From Service to Civilian: Four Career Challenges Veterans Face

By Lida Citroën

You served your country. You fought the fight. You returned home from military service, put together a resume, and began the transition into a civilian career. What no one told you, however, is the challenges in making the transition will not come from the experience and expertise you bring, it will be because you have not been taught how to promote yourself – veterans don’t know how to market their personal brand - your reputation, what others use to assign you value and relevance. Below are four unique challenges veterans face and tips on how to overcome them:

1. Speaking about personal successes and accomplishments

Your personal brand is how you will articulate your value to a prospect. It is not about boasting or bragging. I recognize that during your military service the word “I” was not endorsed or supported. In the civilian world, individuals have become accustomed to being able to deliver a clarified message from employees and colleagues to recruit relevant talent, develop strong corporate culture, and run a business effectively and efficiently.

A clear personal brand enables you to concisely articulate your value proposition (“Why me?”) to a future employer, gives you a lens to evaluate opportunity (“Does this a company support my vision?”), and provides a map for your career, not just a job (“Will this opportunity fulfill my passion to collaborate and bring dialog to disparate parties?”).

By uncovering your personal brand assets and promoting yourself consistently across social media, networking with peers and new contacts, and developing marketing materials, you can promote a set of values and an offer to a future employer that is meaningful and focused.

2. Determining value to potential employers

Why would recruiters want you to spell out your uniqueness? Because most job candidates spend too much time formatting their resume when they should be making it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to see what makes them valuable, and a perfect fit for the position.

As a veteran, you know the importance of building alliances and creating strong teams. You have worked under pressure, where your ability to think and respond quickly was not only appreciated, but crucial. Are you explaining this to the hiring managers? Are you listing this on your resume? If so, be sure to be succinct and clear in your descriptions.

Hiring managers are looking for some aspect of who you are that is unique. What is it about you that will make your application stand apart from the thousands of others they might be reviewing – all listing the same depth of expertise and skills?

3. Networking

While in active military service, relationships and contacts are established primarily by proximity (geography), rank, and role. There is not as much “networking” in the same sense that we network on the civilian side. I understand that one of the biggest challenges is that you network with the same types of people, so everyone else’s networks all look the same. It is critical to start building a diverse network of contacts (military and civilian) long before you step away from the military.

A network of viable contacts is critical in today’s competitive business climate. Your network serves not only as lead sources for new business but also as a sounding board, support system, and news source. It is the “circle of influence” that will guide you through your career, if carefully planned and managed.

Some networking tips to remember:

•             Write down the names of people you have worked closely with, while active or after you transitioned. Stay in touch with your network, and let them know the kinds of jobs you are pursuing.

•             Networkingis not just about being social and outgoing. Make it your job to meet people. Set a goal of how many people you will meet and stick to it. This gives your networking a sense of purpose and direction.

•             Ask open-ended questions. Instead of “nice party, huh?” ask, “What did you think of the boss’ presentation?” or “What type of work are you in?” You are seeking to start a conversation, not conduct an interrogation.

•             Be yourself. Authenticity is the most attractive feature in people. When we feel someone is genuine, we feel most at ease in their presence.

4.  Understanding future employers

While you might be evaluating future employers based on their ability to pay you a desired salary, offer work you are able to perform, and are geographically desirable, consider that designing your career means understanding your employer more significantly. Those employers who will find you compelling must first be able to find you; then they must find your offer to be relevant and differentiated. We call this branding and competitive differentiation. For these target audiences, your personal brand and reputation are very important. When these employers perceive that you share their values, will contribute to their vision and are of significance to them, they are more likely to want to engage you for a great opportunity.

Lida Citroën is the author of Your Next Mission: A personal branding guide for the military-to-civilian transition and Principal of LIDA360, a consulting firm that helps corporations and executives create effective market positioning through the use of brand strategies. She regularly presents at conferences, events and programs, teaching transitioning veterans how to understand their unique value and market them to future employers.

Citroën is an active member of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and works closely with General Peter Pace’s program in Philadelphia, Wall Street Warfighters Foundation (WSWF). For more information, please visit, www.yournextmissionbook.com  and connect with her on twitter, @LIDA360.

Center for Surface Combat Systems Conducts Change of Command Ceremony

By Kimberly M. Lansdale, Center for Surface Combat Systems

DAHLGREN, Va. (NNS) -- Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) held a change of command and retirement ceremony on board Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Va. May 23.

Capt. Bill McKinley became the fifth commanding officer of CSCS when he relieved Capt. Don Schmieley. Schmieley had been CSCS' commanding officer since April 2012 and retired after 30 years of active service.

McKinley assumed responsibility of CSCS, including 14 learning sites, units and detachments, which train Sailors to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations.

Rear Adm. Mike White, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), was the guest speaker at the event.

"The motto of Naval Education and Training Command is, 'Fleet Readiness Starts Here' - the outstanding training developed and delivered throughout the CSCS domain exemplifies that motto," White said. "Working closely with Fleet Forces Command and Type Command representatives, the CSCS team reviewed fleet requirements against various training programs to streamline the training pipeline and improve skillsets for Sailors.

"Don, you take your responsibilities seriously and have imparted that sense of importance to the CSCS staff. Your dedication to the Navy and our Sailors is core to the deep and abiding ethics which have been a part of your entire Navy career."

Schmieley said his tour of duty at CSCS was one of the most rewarding assignments of his Navy career.

"I look back at these past two years and I am amazed with the professionalism and excellence this organization exhibits on a daily basis," said Schmieley. "I am proud to have served with each and every member of the CSCS community. My time with the Navy may be concluding but I am confident that CSCS will continue to strive and better our Navy."

Schmieley was presented his third Legion of Merit for many of his accomplishments at CSCS. Part of the award citation lauded the captain as, 'the driving force behind numerous combat systems training initiatives, such as the Fire Controlman challenge, which provides Fleet commanders with trained Sailors in a shorter time without sacrificing training quality."

White also commented on the future of CSCS under the new leadership.

"As you can see from his biography, Capt. Bill McKinley is exceptionally qualified to continue the critical work here at CSCS. What aren't noted in the biography are reflections from those who have served with Capt. McKinley aboard USS San Jacinto (CG 56), his previous command. His shipmates say he is a detail oriented professional who is 'meticulous,' 'sincere,' and 'patient.' I am confident in the continued success of CSCS under your leadership Bill."

McKinley is looking forward to building on these accomplishments with CSCS.

"Today, we are on the leading edge of combat systems training," said McKinley. "CSCS will continue to prepare today's and tomorrow's Sailor to achieve operational excellence for not only CSCS, but also the United States Navy."

The Center for Surface Combat Systems mission is to develop and deliver surface ship combat systems training to achieve surface warfare superiority. CSCS headquarters' staff oversees 14 learning sites and provides almost 70,000 hours of curriculum for close to 700 courses a year to more than 40,000 Sailors. The training center uses a mix of blended learning comprised of instructor led classes, hands-on labs, simulation and computer-based training.

NMC EAD Unit Guam Joins Sister Village to Honor Fallen Service Members

By Jesse Leon Guerrero, Joint Region Marianas Public Affairs

TALOFOFO, Guam (NNS) -- Navy Munitions Command East Asia Division (NMC EAD) Unit Guam partnered with their sister village of Talofofo to honor fallen service members at a Memorial Day service May 24.

Sailors helped lay wreaths and candles in front of a memorial monument to honor those who died defending the nation.

"Let us remember Talofofo's sons and all those in uniform today who continue to serve so that future generations can live in peace, prosperity and freedom," said Cmdr. Bart Hall, NMC EAD Unit Guam commanding officer. "We must also remember those that continue to serve our country in warzones around the world. Every day they do their duty [and] I am humbled by their dedication and commitment."

Talofofo Mayor Vicente Taitague offered his gratitude to the fallen heroes and their families for their service and sacrifice.

"We often hear that freedom has a price, that each generation pays its dues," he said. "Today is our day to say 'thank you' and 'Si Yu'os Ma'ase' to those generations who paid the bills and to those who paid dearly with their lives."

Gunner's Mate Seaman Apprentice Aaron Peterson said he was glad to volunteer for the event as it gave Sailors the opportunity to pay homage to fellow service members and work with their sister village.

"We enjoy opportunities like this to get out with the command and intermingle and to honor those who have gone before us," he said.

NMC EAD Unit Guam maintains close ties with the residents of Talofofo and have partnered with them in the past to provide volunteer tutoring and mentorship of public school students, maintenance and cleanups at schools and participation in holiday celebrations.

As Challenges Arise, Arctic Could Demand Greater Capability

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2014 – A changing Arctic region with emerging challenges and opportunities demands greater attention from government and stakeholders, a Joint Staff official told a Senate panel here last week.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Kenneth Lewis Jr., director of trans-regional policy and partnership strategy for the Joint Staff, told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee that while “significant uncertainty” remains about the rate extent and pace of such changes, human activity in the Arctic is increasing.

“With more activity comes the potential of increased security challenges, but it also presents new opportunities,” he said. “We see the opening of the region as an opportunity to work collaboratively with allies and partners to keep the Arctic a secure and stable region where U.S. national interests are safeguarded, the U.S. homeland is protected, and nations work together to address challenges.”

For the near- to mid-term future, the armed forces’ existing infrastructure and capabilities are sufficient to carry out required missions in the region, Lewis said. But years from now, more activity is likely to lead to greater security and safety challenges, and while activity rates are uncertain, a “difficult situation” could result for DOD, he added.

Lewis described such a difficult scenario as one in which the Defense Department must balance the risk of having inadequate capabilities and insufficient capacity with the cost of making premature and unnecessary investments.

“The view that competition for resources and boundary disputes will lead to regional conflict overlooks the fact that the Arctic is a region bounded by nation-states that are not only publicly committed to approaching Arctic issues with a common framework of international law, but these nations have demonstrated the ability and commitment to doing so for the last 50 years,” he pointed out.

Such a “low-level threat” in the region is reflected in DOD strategy, he said.

“Our strategic approach to the Arctic seeks to link goals with resources and activities in a manner that's consistent with the low-level threat and the uncertainties regarding the rate of increase in human activity, all the while taking practical physical realities into consideration,” Lewis added.

DOD seeks to preserve the freedom of the seas in the Arctic, he said, which is strategically consistent with the nation’s global interests preserving the rights, freedoms and uses of the sea and airspace based on international law.

Likewise, he added, “Promoting navigational and overflight freedoms whether in an increasing, accessible Arctic or in other maritime spaces, such as South China Sea, is vital to preserving the global mobility of our armed forces and communicates to all the world that the United States is committed to upholding international norms and the rule of law.”

Lewis pointed out that U.S. troops are manned, trained and equipped to be the “away team,” operating forward-deployed for long periods of time in austere environments of the world.

“The U.S. military supports and collaborates with domestic civil authorities, allies and international partners in search and rescue, humanitarian assistance [and] disaster relief. Establishing a foundation of cooperation in these areas, both internal and external to the U.S. government, is vital to the success,” Lewis said.

And while the defense infrastructure and capabilities in the Arctic region are adequate in today’s security environment, Lewis emphasized the status could change.

“As with any region, capabilities will have to be re-evaluated as conditions and regional activities change and any gaps will need to be addressed,” he said.

Force Protection, Fire Department team up for uniform burn

by Senior Master Sgt. Burke Baker
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

5/27/2014 -  SOUTHWEST ASIA  -- Staff Sgt. Joshua Hellmich has done more than his fair share of 'dumpster diving'.

It's up to this young NCO, along with members of his team assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's Force Protection flight, to ensure that no piece of critical information leaves the installation. It's the six-year veteran's third deployment and his second assigned as a Force Protection Airman.

"That's actually a big misconception. We don't get in the dumpsters and dig around," said Hellmich, who is deployed from Mountain Home Air Force Base. "The truck has a winch that lifts the back of the dumpster and we use meat hooks to grab stuff and tear open the bags of garbage looking for operational security violations. But I have gotten some weird looks when I tell people I'm the sanitation engineer here on The Rock."

One of the most critical items these Airmen find is uniforms discarded in the trash instead of the specially designated collection bins for uniform items.

"Unfortunately the Force Protection teams find uniform items in the dumpsters weekly," said Maj. Terri Zielinski, the OPSEC program manager for the installation. "They find more items when there is a large turnover of personnel on base. Strong OPSEC refresher training at the unit leves usually reduces the number of OPSEC violations found in the dumpsters.

On Sept. 14, 2012, 15 Taliban saboteurs dressed in U.S. Army uniforms cut through concertina wire and began an assault on the British military base, Camp Bastion, in Afghanistan. The attack resulted in the death of two U.S. Marines, more than a dozen American and British forces injured, destruction of six AV-8B Harrier jets and the damage of multiple U.S. and coalition aircraft and facilities. The attack reinforced the importance of disposing of unwanted uniform items properly.

In a memorandum communicating the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's OPSEC policy, the wing commander outlined his expectations for Airmen assigned to the base.

"OPSEC is our first line of defense against any adversary who seeks to cause harm to members or assets of the 386 AEW," said Col. John Klein in the memo. "The threat to operations is real and robust. Poor security practices jeopardize operations, as well as the safety of personnel deployed to support those operations."

All the uniform items, whether found in the trash or collected in the uniform bins, are carefully sorted. Those that are determined to be serviceable are taken to the Airman's Attic on base and redistributed to service members needing additional uniform items. Those items that are determined to be unserviceable are earmarked for destruction.

The base fire department lent a hand to help with the disposal of the uniforms. The unserviceable uniforms were piled into a large pit atop pallets and set on fire.

"It's more cost effective for us to destroy the items here, in-theatre, than it is to box and ship all of the items back to the States for destruction," said Zielinski. "This amount of uniform items was too much for our incinerator, so this seemed a more efficient alternative."

According to Zielinski, approximately $105,000 worth of unserviceable uniform items, including boots, that were collected over a 12-month period were destroyed during the blaze April 18. The uniform items made up the majority of an estimated 1.5 tons of material that was destroyed.

"The Base Fire Department has been very helpful by burning the excess unwanted and unserviceable uniforms during their training burns," said Zielinski. "Not only is it more cost effective to destroy the unwanted and unserviceable uniforms locally than returning them stateside, but it gives the fire department more material to use for training burns at no cost. Both purposes save the Air Force time and money."

For Hellmich, the satisfaction comes knowing he performs his job well, and doing so ultimately saves lives.

"It hasn't really felt like I'm defending the base as much as I feel like the Air Force is paying me to do a job so I do it to the best of my ability," he said.

Hurricane Hunters partner with NOAA to educate public

by Master Sgt. Brian Lamar
403rd Public Affairs

5/27/2014 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew to Tallahassee, Florida's regional airport May 22 to team up with the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the fourth day of a week-long Hurricane Awareness Tour.

More than 1,000 students from local schools attended the tour in the morning as a field trip on their last week of school. The tour was also opened in the afternoon to the general public.

The tour is designed to attempt to save lives and property damage by promoting hurricane preparedness and awareness among local populations along the Gulf of Mexico.

"The only way to combat complacency is education," said Kelly Godsey, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service who organized a Hurricane Awareness Tour at the Tallahassee Regional Airport which was open to the public.

The lack of recent hurricane landfalls in the Tallahassee, Florida area has led to dangerous complacency, according to Godsey. Reeducating the public how to stay prepared for a hurricane will save lives and help reduce damage to property.

This year, to help create more buzz and excitement for the tour, the 53rd WRS Hurricane Hunters brought their WC-130J and the NOAA Hurricane Hunters, brought their P-3 Orion aircraft.

"These planes are great. The students love seeing them up close. We had a good time and learned some valuable information of how we get storm data from a Hurricane," said Kevin Keve, a sixth-grade teacher from Thomas County Middle School.

The planes not only serve as a hands-on item during the tour, they also serve as an attention grabber.

"Getting the hurricane preparedness message out is not an easy task; you have to get people's attention. The planes are a crowd draw. It grabs their attention and shows them that they need to take this information serious," said Dr. Richard Knabb, the director of the National Hurricane Center.

With today's fiscally constrained environment, tough decisions are made to determine the value of outreach venues like the Hurricane Awareness Tour, but Dr. Knabb, believes the decision to attend is the right choice.

"The cost of a hurricane awareness tour is tiny in comparison to the cost of a community not being prepared. Outreach and education is a core part of the NWS mission. Life and property safety is what the air force is about and that is where our partnership in this is important," said Knabb.

The 53rd WRS Hurricane Hunters hope to participate in more stops during the five-city tour next year, according to Lt. Col. Keith Gibson, the 53rd WRS director of operations.

Reserve C-130 units take part in Maple Flag exercise

by Senior Airman Miles Wilson
94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

5/23/2014 - DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga.  -- More than 175 reservists from four Air Force Reserve C-130s and airlift control flight units joined coalition forces for Maple Flag Exercise at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada, May 24.  Due to real-world commitments, NATO fighter aircraft will not participate this year. However, the exercise continues for transport aircraft training in real world scenarios. 

"This is a U.S. and Canadian training exercise creating a world-class military opportunity to work with our coalition partners," said Col. James DeVere, 94th Operations Group commander and mission commander for the Air Force Reserve's participation in this year's exercise. "Maple Flag has a long and proud history of providing aircrews with realistic training and a chance to practice combat tactics in an international training environment."

Eight C-130 aircraft and service members from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York, Minneapolis ARS, Minnesota, and Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, along with airlift control flight Airmen from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, and March Air Reserve Base, California, will participate in the exercise that ends June 7.

Maple Flag combines these diverse units and creates an atmosphere where cooperation and the ability to adapt are key.

"This is an invaluable training opportunity for the Air Force Reserve," said Chief Master Sgt. Scott Yoder, 700th Airlift Squadron superintendent. "Not only does it allow us to train in a combined and joint setting, but it also provides us with a realistic venue to implement lessons learned from recent operations overseas."

Maple Flag offers a wide variety of mission sets to include transport, electronic warfare, air defense and airborne early warning control assets.

"Our role is to insert troops and equipment in a highly-defended environment," said DeVere, whose unit from Dobbins is fulfilling the lead wing responsibilities for the Reserve's participation in the two-week exercise. "We'll have to avoid radar threats in the process which adds complexity when airdropping and offloading our supplies."

The landscape in Canada is also different from that of local training areas, making for a much more realistic training experience. In addition to the vast unrestricted airspace and modern training facilities, Cold Lake offers mountains, plains, and tundra that crews must all become familiar with when conducting tactical airlift missions.

"The training environment provided by Canadian military forces enhances our training and is an excellent way for us to prepare aircrews for actual combat missions," said DeVere. 

Reserve C-130 units will use Maple Flag to demonstrate their unique capabilities and share knowledge while working together against a complex adversary to accomplish a common goal.

"The challenges we will face in this exercise will better prepare us to face the kinds of highly developed and sophisticated threats that are employed against U.S. forces in combat today," said Yoder.

Maple Flag offers participants access to the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, which consists of 4,478 square miles of land, and is the only tactical bombing range in Canada.