By Angela Schutt
Many veterans are inspired to serve their country because they believe strongly in defending the values and beliefs that make this country the land of the free. So when it comes times to transitioning out of the Military, it can be one of the most daunting, scary and sometimes hardest decisions you may ever face in your entire life. You may be left asking yourself, what will I do? Will I still matter? And most importantly, will I make it in the civilian world? In other words, transitioning out of the military doesn’t mean you have to transition out of serving your country!
With an estimated 28 thousand people in San Diego transitioning out of the military each yearly, the need to reach out and offer our veterans a chance to successfully transition is critical. Many people think that once the transition is made, that’s it. All problems are solved. To borrow the title of a couple of good books, this adjustment is a Forever War. I know Veterans that are still going through it every day.
But it doesn’t have to be a forever war. Thanks to a new program from the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. (NVTSI), San Diego has their very own (nationally expandable) program called “REBOOT”, REBOOT, is a 3-week hands on workshop that helps our veterans conquer those fears by arming them with tools for success. This isn’t a crash course in transitioning from the military; it is a course to a new life.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the REBOOT graduation ceremony with Assembly Member, Toni Atkins as guest speaker. Not only was this day special for the graduates, it also marked the one year anniversary of the REBOOT program.
The ceremony opens with a spine tingling acapella version of the star spangled banner. Never have I been more forced to listen to the lyrics of that beautiful anthem as I was in that room. I sneak in some sideways glances at the graduates and as I looked around at the class, I could see that they too felt a new sense of purpose. On each of their faces, I saw relief. I saw happiness. But mostly, I saw hope.
As I listened to each graduate share their unique story, it made me think. The military takes a painstakingly intense 8-13 weeks to train you. To equip you with a unique platform of skills, leadership, and discipline from which to launch a meaningful career path. Yet, they only give you 3 days to get out. Three. After researching I also discovered that currently, there are no existing courses that adequately address the psychological factors of transitioning from military to civilian life before release or immediately after.
This is where the REBOOT initiative steps in. REBOOT helps with re-programming the military mindset so that the service member can be trained to handle the transition out of the military the same way they were trained going in.
“REBOOT is the hand that went inside me and switched me on” says Aviation Mechanic Markus Bailey.” Before this program I had tunnel vision. I had no idea where I was going and I definitely didn’t know anything about networking. REBOOT gave me the tools to succeed.” Mr. Bailey is currently pursuing an aeronautical engineering degree where he hopes to work in the aviation management field. “REBOOT makes you so open-minded and if you didn’t understand yourself before, you will after you leave the workshop” he said.
Upon successful completion of this intensive 15-day seminar, graduates are provided with, job placement assistance, on-going support and case management, monitoring for success and free refresher seminars.
While REBOOT helped the graduates realize how to develop a plan to achieve a meaningful purpose and vision in life, for me, I realized that REBOOT is nothing short of one of the most invaluable programs in our community to date. We need to do everything possible to welcome our troops home, so why not start with Refocus, Energy & Beliefs for Outstanding Opportunity Today!
Army National Guard Mechanic Jessica Durazo says “REBOOT has positively changed my outlook on myself. My biggest fear was failure, but thanks to REBOOT, I now believe that I can achieve all of my goals.
Ms. Durazo highly recommends REBOOT to all Military members “In three short words, this workshop is powerful, knowledgeable and invaluable. I am living proof that if you just put your mind to it, you can achieve.”
With the help of REBOOT you too, can do whatever you put your mind to!