By Steve Jeffery

Well, this has been a year of profound change for so many, including my family and I. I don’t normally start with an apology, but in this instance I am…It has been weeks since I contacted you and I apologise sincerely, but you have never been far from my thoughts.

As you know, Mike Perry and I recently co-founded Military Network in the US. Mike is a service-disabled veteran, USAF – Operation Desert Storm. Our focus has been to continue the work Mike has been doing for the past two years, building a military veteran community and facilitating ‘Veterans supporting Veterans’ on a range of issues including  jobs, business, family, transitioning from military to civilian life and, believe it or not, self-esteem. The response, the support and the growth in membership has been extraordinary and is beginning to grow in Australia, UK and Canada.  

I am finding the work highly emotional. For example; I learned that Veterans Affairs estimates that there are 200,000 homeless veterans in the US, many sleeping on the streets; they also estimate that 5,000 of the c.150,000 young veterans returning from active service this coming year are expected to suicide. I discovered that veteran addiction to prescription drugs has reached epidemic proportions, destroying their lives and their families. I learned that the position of veterans has been deteriorating for years and hit ’rock-bottom’ under the Bush administration, when the head of Veteran Affairs spent more than half the budget equipping a private ‘Army’ with armoured vehicles and firearms to ‘hunt-down’ veterans suspected of receiving pension payments to which they weren’t entitled…THANKFULLY, the Obama administration, promptly replaced this fellow, disbanded his ‘Army’ and signed several Bills addressing veteran homelessness and other issues.

The challenges are real and many, but we are making a difference. From my own experience, the feeling is overwhelming when I receive a ‘Thank You’ call or an email describing how our work has helped to change the course of someones life. I must confess, regretably to the world at large, that my reaction is an almost choking lump in my throat, tears brimming and a deep involuntary heaving of my chest. AAHH!!  I need to harden-up! I must be getting old and soft, but in spite of their horrific experiences, they are young people with young families and many of them are lost and confused…Well, they are my family now and I will do whatever it takes to get them back on track.

Since launching Military Network formally about six weeks ago, we have continued developing the new website and sourcing content;  launched a ‘Veteran-Preferred’ jobs board; launched a ‘Veteran/Disabled Veteran-Owned Business’ directory; attracting individuals, specialists and professional advisers, veterans and non-veterans, who are working with us to develop a range of new coaching/mentor programs to help address personal development issues. Some of the programs are scheduled to begin trials early in the new year, with joint presentations at military bases across the US starting mid-year. 

Our objective is to provide the programs free of charge to veterans and their immediate families…Sponsorship will enable us to do this. If you know of organizations that may be willing to provide some level of sponsorship for these initiatives I would be grateful if you would contact me in the first instant at steve@earlnightingale.com.au.

This is the last newsletter for the year and I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your support throughout the year. It makes it all worthwhile. I would also like to wish you and your loved ones on behalf of myself and Diana, a happy and peaceful Christmas and a new year filled with opportunity.

Steve

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