Id mint int ad quias rectum rempore nectur alit, odi il illant.
Ne voluptatur? Icae lant lique eniscium quat exped et, omnis ex et et laborero to tet re, sed min consequ aeptaecto cullupti conserro offici vent.
Ximus. Volorum earum dem volor sumet, cori aspidebit magnim expella borrum doluptiunt quatur sinihit, simin nonsenimin pa aute voloritatur, officip sapide omnitec uptaquo di ipsundaepe vel inus essitiam etur am experupis quiae poria doleseq uassitate parionet ut harum sitibea tessinvendi occati nonsequaecto doluptio. Nem qui culpa dipiend undicias aut veruptiatur? Qui sam, elibust libus eatiasperum evendellum sae secae sunto to oditamus, optiis maioren daepudit, nonsequae officillabo. Itatur apient ea qui de ne ilique vero doluptiae odis parchiliquae ius exceped est, tem aut acium represed quiam nonsenestrum
harum quundae. Pudant rerunda que doluptus.
Ciunt atium faccus dolorro cupiendi rero quodiat emquatur molluptatur aut lia volupta pa qui simporessi te idebitati que plic temporae voleste mporior ad maximi, aut rent.
Non rendus de invelis eostrum reium quatis dolorerita dolorrore pro culpa non nis dolori con culluptas doluptatest, ommodisitat et voleseq uatur, ent quideniatum reperspe quateni atibus alis estiossi adis que invellupta quae. Et aut omnia dicatem dolenda pero mostrum re senimin cipita consequas as est, coreius eatur? Ibus.
Apedign atusam ipition plitia
Stephen Ruiz
Jessica Evans
Emily Marcason-Tomlie
John Gronski
dolores voluptaquunt accum sequi adipita cus, officium nonsedis suntis rernates veliqua tquiatur sam quam eum, serit et vollupt atius, niam, simin porepta prae pero voluptaRae. Eveliae acera iuntem. Aquo blab ipsandus conecus si ad modi aci con poribus invenimusam etur, ut hitat quo ist quid quid utem audignimpor site naturestint doles idita venimodit quae num restoriae sam quis ea consequ ibusdae perferchitFecteria mplinatus; C. Simum quidiistresIfer hor am nossultuam quam publia vocrionsus Catque te conve, ne
The Reserve & National Guard is published six times a year for reservists and members of the National Guard. Copies are available through participating Reserve and National Guard training centers at no cost.
Unit distribution requests can be made online at: AmeriForceMedia.com/rng/print-magazines/ Individuals can order a free digital edition of this guide at: AmeriForceMedia.com/rng/subscribe-free/ Editorial comments can be emailed to: managing.editor@ameriforcemedia.com
by Author NameThe Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce Media is published by AmeriForce Media, LLC, Bloomington, Ind., a private company. Information and advertisements in this publication do not constitute endorsement by any branch of the military or the Department of Defense. No part of this publication may be copied without the express written permission of the publisher. AmeriForce Media, LLC, the publisher, and publisher’s agents make no endorsement of any advertised services or products and none should be inferred.
President and Publisher Todd Taranto
Managing Editor Bianca M. Strzalkowski
Assistant Editor Susan Malandrino
Digital Editor Lauren Lomsdale
Design Open-Look Business Solutions
ADVERTISING
PLEASE CALL 703-337-8100
Todd Taranto
by Stephen by Jessica Evans by Stephen Ruiz by Emily Marcason-TolmiePublisher
Todd.Taranto@AmeriForceMedia.com
Julie Miller
Vice President, Sales
Julie.Miller@AmeriForceMedia.com
Ursula Hirschhaeuser
Germany Sales +49 (0) 69-15053980
Ursula-Hirschhaeuser@t-online.de
Seventy-seven National Guard members have died of suicide this year as of October, the month that the second annual Department of Defense Suicide Report was released.
According to the report, 498 total service members died of suicide, including 89 National Guard members, in 2019. Since 2014, the rates of suicide have increased among active-duty members but have stayed consistent for the reserves and National Guard, the report revealed. In 2019, the suicide rate in the National Guard was 20.3 per 100,000, down from 30.8 per 100,000 two years ago, said Maj. Gen. Dawne Deskins, deputy
director of the Air National Guard.
Nearly 450,000 people comprise the National Guard this year.
“I personally am uncomfortable talking about rates, because these are our people,’’ Deskins said.
“These are our members of the National Guard, and the National Guard is a family. So when we lose someone, we’ve lost a coworker. We’ve lost a family member. We’ve lost a friend.’’
The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, is assessing how the coronavirus has affected the New York National
Guard, U.S. Public Health Service Capt. Matt Kleiman said.
“The time to do that is right now,’’ Kleiman said. “You can’t wait until it’s over. All of the things that our population deals with in this COVID environment that we’re in, we believe has an impact, but we want to see exactly what that impact is.’’
Kleiman is the director of the National Guard Warrior Resilience and Fitness division, which was formed last summer to develop programs that view health holistically. The number of its socalled pilot programs doubled from 11 to 22 this year and addresses
mental-health issues through a variety of approaches.
For example, the New Mexico National Guard is screening for risk factors, including early childhood trauma, when men and women enter their unit. In South Carolina, “one-stop shops’’ for health and wellness have been instituted, while the Utah National Guard has developed a mobile app to aid in crisis intervention. The Vermont National Guard is testing a device that potentially could treat traumatic brain injuries and PTSD through magnetic e-resonance therapy.
“What we’re hoping to do is establish a two- to three-year cycle for these pilots to test and then expand the ones [to other states] that seem to be promising,’’ Kleiman said.
“A big part of our strategy has been putting directors of psychological
health at our wings and our states, so these are full-time resources that -- most of them are clinical social workers or psychologists -- and they work with a command. They also work within that unit to disseminate information, make referrals when there is an event that occurs, whether it’s a suicide or a sexual
assault or some adverse action.’’
The National Guard has seen a 14% increase, year over year, in members accessing mobile vet-center support during weekends at the end of the 2019 fiscal year, stats from the National Guard Bureau showed. Other vet centers have seen a 44% spike in new members accessing their services. More than 3,600 National Guard members have been referred to vet centers this fiscal year, bureau data showed.
At least 700 civilian providers have been trained in specific treatment protocols for working with National Guard personnel, the bureau said.
“Anything that we do that makes behavioral health more about the natural rhythm, just something that’s very natural to do, is certainly something that we want to encourage,’’ Deskins said.
And if that happens, one life -hopefully more -- can be saved.
“I’m pretty confident that if we keep doing it like we’re doing it, … over time, we would see a positive impact,’’ Kleiman said.
“We have been following orders for 20 years, so I wanted to bring together a new way for veterans to think about wealth,” Tucker said.
He initially became interested in financial management when he left the Army in 2008 and sought a job that would let him remain in Europe. Financial advising seemed like a good fit for a veteran because “the independence of the financial industry was so different from
military orders,” according to Tucker.
For years, Tucker followed the lead of several successful financial advisors and learned the industry. Although he reached a level of financial comfort, he was ultimately dissatisfied with the main message of the financial industry.
“We preached fear and save money, but the most successful people in the company were traveling across
Europe and not setting the right example.”
When Tucker watched a client deny herself a dream trip that she could easily afford because it wouldn’t be financially prudent, he questioned the outdated messaging that existed.
“Why aren’t we teaching people how to take advantage of the modern economy and giving them the chance to step out from the typical employment/fixed income umbrella? If I’m going to be a true fiduciary, I’m going to work in the client’s best interest. If they are working toward independence, it is going to look different from the traditional government-based advice.”
After studying the industry for several years, Tucker determined the advice was always the same, and has not kept pace with modern opportunities.
“We need to stop investing like it’s the 1980’s. Everyone seemed to be promoting the same thing: buy the cheapest version of everything, do the stock market, save, and invest. The government treats us like babies. I want to teach you how to use and manage your own money,” he said.
For military veterans, the oldfashioned style of saving for retirement may no longer be the most practical. Veterans who retire after 20 years of service have a pension, health insurance, and other benefits. Instead of this being a scary transition, Tucker believes it can be an enlightening one that brings independence and satisfaction. He wrote the book “Veteran Wealth Secrets” to help fellow veterans learn about additional opportunities and more modern investment strategies.
Scott Tucker believes that managing finances shouldn’t just be about retirement accounts. Instead, he thinks veterans should have a goal of independence.“The book is structured to take someone on a journey and remind them they can author their own story. I call the character the “unrewarded veteran.” You serve, get out, get benefits, get a job, and a few years later things are still really hard and you hoped there would be more. People want to get to a point where they are autonomous and not following orders,” he said.
Tucker explained veterans can become autonomous with the following:
Know your identity.
Pursue self-development (tech skills, not a college degree) that can give you networking results.
Financial control: Align your money to an identity and a purpose.
“If you control all three, you control your mental health,” he added.
Autonomy and independence are important to Tucker because he believes they are at the core of what veterans seek after military service. He founded USVetWealth to help veterans take control of their own wealth.
“If you like to serve, you can’t be in the military forever, and you will be disappointed when you get into some future job and feel like you are no longer serving.”
He has been in that unfulfilling mindset before, and he wants to let veterans know there are more options out there so they don’t feel locked in or trapped. Tucker doesn’t like to call himself a financial advisor. Instead, he wrote “Veteran Wealth Secrets” to inspire veterans who are seeking financial independence and looking for more options.
The last time that the United States faced a national health crisis as deadly as the COVID-19 pandemic, antibiotics did not exist.
675,000 Americans died.
“The flu was a disaster,’’ said Carol Byerly, author of “Fever of War: The Influenza Epidemic in the U.S. Army during World War I.’’ “It killed more people in the military than the war did, and so they tried to understand it. They didn’t understand viruses at the time.’’
Neither did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When the first case of the Spanish flu arrived in the United States at an Army camp in Fort Riley, Kansas, in the spring of 1918, World War I dominated the headlines.
That pandemic resulted in roughly 50 million deaths worldwide in 1918-19, and about 500 million people were infected. Approximately
More than 1,400 National Guard Medical Services personnel were sent overseas, leaving only 222 NGMS officers at home to assist with controlling the spread of influenza and pneumonia, according to the National Guard Bureau. (By comparison, a high of 47,000 National Guard members supported the COVID-19 response in May.) In 1918, most of the National Guard’s members -- more than 12,000 officers and nearly 367,000 soldiers -- served in World War I.
“[In] 1918, the pandemic hit, and most of the medical services were deployed overseas,’’ said Dr. Richard Clark, historian of the National Guard Bureau. “The National Guard mobilized its medical forces to augment stateside military forces to help with the military bases.’’
The National Guard previously had not assisted with such a widespread health emergency. For more than three months, beginning in September 1858, the New York National Guard helped alleviate a disturbance during a yellowfever quarantine on Staten Island. In late 1910 and early 1911, the Michigan National Guard enforced a quarantine of smallpox patients at a state asylum. Those missions did not provide medical support, though.
“ The thought of using [the National Guard] in a medical capacity to respond domestically had not really been thought about until that point,’’ Clark said.
The military’s role in spreading the Spanish flu is undeniable. As soldiers moved between camps in the U.S. or were deployed to France, the number of infections increased. Some Army camps, such as Camp Devens near Boston, were particularly hard-hit. When ships carrying troops returned from overseas, more soldiers got sick.
War-bond parades left citizens susceptible to infection, too, including one in Philadelphia,
attended by 200,000 people, that resulted in a spike of cases. Despite the rising totals, the pandemic was downplayed.
“Every day, you read the newspaper, and a couple of cases were developed in the city, and officers were saying, ‘It’s no big deal,’’’ Dr. Alex Navarro, the assistant director for the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan. “[Then] there would be hundreds and hundreds of cases, and this is something very serious. Very rapidly, they had to deal with the threat.
“ The one major issue was that there was a shortage of doctors and nurses, as well as some medical supplies like surgical gauze and masks, so the war effort definitely hindered that medical response.’’
Some preventive measures, including social distancing and mask laws, were put into place. The military tried quarantining camps and limiting troop mobilizations, but those restrictions were not sustainable during wartime, Navarro said. They even stopped the draft in October, a month before World War I ended, Byerly said.
“They didn’t want to stop the draft,’’ Byerly said. “They didn’t want to reduce crowding on the ships and in the training camps. They didn’t want to send more nurses and doctors to the soldiers, but that is what you have to do in order to take care of your personnel.’’
A total of 43,000 U.S. service members died because of the pandemic. More than a quarter of the Army’s soldiers, about 1 million men, became infected, and at least 106,000 Navy sailors were hospitalized, according to Byerly. The National Guard has no records of how many of
its members died or were infected.
While the National Guard’s role in combating the Spanish flu a century ago was minimal, a valuable lesson came out of that pandemic, Clark said. Officials began preparing to offer more support during national health emergencies. The wisdom of that decision is being felt a century later.
“We’re not going through
something new,’’ Clark said.
“History doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, but it rhymes, so the lessons of the past should not be taken as a onefor-one example or a guide to what we need to do today. Many of the details, much of the context is very, very different, but what you can use the past as a guide for is for critical thinking about the situation. … What is the same, and what is different?’’
As part of a two-week border mission, Maj. Robert “Mike’’ Thorlin of the Arizona National Guard traveled to 12 sites.
Thorlin helped provide security assistance to screen incoming baggage for drugs and explosives. He just did not perform his duties anywhere near the Mexican border.
“It was absolutely fascinating,’’ Thorlin said. “I got to stand about as close to the Russian border as I’m going to in today’s political environment.’’
Thorlin is based in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, as part of the State Partnership Program (SPP), which pairs National Guard units in every state, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia with a foreign country. The National Guard Bureau administers the program.
Some units are partnered with two nations. In all, 82 countries are involved.
“We have been fortunate to learn other countries’ methods of dealing with natural disasters, emergency response, cyber defense, national security, counterterrorism, military aid, engineering activities and tactics,’’ said Air Force Maj. Kingsley Okoli, deputy division chief of the National Guard Bureau’s J-53 international affairs division.
The State Partnership Program began in 1993 to assist former Baltic states as they emerged from behind the Iron Curtain. This year, three countries were added: Egypt (which was paired with the Texas State Guard), Papua New Guinea (Wisconsin National Guard) and Timor-Leste (Rhode Island National Guard), a nation in Southeast Asia.
With 15-25 engagements annually not uncommon — a typical event lasts about five days — National Guard units and their partners exchange information frequently. They usually share common interests. For instance, the Hawaii National Guard has exchanged best practices with the Philippines and Indonesia on natural disaster preparedness and
humanitarian relief. (The Philippines is also a state partner with the Guam National Guard.)
“From the early days, when I was a lieutenant all the way up until now, I’ve been focused on my craft, just growing up as an infantryman and then eventually an intel guy,’’ Lt. Col. Brandon Torres of the Hawaii National Guard said. “Now that we’re branching out a little bit, it gives more [about] the diplomacy of it all, the international relations, the grand scheme of strategy throughout the Pacific.’’
The Puerto Rico National Guard began a partnership with Honduras in 1998 and the Dominican Republic in 2003. First Lt. Jose Berrios traveled to Honduras this year as part of an engagement regarding how to combat forest fires.
“We are Hispanic, right? Both places,’’ Berrios said. “When we talk with them, it’s like we talk with some friends, some people like you.’’
Maj. Kimberly Quinn of the Florida National Guard also has experienced the State Partnership Program firsthand. Florida is partnered with Guyana in South America and a group
of Eastern Caribbean island nations referred to as the Regional Security System (RSS), and Quinn became involved with the SPP initially to fight sexual assault and domestic violence.
Now the conversations are much different.
“There are so many challenges that we experienced within 2020,’’ Quinn said. “We’re not alone in those challenges, whether it’s COVID, whether it’s civil disturbance, whether it’s peaceful protest or elections. Our partner nations have the same challenges, and so that shared understanding helps us see problems in a different light and develop creative solutions that make our world a safer place.’’
Fifteen SPP countries have deployed alongside their National Guard partners in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to the National Guard Bureau. Okoli cited two other examples that resonate, especially in light of today’s headlines. Romania dispatched medical professionals to Alabama to help with the COVID-19 response, and the Maryland National Guard has bolstered its cybersecurity measures by learning from its partner, Estonia, Okoli said.
Congress appropriated $20 million to $25 million to the National Guard Bureau for the 2020 fiscal year to run the State Partnership Program, Okoli said. (The program has other funding sources.) Sixty-three bilateral affairs officers are
involved with the SPP, including Thorlin.
He has been in Kazakhstan for a little more than 1½ years, and he recently received a six-month extension that will keep him there until at least the spring of 2021.
“The relationships that [the Kazakhstanis] build with Arizona National Guardsmen, not just in a two-week or a one-week
engagement but over the course of several years …,’’ Thorlin said. “They might go back annually and meet some of the same people that they had met seven years ago and built relationships with and drank toasts with, and they got introduced to eating Mexican food and we got introduced to eating horse meat.
“It’s a really rewarding, very fascinating way to spend your time.’’
The prospect of needing long-term care may be far from your mind today, but circumstances can change. A long-term care event can happen at any age, and the potential financial and emotional strain that comes with it can have an impact on you and your loved ones. Unfortunately, traditional health insurance plans — including TRICARE For Life — do not pay for the chronic, ongoing assistance with daily living that is most often associated with longterm care.
In fact, even the long-term care benefits offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are tied to specific triggers, including service-connected disability, available funding, and even your ability to contribute to the cost of care. Long-term care can be expensive, and service members often rely
on the VA to cover the associated costs. Depending on your eligibility status in the VA program, the level of coverage available to you may not be enough. For this reason, you may want to research standalone long-term care insurance like a plan offered through the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP).
The FLTCIP — created specifically for the federal family — offers active duty and retired uniformed service members, including the Selected Reserve and National Guard, the opportunity to help take control of their future long-term care needs with long-term care insurance. Designed to be both comprehensive and flexible, the FLTCIP provides insurance coverage for qualified long-term care services, such as the type of care you may receive and where you receive it.
FLTCIP 3.0, the current plan available to new applicants, offers comprehensive coverage, including a stay-at-home benefit and home care provided by friends and family*, with added premium stability.
One thing that makes FLTCIP 3.0 unique is the premium stabilization feature. This built-in, innovative feature is designed to reduce the potential need for large future premium increases — a concern many consumers wanted the longterm care insurance industry to address. Under certain conditions, this amount may be used to offset an enrollee’s future premium payments or provide a refund of premium death benefit.
The FLTCIP is designed to reimburse for qualified long-term care services and can lessen or eliminate an individual’s reliance on a loved one to provide handson care. FLTCIP 3.0 benefits also include:
• international coverage up to 100% of the maximum lifetime benefit
• choice of a 3% automatic compound inflation option or future purchase option
• choice of a two-year, three-year, or five-year benefit period
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to long-term care insurance, and it’s no secret that planning for your future care can be overwhelming. Our new Guided Planner was designed to simplify the process of building a FLTCIP plan that’s right for you, and it will guide you through these key considerations:
• Cost of care: Compare the national average cost of longterm care with other locations in the United States. You can choose where you live, or plan to retire.
• Care options: Learn more about different care options, such as home care, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes, as well as the associated costs.
• Inflation protection: Understand the impact of inflation on the cost of care over time and see examples of how our inflation protection options can help.
Talk candidly with your family members and tell them about the FLTCIP. Starting the conversation prior to needing care can help you prepare for the unexpected. And, if you’re currently serving, your parents and parents-in-law are eligible to apply too, even if you don’t
Visit
For personalized assistance, call 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337)
TTY 1-800-843-3557 to speak with a program consultant. They are available to answer any questions you may have and can walk you step-by-step through the plan design and application process.
Note: Certain medical conditions, or combinations of conditions, will prevent some people from being approved for coverage. You need to apply to find out if you qualify for coverage under the FLTCIP.
The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, insured by John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company, under a group long term care
insurance policy, and administered by Long Term Care Partners, LLC.
*Informal care provided by friends and family members is covered, as long as the caregiver isn’t your spouse or domestic partner and doesn’t live in your home at the time you become eligible for benefits. Benefits for covered care provided by family members is limited to 500 days.
The prospect of needing long term care may be far from your mind today, but circumstances can change. A long term care event can happen at any age, and the potential financial and emotional strain that comes with it can have an impact on you and your loved ones.
For this reason, you may want to consider the long term care insurance coverage available under the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP). As a qualified relative of a uniformed service member, you are eligible to apply for the FLTCIP, even if they don’t.
by
Care Partners, LLC.
Every veteran has a story but sometimes, they just don’t know how to tell it. Veteran’s Writing Project (VWP) founder Ron Capps believes that all a veteran needs is a little help to get the words on the page.
Capps knows this from his 25 years serving in both the Army and Army Reserve. After deploying to five different warzones over the course of a decade, Capps’ battlefield experiences left their mark. He was medically evacuated from Darfur following a suicide attempt, and that’s when Capps realized he needed a change.
“I was on my fifth war in 10 years. I hadn’t taken care of myself. What I figured out was, that I had these memories stuck on a replay loop and they were in control of me,” Capps recalled.
Conventional therapy wasn’t working for him, so Capps looked for another way to get control of his memories. He wrote a note to himself that said, “Either you control the memory, or it controls you” – and posted it to a wall next to his desk. Then, he set out to write down the looped memories that wouldn’t get out of his head.
After successive writing sessions,
Capps realized what he needed was a way to tell his story. So he went to Johns Hopkins, where he earned a master’s in creative writing. Then, in 2011, he founded the Veteran’s Writing Project. Now, he serves as the director and curriculum developer for VWP.
VWP provides no-cost creative writing seminars and songwriting workshops for veterans, active duty service members, and adult family members of those in the military. VPW also publishes a quarterly literary review of writing, O-DarkThirty, which helps participants put their stories in front of readers.
Creative writing seminars take place across the county alongside a range of programming from general creative writing workshops to advanced craft workshops, focusing on both fiction and nonfiction, as well as poetry, playwriting, and songwriting.
VPW works in partnership with several organizations, including National Endowment of the Arts and Wounded Warrior Project to local libraries, universities, and individuals to help spread
Workshops offered through VWP
awareness of its mission. To date, more than 3,600 veterans and family members have worked through VWP programming and workshops.
VWP also facilitates mentoring relationships between service members and professional writers. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Leo Karanikolas is a current mentee with VWP as he works on his nonfiction memoir. Karanikolas said he was looking for a medium to tell his story.
“As a veteran, our stories are unique even if we don’t think so. I like the idea of putting my story on paper to both understand and digest my traumatic event and for others to learn from. I didn’t expect it would be so therapeutic, but it has been incredibly helpful. Veterans all across the country need to find a medium to share their thoughts since we’ve been at war for so long,” he said.
Karanikolas said the experience has been amazing so far.
“Everyone has a unique way to process their experiences and for me, the writing process helped so much. I love how my mentor is understanding and gently pushes me forward. There are times where writing my story is difficult and her experience and understanding has been important in putting those thoughts and words on paper,” he said.
Service members looking for a mentor or professional writers looking for a way to give back to the military community can contact Jake Agatucci, program director. Agatucci is an Army veteran who teaches composition and writing at a college in Oregon. Find out more about the mentoring program https://veteranswriting. org/mentors.
Jerri Bell is a retired naval officer who heads up Washington, DCbased programming, focusing on women veteran issues. She is also the managing editor of O Dark Thirty.
After retiring from the Navy, Bell was looking for a new way to carve out an identity. She recounts that some of her active-duty experiences were painful, and she needed to move on. One night, she stumbled on an article highlighting what fellow Johns Hopkins graduate, Ron Capps, was attempting to do in starting VPW. She met with him a few weeks later and was offered the job as the managing editor of O Dark Thirty.
Bell is an advocate of the benefits of writing, both for veterans and their family members.
“Every one of the instructors at the Veterans Writing Project has personally experienced the beneficial effects of writing. I’ve published about experiences that I never thought I’d share with anyone
but a few close friends, and it has brought me great satisfaction and relief,” Bell said.
Bell says her standout moments as a workshop facilitator are in groups that she runs for women veterans only. Since women are still a minority in the military, their experiences differ widely from male veterans.
“When women in our groups start to share their stories, there are often gasps of, “I thought I was the only one!” You can see the bonds forming, the community building itself as the stories are shared,” said Bell.
VWP aims to go to places where programming doesn’t exist for veterans. Instead, it focuses on underserved areas and has worked with veterans in 26 states, serving more than 3,600 veterans and family members.
Connect with VPW on social media on their Facebook page or their Twitter page.
Editor’s note: Jessica Evans serves as a mentor with VWP.
I was shocked when I first heard a four-star general proclaim, “Not everyone deserves a mentor.”
The late Army Gen. Robert W. Cone delivered these remarks at a conference I attended at Fort, Benning, Georgia, in 2011. He was a well-respected senior leader and, at the time, the commanding general of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The more I thought about those words, the more I realized he was correct.
If one does not keep their eyes and ears open and look for opportunities to seek mentorship, then they really do not deserve to be mentored. The responsibility in this type of relationship lies not only with the mentor but also with the mentee, something that is oftentimes not discussed. Being mentored is a privilege, not a right.
The concept of mentorship was addressed in the U.S. Army around 1985 when then Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. John Wickham Jr., identified “leadership” as that year’s theme. Around the same timeframe, private enterprise and academia began to place more emphasis on mentoring. Most of the literature focused on the characteristics and functions of a mentor.
There seem to be two schools of thought when it comes to mentorship. Some think organizations should formalize mentoring programs, and others feel that a mentor-mentee relationship should be informal and grow naturally. I believe in the latter. However, I also believe every good leader should create an atmosphere that makes it clear they are accessible and open to a mentoring role.
More and more papers and books are being written focused on the role and function of a mentor. This includes formalizing definitions of what “mentoring” actually is. Whatever definition you want to apply to it, at its core mentoring is about developing future leaders. The overarching purpose of mentorship is to prepare people for future leadership opportunities and positions of greater responsibility.
Rather than focusing on the role of the mentor, I am going to take a different perspective and focus on the responsibility of the mentee in a mentoring relationship.
In 1985 the U.S. Army conducted a survey regarding mentorship. Fiftynine percent of the participants responded that they did not have a
mentor. At that time, I was counted among that number. In retrospect, I believe the majority of our group were blind to opportunities around us. If you are looking for a mentor, many times it is as simple as seeking out someone you respect and trust, and asking them for advice.
Over the years, I have not come across many leaders in the military or private sector who would not sit down and give their time to help others learn from their experience. Depending on the chemistry generated, and the perceived interest of the mentee, a majority of those leaders would gladly continue in a long-term mentoring role.
Mentorship is all around us. It is not just something that happens in a formal one-on-one engagement between graybeard and a young disciple. Mentorship can happen anywhere, but a person has to be open to the opportunities. Mentorship exists when a senior executive chairs a meeting, an Army commander provides guidance at a training event, or a civilian business manager engages in dialogue, these are times to listen and learn.
I have learned to think of every engagement with a senior leader as a mentoring opportunity, whether that’s one-on-one or in a group setting. Observing how other leaders operate, for better or worse, might be the best mentoring opportunity that exists. A senior leader I worked for was a master at engaging others outside of our organization. He took the time to make people feel that they were critical to our mutual success and their continued support was essential. Whether he knew it or not, he was mentoring me on the importance of engaging stakeholders. I was open to this opportunity, learned the importance
of these engagements, and I know I am now a better leader for it.
Mentoring is not only top-down. It occurs in a 360-degree setting. Do not only look to leaders for mentorship but also look to peers and to followers. I heard someone say, if you are the smartest guy in the room, you should find a different room. By surrounding yourself with top quality people you will become better.
My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” People feed off of one another. When we are at our best, we make each other stronger and better — sharper, if you will.
A mentor-mentee association is a two-way street and the mentee should play an active rather than a passive role in the relationship.
An effective mentor:
Devotes a great deal of time and energy to the relationship
Offers suggestions for professional development reading
A receptive mentee:
Displays enthusiasm for the relationship with a positive attitude and openness to new ideas and suggested techniques
Shows appreciation for the time the mentor is taking will likely lead to a fruitful and enduring relationship
Uses active listening is important; avoid distractions during the conversation
A mentee should be generous in passing on to others what they have learned and be prepared to assume a mentoring role in their own right. Be approachable and create a persona where others feel comfortable seeking your advice and counsel. Colin Powell said, “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you’ve stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you don’t care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”
Also, be aware that your actions speak volumes. Emulate the traits of the type of leader you admire and want to become. “Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching,” is a characteristic of integrity. A caveat to that is, “someone is always watching.” The way you interact with others, the demeanor you display, the respect you show, all will be a guide for others as they develop their own leadership philosophies and approaches.
Mentoring is important. It is a key tool for developing future leaders and one of the most essential responsibilities of any leader is to develop other leaders. However, everyone must take responsibility for their own leadership development. Being open to learning opportunities that present themselves, staying engaged with people you could learn from, and being generous with your time will do a great deal to grow strong leaders in your organization and beyond.
You do not have to be a veteran to be eligible for this plan. Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare. Benefits, features and/or devices vary by plan/area. Limitations and exclusions apply. Network size varies by market. ©2020 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Y0066_200911_104349_M SPRJ59081
Jessica Purcell recently celebrated her 38 th birthday. Living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer (MBC), she knows birthdays are not guaranteed.
“Aging is an absolute gift,” she said. “I will never take it for granted.”
Sonya Negley, executive director of METAvivor, the only U.S. organization dedicated to awarding annual stage 4 breast cancer research, cites 30% of all breast cancer patients will develop MBC, while it accounts for 100% of breast cancer deaths. The popular fundraising movements give an average of 2-5% of their research funding to MBC, and is instead
focused on prevention and early detection, which does nothing to help those already diagnosed. METAvivor dedicates 100% of every donation and 100% of net proceeds from every fundraiser (after event expenses) to MBC research grants.
“Our mission is to transition metastatic breast cancer from a terminal diagnosis to a chronic, manageable disease with a good quality of life,” Negley said. “MBC affects women and men, young and old. For young moms like Jess, the younger they are when diagnosed, the harder it is on them and their families.”
In 2018, Purcell was a healthy 35-year-old pregnant woman when she learned the lump in her breast was invasive ductal carcinoma, one of the most common types of breast cancer. An Army Reserve captain at U.S. Special Operations Command and an Air Force civilian employee at U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, she tackled her diagnosis like she did jumping from planes as a jumpmaster or serving in Afghanistan: with grit and determination.
“Failure has never been an option,” she said. “The only option, then and now, is to fight and live for my kids and my family.”
She underwent a left radical mastectomy and a complete axillary
lymph node dissection, which removed the lymph nodes under her left arm. At 20-weeks pregnant, Purcell started chemotherapy and completed 12 rounds prior to Jameson’s birth in March 2019. Today he is a healthy little boy who loves playing with his big sister, Josephine, 3.
“I just watch him sometimes in awe because he’s perfect,” she said. “Jameson and I went through some serious challenges together while I was pregnant with him. Our bond is so strong; it is unbreakable.”
Purcell’s fight continues. In July 2019, a few days after she completed her last day of radiation, she learned the cancer had metastasized to her liver, leaving her with a diagnosis of MBC. In August 2020, she received a clean PET scan, meaning there is no evidence of active disease in her body. However, she lives with terminal cancer. Purcell takes a daily chemotherapy pill, which she will likely take for the rest of her life or until it stops keeping the cancer cells from spreading. Side effects
include throbbing bone and joint pain, extreme fatigue, low blood counts, and bouts of nausea.
“Taking care of my kids keeps my mind focused, but I’m human and sometimes I get so angry,” she said. “But I tell my family the anger in me means I’m still fighting. I have a lot of fight left in me.”
Purcell has started focusing on her mental and physical wellness. In May she resumed work as an Air Force civilian employee, although she works remotely because of COVID-19. In the coming months, she will have reconstructive surgery. To the outside world, Purcell looks like a typical working mom.
“I don’t look terminal,” she said. “My hair is growing back and my makeup is on. There are so many people who walk around and their illness is not obvious. It doesn’t mean I’m not battling my disease every day. Don’t be quick to judge people and remember to be kind.”
Through all of the treatments and
surgeries, the tears and anger, and navigating life with MBC, Purcell refuses to let cancer win.
“No matter what, I take a shower, get dressed and put on my makeup every day,” she said. “At my lowest points I’d take a selfie to remind myself of how strong I am and how far I’ve come. It surprises me how much I can handle — how much anyone can handle — when diagnosed with terminal cancer.”
Knowing firsthand life is fragile, Purcell focuses on the people and things that matter most to her. She chooses to not be happy, which she believes is a temporary emotion, but instead lives joyfully, which is a state of mind.
“Relying on my faith, I look to the future and I’m excited. I have plans,” she said. “I want to see my kids grow up, get married, and have babies of their own. Maybe one day I will buy a vacation home. Cancer may knock me down, but it can’t take my joy. I have a lot of birthdays left to celebrate.”
Early in his military career, Sgt. John Zamora advanced to the final of his weight class in a boxing tournament.
Then things went sideways. Zamora took a punch to the face that busted his nose, resetting it at a 90-degree angle. He didn’t seek medical attention because he was leaving Fort Bragg on a paratrooping exercise in California in a couple of days and did not want to miss it.
The jump added to his pain.
“The winds were too high,’’ Zamora said. “I had a rough landing. I did a feet and face landing, smashed my face on the ground, got up, blood all over. We parachuted, reorganized and got linked up with our company, and then I ran to my buddies. ‘Is my nose still there?’ ‘Yep, it’s still there.’’’
So is Zamora, going strong at 57 years old.
Figuring a student who did just enough to get by wasn’t ready for college, he enlisted in the Army out of high school in 1981. Zamora, the second-oldest of seven children from Santa Rosa, New Mexico, recently joined his home state’s National Guard unit after serving in the reserves for most of the past decade.
“I went back to the infantry,’’ said Zamora, who is 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds. “They told me, ‘Wow, you’re too old to be doing this stuff.’ I see these guys 30 and younger. I’m in better health than they are. I don’t wear glasses. My
ears are good. I’ve got no bad knees, no shoulders, no pain. I’m healthier than all heck.’’
Zamora has been in and out of the military most of his life.
His initial stint lasted three years — Zamora was deployed to Grenada in 1983 — before it was time to give college a try. While a student, he enrolled in Officer Candidate School, but Zamora made it only a year or two before deciding being an officer did not suit him.
Then he entered the National Guard. He was with the Colorado National Guard when he got out after his wife became sick. Later on, Zamora joined the Wisconsin National Guard and was deployed to Iraq for a year in 2009. After
returning to the United States, he went into the reserves and now is back in the National Guard.
“I’ve still got friends from the ’80s,’’ said Zamora, whose brother, Timothy, served 28 years in the Navy and was a master chief. “We still talk regularly.’’
Two of Zamora’s longtime Army buddies are Carl Haring and Ray Meier.
Asked to describe Zamora’s best quality, Haring mentioned loyalty.
“Once he gets something in his mind, he has a very strong sense of duty and honor,’’ Haring said. “He’s not going to bend. He’s not just going to say something just to make you feel good.’’
Haring and Meier were deployed with Zamora’s unit to Grenada.
“Someone like John was one of the reasons I went into the paratroops,’’ Meier said. “A family friend said, ‘When you go to war, you want to be with the paratroops, because the guys to your left and right are the guys you want there.’ He was always that guy.’’
Zamora is just as thankful that he got to realize his dream as he is of his service. Ever since he was a child, he wanted to become a game warden. Zamora retired from the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish and currently fills the same role for the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
He never has lost his love of the outdoors or the military.
“I came in, in the infantry. I’m going to go out in the infantry,’’ Zamora said. “I like that camaraderie. I like being around guys, playing Army.’’
We need a qoute or a photo something to fill this empty space left
A newly-commissioned second lieutenant recently sent me a message asking for advice as he started his career. A few things immediately came to mind about what junior soldiers should consider doing to start a career on the right foot, based on lessons I have learned through 40 years of service in the Army on active duty and in the National Guard.
Adhere to the core values of your organization. Every service branch has a set of values. Understand the definition of each value and commit yourself to live by those in and out of uniform. Values are foundational and without steady adherence to them, your career will be on shaky ground from the start.
Along with your organization’s values, take the time to think long and hard about your own personal core values. There should be an intersection between the two. Just as a compass will guide you through the woods, strong core values will guide you through life. Factor your values into every decision you make.
Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, is famous for telling his players to, “do your job.” I love the simplicity of this advice and I think it is very sound.
As you begin your career in the military, focus on becoming an
expert in your job. As a junior soldier, this is the time to become proficient in your technical and tactical skills. Spend the time to become an expert on the fundamentals.
Stay fit and strive to have the highest physical fitness test score. Become an expert in the basics of your branch or MOS. Train hard and study hard, and do not let anyone outwork you.
Take advantage of your lack of experience by asking plenty of questions of those with more experience and skill. When you develop a sound foundational base in your technical skills as a junior soldier, you establish yourself as someone who others will be able to count on and learn from.
You must keep learning to keep growing. One of the best ways to learn is to have the courage to move out of your comfort zone and seek out the tough jobs and the tough assignments, especially when you are starting out.
Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Feel comfortable with making honest mistakes while guarding against making the same mistake twice. As a junior soldier, your leaders expect this as you display the initiative and fortitude to take on tough jobs. But again, keep an open mind and learn from your mistakes to develop proficiency and hone your profession.
Have the courage to take on the tough schools and the tough training. To develop leadership proficiency, do your best to get a seat for Ranger School. As an infantryman strive to earn the expert infantry badge. If you are armor, you should attend the Cavalry Leaders Course. Medics should work to earn the expert field medical badge. Every branch and MOS is important in our team of teams. It does not matter what career field you have chosen but seek out the tough training or operational assignments to learn and grow.
Never be satisfied with the average. Always seek to attain something more and set yourself apart by the experiences you gain.
Yes, character is foundational. You should work hard to know your job well and focus on doing your job. Seek out the tough operational assignments and training opportunities to push yourself out of your comfort zone and grow. Do those things as you begin your career.
However, as you focus on those things to set a good foundation for your career, ensure you take the time to pull others along with you. Be a positive influence on others. Do not compete with your teammates but help them to get better too. The military is the ultimate team endeavor, especially when in combat, so you want to have strong teammates.
The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack. Always help someone who is a little bit weaker than you. As you reach one hand up so a mentor could help you along, never forget to reach one hand down to help a teammate along too.
