The ETS Sponsorship Program – Bridging the Gap

None of us is born wearing a uniform. Whether out of a sense of patriotic duty, the desire for better opportunities, or simply the search for adventure, the reasons we raise our right hand and volunteer for military service are very personal and always unique. Regardless of motivation, we all start as civilians, hailing from some small town or big city we call home. When our time in uniform is up, we return to communities like that as Veterans. Different for the experiences we gained along the way, to be sure, but civilians once again.

For many of us, the transition back to civilian life is a difficult one. Not hard in the way that Hollywood would have you believe. We are not all suffering from combat trauma, ready to snap at the first loud noise. Some are, and we owe them the very best support we can offer, but the vast majority of new Veterans are not. When I speak with servicemembers on the verge of leaving the military, most are anxious about the sorts of issues familiar to anyone undergoing a major life change. Where will I live? How will I support my family? What sort of medical coverage should I get? How do the skills and leadership I gained in uniform translate into the civilian world?

The reality is we don’t do a great job preparing servicemembers for the transition back to civilian life. The Department of Defense is a well-oiled machine when it comes to taking new recruits and turning them into warfighters, regardless of service. The Department of Veterans Affairs has enormous resources at the ready to support Veterans once they arrive in their new community. But aside from a few mandatory classes, the resources dedicated to assisting servicemembers in their transition to civilian life are meager by comparison. We at the ETS Sponsorship Program want to close this gap.

It is our belief that Veterans are tremendous assets in any community. They make great civilians, not only because of their leadership abilities and technical skills, but because they believed in America enough to serve, sometimes at great personal danger. Often for less money. Always caring for the teammates on their left and right, regardless of race, religion, or gender.

Our program is designed to help each new Veteran reach their potential. Modeled after the sponsors we each received when conducting a move from base to base, the ETS Sponsorship Program links transitioning servicemembers with certified sponsors from their future hometown. It establishes a one-on-one relationship with them up to 12 months before leaving active duty, providing time to work through all those difficult questions about employment, education, and housing that, at the moment, most are left to find answers to on their own. It gives communities the heads up that a new Veteran and their family are inbound, setting conditions for a positive reception. It gives hometowns the chance to highlight opportunities that might attract a new Veteran to moving there, and it doesn’t cost the Veteran a thing.

If you are interested in joining our team, consider signing up to be a sponsor. If you are leaving the military in the next year, please check us out. Our country produces almost 200,000 new Veterans each year. Each one has the potential to be an awesome civilian, and their success will inspire future generations to military service. We aim to help them do that.

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