Many of you reading this post know me. For those who don’t, I’m the Chairman and Founder of the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services. Dixon Center is coordinating, collaborating and consolidating the disparate efforts underway in communities across the U.S. to support veterans and military families.
At its most brief, my mission is to align this nationwide network of support locally for veterans and military families so that the organizations can sustain their momentum and maintain the best possible services. Between the drawdown in Afghanistan and tighter restraints on government fiscal resources, the civil sector will see increased need and greater pressure to fill the gaps. These groups must look beyond the present and consider how they will build for the long haul.
My team and my efforts unite complementary efforts in three sectors that have been proven to be necessary to ensure a sustainable life in civilian society for veterans and their families:
- Education so that veterans and their families can achieve their graduation goals, go one step beyond their battlefield knowledge and better transition to private sector careers that take advantage of their skill sets
- Meaningful employment that pulls in what I call a "family wage" – enpough to provide for the veteran and his or her family
- Access to healthcare beyond what is afforded by the VA, including information and options, for a whole person concept.
If we can efficiently and effectively provide these elements to our veterans and their families – in the communities where they live – these heroes will thrive.
The idea of community is an important theme that you’ll see me mention repeatedly in the coming months. The current paradigm is that our military comes home to a grateful nation and although that is true, the reality is that we come home to our families, neighbors and communities who, while grateful, also expect us to pick up where we left off.
I’m aiming to post my thoughts a couple of times a week and welcome your input. Together, we can figure it out, challenge the status quo, and do the unthinkable – consolidate efforts to focus solutions for our veterans and military families during their transition and reintegration. As Admiral Mike Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, “Just get them started and I think they’ll soar.”
