Successful transition back to civilian life after serving on active duty has been a hot topic back in Washington, D.C. and throughout many parts of the country. Unfortunately, most of those back in D.C. who are responsible for ensuring success in this area have sat around long tables “talking” about the right steps instead of deploying the right steps. The result of inaction continues to lend support to the stories of veterans experiencing long delays in delivered benefits, high unemployment, increasing numbers of suicides and a number of other headline grabbers most are now accustomed to seeing.
Washington State said, “Enough talk.” For the past three years Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, Senator Patty Murray’s staff, several state agencies, one brilliant Jonathan Henderson and folks from Operation Military Family have not only been “discussing” how to improve transition, but have deployed a process and prototype that will move the old-school transition process from outputs to outcomes.
Much of this pre-work led to Governor Jay Inslee’s first Executive Order (13-01): Veterans Transition Support. One of the directives, should it work, is what will ultimately keep Washington as one of the best places for veterans in our country – The Military Transition Council.
As the Executive Order states, “In addition to supporting transition assistance programs at Washington’s military installations, executive cabinet agencies will participate in and provide leadership to the Washington State Military Transition Council. The Council will support collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies and private and non-profit organizations that share responsibility for providing transition assistance to service members and their families.”
The Council has a big mandate: support collaboration.
Collaboration amongst cross-jurisdictional agencies is often problematic (and somewhat foreign in D.C.), but the efforts led by the State Department of Veterans Affairs and Joint Base Lewis McChord are proving to be ground-breaking and innovative. Data-share agreements, cross-jurisdictional collaboration, the use of technology, and a life cycle approach to tackling the whole problem — not just a piece of it — is scary for entities that are accustomed to working only within their stove pipe of excellence.
But by doing so, the veteran and his/her family will be better served because the process moves from reactive to proactive (earlier engagement) and outcomes (results) instead of outputs (touch points). The agencies will have more efficient ways to produce and the cost-savings for all involved, including tax payers, will be substantial.
This effort took bold leadership and in some circles a willingness to say, “Forget about statutes, profits, or policies, what is the right thing to do?” And to do it regardless of sequestration, uncertain state funding, and outdated regulations.
After all, who is it that is supposed to be served after service anyway: the agency or the veteran?
– By Michael Schindler
About the author: Michael Schindler, Navy veteran, and president of Edmonds-based Operation Military Family, is a guest writer for several national publications, author of the book “Operation Military Family” and “The Military Wire” blog. He is also a popular keynote and workshop speaker who reaches thousands of service members and their families every year through workshops and seminars that include “How to Battle-Ready Your Relationship” or “What Your Mother-in-Law Didn’t Tell You.” He received the 2010 Outstanding Patriotic Service Award from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
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