3DCMilitary MAGAZINE |JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

February

Fort Meade NewYork CityDay TripFee charged301-677-7354ftmeademwr.com

Teen Free-Throw ContestJoint BaseMyer-Henderson Hall9 a.m. Cpl. Terry L. SmithGymnasium703-614-7214mccsHH.com/SmithGym.html

Valentine’s DayDinner andWine PairingMCCSQuantico6–10 p.m. TheClubs at Quantico & CrossroadsEvents CenterMCX Rec/ITT 703-432-8850(tickets)703-784-2249

www.quantico.usmc-mccs.org

Single Marine Program MardiGras PartyJoint BaseMyer-Henderson HallThe Kickback Lounge703-696-0033mccshh.com/SMP.html

Military Saves WeekActivitiesMCCS Quantico703-784-3353www.quantico.usmc-mccs.org

Military Saves-FinancialReadinessFort Meade7 a.m.–4 p.m. McGill TrainingCenter301-677-7354ftmeademwr.com

March

Three-Point ShootoutJoint BaseMyer-Henderson Hall11:30 a.m. Cpl. Terry L. SmithGymnasium703-696-0033mccsHH.com/SmithGym.html

Teen Free-Throw ContestJoint BaseMyer-Hen-derson Hall9 a.m. Cpl.Terry L. SmithGymnasium703-696-0033mccsHH.com/SmithGym.html

Mother & SonBowlingMCCSQuantico3–11 p.m.QuanticoBowling Center$10 fee; space is limited703-784-2210www.quantico.usmc-mccs.org

“Maxed Out Wednesdays”Joint BaseMyer-Henderson HallRegistration Opens301-677-7354mccsHH.com

Technical Job FairFort Meade9 a.m.–2 p.m. ClubMeade301-677-7354ftmeademwr.com

New York City Day TripFort Meade301-677-7354ftmeademwr.com

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4 | DCMilitary MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

ot long ago, careerportability for militaryspouses was limited tothose with teaching,nursing or government

jobs.The hard lesson for the rest ofus was that frequent moves, hiringfreezes and limited opportunitiesin many installation communitiesmade finding work or maintaining acareer difficult. And those in teach-ing and nursing fields had struggles,too, when recertifying or licensing ina new state.

But thanks to helpful Depart-ment of Defense initiatives and newlicensing legislation, career porta-

bility is possible for any number ofoccupational choices, according toEddy Mentzer, a Military SpouseEmployment Partnership programmanager. Military Spouse Employ-ment Partnership, or MSEP, is part

of the Department of Defense’sSpouse Education and Career Op-portunities (SECO) program.

A military spouse himself,Men-tzer has gone through the ups anddowns of building his own careerwhile supporting his spouse, anAir Force officer. Mentzer said thisexperience guides him when he en-lists corporate partners who pledgeto recruit, hire, promote and retainmilitary spouses, creating long-termemployment options.The MilitarySpouse Employment Partnership isjust one part of the SECO office’sefforts to reduce the more than 20percent unemployment rate for mil-

itary spouses and help people look-ing for work. Mentzer had thesesuggestions for maximizing theSECO programs, whether you arenew to the workforce, returning towork or trying to maintain an exist-ing career:

● Start planning early. The experi-enced counselors at Military One-Source can help you explore careeroptions by identifying your inter-ests and skills.They can guide youthrough the continuing education,training and future steps that couldlead to a career in your chosen field.Counselors offer assistance at every

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DCMilitary Magazine is published by Comprint Military Publications, 9030 ComprintCourt, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, a private firm in no way connected with theDepartment of Defense, under exclusive written contract.Contents are not the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government or theDepartment of Defense.Everything advertised in this supplement must bemade available for purchase, useor patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, maritalstatus, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factorof the purchaser, user or patron.

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It’s getting easier for military spouses

NON THE HOMEFRONT

BY ALICE SWAN

5DCMilitary MAGAZINE |JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Job Fair/Hiring EventMCCS Quantico9–10 a.m. (wounded warriors);10 a.m.–2 p.m. (general public)The Clubs at Quantico &Crossroads Events Center703-784-4963www.quantico.usmc-mccs.org

Teen Opportunity FairFort Meade2–6 p.m. Club Meade

301-677-7354ftmeademwr.com

7th annual QuanticoInternational Wine & FoodFestival4–9 p.m. The Clubs at Quantico& Crossroads Events CenterMCX Rec/ITT or 703-432-8850(tickets)703-784-4264www.quantico.usmc-mccs.org-Compiled by Karen Finucan Clarkson

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phase.Visit militaryonesource.mil,or call 800-342-9647 to get started.

●Use your MyCAA benefits.Counsel-ors can assist with signing up for theMy Career Advancement AccountScholarship program and help youfind other financial aid resources.The program offers eligible spousesup to $4,000 in financial assistanceto help attain a portable career oroccupation.You can find details ataiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa.

Mentzer said SECO has alsolaunched LearningCounts, a pilotprogram withThe Council for Adultand Experiential Learning designedto help spouses translate their workand volunteer experience into collegecredit. Imagine the time and moneythis could savemilitary spouses work-ing toward a degree or certification.Learn more about the free service atseco.learningcounts/org, or by callingthe MilitaryOneSource hotline, 800-342-9647.

● Connect with an MSEP partner com-pany. Career counselors can helpspouses set up portals on the MSEPwebsite, the first step in gettingmatched with one of the 266 cor-porate partners.The counselors canreview resumes and help identifyemployment opportunities. Men-tzer said 2.2 million jobs have beenposted on the MSEP website sincethe program launched in 2011, withmore than 65,000 spouses hired.

Mentzer said that MSEP vetseach company to ensure that thepositions available are meaningful,and that they offer transportabil-ity and remote work opportunities.Being able to work from home isimportant to families that face in-creasing child care costs.Whateveryour life stage, MSEP can matchyou to a potential employer. “Wehave a diverse group of corporationstomatch our diversemilitary spousepopulation,” Mentzer said. Amongthe MSEP partners are compa-nies you’ll recognize, such as KraftFoods, Starbucks, McDonald’s,Hilton Worldwide, Verizon Com-munications, Citigroup,The HomeDepot, USAA andWells Fargo.

● Take advantage of the career assis-tance offered at your installation. Animportant resource is your base orpost’s employment readiness pro-gram. According to program spe-

cialist Victor Johnson, this is whereyou’ll find information on employ-ment opportunities in the local area,classes on everything from resumewriting to developing your network-ing skills, and job fair access. John-son said specialists can offer moreindividualized help to job seekersand tailor resumes to match avail-able positions. If you are moving toa new duty station, Johnson recom-mended talking with your installa-tion employment assistance office.They can contact the program inyour new location to get your jobsearch started before you arrive.

Legislation is reducing licenseand certification transfer head-aches.Thanks to a push from Join-ing Forces, the military and familysupport effort begun by first ladyMichelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden,more than 30 states have passedlicense portability laws for militaryspouses.These statutes help peoplein licensed professions avoid theoften costly and time-consumingprocess of getting certified in a newlocation. Participating states willrecognize a license in good standingfrom another state, issue temporarylicenses or certifications, or expe-dite a licensure application.To learnmore about the new licensing andcertification procedures, visit theJoining Forces website, whitehouse.gov/joiningforces/military-spouses-back-to-work.

Why has the Department of De-fense focused resources on spouseemployment programs? Mentzersaid DODhad a vested interested inadvancing education and employ-ment for military spouses. “A ca-reer means long-term employment,offering more financial stability formilitary families and helps with re-tention,” he said. It also aids familiesas more and more service membersface a transition out of the military.“[Department of Defense] leadersrecognize that it is the spouse whoholds the military family togetherduring deployments or training sep-arations,”Mentzer said.“If a spousehas a career of their own, it helps thefamily navigate through this transi-tion more successfully, since there isa reliable second income.”Whateverthe reason, it is nice to know thatmilitary spouses can look forwardto continued support as they buildtheir portable careers.

| DCMilitary MAGAZINE6 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

BY KARIN LOCKHART-DURKEEocial media has revolution-ized the job search, and it can

be a valuable tool for your militarytransition. Now it’s easier than everto build a boundless network rightfrom your computer, connecting tomilitary colleagues, recruiters, fel-low veterans, and experts and influ-encers in your industry to help openthe door to career opportunities.Social media doesn’t replace tradi-tional job search tools and face-to-face networking, but it allows you toshow your professionalism throughan online presence, and grow avaluable network of supporters andfellow industry professionals.

Recruiters are using social media

sites such as LinkedIn to find can-didates who match their company’sneeds. Having an active profes-sional presence on these sites willincrease your chances of getting ontheir radar.You can get noticed byrecruiters for your skills and expe-rience, increase your professionalnetwork (exponentially), and findjob and career opportunities.

Getting noticedIf you’ve already created a re-

sume, use it to help build your pro-fessional online profile, and makesure it completely describes your ex-perience andbackground.Load yourprofile with the skills and experienceyou bring to the table.Every skill youinclude on your profile, whether it’s

in your headline, summary sectionor work experience, acts as a key-word that will come up in searches.These will help you get noticed byrecruiters and others looking for in-dividuals with those skills.

If you are transitioning to a jobthat is not what you did in the mil-itary, emphasize the transferrableskills (e.g. leadership, work ethic,teamwork and handling situationsunder pressure) that you’ve gainedthrough your military experience.These skills are valuable in any in-dustry.You should also make it clearin your profile what job you are tar-geting for your next career.

You are more likely to be se-lected in search results and haveyour invitations to connect ac-

cepted if you include a photo onyour profile. It adds credibility andgives others a sense of connection toyou. A professionally taken photo isbest, since it is being used to assistin your job search. If that’s not anoption, use a photo that reflects aprofessional and friendly headshot.

Building connectionsSimply creating an online pro-

file isn’t enough.You also need toparticipate on the social media sitesand make relevant connections tobuild your network. It’s who youknow that can get you that initiallook, which leads to an interviewand job offer. And who you knowcan grow exponentially through so-cial media sites.

SOCIAL MEDIA:How to use it as a smart transition tool

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About the authorKarin Lockhart-Durkee is the social media director forCorporate Gray and is the author of “Social Mediaand Your Job Search: Maximizing Your Network for aSuccessful Transition.”She isalsoaconsultant, teacher,military spouse and community volunteer. Lockhart-Durkeepresentssocialmediaworkshops to transitioningmilitarymemberson installations in theWashington,D.C.,area. Corporate Gray connects employerswithmilitary veterans nationwide. FormoreinformationaboutCorporateGray’sfreeservicesfortransitioningandformermilitarymembers, visit CorporateGray.com.

By joining industry groups onLinkedIn, you can quickly con-nect with colleagues and expertswith whom you have something incommon. Military members canjoin veteran groups online and ex-perience a wealth of job search andtransition support through their vet-erans’ network. Comment on groupdiscussions and start your own.“Like” a discussion and follow theindividual who posted it or invitethat person to join your network.Allof these actions will get you noticedby group members and help youmake relevant connections.

Finding opportunitiesSocial media sites offer unique

ways to find job opportunities andresearch careers. On LinkedIn youcan search for jobs, follow and re-search companies, and researchcareers to see what jobs that othersin your industry hold. Facebooklets you add job search applications,such as BranchOut or BeKnown.OnTwitter you can follow companies,recruiters and job listings to keep upwith what they are posting. Set upmobile notifications for the most rel-evant job listing accounts you followin order to receive their tweets as textmessages as soon as they are tweeted.

Make it a habit to use socialmediasites to research companies, recruit-ers, and job openings before attendinga job fair or an interview.This prep-aration will help you make the mostof a job fair event or make a goodimpression at an interview.Check outthe interviewer’s profile on LinkedInto find out more about them and seewhat you have in common.

Choosing the right siteYour military transition can be a

hectic time, and a job search is time

consuming enough without addingmore than the traditional tools tothe mix.

If you only have time to focus onone social media site, use LinkedInbecause it is the largest professionalnetwork and is the one recruitersuse most. Or, if you’ve already es-tablished a large network on Face-book, for example, then leveragethat site for your job search.

After initially setting up an effec-tive profile, dedicate 20 to 30 min-utes a day online tomaking new con-nections, posting relevant content,contributing to group discussions,and researching jobs and compa-nies.The bulk of your time on socialmedia should be spent sharing yourstrengths and experience andmakingmeaningful connections.

You might be hesitant to join thesocial media revolution due to theissue of privacy.This is a valid con-cern, especially for military mem-bers with a security clearance.Thereare differing views on whethercleared individuals should have anonline presence and disclose a clear-ance on their profile.

You have to weigh the privacyissue against the benefits that a pro-fessional online presence gives toyour job search. Each social mediasite has privacy settings, and it is rec-ommended that you explore all theoptions to find your comfort level.

Keep in mind that the purposeof using social media for your jobsearch is to increase your visibility toemployers and build a relevant net-work in your industry.

Your online presence and pro-fessional network can open doors tocareer opportunities if you use themeffectively for your job search.

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he Department of Defenseand the Department of Vet-erans Affairs estimate thatbetween 2012 and 2017, ap-

proximately 1 million active-dutyservice members will have sepa-rated from service. Additionally,tightened military budgets willcause the military to cut morethan 100,000 jobs from all ser-vice branches.

“I think my biggest challengewas trying to figure out what Iwanted to do,” a U.S. Army E-9said. “I have been in the Armymy entire adult life, so movingto corporate America was veryoverwhelming.”

Returning to civilian employ-ment after serving in the mili-tary—whether for one tour oran entire career—presents chal-lenges for both service membersand their families. For some, themilitary has been their only job,so they have not ever written aresume. Others struggle to trans-late their military experience intoterms understood by hiring man-agers. Because of multiple reloca-tions over the course of service,spouses often face employmentgaps in their work history. Theseall pose significant road blocksto a smooth transition from themilitary to civilian employment.Through military service, veter-ans have attained a unique set ofskills and strengthened character,making them highly marketablejob candidates.Yet, many highlyqualified and experienced veter-ans struggle to market themselveseffectively for civilian jobs.

Hire Heroes USA helps vet-erans turn these obstacles intoopportunities through the powerof shared transformation. Head-quartered in Alpharetta, Ga., HireHeroes USA has built a nationalreputation for success at assistingunemployed veterans with findingjobs.The small staff of 25 VeteranTransition Specialists has madea big impact in 2014. Their per-sonalized, hands-on approach hasresulted in more than 1,500 con-firmed hired veterans, at a currentrate of 32 newly employed veteransand spouses per week.

“Follow-up was the mosthelpful, checking in to see how Iwas doing let me know that HireHeroes USA cared,” said a U.S.Marine Corps E-5. “The speedat which my VTS contacted mehelped me receive a quality re-sume within a week, and I washired within 90 days of that.”

Hire Heroes USA, a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization founded in2005, is dedicated to creating jobopportunities for military veteransand their spouses through per-sonalized employment training,and the organization has gainednational recognition for its com-prehensive continuum of veterancareer transition assistance. Ourteam is composed of military vet-erans—many with combat expe-rience in Iraq and Afghanistan—and business veterans. That mixof military and civilian experiencehas proven essential to effectively

training veterans in the skills ofself-marketing and then network-ing those veterans into good jobswith great companies.

“I went from being an unem-ployed ‘ex-military guy’ with lit-tle-to-no job prospects to a fullyemployed security consultant in anew career field,” a U.S.Army E-5said. “Without the assistance ofHire Heroes USA, I would neverhave known about this opportu-nity and would still be looking foranything available just to ‘get by’and earn a living. Fortunately, Iwas able to find a career and nota job.”

The hallmark of the program isa personal approach in which eachveteran or spouse receives dedicatedassistance from a highly trainedHire Heroes USA Veteran Tran-sition Specialist in order to helpovercome barriers to employment.Hire Heroes USA addresses twoof the most common employmentbarriers—lack of knowledge aboutself-marketing and lack of employ-ment opportunity—through threeinitiatives:

Education and TrainingWorkshops

Workshops target servicemembers and spouses who arepreparing to transition from themilitary into civilian life. At theworkshops, service membersidentify post-military financial re-quirements and veteran benefits;develop a post-military strategicplan; write a resume that effec-tively conveys their prior expe-rience and value proposition to

Hire HEROES USA

Hire Heroes USA veteran Joshua Reid-landwashired by iOfficeas acustomerservice representative in September2013. He received assistance with hisresumeandcareer search.

“[Veteran Transition Specialist] MattNagy was really helpful in writing myresume,” Reidland said. “He translatedthe skills that I acquired from the AirForce into terminology that businessescan understand. In doing so, I was ableto obtain a jobat iOffice.”

SUCCESSSTORIESS u c c e s s S t o r i e s

NathanRosser registeredwithHireHe-roesUSAafter separating from theU.S.Army as a staff sergeant. After review-ing Rosser’s resume, his Veteran Tran-sition Specialist discovered that Rosserwas not properly communicating hisskills and qualifications to civilian em-ployers. Hire Heroes USA helped himquantify his experience and highlightkey words in order to present himselfasaqualifiedcandidate for jobs.Rosserwas then able to tailor his resume tospecific jobdescriptions, increasinghischancesof securing interviews.

This personalized resume assistance,coupled with interview skills coach-ing, helped Rosser find employmentas Operations Manager for an interna-tional firm in the natural stone industry.Additionally, Rosser serves as a hiringmanager in his new role, allowing himto utilize his new skills to select highlyqualified talent.

“I feel that Hire Heroes USA is oneof the best veteran sites I have everworked with,” Rosser said. “It is farmorepersonal; theyensure that youarefully prepared to enter thework force.”

| DCMilitary MAGAZINE8

lTransformingmilitary service to civilian successThis national nonprofit empowers veterans,transitioning service members and theirspouses by building the confidence and skillsnecessary to obtain civilian employmentthrough free, individualized programs.

T

PHOTOSCOURTESYOFHIRINGHEROESUSA

GUEST COLUMNBY ERIN JOHNSON

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9DCMilitary MAGAZINE |JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

potential employers; learn effectivejob search strategies, job applicationand job interviewing techniques;and network through personal andHireHeroesUSA sources. In 2014,Hire Heroes USA had 100 sched-uled workshops.

Online/Telephone JobSearchAssistance

Online and telephone jobsearch assistance targets veteranswho are out of the service and un-employed in a three-phased processof assessment, training and jobsearching/mentorship that mirrorsthe information and follow-up pro-cess of workshops. On average, 100veterans per week register for onlineassistance at hireheroesusa.org.

JobBoardHire Heroes USA maintains a

job board that grants screened cor-porate and employment partnerswith active job posting package ac-cess to the resumes of all job-readyHire Heroes USA candidates.Thisproprietary board allows Hire He-roes USA to verify the status ofboth veterans and employers, en-suring quality jobs are available tojob-ready veterans.

This unique, three-facetedapproach has proven successful.While similar organizations in theveteran employment space have alarger footprint, the focus of HireHeroes is high-touch, high-im-pact.With such personalized at-tention and the continuum ofservices provided, from initial ca-reer assessment beyond achievingdesired employment, it is no sur-prise that 99.5 percent of veteransand spouses receiving its serviceswould recommend Hire HeroesUSA to their peers. For more in-formation on Hire Heroes USA’sservices for veterans and to regis-ter, visit hireheroesusa.org/veter-ansoverview/overview.

“Hire Heroes USA is one ofthe best kept secrets for veterans,”a U.S.Air Force O-3 said. “Thanksso much to Hire Heroes USA foryour help and support. It’s onething to have folks support you andhope you get a job. It’s another tohave someone actually take thetime to sit down and work with youto draft that great resume or show

you what a great cover letter shouldbe like.That’s whatmakesHireHe-roes an invaluable resource for vet-erans and why I’ve recommendedthem to all my friends transitioningto civilian life.”

Veterans are not the only oneswhobenefit fromHireHeroesUSA’scontinuum of service. Companiesthat hire veterans enhance the leader-ship, culture and corporate social re-sponsibilityof theirorganization.HireHeroes USA works with employ-ment partners by maintaining a jobboard online, connecting employerswhodesire to hire veteranswith qual-ity veteran candidates.Because of thepersonalized services provided, veter-ans on the job board arematched ac-cording to skill sets anddesiredcareerpaths.This job matching tool resultsin more veterans being hired for notjust a job,but ameaningful career.

For information on the jobboard or becoming an employ-ment or corporate partner withHire Heroes USA, visit hireheroesusa.org/hire-veteran/overview, orcall 866-845-2573.

“Hire Heroes USA reallyhelped me jump back into the ci-vilian world,” a U.S. Coast GuardE-4 said. “They taught me that Ididn’t have to take every job thatwas offered to me, but ones that Ithought I could really excel at.”

The vision of Hire Heroes USAis to maintain the nation’s mosteffective veteran transition andemployment assistance program,modeling a process that will dras-tically decrease the unemploymentrate of the men and women whohave honorably served this country.

Erin Johnson is manager of corpo-rate relations and communicationsfor Hire Heroes USA.

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two of the most common

employment barriers—lack of

knowledge about self

marketing and lack of

employment opportunity.

10 | DCMilitary MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

“You become a person who does morethan just proficient work.You don’t makeany excuses.You are always trying to achieve,on a daily basis, the business standard of ex-cellence,” said Roger Habersham, ownerof Habersham Builders IV, Inc. in Clinton,Md. Habersham served in the Air Forceprior to starting his business.

Angie Leinert, a former Air Force lin-guist, said that being in the military allowedher to earn a degree, get a clearance andsupport national security while working ina team environment. “Without that there isno way I would be where I am today,” saidLeinert, who is now president and CEO ofIntelliGenesis in Columbia,Md.

Many veterans are finding the skills theyacquired in the military have uniquely posi-tioned them to be ideal business owners. “Ittaught me to be aggressive, to go after thethings that you want. Never say no. Never

stop.Never give up,” said KevinAnderson, a20-year veteran with the U.S. Marine Corp.Anderson is president and CEO of Ander-son Solutions andAssociates, a logistics firmbased in Fredericksburg,Va.

Janet Simmons retired from theArmy as asenior intelligence officer and former BattalionCommander at Fort Belvoir,Va. after 20 years.As president and CEO of Innovative GlobalSecurity Solutions in Hughesville, Md., Sim-mons said she valued the skills she gained inthe military, where she said failure wasn’t anoption. “With my people, just like as a battal-ion commander, my soldiers relied on me formy leadership, my guidance, my vision,” Sim-mons said.“It’s the same in the company.”

Success for one,success for all

The success of vetrepreneurs appears tobe having a ripple effect: Veteran business

Meet veteranswho run theirown companies

fter separating or retiring, a

number of veterans are elect-

ing not to take the traditional

route for second careers. In-

stead, many are becoming

“vetrepreneurs,” using their military

skill and acumen to start their own

companies.

EXECUTIVE MISSION

- BY LESLIE C. SMITH -

A

Nisha Witt, president and founder of ASEOP Technologies,displays new technology for cell phones to a Vetrepreneur

Shark Tank panel during a Semper Startup event atGeorge Washington University on Oct. 15, 2014.

PHOTO BY BOBBY JONES

11DCMilitary MAGAZINE |JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

owners are helping out other veterans.“They understand the mission,” Sim-mons said. “They bring special quali-ties you just can’t get anywhere else.”

Mission Entrepreneur founderMichael Beirne, who served in theArmy, said he recognized the valuein vetrepreneurs early on. MissionEntrepreneur offers online training,mentor meet-ups, “vetworking” net-working events and presents eventssuch as Semper Startup. “I startedangel investing … and realized a lotof my investments were in veterancompanies,” Beirne said, “and, beinga veteran—and a lot of my investorswere veterans—[I] realized this ‘in-vesting in veterans’ thing works.”

At IntelliGenesis, veterans makeup 60 percent of the staff. “The di-versification, the ability to acquirenew skills then execute the nextday—those are very hard to find insomeone who was not in the mili-tary,” said Leinert.“[It’s] just a wholeattitude to not be about yourself butto be in a team.You fail and succeedas a team.”

Leinert’s company specializes inintelligence analysis, artificial intelli-gence, computer network operations,and cyber-related internal researchand development. She said the com-pany had plans in January to launcha spin-off company calledTraversed,which will develop software productsfor the commercial market.

Taking the leapDarrin Jones,a formerparatrooper,

federal agent and police officer, said heformed American Identity Solutions,an electronic fingerprint-based back-ground company, because he saw theneed.He spent four years in the Infan-try 82nd Airborne Divisions and fouryears with Maryland National Guardin light Infantry. “I was working at thepolice department and I saw peoplegetting fingerprinted with ink and Ithought, ‘Why are they doing thatwhen there is technology in the mili-tary or being used by federal agentsthat scans it?’ I contacted the state andthey state signed us up.”

Jones is now president of Ameri-can Identity, which has offices in of-fices in Rockville, Bethesda and Sil-ver Spring,Md.“People whowant tobuy a firearm in the state of Mary-land now have to be fingerprinted,”Jones said. “They can now come toour office and be fingerprinted toapply for their licensing to purchasea firearm.” American Identity alsoholds an interim patent for an active-shooter defense system.

Jones said veterans should giveserious thought to starting their ownbusinesses. “Every veteran, no matterwhat youdid in themilitary—has ideasthat mean something,” Jones said.

All business owners—militaryveterans or otherwise—will face

challenges. Anderson said he took ayear off to help his family after Hur-ricane Katrina struck his hometownin New Orleans. “I can’t complain,”Anderson said. “I love what I do. Ilove the challenge.” The key thingto overcoming challenges in busi-ness, Anderson said, is teaming upwith a good partner and finding away to persevere. “Past performanceis huge,” he said. “It’s volume.Youhave keep on trying until they con-tact you.”

Gearing for successWhen faced with this obstacle,

Simmons recommended that businessowners get creative when it comes tothinking of ways to generate moneyoutside the federal government.

“One of things I did was branchoff toworkingwith academia, to bringcyber security and innovation centersto the campuses,” she said.

Taking on the task of starting abusiness requires more than the mili-tary know-how.You still have to havetools and resources to succeed, localvetrepreneurs said.

“One of things I noticed wheninteracting with vets and trying toencourage them to start companies isthat most of the vets I’d come acrossdidn’t realize they could start a com-pany,” Beirne said. “And, when theyhad started a company, there were alot of the strengths of being a vet—like

trying to be outstanding in all areas ofleadership capacities, for example—isreally contrary to what makes a reallygood entrepreneur.You have to del-egate, and augment your weaknessesand focus on your strengths.”

Reluctance to reach out to men-tors and coaches could be a drawbackwhen it comes to running a business.Beirne said its part of the reason heformedMission Entrepreneur.

“Vets are extremely good at run-ning a business and accomplishing amission,”Beirne said.“The only thingthey need is a different set of tools toreally thrive in the civilian sector.”

Anderson said he experienceda few hard-learned lessons in thebeginning—like hidden costs of in-surance, workers compensation andhealth care. But he said mistakesshouldn’t be seen as road blocks.“You are going to make mistakes inbusiness,” he said. “In the military,it’s called lesson learned.”

Simmons said vetrepreneursshould to be ready to do the hardwork that what others won’t do.

“You have to be on the grind,”Simmons said. “Success does nothappen overnight. It’s a lot of hardwork and right now it’s still a lot ofhard work—especially when you’rea small company.You may only getone chance to get it right.You haveto have a spirit of excellence in every-thing you do.”

Darrin Jones, a former federal agent andpolice officer, is president of AmericanIdentity Solutions, biometric backgroundcompany. The firm has offices in Rockville,Bethesda and Silver Spring, Md.

Janet Simmons, retired Army Intelli-gence Officer, is president and CEO ofInnovative Global Security Solutions inHughesville, Md.

Kevin Anderson is president and CEO ofAnderson Solutions and Associates, alogistics firm in Fredericksburg, Va.

PHOTOS BY LESLIE C. SMITH

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 201512 | DCMilitary MAGAZINE

hoosing if and when to retire from a de-cades-long military career is a dauntingdecision. Retire too late, and officersdon’t have enough time to achieve theirpost-military goals. Retire too early, and

officers pass up the extraordinary service andman-agement experience that advanced years in themil-itary can offer.

Georgetown University’s McDonough Schoolof Business hasfound that somehave found a res-olution to thisdilemma by earning either the school’s executivemaster’s degree in leadership (EML) or executiveMaster of Business Administration (EMBA) de-gree.Eachof theseprogramsdrawson the virtues ofexcellent military officers and applies those virtuesto the business world.This way, when the officersdo retire, they are prepared to meet the challengesof the private sector.

Brooks Holtom, associate professor of manage-ment at Georgetown McDonough, said that mak-ing an effective transition is often a matter of learn-ing to use the languages and systems that are com-monplace in the private sector. “The same charac-ter attributes that helped you to be successful in thepast in the military—integrity, hard work, rigorousanalysis—those types of personal characteristics ab-solutely translate to civilian employment,”Holtomsaid of the military officers he has taught. “For me,the question is, can you acquire the language to ex-press yourself to the business community in a waythey can understand?”

Holtom used the example of a PEST analysis,which contributes to business strategy formula-tion by examining its political, economic, socialand technological considerations (hence theacronym). “I think someone who has been de-ployed internationally understands why politicaleconomic, social, and technological issues impactmarketing a product or other decisions,” Holtomsaid. “What they get from EMBA or EML is thelanguage of business, frameworks that enablethem to apply their experience to be understoodand appreciated by consulting firms, banks, de-fense contractors—the places they’re looking totransfer their employment.”

At Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business,the executivemaster’s degree in leadership (EML)and the executive MBA (EMBA) programs are

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both designed around the busyschedules of working executives,which often includes military offi-cers. Both programs meet on alter-nating weekends. Because of thisflexible schedule, many attend busi-ness school while still serving in themilitary, a decision that can improveofficers’ final years in the military.

RobertWray (EML ’10), who retired as aNavy rear admiral after 34 years of ser-vice in November 2011, said that con-currently earning his master’s degreeand serving in the military enhancedhis capability as amilitary officer.

“At the same time we were study-ing leadership, I was the No. 2 guy ata 10,000-person organization,”Wraysaid.“So, literally, you talk about con-flict resolution, and then later thatweek, I’d have the opportunity topractice conflict resolution or strate-gic planning or decision-making orall the things we studied as part ofGeorgetown’s executive master’s inleadership program.”

Wraynow is the chief executiveof-ficer of Blue StarVeterans Network, astartup company that connects olderveterans and their family memberswith technologies that enable themto live and thrive with dignity in theirown homes.When asked what he hadplanned to do when he was consider-ing leaving the Navy,Wray said thathe was unsure, although he knew hewanted to combine business with hisexperience in themilitary.

Georgetown, he said, helped himdevelop his ideas and accomplish hisgoals by teaching him the fundamen-tals of leading a management teamand by teaching him the value in net-working. “You can use Georgetownas a springboard to connect you toall kinds of great people in the worldwho do cool things, and you can docool things with them,”Wray said.“You’ve got tomeet people andbe in-troduced, and Georgetown is a greatplace for that kind of networking.”

Herb Carmen (EMBA ’13) had asimilar experience in business school.Carmen,who was a captain when heretired from theNavy last Novemberafter 24 years of military experience,includes among his long-term plansto lead his own company or serve atthe COO level. As a passionate sup-porter of veterans and their families,Carmen noted that his future career

would involve giving back, a valuethat drew him to Georgetown’s Je-suit tradition when he was lookingat business schools in theWashing-ton, D.C., area.

Carmen started in the EMBAClass of 2012 but had to postpone hisbusiness education when he receivedlast-minute orders to deploy overseasfor nearly a year. This setback allowedhim to meet EMBA students outsidehis original class.“One benefit of hav-ing left and returned is that I studiedwith two EMBA cohorts, and I nowhave the advantage of an evenbroadernetwork of classmates,” he said. “Myclassmates have been an integral partof my transition.”

Overall, Carmen viewed his pre-vious military training as an invest-ment that helped him succeed in his20 years with the Navy. He saw hisGeorgetown business school edu-cation as a similar investment thatwould help him throughout his careerin the private sector and would evenhelp while he was still in the military.“Because economics is at the veryroot of national security strategy andpublic policy,anMBAwouldhelpmewhether I stayed in the Navy or wentinto the private sector,” Carmen said,advice he recounted hearing from aclose mentor.

Holtom, Wray and Carmen offer thesame advice to a military officer pre-paring for transition: Focus on whatyou’re passionate about. Oftentimes,officers retire from the military ser-vice and search for jobs doing whatthey already know.Seeking the propereducation and guidance can helpopen new opportunities to apply thatknowledge in unfamiliar—and oftenmore exciting—ways.

“Too many people define theirfuture possibilities by their past expe-rience,but that’s not theway to do it,”Wray said, describing a trend he sawamong military officers. “This is anew chapter in your life. Go do whatyou want to do.”David Chardack works in the OfficeofMarketing andCommunicationsat GeorgetownUniversity’sMcDonough School of Business.

“Toomay people define theirfuture possibilities by their pastexperience, and that’s not the

way to do it.”

14 | DCMilitary MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

BY JIM MAHAFFIE

CybersecurityIt’s no wonder cybersecurity is hot today: Jobs

in the field are expected to grow 12 times fasterthan the overall job market, according to datafrom University of Maryland University College.

“It’s the hottest degree we offer,” said BobLudwig, a UMUC spokesman.More than 7,000people are enrolled in UMUC’s undergraduateprogram. “People are knocking down the doorsto get that degree,” Ludwig said.The programis offered in two tracks: technology and policy.“Another extremely popular and employable de-gree that’s related is data analytics,” said Ludwig.The Masters of Science program began in 2010at UMUC.

FinanceBachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance

were the number-one area for hiring amongmore than 260 companies surveyed in 2014 bythe National Association of Colleges and Em-ployers (NACE), a Bethlehem, Pa.-based non-

profit that links college career placement officeswith employers.

“A business degree is used as a gate opener,and there are a plethora of positions [that] re-quire a nonspecific degree,” said ChristineMuncy, director of career services at AmericanMilitary University.

At Montgomery College, Director of CareerServices Eric Myron said that most of the jobsthat were posted and filled were the ones forbusiness and accounting majors, students whoseek jobs in areas like accounting auditing andfinancial systems when they graduate. “We gothrough a process of assessment, where we tryand tie programs to your own natural abilitiesand temperament,” Myron said. MontgomeryCollege’s online career coach search tool letsstudents explore hundreds of potential careers orjob possibilities inMaryland and theWashington,D.C.-metro area.

Computer ScienceAt University of Maryland, there were more

than 1,700 undergraduate computer science ma-

jors in 2013.The school had the highest-rankedprogram among all universities in the greaterthe Mid-Atlantic region, based on U.S. News &World Report rankings. Mario Finelli expects tograduate with a Bachelor of Science in computerscience from University of Maryland this year.He already has a high-paying job and said thathis friends also had jobs lined up.

This seems to be the norm. According toNACE, nearly 70 percent of computer sciencemajors had at least one job offer before they grad-uated from college last year.

“Degrees in the STEM fields (science, tech-nology,engineering andmath) are a highly soughtafter,” said Muncy, who added that informationtechnology management was a top program, par-ticularly for American Military University’s largestudent population of active-duty military.

Health CareThe health care sector is expected to pro-

duce one in three new jobs in the U.S. over thenext decade, according to U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics projections. Drivers include an aging

BYB9 DEGREES FOR TOP JOB PROSPECTSPHOTO BY SANJAY SUCHAK

Mont-gomeryCollegestudentsview anelectronring in aphysicslab at theScienceCenter,part ofthe com-munitycollege’sRockville,Md.,campus.

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population and expanding insurance coverage. Job typesinclude pharmacist, podiatrist and physical therapist.

Montgomery College, in Montgomery County,Md., offers several degree and certificate programsin health. “Health sciences is huge at MontgomeryCollege, and growing,” said Marcus Rosano, a Mont-gomery College spokesman.Holy Cross GermantownHospital recently opened at Montgomery College’sGermantown Campus. “That will allow our futurenurses and technicians to get hands-on experience justdown the hill from class,” he said.The educationalpartnership is designed to help train the next genera-tion of health care professionals.

“It’s a big employment sector in MontgomeryCounty, especially with all the biology and biotech com-panies, hospitals and National Institutes of Health here,among other organizations,” saidMyron.

Engineering“We see continuing strong demand for students

trained in engineering across the board,” said EdSchlesinger, dean of theWhiting School of Engineer-ing at Johns Hopkins University.Whiting School ofEngineering offers more than 20 engineering degreesin all areas. “It’s difficult to say one is stronger thananother, in terms of employment,” Schlesinger said.According to Schlesinger, a lot of engineers will beretiring from electrical power, aerospace, informationtechnology,mechanical engineering and other areas inthe next several years. Johns Hopkins offers certificateprograms in the field, as well as bachelor’s, master’sand doctorate programs.

NursingMarymount University offers a Bachelor of Sci-

ence in nursing, as doThe GeorgeWashington Uni-versity and University of the District of Columbia.Almost all the Maryland community colleges offer apractical nursing certificate program.

University of Maryland University College is offer-ing a new program that targets registered nurses whowant to earn a Bachelor of Science in nursing, whichLudwig said was a great way to advance their careers.

Life SciencesMaryland ranks among the top five regions

nationally in biotechnology. In September 2014,Montgomery College opened a new Bioscience Ed-ucation Center on its Germantown campus. “Ourbiotech programs are going to continue to expandas we now have one of the most innovative campusesin the country,” said Rosano. “It’s absolutely em-ployment-driven, getting students trained to eithertransfer to a four-year program or acquire the skills

to get them in the door as a cer-tified, trained professional.”

Associate DegreesThese are undergraduate ac-

ademic degrees from schools forcourses of study that usually lasttwo years. “[Associate] degrees in the health and med-ical fields, along with technical degrees, are definitelymarketable as two-year degrees,” said Dennis Sullivan,a career counselor and instructor at NorthernVirginiaCommunity College—Woodbridge. Specific examplesinclude nursing, X-ray technician, dental hygienist,and areas such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, and airconditioning) and automotive technician.“Themajor-ity of the students I work with are earning an [associ-ate] degree to take care of their ‘gen. ed.’ classes beforetransferring to a four-year college,” Sullivan said.

General StudiesThis degree is always useful for developing aca-

demic skills and exploring academic options.With anassociate degree, for instance, you can transfer easily toa four-year program.Transferring to a four-year schoolis a goal for many students at Montgomery College,where the general studies associate degree programhas the highest enrollment.Rosano said there weremore than 8,000 general studies students at Mont-gomery College each year. More than 5,500 studentswith 12 or more credits transfer each year—70 percentof them to a University System of Maryland school.

According to a 2013 survey of business andnonprofitleaders by the Association of American Colleges & Uni-versities, 80 percent of employ-ers agree that, regardless of theirmajor, all college students shouldacquire broad knowledge in theliberal arts and sciences.Nearly allrespondents said that a demon-strated ability to think critically,communicate clearly and solvecomplex problems was more im-portant than a candidate’s under-graduate major.

“Employers are lookingfor candidates who have solidsoft skills such as communica-tion, problem solving, criticalthinking and professionalism,”Muncy said.“The last, while nota skill itself, is more of a blend ofskills that candidates often lack.”

(TOP TO BOTTOM) Malone Hall, which opened in fall 2014, is the newest ad-dition to Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.University of Maryland University College at Quantico, whose campusis in Stafford, Va., offers on-site bachelor’s and master’s degree classesand military and veterans benefits counseling. Northern Virginia Com-munity College offers many two-year career degrees, as well as transferdegrees that could lead to a degree from a four-year university.

COURTESY OF JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Cold weather isn’t enough to putroad races on hold. Local run-ning clubs say there are plenty ofevents during winter, including theRock ‘n’ Roll DC Marathon and ½Marathon, shown here.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DAN CRUZ

How to enjoy

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J ust because old man winteris in town doesn’tmean youhave to go into road-race hi-bernation.With the propermindset, training and attire,you can not only brave the

elements, but also actually enjoy andtake advantage of what the cold tem-peratures have to offer.

The layering of clothing is criti-cal, according to local race organizers.“Once you are running, it will feel likeits 60 degrees, not 40,” said KathyDalby, marketing director for PacersRunning, a local specialty store chainwith a sister organization that producesevents throughout the region.

“Be ready for whatever condi-tions race day brings,” said Ben Rich-ter, who directs races for DC RoadRunners, noting that the weather inFebruary can range from really un-pleasant to beautiful and warm. “Bylayering, you can adjust to changingconditions as the day progresses, andas the course changes direction andyou find yourself alternately runninginto and with the wind,” Richter said.

Hydration also is important. “Inwinter, you don’t often notice thatyou’re sweating,” said Dalby. “Youneed to hydrate [the] same as youwould if you were exercising in awarmer month. Lack of hydration isa leading cause of injury.”

While thenumberof runs in theWashington,D.C., area drops during winter, there arestill several each weekend and many

welcome both novice and veteranrunners. “We do a good job attractingthemiddle-of-the-packer,but our partic-ipants run the gamut fromthosewhoarefast up front towalkers in the back,” saidDalby. Roughly 40,000 people—about60 percent of whom are women—racewith Pacers annually.

The group’s holiday races, suchas those around Valentine’s and St.Patrick’s days, are popular. PacersRunning events are known for theirpost-race parties. Its Love the RunYou’reWith 5K features karaoke af-terward. “What better way to professyour love (or sing the blues … ),” ac-cording to the event website.

Selecting an appropriate racecomes down to a person’s fitnesslevel, said Dalby, who noted that nov-ice runners or those returning after afewmonths off should consider one ofthe 5 kilometer races and then worktoward longer distances.

Those looking to get in a little prac-tice before entering a race might con-sider one of the monthlyTidal BasinRuns. Runners gather shortly before11:45 a.m. on the thirdWednesday ofthe month at the southern end of EastPotomac Park in Washington, D.C.and run 1,500, 3,000 or 5,000meters.

The option to do all or part of a26.2-mile race makes the GeorgeWashington’s Birthday Marathon andMarathonRelay attractive tomany. Itsthree-loop course through Greenbelt,Md. and Beltsville, Md. lends itself

DC Road Runners

sponsors many local

races, including

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participate each

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18 | DCMilitary MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

February

8 Love the Run You’re With 5KArlington, Va.runpacers.com/race/-the-run-youre-with-5k

Run Your Heart Out 5K (and 1KFun Run)Fairfax, Va.prraces.com/runyourheartout

14 Valentine’s 5KMillersville, Md.annapolisstriders.org/2015/RaceSchedule.html

15 Cupid’s Undie RunWashington, D.C.cupidsundierun.com/city/washington

George Washington’s BirthdayMarathon and Marathon RelayGreenbelt, Md.gwmarathon.com

George Washington BirthdayClassic 10K & 2K WalkAlexandria, Va.runpacers.com/race/george-washington-birthday-classic-10k

18 Tidal Basin Runs (1,500; 3,000;and 5,000 meters)Washington, D.C.racepacket.com/tidalbasin

March

1 Reston 10 MilerReston, Va.prraces.com/reston

St. Patrick’s 10K, 5K & Double LeapWashington, D.C.runpacers.com/race/stpats

7-8 Envision Realty: Georgetown 10Miler (2-Day Challenge)Washington, D.C.dcrunningclub.com/event_schedule

8 2015 Fort Hunt 10KAlexandria, Md.dcroadrunners.org/sign-up/fort-hunt

14 Rock ‘n’ Roll DC MilitaryChallengeWashington, D.C.bit.ly/1vSEidp

Lucky Leprechaun 5KReston, Va.prraces.com/luckyleprechaun

Four Courts Four MilerArlington, Va.runpacers.com/race/four-courts-four-miler

to teams. “There’s about 2 miles atthe start and again at the finish anda loop that is run three times,” saidRichter. The race can be brokendown into 9.7-, 7.3- and 9.2-milelegs. The annual event, run since1961, attracts several first-time mar-athoners each year. “In 2013, ourlead runner came in at 3:08, whileour slowest runner took about sevenhours,” he said.

Fun and camaraderie are the

hallmarks of the Feb. 15 event. “Wehave a gentleman who runs with usevery year and juggles three ballsfor much of the race,” said Richter.“With 500 runners, we can let folksget away with stuff that wouldn’t beappropriate in a race with 20,000.”

A large contingent of runnersfrom military installations in theMid-Atlantic region is expectedat the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll DCMilitary Challenge on March 14,according to event organizers. The

challenge is a component of theRock ‘n’ Roll DC Marathon and ½Marathon. “Service branches com-pete against one another for brag-ging rights,” said Molly Quinn, vicepresident of Competitor Group, therace organizer.The challenge is opento active-duty personnel and veter-ans, and features first-, second- andthird-place awards for the marathonand half marathon races, as well asan award for the branch with themost competitors. As of mid-De-

cember, Army was in the lead withnearly 900 military personnel regis-tered, according to Quinn.

“We pride ourselves on being theonly 26.2-mile marathon entirelywithin the District, and the coursefeatures all the beauty and pageantryof the nation’s capital,” said DanCruze, a Competitor Group spokes-man, about the Rock ‘n’ Roll DCMarathon and ½ Marathon. “Whata great way to see and celebrate whatit has to offer.”

2015 FORTMEADE RUNSERIESApril 18Earth Day 5KBurba Lake Park

May 16Patriot Pride 5/10KRunMurphy Field House

June 13Army BirthdaySummer Sizzler 5KMeade Pavilion

Sept. 19Football Fanfare 5KConstitution Park

Oct. 24Ghost, Ghouls &Goblin 5KMeade Pavilion

Nov. 21Turkey Trot 5KMurphy Field House

Dec. 19Reindeer Run 5KMurphy Field House

Races are open tothe general public,running groupsand other militaryinstallations, andfeature male andfemale positions invarious age catego-ries. Learn more atftmeademwr.com.

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2015WINTER RUNS

18 Tidal Basin Runs (1,500; 3,000; and5,000 meters)Washington, D.C.racepacket.com/tidalbasin

22 Run for Haiti 5KReston, Va.prraces.com/runforhaiti

28 The Runway 5K & 5 Miler: WhereFashion Meets Fitness(Women Only)Washington, D.C.dcrunningclub.com/event_schedule

29 B&A Trail Marathon & HalfMarathonSeverna Park, Md.annapolisstriders.org/2015/RaceSchedule.html

Mission 10 MilerFrederick, Md.mission10miler.com

Runners Marathon of RestonReston, Va.bit.ly/1Gpd5as

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY MARATHON AND MARATHON RELAY PHOTO BY BEN RICHTER

19DCMilitary MAGAZINE |JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

ome 505,000 veteranswho have maintained theirgovernment life insurancepolicies will share $117.4million in annual dividends

this year.WorldWar II veterans withNational Service Life Insurance (“V”)policies—the largest group receiving2015 insurance dividend payments—will receive total payments of $74million.About 371,900 policyholderswith service prior to 1956 will receivedividends, averaging $199.

No application to the Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs is necessary.Mailed payments began Jan. 1 andwill continue throughout the year onthe policy anniversary date.Amountsvaryonage,typeof insurance,amountof insurance and length of time thepolicy has been in force. Dividendsare linked to returns on investmentsin securities.More than 14,700WorldWar II-era veterans with VeteransReopened Insurance (“J”, “JR” and“JS”) policies will receive dividendstotaling $2.7million.The average div-idend for the “J” program is $149; forthe “JR” program, $498; for the “JS”program, $936. Some 117,400 Ko-reanWar-era veterans who havemain-tainedVeterans Special Life Insurance(“RS” and “W”) policies will receivedividends totaling $40.6million, aver-aging$346.Another $120,000 in totaldividends will be paid to 960 veteranswho served after WorldWar I until1940 and hold U.S.Government LifeInsurance (“K”) policies.The averagedividend is $125.Eligible veterans re-ceive annual statements from theVAon the status of their policies.Veteranswho have questions about their poli-cies should contact theVA insurancecenter at 1-800-669-8477, email va-insurance@va.gov or go to www.in-surance.va.gov.

Arlington Ladies Always ThereThe Arlington Ladies—a group

of women who attend the funerals ofmembers of the United States armedforces buried at Arlington NationalCemetery—have attended nearly

30,000 funerals. In 1948,GladysVan-denberg, wife of the Air Force Chiefof Staff Gen.HoytVandenberg, notedsome funerals were held without anyfamily members present. A chaplainand a military honor guard were thestandard attendees.

She formed a group of membersof the Officers’Wives Club to attendall Air Force funerals. In 1972, theArmy followed suit, as did theNavy in1985.The Marines send a represen-tative of the Marine Commandant toevery funeral. Originally, the womenattended funerals alone. Escorts wereeventually added from theArmy’s 3rdInfantry Regiment. Currently, thereabout 50 volunteerswho attend an av-erage of 70 funerals eachmonth.

ArmyUpgrades LodgingTheArmy has contracted its tran-

sient lodging, which has resulted in arate increase at most installations. Nosimilar moves were announced by theother military services. Most dailyrates have been affected by Defensebudget cuts.

The privatized Army lodging hasresulted in construction of two newhotels at Fort Belvoir,Va. In Novem-ber, the former Knadle Hall openedas a Holiday Inn Express. StaybridgeSuites is scheduled to open in the fall.Staybridge will offer 141 guest roomswith amenities designed for woundedwarriors and their families.

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