Have You Heard of Army Echos Blog For Retirement Soldiers?

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 22:51:19 -0400

Retired Soldiers Remain Strong with Online Communities.

Posted on September 4, 2015

From the time a Soldier earns that title, he or she is a Soldier for Life—someone who serves strong while in the military, and who remains strong by continuing to live Army Values and Warrior Ethos after retirement or transition. The Army’s enduring commitment to Soldiers, Retired Soldiers, Veterans and their Families is alive in programs like Army Retirement Services and Soldier for Life.

How can Retired Soldiers stay actively connected to the Army Family?

As the popularity of social media and online communities continues to rise, so too does the age demographic of users. Since 2012, the only age demographic that increased usage in social media is 30-49 year-olds. The upper half of this range correlates to the age of newly retiring Soldiers.
Three Platforms to Stay Connected
Of the numerous online and social media platforms, the following are the best fit for Retired Soldiers:
•Army Soldier for Life Network: Soldier for Life’s LinkedIn community is specifically geared toward transitioning and retiring Soldiers and their Families. Here, group members can access employment opportunities as well as helpful information and tips on resume writing, interviewing and more. More importantly, the Army Soldier for Life Network provides an atmosphere of peer mentoring. Joining this group is a great opportunity for Retired Soldiers who want to continue to serve by reaching out to the next generation of those transitioning and to share their expertise. After all, who better to give advice than someone who has already experienced retirement from the Army? Join the Army Soldier for Life Network here:
http://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=6627257

•milConnect: This platform is a social networking site for Soldiers, Retired Soldiers, Veterans and their Families. The site offers a centralized location for personal information, healthcare eligibility, personnel needs and more. Retired Soldiers can sign in with a myPay account. Here, users can post questions and view answers from the military community, as well as view their own personal information.
RallyPoint: This online community provides a platform where service members representing all branches of the military can connect and discuss topics ranging from leadership, politics, post-military life and more. More than one in eight service members use this platform. Once a user creates a profile, he or she can begin connecting with Soldiers who are still in uniform or who have transitioned or retired. Find the RallyPoint Army Veterans page here: http://www.rallypoint.com/branches/army/veterans

Staying connected to the Army Family online is easy, free and, most importantly, it provides Retired Soldiers with the camaraderie that many miss after serving for 20 years or more.

https://soldierforlife.army.mil/retirement/blog

Army Soldier For Life Network | LinkedIn

The Soldier for Life Network is an official program of the United States Army created to help connect Soldiers, Retired Soldier, Veterans and their...

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Sep 8 at 2015 11:20 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 23:20:00 -0400

Thanks, SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL!

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Sep 9 at 2015 12:08 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 00:08:15 -0400

No I had not heard the Echos Blog For Retirement Soldiers SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL. Echoes seems to be a great name for retired soldiers as we reflect on what the current Soldiers are going through. While some experiences are new others have been experienced by Soldiers since time immemorial.

Response by Cpl James Waycasie made Sep 9 at 2015 2:10 AM

Cpl James Waycasie — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 02:10:37 -0400

This is an awesome post. Thank you for sharing the info Sir

Response by SGT Scott Bell made Sep 9 at 2015 7:41 AM

SGT Scott Bell — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 07:41:52 -0400

Response by SGT(P) Crystal Marie France made Sep 9 at 2015 7:59 AM

SGT(P) Crystal Marie France — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 07:59:16 -0400

Nice!!!

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Sep 9 at 2015 10:55 AM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 10:55:34 -0400

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL I hadn't heard of this until you posted it. Thanks for sharing some good information!

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Sep 9 at 2015 1:14 PM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 13:14:18 -0400

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - I was not aware of this. Thanks for letting us know.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Sep 9 at 2015 6:53 PM

MSG Wade Huffman — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:53:18 -0400

I've received the newsletter (of the same title) since retirement, first paper, and later electronically, but I hadn't realized there was also a blog. Thanks for sharing!

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Sep 10 at 2015 12:05 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 12:05:31 -0400

SFC, great post. I'd add TogetherWeServed. It's another good site. But while others might be free this is a pay site, but IMO it's worth it. I'm not affiliated with it other than being a member, and they have all branches represented, so it's not just an Army site.

Another I'm a member of is Warrior Pointe (warriorpointe.org) it's much in line with RP, Togetherweserved, and the ones listed above, but here, you're seeing a younger crowd of veterans and with many of the older vets there, we can still guide them through processes that we've already gone through. Problem is, you might see some of the same things you shook your head at when you were in, but at least this time you get to laugh it off rather than 4856'ing em.
https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=Profile

TogetherWeServed - Connecting US Army Soldiers

Army.Togetherweserved.com is the place for Soldiers to reconnect with old friends, network socially and professionally, and remember their service.