Written in Partnership with Amir BakianVeterans Day is a time when we stand together in unity for one day, countrywide, to pay our respect and extend our gratitude to our loved ones who have served and those who continue to serve our country.
While we dedicate Veterans Day to honor our veterans for their patriotism and service, organizations are intentionally taking the necessary steps to ensure veterans are well-taken care of year-round and prioritize their livelihoods. The following five organizations and individuals have taken groundbreaking steps to help veterans adjust to normalcy once more.
1. Go Cloud Careers
Of all the challenges veterans face when readjusting to civilian life, entering the workforce post-service can be one of the most stressful. In some cases, the veteran may have never before applied for a civilian job.
Determining how military skills translate to non-military jobs can be confusing. Even when veterans have advanced training, that training may not be relevant to jobs that are available.
Go Cloud Careers offers the “Helping Heroes Get Hired” program for veterans facing these challenges. It is a one-of-a-kind cloud architecture and engineering vocational training program for veterans and current military servicemen and servicewomen seeking high-paying in-demand professional careers after leaving the service.
“Veterans and military personnel who are preparing for the transition to civilian life are exceptionally positioned to step into high-paying technology careers. Their integrity, mental toughness, willingness to take direction, and ability to stay calm under pressure — all of which stem from their military training — are all highly sought-after qualities in the tech world,” says Mike Gibbs, CEO and Founder of Go Cloud Careers.
Everyone who leaves the military should have a wonderful six-figure job waiting for them. That’s why Gibbs created the Helping Our Heroes Get Hired program.
2. Jason A. Duprat
The Ketamine Academy aids veterans by helping healthcare professionals learn how to use ketamine therapy to provide care for patients suffering from PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, or chronic pain who may not otherwise be able to get results through traditional, more mainstream treatment options.
“At the Ketamine Academy, we provide a comprehensive training program for healthcare professionals who in turn provide this service to the veteran populations around the country. If a healthcare professional is a current or former military member and wishes to complete our training program we also offer them substantial military disounts on their tuition.” says Jason Duprat, CEO and Founder of the Ketamine Academy.
All licensed healthcare professionals need to be aware of the use of ketamine therapy, which is backed by a broad array of research studies, including literature from multiple prestigious institutions like Duke University, Yale and others. Each year, many veterans express having medical or psychological issues as they transition out of the military. They often lack the medical resources and the connections to help them better reintegrate into civilian life.
“It’s vital that we support veterans, especially as they transition out of the military. That’s what is most critical,” says Duprat.
3. Chas Sampson and Seven Principles
Chas Sampson, CEO of Seven Principles, is an Iraq War veteran and the founder of several companies. Monikered after the seven Army values (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage), Seven Principles empowers veterans transitioning out of the military by assisting with the VA claims process, appeal cases, entrepreneurship, and more.
Before founding Seven Principles, Sampson served as a Decision Officer/VA Rater at the United States Department of Veteran Affairs. He then went on to serve at the Pentagon as an Employee and Labor Relations executive at the United States Department of Defense in Washington, D.C.
This experience inspired him to advocate for his fellow veterans and prepare them to reenter society with maximized VA benefits and a career plan. As a division officer, he had denied numerous applications due to minor mistakes that could have been avoided if the applicant had benefited from an expert’s guidance.
“I started Seven Principles after seeing many veterans, like myself, who were frustrated with the VA claims process. I wanted to help veterans understand their cases, what the VA wants from the process, and ensure they had a successful claim,” said Sampson.
4. Crystal Bethea
Crystal Bethea is an army veteran, licensed medical massage therapist, and experienced cosmetologist. She is the owner of C3 Wellness Spa — a holistic wellness center in Kissimmee, FL — that specializes in helping veterans with physical ailments and empowering Central Floridians to live healthy, active lives.
Inspired by her family of fellow veterans, Bethea strives to evolve and serve the physical and mental needs of those in her community.
Bethea understands how frustrating it can be when veterans find specialists who don’t accept VA benefits, as it can often lead to a mess of bureaucratic red tape. Nevertheless, she is on a mission to ensure veterans receive the care they need.
Taking on larger insurance companies is not an easy feat. Many of the processes used by the VA are antiquated, operating via faxes and letters. It’s a constant fight to receive consults for veterans, and not everyone has the patience or manpower to deal with the nuances it takes to keep things flowing.
“Being an Army veteran myself and coming from a family of vets, I thought it important to honor my family and other service members. They gave selflessly, and their bodies paid the price. Their suffering goes unnoticed, and we want to bring relief and reeducation to prevent opioid addiction through holistic care,” says Bethea.
5. Ore System
Lucas Hamrick, CEO of ORE System — a top ten blockchain solution company for 2022 — supports the veteran community by leveraging all available resources to expedite the process of transitioning into post-service careers. The aim, he says, is to get more Veterans into the business community.
ORE System offers veterans additional consulting and networking opportunities, assisting in their understanding of the technology and best practices within their respective industries.
“Setting aside time to meet with veterans and discuss their projects is one way that we can help close the gap for those who decided to answer the nation’s call to arms. Helping out the veteran community is the least we can do to show our support for those who served our country,” says Hamrick.
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