The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working with the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) to assist Veterans who are facing homelessness to also find and maintain a job. The VA’s Homeless Programs Office can support Veterans with support services, medical care, and housing to help those who are homeless or facing homelessness. A key element in keeping Veterans off the street is employment.

As part of the collaboration, the VA’s Homeless Veteran Community Employment Services (HVCES) and the DoL’s Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) hosted a webinar on their programs and how they both work in tandem to promote housing stability and employment opportunities for Veterans. The two organizations provided overviews of their ongoing partnership and highlighted their programs in action.

Paul Cary is a Veteran who used both programs after living on the streets for three months. Having no family or friends he could turn to he felt all alone and too ashamed to ask for help. The two programs got him back on his feet by helping him access all the benefits he was eligible for. They were able to let him know he received a 70% disability rating which provides a monthly income which he didn’t know about due to his homelessness. The HVRP helped Cary find employment by teaching him how to build a resume and apply online for jobs. He now lives in Long Beach, California and is employed.

The VA has Community Resource and Referral Centers which are designed to help Veterans get the help they need and access to all their benefits and community resources available to them. They are a one-stop access point to assist with permanent housing, health and mental health care, employment as well as access to VA and non-VA benefits. The VA assigned more than 200 vocational development specialists to serve as Community Employment Coordinators at VA medical centers around the country. They help Veterans access community employment resources to find employers who are ready to hire Veterans.

HVCES was created by the VA to improve employment outcomes for Veterans who have experienced homelessness. Housing alone is not enough to end homelessness among the Veteran population. Employment improves the quality of life after homelessness, increases self-confidence and independence while reducing reliance on institutional care.

The DoL’s HVRP is an employment focused competitive grant program. It is the only federal grant to focus exclusively on competitive employment for homeless veterans. The two objectives of the program are to provide services to assist homeless Veterans to obtain meaningful employment and to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless veterans. The program prioritizes three veteran populations to receive services, chronically homeless Veterans, homeless female Veterans and Veterans with families and incarcerated veterans.

Organizations that receive HVRP grants work to gain competitive employment for Veterans in these priority groups. They provide six core services: knowledge of population, outreach, assessment/intake, case management, job driven training and placement, and collaboration.

Both the VA and the DoL are committed to getting Veterans housed and employed so that they can avoid homelessness in the future.

Located on a publicly accessible area of Fort Belvoir, Virginia

The National Museum of the United States Army opened on Veterans Day, November 11, 2020. It is the first museum to tell the entire history of the U.S. Army from 1775 to the present day. The museum is located on a publicly accessible area of Fort Belvoir, Virginia allowed the general public to easily access it without having to get a pass and go through a gate of the installation.

“The U.S. Army and the American Soldier forged the birth of our nation,” said Secretary of the Army, Ryan D. McCarthy. “The National Army Museum will be a place for members of the total Army family to gather and share their stories, while also creating an opportunity for visitors to connect with our nation’s history through the eyes and voices of individual Soldiers.”

The U.S. Army and the Army Historical Foundation (AHF), the official fundraising 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for the museum established in 1983, partnered to establish the National Museum of the United States Army.  The Army provided the land, roads, utilities, infrastructure, and exhibit work while the AHF raised money and constructed the building. The foundation manages retail, catering and events and the Army operates the museum.

“The museum is stunning, and it is an honor to present this history in a way that shows the connection between the American Soldier, the U.S. Army and the nation,” said the museum’s director, Ms. Tammy E. Call. The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to the health and safety of visitors. To mitigate this free, timed-entry tickets are required and not walk-up tickets are available. “We have worked hard to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors, and we are excited to open the doors of this long-awaited national museum,” added Call.

The museum covers over 245 years of Army history and highlights soldiers from the past, present and future from the Regulars Army, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. “The Army is people. They are our greatest strength and our most important weapon system,” said the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. James C. McConville. “The National Museum of the United States Army is designed to tell the compelling and heroic stories of our people and take visitors on an exciting journey through the history of the U.S. Army as told through the American Soldiers’ point of view.”

Exhibits

The museum has a wide variety of state-of-the-art exhibits. One of the first you encounter is the Soldiers’ Stories. It is a grouping of freestanding pylons with a soldier’s etched image and their biography. They are lined up in a formation and begin in the museum’s exterior to the entryway, into the lobby and end at the Army Concourse. The exhibit really highlights the diversity in the U.S. Army and shows both male and female soldiers and of different races. Other exhibits are based around various conflicts. Colonial Warfare covers the historical period from 1607-1835. It explores the forming of the Continental Army, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Army becoming a professional force.

In addition to the permanent exhibits the museum has space for temporary exhibitions. The Two Front War is a temporary exhibit and shares the rarely told story of Japanese American Nisei Soldiers during World War II. This history highlights the struggle of the Nisei and their courage. Highlights include receiving the Congressional Gold Medal as recognition of their service.

The museum’s Welcome Desk has a limited supply of audio tours. Bring your own personal headphones to use (standard headphone jack wireless not compatible) or use the museum’s which are sanitized after each use. The audio tours are free.

Museum Cafe

There is so much to see and do at the museum you may want to take a break. The Museum Café has a variety of options. During COVID-19 all tables are set six feet apart and a self-service contactless transactions option is available. The café is open 8 am to 3pm and you can preorder your food with a  quick access app.

Army Action Center

For more interactive fun check out the Army Action Center: Virtual Reality and Motion Theater Experiences. It is currently open during the visitor day and offers a variety of experiences. Allow plenty of time for COVID-19 measures and special cleaning. The three experiences are:

Holdout! Bunker Defense VR

Up to four people at a time can participate in the HoldOut! Bunker Defense VR Arena. Don high-tech head-mounted VR goggles with simulated rifles which give a realistic recoil as you fire at your targets. The thrill increases with 4D effects such as floor vibrations and wind which simulates battlefield conditions. Compete with others as you take out artificial intelligent (AI) enemies.

Tank Commander Virtual Reality Transporter

Jump on the elevated motion platform and don electronic 3D goggles to feel like you a commanding a World War II Sherman Tank. Order your massive 75-millimeter gun to fire on enemy vehicles and gun nests. Collaborate with other tank commanders to advance your positions.

Wingwalker VR Adventures of an Air Show Stuntwoman

Simulate riding on the wing of a vintage ex-Army 1943 Boeing Super Stearman biplane. Watch a daring stuntwoman wing walk and show off for the air show crowd while you hang on as the plane dips and turns.

Army Action Pod Simulator

You can experience over 110 years of aviation history in this simulator which takes you from the birthplace of flight at Kitty Hawk to modern day jets. Learn about daring first flights, aviation’s golden age of air racing, the Tuskegee Airmen and much more.

Capture Your Visit

Remember your visit with a purchase from the Museum Store with a variety of Army themed merchandise and books. Make sure to visit the photo kiosk provided by Foto ATM. Print smartphone photos or personalize your images for social media.

The National Museum of the United States Army is open everyday except December 25 from 9 am to 5 pm.

By Marguerite Cleveland

The COVID-19 Pandemic has greatly impacted the mission of Honor Flight to bring America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials that are dedicated to honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country. “Sadly we’ve had to suspend flights due to COVID-19 but we are closely monitoring state and federal guidelines as well as those of the District of Columbia. We intend to continue our Honor Flight trips as soon as it’s safe to do so,” said Carol Harlow, Public Relations for Honor Flight Network.

Currently the program serves veterans from the WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War eras as well as terminally ill veterans who served in any era. Unfortunately, these veterans fall into the high risk category in regards to COVID-19.

The network consists of independent hubs that work together to support the Honor Flight Mission. The common goal is to show our nation’s veterans appreciation and honor they deserve for their service to our country. With no cost to the veteran, an Honor Flight trip allows them to share their experience and stories, and to remember friends and comrades lost. It is a very significant occasion for them.

According to Harlow until the program is safe to run again, “many of our 130 Hubs across the country are running virtual programs for veterans. They’re also spearheading socially distant drive by’s or “parades” within the community to keep veterans spirits up.  We also have Hubs placing yard signs in Veterans yards thanking them for his or her service and reminding them they will participate in an Honor Flight as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

“Here at the national Honor Flight office, we’ve arranged for several celebrities and high-profile individuals to record messages to the approximately 23,000 veterans who would have flown on a Honor Flight this year.  We refer to this initiative as Operation Reassurance.  We will post the video messages on our social media (Facebook: Honor Flight Network and Twitter: HonorFlightNet) from November 1 through November 10 culminating with a compilation video on Veteran’s Day that hubs can use to send to the veterans who were unable to fly this year – reassuring them they will receive an opportunity to experience a Honor Flight as soon as it’s safe to do so,” she added.

If you’d like to assist the program Harlow said, “We encourage your readers to reach out to his or her local Hub to participate as a volunteer or to sign up a veteran to participate on a Honor Flight.  We are currently accepting applications from veterans who served in WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the service periods in between.  We also highly encourage terminally ill veterans of all service eras to participate in our Lone Eagle Program which is administered via our national office along with a program to fly veterans who do not live within 120 miles of an existing Honor Flight Hub.  They can find the nearest Hub and more information on all of our programs at, www.honorflight.org”

By Marguerite Cleveland

The Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy recently announced a new emphasis on people. To give junior leaders more time to build their teams it will now be the Army’s top priority. “Just as we did with readiness, we must invest in people,” followed by readiness and modernization, McCarthy said during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition. “The time is now.”

“Army leadership will continue to put ‘people first’ as they work to balance operational tempo requirements and make policy changes”, said Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville.

McCarthy acknowledged that the last 19 years of combat operations and global deterrence has come at a cost. People are the Army’s greatest strength and senior leaders released an action plan the will prioritize people and teams.

According to this new plan Army leaders will work to determine the level of total Army readiness necessary to meet operational requirements. This information will help to pursue options that will hopefully reduce the Army’s current cycle of heel-to-toe deployment rotations. “We are taking a look at rotational deployments and working with the [combatant commanders] to see how we can accomplish the mission in innovative ways,” McConville said.

Another new change is the new Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model, or ReARMM, slated to be released in the next few months. Its purpose is to balance op tempo requirements with dedicated periods for mission, training, and modernization.

The Combat Training Center (CTC) rotations are also reevaluated as part of the action plan. “Our CTCs are the gold standard for preparing our organizations for large-scale ground combat operations, especially in this time of great power competition,” McConville said, adding the Army must strive to balance its CTC rotations with other training opportunities.

According to the plan soldiers at brigade and battalion levels training will consist of tactical exercises without troops, command post exercises, and fire support coordination exercises “We will pursue options for the brigade combat training centers that are a mix of ‘in the box’ organic battalions, command post exercises, and heavy and light rotations,” McCarthy said. “These efforts will buy back time at home for our units to invest in their Soldiers and families.”

Leaders have the opportunity to waive a CTC rotation requirement if the unit is scheduled for a noncombat rotational deployment on the condition, they will conduct similar training while deployed. “There is no intent to reduce the number of CTC rotations,” McConville said. “We are discussing the prerequisites required to go to a CTC and how they fit into” the rotational-deployment model.

The Army has faced many challenges in 2020 beginning on New Year’s Eve with an unexpected deployment of soldiers from the 82^nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. Other challenges included a global pandemic and massive civil unrest. The government response to COVID-19 led to 45,000 active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve Soldiers being called to help step the pandemic.

“As one crisis tapered, another one began. Following the murder of George Floyd, massive civil unrest that had been simmering across the country for decades reached a tipping point,” McCarthy said. The National Guard worked to protect the safety of citizens practicing their constitutional right to protect. He added, “As civil unrest grew, Soldiers watched as peaceful protests turned violent, hijacked by outside actors.”

The murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillen by a fellow soldier shocked the country and sparked the Army to add procedures to clarify what happens when a Soldier fails to report for duty. Under the guidance which will soon be published, the Army will consider them missing and take immediate action.

“Through this sort of reckoning, we realized that some of the same barriers and threats still exist within our formation. We must be accountable, and we must act. This year, and its series of events, has hardened our resolve to create enduring change,” McCarthy said. “The Army is taking rapid, positive, and meaningful steps towards reducing systemic and symbolic inequities, while safeguarding every person in our formation.”

The Army’s Project Inclusion initiative will ensure “that we have an organization that is truly inclusive and makes everyone feel like a valued member of the team,” McConville said. In addition the “This is My Squad” initiative led by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston will continue the Army’s focus on people first.