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(Brig. General Allison Hickey)
As a Veteran, with unique military experience that includes serving in the active duty National Guard and Reserve, I understand the many needs of our National Guard and Reserve members and their families. I share the Department of Veterans Affairs’ commitment to easing the transition from military to civilian duties for you who serve in the National Guard and Reserve and are part of VA.
(Annie Spiczak)
Immediately following 9/11, I received a call from my Army unit asking if I would be available for a 30-day assignment, I don't think my workplace or my managers, supervisors, coworkers really understood the magnitude of the deployment. Uh… when the 30 days turned into six months, turned into a year, they tried to ship me my office. And that wasn’t gonna work. Uh…where am I gonna put it? In the desert?
(Lee Becker)
By trade I’m a trauma nurse, and in 2003 when I got off active duty, I transitioned into the Reserves. My employer did not understand what my duties were as a Reservist, and as such, they were making life really hard for me, and therefore I had to make the difficult choice of leaving that job under pressure.
I deployed in support of Iraq and Afghanistan, these two wars, two wars that we’re fighting for, and these two wars, I was responsible for ensuring that all the Marine Reservists coming back from these wars were taken care of back stateside.
I was responsible for the other side of war, the other side of war where those fighting out there, making sure that when they come back home, they’re transitioned properly. And we’re talking about thousands upon thousands of those wounded coming back.
The unit that I was supposed to deploy with, 325, that unit in 2005, they incurred one of the most, the most casualties than any Reserve unit in history, and that was the unit that I was supposed to go with. Two of my best friends in that unit were killed. I was back home here, and I received those casualty reports of those two guys getting killed. Specifically, one of the Corpsmen that deployed, he deployed in my place, and he was killed.
(Thor Wold)
In 2007, when I first got off of active duty service, I was working at a civilian company in Milwaukee, as a uh, 911 provider. It was a civilian ambulance company. When I came back, it was a little more difficult than originally thought. I had – there are multiple licenses that you're required to keep up to date while you're working as an EMT or a paramedic, and those had lapsed for me while I was in Iraq. So, at that point, I needed to get new training, and I just needed my company to understand I needed time. They weren't, they just weren't understanding the concept that I didn't have time to deal with these things from my civilian life while I was deployed. So there was a, a lot of hurdles I had to jump through, and fiery hoops to try to get the things I needed, just so I could go back to work.
(Lee Becker)
As a Navy Reservist, Chief Hospital Corpsman, I can be deployed any time. But knowing that uh...VA for Vets is out there, that the VA has embraced the idea of uh...you know, supporting our Reserve and Guard, I won’t have to worry about whether or not I’m coming back to a job at VA. I know that VA will be right there by my side and supporting me in my uh…efforts to deploy as a Reservist.
(Annie Spiczak)
So much has happened since I deployed in 2001. There is a good-news story, and that good news is that we now have VA for Vets, and what happened to me, that terrible experience I had during my deployment and reintegration, should never happen to a military member at the Department.
VA for Vets is an outstanding program. I only wish it had been available when I deployed in 2001.
(Brig. General Allison Hickey)
We created VA for Vets because we know that Military Service Members need more support before, during and especially after deployment. VA for Vets offers Military Service Members full deployment life-cycle support, including checklists, tip sheets and guides, all to help you and your families prepare for deployment and reintegration and we know that a preponderance of folks in theater, right now, today, returning home are National Guard Reserve forces. We see that when they file their claims at a level that is nearly 50 percent of everyone we get today. We also know that this capability will provide you one-on-one coaching services, specialized and customized to your needs. A virtual collaboration space where you can interact with your coach, HR professional and your supervisor while deployed. Because we don’t want you worrying and thinking about those issues, we want you to be able to have those conversations as you need. We will also provide you on-the-site training resources on USERRA, communicating with your supervisor and so much more.
So I really encourage you, visit the deployment and reintegration page of the VA for Vets website to access the tools and resources I’ve shared to ensure you and your families have accurate information about the deployment and reintegration processes here at VA.
HR professionals and supervisors – you play an important role in the deployment and reintegration success and we appreciate your commitment to actively preparing Military Service Members and welcoming home those Service Members back to VA when they return.