Courtesy Photo | A total of 31 agencies and private companies set up booths at the Fort Belvoir Soldier...... read more read more
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ARLINGTON, Va. – On a sunny, breezy day in late June, the ordinarily quiet grounds of the Fort Belvoir Soldier Recovery Unit in Virginia were a buzz of activity.
Dozens of recovering Soldiers milled about among employer booths set up by public and private-sector entities, seeking the top talent and unique skill sets U.S. Army Soldiers provide. It was all part of the Fort Belvoir SRU Spring Career & Education Festival, a major initiative aimed at helping wounded, ill and injured Soldiers transition into sustainable employment after their military service.
Jesus "Manny" Febo-Colon, a senior transition coordinator at the Fort Belvoir SRU and the event organizer, said this is our second time hosting the Festival – the first was in November. He'd like to make it a twice-per-year activity, as well as restart monthly intern fairs that took place before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is one of the best tools we have to help our Soldiers with transitioning," Febo-Colon said. "It allows them to engage in a more in-depth manner with the agencies who come with employment opportunities, internship opportunities and educational opportunities."
The event has grown substantially since November, with 31 employers participating this time compared to about 20 last time. Also, this year’s Festival offered career opportunities to both service members and military spouses. A total of 92 Soldiers assigned or attached to the SRU, 12 family members or spouses, and 17 transitioning service members and their spouses attended the event.
While virtual career events are helpful, Febo-Colon said he believes in-person events provide a unique opportunity for Soldiers to connect with employers best suited to match their skills and abilities.
"We are bringing to the Soldier a one-stop-shop for career development – almost at their barracks' door," Febo-Colon said.
Staff Sgt. Tramel Peterson, who has been at the Fort Belvoir SRU since last year after sustaining an injury in Iraq, was one of the Soldiers browsing the booths looking for opportunities. He's interested in a career in investigative fields, so he visited the Defense Intelligence Agency and FBI career booths.
"That's why I came today: to see what I can find,” he said.
He was impressed by the number of agencies participating.
"This is a good opportunity for service members and wounded warriors like myself, because it gives us the tools so we can transition after military service."
Tiffany Nickerson, program manager in the Office of Human Resources for the DIA, said her office works with wounded, ill and injured Soldiers to connect them with careers in a wide range of areas, such as human services, information technology, mission management and many more.
DIA offers internships to SRU Soldiers in any field they want to train in, even if they don't have any experience in that area. DIA assigns each Soldier a mentor, and if the mentor recommends them at the end of the internship, they'll be given a position at the agency.
Nickerson said the event was a huge success for her, with around 30 people leaving their information.
"I've met a lot of people," she said.
Sgt. 1st Class Angela Denise, who has been at the SRU since 2019 after being diagnosed with breast cancer, seeks a human services career or as a health coach. She has a yoga instruction certification and is in school to become a mindfulness instructor as well.
"That is the field I want to be in to help and give back to service members," she said. "That has helped me with my treatment. I want to be able to give back to other service members and help them find what they need – find their calm and find their center."
At first, Denise wasn’t sure if she would come out, but she was glad she did.
"It's been awesome to know that each of the organizations connect with service members to help them with their transition," she said. "I would have never expected that there would be so many organizations to help us. It's an awesome and humbling experience."
The Army Warrior Care and Transition Program is now the Army Recovery Care Program. Although the name has changed, the mission remains the same: to provide quality complex case management to the Army's wounded, ill and injured Soldiers.
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2021 12:54 |
| Story ID: | 400888 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 150 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Belvoir SRU Career Fair Draws More Than 30 Employers, by D.P. Taylor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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