Always Forward: Investing in Our Nation's Veterans

On Veterans Day in 2016, I was proud to participate in the launch of LinkedIn’s Honor Our Future campaign – a program that encourages our society to look beyond simple “hero/victim” narratives and see them for who they are and where they are going.

LinkedIn is all about development, connection and growth – and so was my past year.

In January, I was starting a new mission as Director of Boeing’s Veterans Outreach. I was nervous and green. I questioned how someone like me, coming from the U.S. Army and government roles, could possibly transition to the civilian world and succeed in this environment.

When I got to Boeing I was amazed that the company already had more than 20,000 veterans on payroll. Between employee and company giving, Boeing was pumping over $60 million every year into veteran-focused organizations. What the heck were they hiring me for?

But as I came to see, there’s always more to do. Boeing needed someone who could feel the pulse of today’s military and vets. Who could bring structure, centralization and discipline to the effort. A voice to motivate and engage employees, partners and the community at large.

As I settled into the new role, I took my training seriously, just like the days in the Army. Instead of paying attention to field exercises, however, I attended trainings at Boeing’s leadership center and absorbed as much as possible. I sidelined my ego and learned to ask everyone – superiors, peers and subordinates – for guidance and advice.

My team, which includes veterans and non-veterans, settled on two major missions: Workforce Transition, helping veterans and their families rejoin the civilian economy, and Recovery and Rehabilitation, which focuses on PTSD, mental and physical injuries, and suicide prevention.

I urged the company to invest heavily in the Warrior Games in Chicago, our headquarters city, supporting over 250 great athletes from all service branches as well as allies from the UK and Australia. We also launched a major initiative with the USO Pathfinder program, recently announced by Boeing’s President and CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, that will provide 200,000 service members transitioning back to civilian life with almost three years of wraparound support -- a dramatic difference from the 5-to-7 day course that most veterans receive today.

Today, I know that my team’s work matters, and we have succeeded beyond what I could have imagined.

This past year has also been a study in the “always forward” ethos at the core of LinkedIn’s Honor Our Future campaign on a personal level.

With co-author Tom Sileo, I penned a book, 8 Seconds of Courage, which was a therapeutic journey. Writing this book allowed me to revisit and newly understand my experiences as a child, in school and the military, and later on during my recovery. I wrote 8 Seconds of Courage for my brothers I served with and lost in combat, and for their families – to show them how proud I am to have worn the same uniform and shared the same battlefield with their loved ones.

And I made an important decision regarding the Medal of Honor: I will only wear it at Medal of Honor Society or Foundation-driven events where the shared sacrifice of all past recipients is being recognized. As I wrote last year, “I was not prepared to be defined by a medal,” and I don’t feel comfortable having it shape my daily interactions and identity. I am determined to earn new respect and honor the values the Medal represents through my acts and choices every day.

Finally -- saving the best update for last -- I proposed to my queen, Carsen, and she said yes. The brightest and most important chapter is yet to come. So, yeah, I’m trucking along pretty well.

I am a lucky man. Thank you for honoring my future – and that of every vet.