaders who are screened, selected, and trained through a six-month cohort style leader(ship) development curriculum to become a ‘virtuous insurgency’ for mentorship. If you’d like to learn more contact him at omar@militarymentors.org.
Service has been important to me since my time as a JROTC cadet at A.C. Flora High School in Columbia, SC. I remember participating in brush clearing on campus to create a walking trail. We participated in a Toys for Tots event at a local hospital. At Georgia Military College we participated in a Habitat for Humanity event. I signed my ROTC contract in the fall of 1998 thinking my deployments would consist of humanitarian, or peace keeping efforts. After earning my bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina, I served on Active Duty as a Quartermaster/Logistics officer from 2003 to 2008. Following my service, I began working at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in August 2008. Things were fine at the VA, and going ok in my personal life… but something was missing. I found that missing piece through another form of service.
While I’m currently in a supervisory position, I started at the VA in an entry level position. For the first time, I was only responsible for the items in my cubicle. My last position in the Army was as a logistics advisor for an entire Iraqi Army Brigade. While I was glad to be home, and probably needed the break after my second deployment to Iraq, I didn’t always feel like I was doing work I could be proud of. Things started looking up for me when I joined the Veterans service organization, Team Red, White & Blue (RWB). Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s Veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. At the suggestion of our chapter captain, I volunteered for a leadership position where I was once again able help and lead people.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “everybody can be great… because anybody can serve.” I believe through service, Veterans can regain the greatness they believe they’ve lost.
With service, you get the chance to give gratitude by sharing your time with others and showing them they are appreciated. The people you serve with provide a service back to you by showing gratitude to you. Helping those less fortunate than you also makes you grateful for all the things you do have and not what you may have lost by leaving service. In the Elephant and the Ant: Leadership for the Self author Vince Poscente says, “gratitude is the magic ingredient in the recipe for a fulfilling life.” Giving, realizing, and receiving gratitude will improve your attitude, and make you more optimistic.
As most Veterans I had to start over at an entry level position in my new civilian job. I went from being a Captain in the Army, advising Iraqi Army brigade level leadership, responsible for the lives and welfare of Soldiers, to being responsible for my desktop computer and other office supplies in my cubicle. Service organizations are always looking for leaders. In Team RWB my first leadership role was as the chapter’s Veteran Outreach Coordinator. I had a portion of a budget, I would speak to local leaders in the Veterans community, I gained our group entry into the Veterans Day Parade, and I organized our Adopt-A-Highway event. Eventually I became our chapter captain, with even more responsibility.
Service forces participants to interact with other people. In order to serve you have to engage with real people, not virtual followers, or “friends.” While virtual relationships feel authentic and genuine they do not take the place of face-to-face human interaction. You need to read people’s body language. People may say they agree with you, but their body language may say something different. You also give others the opportunity to read your body language. You might say you’re happy, but your actions and gestures show something different. The military is big on teams and working together, but many jobs in the private sector are more individualistic. Through service you can regain that sense of being part of a team. You can once again be part of something bigger than you.
I found that my involvement in service organizations exposed me to positive people and new activities. Some jobs don’t always have the best work environment, or the culture is different from what you were used to in the military. People may be cynical, overworked, or just plain grumpy. You may not have the most positive environment at home. A change of scenery can lift your mood. Service organizations can introduce you to other Veterans in your similar situation, or people totally different from you who can expose you to new things you didn’t think you would enjoy. Through Team RWB I did my first obstacle course race, I did yoga for the first time, and I met a lot of local leaders. Leaders like Sutton Shaw who runs the Big Red Barn Retreat in Blythewood, SC. They specialize in equine therapy. Horses have an incredible ability to perceive congruency. You are congruent when your expressions match your emotions. Horses can sense when something isn’t right in us humans. Through observing a horse’s reaction, a person can learn when they are gaining or losing control of their not so obvious underlying emotional issues.
In service organizations you also may have the opportunity to utilize the skills you gained while serving in the military, especially skills like leadership and teamwork. You also have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills. Through my work with Team RWB I learned how to create and manage company/business social media pages and Facebook groups. I organized a 5K race with several other Veteran service organizations. As an added benefit I also used many of my experiences in my leadership positions with Team RWB when building my resume for promotions at the VA. Find a service organization that matches your talents, or is involved in a talent you want to learn or improve.
In conclusion, through service, Veterans can give, experience, and receive gratitude. Service in organizations can provide increased responsibility as Veterans usually have to enter the civilian sector at entry level positions. You will have the opportunity to engage with and build genuine relationships with new people. You can change your atmosphere by being exposed to new experiences and positive interactions. Veterans can use old talents or gain new ones. I challenge all Veterans to serve in their communities in any way possible, whether that’s with a Veterans service organization, church, scouts, coaching youth sports, or a myriad of other ways.
Start a conversation. Spark a transformation.