The National Guard has kicked off a new effort to support service members, veterans and their families at the community level.
The “Joining Community Forces” initiative is an expansion of the national-level Joining Forces campaign championed by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden. It focuses attention on identifying grassroots solutions at the community level to assist veterans, service members and their families with employment, wellness, and education issues, said Army Brig. Gen. Marianne Watson, director of manpower and personnel at the National Guard Bureau.
“After 10 years of [continued operations], … all of the services — not just the National Guard — have been reaching out to communities to help solve community-based problems and bring solutions to our service members, families, and veterans,” Watson said.
The chief of the National Guard Bureau, Army Gen. Frank J. Grass, agreed. “The National Guard is the perfect organization to take the lead with a great program like Joining Community Forces,” he said, “because that is where we operate every single day – in the community.”
Although Joining Community Forces is a National Guard initiative, Watson said, the program’s benefits are not meant for Guard and Reserve personnel alone.
“This effort is for all service members, all veterans, and all families of service members across the U.S.,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what reserve component or what active component, either still on active duty or you’ve transitioned to a community, this network is for everyone – active, Guard or reserve.”
Watson added that the program may help active duty members transitioning to civilian life find their transition more comfortable.
“They are used to — or comfortable with — this network of support they’ve received through installations previously. … They overwhelmingly deserve our support and attention in our ability to help them in these areas where they have issues each and every day,” she said.
The National Guard Bureau recently signed an agreement with the Corporation for National and Community Service to work together to develop and mature a network of support in the three critical areas of employment, wellness, and education.
Watson said the CNCS already has dedicated more than 100 members of Volunteers in Service to America to help develop and foster this critical network of support at the local level across the United States.
