Mind the Gap...are we bridging the military and civilian worlds?

SGT Ben Keen — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 11:26:39 -0500

Yesterday, I had the awesome opportunity to join several other Veterans from the Pittsburgh region at an open forum as part of a new push from the VA to strengthen the Veteran/Community relationship. This 90 minute moderated discussion brought together Veterans from all eras, branches, genders, and races together in a room with several community leaders and we discussed a lot of different thing including the discussion around the military/civilian gap in the region.

Pittsburgh is in a unique position. Without having any large military installations to draw upon, this region finds itself near the top of the list of number of Veterans calling this region home. This means that unlike communities who's livelihoods really circle around the local military installation, this region really relies on the private sector to fill the gaps the VA is not able to cover.

It is no secret that the gap does exist for a lot of reasons. We, as Veterans, enter the civilian world after 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 20 years of service in our chosen branch with a different skill set than our peers who did not serve. And last night we discussed in small groups what some of the gaps are and how we as Veterans can bridge some of them. And for the more active users of RallyPoint, you have seen us discuss this issue several times before.

So, then why did I feel the need to add to this conversation with another post? Simple, I think we as Veterans need to revisit this topic more often. You often hear the line of never letting one generation of Veterans forgetting another and this is where this topic falls into place. If we do not continue to mind the gap, driving the conversation, than the gap will only grow; removing the work that has already been put in place.

During the small group conversation I had the honor of being part of, there was a Veteran from the Vietnam war in the same group. This Veteran served with a Rangers Regiment during Vietnam completing a ton of missions only to come home and go through the horrible treatment many of you that served during Vietnam faced. Name calling, being spit on, treated as some sort of monster; all because you did a job that you either volunteered for or was "volentold" to do because of the draft. Yet, a lot Veterans came back, saw this treatment and vowed to never let it happen again. They saw the gap, took action and created a bridge that has allowed the Veterans that followed to have a much different experience upon their return.

We also discussed the fact that while one of our strengths is our ability to adapt to new situations, the gap causes us to adapt slower to changes in the civilian world. Sometimes it is our pride that gets in the way of asking for help and we try to bridge the gap on our own only to find ourselves struggling more. For me personally, this struggle resulted in two years of heavy drinking; almost resulting in my early departure from this world. Ignoring the gap, allowing it to expand, will only result in more and more Veterans struggling to cross the gap.

So what can we do to help bridge this gap? Will the gap ever be gone? Personally, I do not think the gap will ever be gone. Yet, there are a lot of things we can do to help bridge it. Community involvement, sharing our stories, remaining connected to others who have been where you are and done what you done is key in maintaining this bridge. We are entering our 15th year of "active combat operations" in the fight against worldwide terrorism. That only means that we, the Veterans Community must remain strong, connected and ready to help our newest brothers and sisters-in-arms.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Feb 9 at 2016 11:31 AM

LTC John Shaw — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 11:31:26 -0500

It takes both groups deliberately reaching out and teaching each other about ways to bridge the cultural differences.

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Feb 9 at 2016 11:32 AM

SSG Audwin Scott — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 11:32:20 -0500

I would like to think we are.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Feb 9 at 2016 11:40 AM

SSG Warren Swan — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 11:40:01 -0500

The gap will never go away. It's just one of those things we have to accept. We can make it better by having open and honest conversations with open minded people, but the problem with that is those same people have seen a lot of the negatives that are thrown on us by personal actions, professional actions, mental actions, and no reaction at all. The entitlement attitude is another killer with us. Too many think I deployed, so you owe me something. It's been said on RP before "you're not owed shit". We need to educate these troops you signed up knowing there is a chance to go to war. We're also used as props by elected officials. We need to get away from the stereotypes and make a new narrative that we dictate and control. This new narrative should focus on showing the public we're more than troops, we're human also. We do volunteer work, charity work, and are examples for the youth. In some cases, we're not. I support vet tshirt companies like Grunt Style and 9line apparel. But there are those rare moments where a tshirt seemed cool at first, but when I really look at it, I'm making myself part of the stereotype. Gotta get away form that.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2016 1:34 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 13:34:49 -0500

Sorry, but did anyone else think of the Minions movie when they saw and read "Mind the Gap"?

Response by SGM Earl Richburg made Feb 9 at 2016 3:10 PM

SGM Earl Richburg — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 15:10:54 -0500

These are the types of topics I would like to see more of. As the President of a recruiting agency and trying to match Vets with employers I am always interested in finding new ways to bridge the gap. I like to call it the recruiting/ employer filters that hinder us. The typical hiring process for a typical business does not bridge that gap. My company, Mission First Recruiting Solutions is trying to flip the business model to benifit the Veterans that struggle breaking through the filters. I would like to have a conversation offline. Please contact me at [login to see]

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2016 9:02 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 21:02:51 -0500

There are companies that "get us" and there are those that don't. There is more than enough literature that is put out there for the veteran or transitioning service member to read on how to find them. When I was a reservist, there were enough companies courting me because of how I crafted my image. Military background, highly approachable, and able to fix problems is how I aim my online presence. With that being said, I was OPEN to opportunities, not set on a certain location, salary, or company. Every so often I would come across opportunities or share them with others if I didn't the position.

On another note, I believe we as veterans should start creating jobs by becoming entrepreneurs and not filling jobs. We have long since traded enough time for money, as we should be trading money for time! There is a lot of underutilized benefits out there for the taking! Take control of your life instead of living it for someone else.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Feb 9 at 2016 11:05 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 23:05:26 -0500

SGT Ben Keen Thank you for the reminder of London's, "tube system.

Response by SGT Kristin Wiley made Feb 10 at 2016 6:28 PM

SGT Kristin Wiley — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 18:28:08 -0500

Leadership supporting transition programs. I started SFL-TAP last month, and have only taken 2 of the classes. My leadership keeps insinuating that I need to be in the office more, even though I'm extremely busy doing MANDATORY requirements as part of the transition process. Leaders need understand the transition process, so soldiers can get the proper support they need when they are in this critical transition period.

The transition center says that many of its services are available up to 180 days after ETS. I think it's important for the transition counselor to identify where these soldiers are going and provide local area contact information for the available services.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2016 4:34 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 16:34:59 -0500

In my humble opinion, the old adage " You can't go home again" becomes more prevalent when we reach out and make valiant attempts to " bridge the gap". The one "absolute" difference between a civilian and military career is the military's primary responsibility of training to protect and defend has one added responsibility. Teaching another human being that the " fight or flight" concept requires more emphasis be placed on the " fight " portion than the "flight" portion. Coming to grips with that requirement demands a different attitude, and not everyone can reach that plateau regardless the " toughness" of the Drill Instructor. That "fight" concept requires a complete change of mind about the sanctity of life. Enter the " kill or be killed" parameter. There are some in society that believe the more intelligent one can become, the better the chance of survival. The individual who is trying to kill you because he enjoys his life more than you, may be more successful thereby creating a " loser" who bears your name. History will tell us the " folly" of a few instances where war was waged and lost. Understanding that difference between " bridging the gap" just might make it easier to " go home again", but a better concept of acknowledging the threat could be a deciding factor.