Veterans put their own stories on film
Despite the Hurt Locker's critical success (including a Best Picture and Best Director win at Monday's Academy Awards ceremony), many veterans have taken issue with factual liberties taken in the film--they say Director Katheryn Bigelow chose spectacle over realism.
A new program sponsored by the Brave New Foundation, however, will allow five veterans to tell their own stories about the reality in Iraq and Afghanistan on film.
"What we are hoping to do is to get . . . a perspective we may not have seen, or that we see very infrequently, and that is the direct perspective of the veteran," said Richard Ray Perez, executive producer of “In Their Boots,” a Web series on the wars' effects in the U.S.
That perspective is readily available in print. One of the veterans, Clint Van Winkle, 32, of Phoenix has published an unflinching account, "Soft Spots: A Marine's Memoir of Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." But because a film is more difficult to produce, most war documentaries are the product of civilian filmmakers.
Although their subjects vary, the filmmakers share a desire to challenge the stereotypes about veterans.
"It's almost a cliche. I'm a vet with PTSD," said Van Winkle, who plans to take up the subject again in a film about a friend wrestling with survivor's guilt after escorting home the remains of a fellow Marine.
"But I'm not on the street. I went to school. I have two degrees. I'm a functioning person, but I have issues."
Read the full article here.
Come work for the Warrior Gateway!
A few months ago we posted job descriptions for two open positions we have here at the Warrior Gateway--a Technology Manager and a Product Manager. We're still interviewing for those positions, but now we also have a number of new positions. You can visit our Jobs page to view the full listings of all our open positions.
For your convenience the job descriptions are also listed below. If you are interested, please feel free to apply, and if you know anyone who would be good for any of these positions, please circulate!
Strategic Partnership Associate--DC
Reports to: Project Manager
Send applications to: resumes@warriorgateway.org
Warrior Gateway Project
The Warrior Gateway is designed to eliminate the information barriers that keep members of the military community from connecting with the resources they need. By providing a comprehensive directory of service organizations, community feedback, volunteer opportunities, career exploration and job application tools as well as a knowledge base of valuable information, the Warrior Gateway is aimed at easing the transition from military to civilian life and also providing support for the families of those in uniform. To ease the transition, connections to several leading social networks will allow members of the military community and their families to connect with one another and build valuable support networks both online and offline.
Position summary
Warrior Gateway is hiring a Strategic Partnership Associate. The Associate will report to Warrior Gateway Project Manager and will help maintain Warrior Gateway’s current partnerships and grow future relationships to support the goals of the organization. Strategic Partnerships range from corporate sponsorships to non-profit coalitions to media & sports partnerships.
Job responsibilities
- Coordinate Warrior Gateway’s involvement in various non-profit and veteran-focused coalitions
- Support the development and execution of partnerships with other NGO and governmental organizations
- Contribute to the idea-generation process by identifying potential resources and partnerships as well as new opportunities for current partners
- Manage development of success stories, as well as online and offline content to communicate the breadth and benefit of partnering with the Warrior Gateway
- Manage data on all past, current and potential contacts
- Work collaboratively with all other Warrior Gateway and BENS departments to research, develop, execute and establish evaluation metrics for all opportunities
Required skills
- Excellent writing, communication, presentation and interpersonal skills
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Entrepreneurial spirit and an ability to think beyond the traditional
- Resourceful, innovative, and forward-thinking
- Ability to meet deadlines and juggle several projects in a fast-paced environment
- Willingness to work long hours when necessary
- Ability to be a team player
- Awareness and understanding of the landscape of the veteran community (including resources, non-profits, government support, etc.)
Preferred skills/specialization
- Degree or experience in advertising, marketing or public relations
- Experience with partnership management
- Deep understanding of the unique needs of veterans, especially through military experience, and the ability to articulate and clearly communicate both your story and the mission of the Warrior Gateway
To apply
If you're interested in joining the team, please send a cover letter along with your resume to resumes@warriorgateway.org. In the cover letter, please tell us what inspires you about the Warrior Gateway and why you think you are the perfect applicant for this position. This is a key position and a wonderful opportunity to join a growing project with a uniquely inspiring mission.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.
Online Strategy Associate--DC
Reports to: Project Manager
Send applications to: resumes@warriorgateway.org
Warrior Gateway Project
The Warrior Gateway is designed to eliminate the information barriers that keep members of the military community from connecting with the resources they need. By providing a comprehensive directory of service organizations, community feedback, volunteer opportunities, career exploration and job application tools as well as a knowledge base of valuable information, the Warrior Gateway is aimed at easing the transition from military to civilian life and also providing support for the families of those in uniform. To ease the transition, connections to several leading social networks will allow members of the military community and their families to connect with one another and build valuable support networks both online and offline.
Position summary
Warrior Gateway is hiring an Online Strategy Associate to help create and implement web-based campaigns that support the entire organization's efforts. The perfect candidate will be an ambitious self-starter who's ready to cut his/her teeth in the fast-paced world of online organizing. Great writing, proofreading and communication skills are critical, along with attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines. Enthusiasm for online technology is a must. Technical aptitude is strongly preferred, but this is not a technical position -- programming background not required.
Job responsibilities
- Grow and maintain the Warrior Gateway’s presence on various social networks (e.g. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter)
- Manage and post website content, including copy and images
- Plan and execute smart online advocacy and donation campaigns
- Write and send emails to our membership base
- Manage information on our grassroots supporters and online campaigns
Required skills
- Some experience in online organizing, advocacy, fundraising, or a related field
- Exceptional attention to detail
- A strong sense of design
- Strong start-to-finish project management skills
- An understanding of and interest in all kinds of online social networks
- Experience with Adobe Photoshop or other photo editors
- Ability to meet deadlines and juggle several projects in a fast-paced environment
- A willingness to work long hours when necessary
- Some graphic design experience
Preferred skills
- Basic experience with HTML
- Experience with Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) systems and Content Management Systems (CMS)
- Experience with basic video editing
To apply
If you're interested in joining the team, please send a cover letter along with your resume to resumes@warriorgateway.org. In the cover letter, please tell us what inspires you about the Warrior Gateway and why you think you are the perfect applicant for this position. This is a key position and a wonderful opportunity to join a growing project with a uniquely inspiring mission.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.
Communications & Marketing Associate--DC
Reports to: Project Manager
Send applications to: resumes@warriorgateway.org
Warrior Gateway Project
The Warrior Gateway is designed to eliminate the information barriers that keep members of the military community from connecting with the resources they need. By providing a comprehensive directory of service organizations, community feedback, volunteer opportunities, career exploration and job application tools as well as a knowledge base of valuable information, the Warrior Gateway is aimed at easing the transition from military to civilian life and also providing support for the families of those in uniform. To ease the transition, connections to several leading social networks will allow members of the military community and their families to connect with one another and build valuable support networks both online and offline.
Position summary
The Warrior Gateway is hiring a Communications & Marketing Associate to work on all communications efforts for the organization. This position offers an extraordinary opportunity to play a key role in executing media and messaging strategy for a highly visible and media savvy organization. This includes playing a critical role in helping to write press releases, pitch the media and generally support all incoming press requests. The Warrior Gateway offers an exceptionally dynamic working environment with a small group of committed individuals focused on addressing one of our nation’s most important and relevant issues.
The Communications & Marketing Associate will be responsible to work with the Strategic Partnership Associate to build the Warrior Gateway’s reputation as the premier web portal for the military community.
Job responsibilities
- Working closely with the Strategic Partnership Associate and Marketing partners to implement all media campaigns
- Helping to write and edit press releases, media advisories, blog posts and opinion pieces
- Managing a constant stream of incoming and outgoing press requests
- Proactively pitching reporters on the most pressing issues facing veterans
- Constantly monitoring news/blogs as it relates to defense, politics, veterans, foreign affairs/current conflicts
- Monitoring all outgoing traffic for consistency with the organization’s profile
- You are the Communications team.
Qualifications
The successful candidate will have experience in the communications field, preferably with a proven track record of success in the communications department of a nonprofit, military unit, political campaign, or similar organization. He or she must be extremely media savvy, including experience working with all mediums: print, television, online, and radio.
He or she must have a strong background in writing and be quick-thinking, well-spoken, and well-read. This individual must have examples of written work which demonstrate proficiency in different mediums (i.e. essays, opinion, memos).
He or she must stay constantly informed of current events, breaking news and developments in the Warrior Gateway’s fields of focus. He or she must be a good communicator and comfortable speaking to/working with the media on a day to day basis.
A college degree is required.
To apply
If you're interested in joining the team, please send a cover letter along with your resume to resumes@warriorgateway.org. In the cover letter, please tell us what inspires you about the Warrior Gateway and why you think you are the perfect applicant for this position. This is a key position and a wonderful opportunity to join a growing project with a uniquely inspiring mission.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.
Assistant to the Warrior Gateway Project Manager--DC
Reports to: Project Manager
Send applications to: resumes@warriorgateway.org
Warrior Gateway Project
The Warrior Gateway is designed to eliminate the information barriers that keep members of the military community from connecting with the resources they need. By providing a comprehensive directory of service organizations, community feedback, volunteer opportunities, career exploration and job application tools as well as a knowledge base of valuable information, the Warrior Gateway is aimed at easing the transition from military to civilian life and also providing support for the families of those in uniform. To ease the transition, connections to several leading social networks will allow members of the military community and their families to connect with one another and build valuable support networks both online and offline.
Position summary
The Warrior Gateway is seeking a dedicated and highly motivated Assistant to the Warrior Gateway’s Project Manager (PM). The ideal candidate has a proven record of assisting a busy, fast-moving, high-expectations executive, and thrives in a demanding and fast-paced environment. S/he will play a critical "right-hand" role for the PM -- keeping him as efficient and well utilized as possible. S/he will need to learn the ins and outs of the PM's work style and personal needs, and stay one step ahead of him all the time. The ideal candidate will be part mind-reader, part gate-keeper, part scheduler and part fire fighter.
The ideal candidate will have excellent administrative and organizational skills and the ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks simultaneously. S/he will be highly resourceful, with a proactive approach to problem-solving, and strong decision-making capability. Exemplary attention to detail is critical.??This position requires a motivated self-starter and a forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities, proposes solutions and is comfortable in an entrepreneurial work environment. Come with a “can do” attitude, or don't come at all.
Job responsibilities
- Manage Project Manager’s schedule (including prioritizing, scheduling and confirming external and internal meetings, external speaking engagements, media appearances, events and travel)
- Prepare Project Manager for all internal and external meetings, speaking engagements and events (including research, reporting and follow-up)
- Liason with BENS members, executive management and Board members as needed
- Prepare correspondence with Warrior Gateway members, corporate partners, donors, potential donors, and Board Members as needed
- Stay a step ahead of the PM’s needs
- Personal assistant responsibilities as needed
Qualifications
- Must be highly organized, resourceful, creative, problem-solver, self-starter and adept at multi-tasking
- Professional written and verbal communication skills (phone, email)
- Customer service approach
- Professional demeanor and demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality
- Must have strong attention to detail and thrive in a fast paced work environment
- Excellent interpersonal and time management skills
- Ability to keep cool under pressure
- Bachelors degree required
- Computer proficiency in Microsoft Word, Access, Power Point and Excel (proficiency in MAC computers and software preferred)
- Commitment to supporting the nation’s newest generation of troops and veterans
- Sense of humor
To apply
If you're interested in joining the team, please send a cover letter along with your resume to resumes@warriorgateway.org. In the cover letter, please tell us what inspires you about the Warrior Gateway and why you think you are the perfect applicant for this position. This is a key position and a wonderful opportunity to join a growing project with a uniquely inspiring mission.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.
Warrior Gateway at the Hiring Heroes Career Fair tomorrow
Tomorrow (Tuesday March 9), the Warrior Gateway will be attending the Hiring Heroes Career Fair at Ft. Sam Houston, near San Antonio, TX. We will be talking with members of the military community in attendance, demoing the Careers section of the Warrior Gateway, and also recruiting to fill the positions for which we're currently hiring.
Click here for more details on the event. If you're in the area, stop by--we'd love to chat with you!
To view more events we'll be attending in the near future, click here.
When pain is too much: noncombat injuries
The Houston Chronicle has a good piece on the recent increase in noncombat injuries related to neck, back, and joint problems. While most wartime injuries are associated with combat or IED detonations, an increasing number of service members in the VA health system are found to be suffering from neck, back, or joint pain, which results from accidents or overuse. In fact, "A recent Johns Hopkins study found that the top reasons for medical evacuation from Iraq and Afghanistan are musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders, not combat injuries."
Anthony Clark was honorably discharged with injuries to his back, knee, shoulder and neck. Photo courtesy Houston Chronicle
“As equipment gets more complicated and more sophisticated, there's a cost that we have to pay to protect you better, but this is the indirect cost,” said Dr. Steven Cohen, an associate professor of anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins and director of pain research at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Untreated musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders can combine with post traumatic stress, depression or other injuries to become more severe over time, negatively affecting a veteran's quality of life, Cohen said.
“That's why early and aggressive treatment of pain is important,” he said.
Read the full article here.
Helping service members with the emotional cost of war
M. David Rudd (dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Science and scientific director of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah) has a good opinion piece in USA Today that discusses the tension between the 'warrior identity' built into our men and women in combat and the inevitable emotional baggage that comes along with killing and living in an atmosphere of frequent danger. As Rudd notes, there is a major perceived distinction between physical and mental injuries--while physical injuries are obvious and there is little stigma surrounding them, admitting to 'mental wounds' is often thought of as a sign of weakness--a weakness which conflicts with the 'warrior identity.'
Rudd discusses the effect the stigma surrounding mental wounds on the recent increase in suicides among the military community, noting that the people often most in need are also those most reluctant to seek out help. Russ also suggests a number of possible solutions to the problem surrounding admitting and seeking help for their emotional baggage:
• Talk more frequently beforehand about optimal performance and resilience in combat, rather than post-trauma symptoms and mental illness afterward.
• Help soldiers construct a warrior identity that more clearly integrates the emotional consequences of killing.
• Encourage military leaders at the highest levels to talk openly about their own difficulty after combat experience, something that is already happening and is very effective at combating stigma.
Click here to read the full article.
Warrior Gateway on the road
If you haven't noticed, the Warrior Gateway team has been traveling recently to a variety of events, meeting with members of the military, service provider, and employer communities and listening to their concerns. We've also been spreading the word about our upcoming launch, telling people within these communities about how the Warrior Gateway can be utilized to help connect members of the military community to the resources they need.
To make it easier to keep up with where we're traveling, we added an events calendar to the upper right side of the Warrior Gateway blog, which lists all the events we will be attending in the near future. You can click on each event for more details, or you can click here for a detailed list of all events.
If you are interested in learning more about what the Warrior Gateway does and how you can use it, feel free to stop by any of these events and come chat with us in person. We'd love to tell you more about the Warrior Gateway!
BENS releases ‘Veterans Integration’ report
At the "Path to Healthy Homecomings" conference held in Feb 2009, a number of organizations came together to discuss the problems facing service members transitioning out of the military--namely, that while myriad resources exist for the military community, there are numerous obstacles that prevent easy discovery of and access to these resources.
As a result of the questions raised at this conference, BENS (Business Executives for National Security), Booz-Allen Hamilton, and Gallup teamed up to perform a study looking at challenges facing veterans at the state and local levels, specifically through the eyes of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (SDVA).
The study was undertaken by conducting interviews with 21 SDVAs. The interviews sought to shed light on some of the following questions:
- Where are the gaps between veterans’ needs and services?
- Why do those gaps exist?
- How can our nation best address them?
The study concluded with a report entitled Veterans Reintegration: A View from the States. Following is an excerpt from the report:
While the study reveals that veterans initiatives at all levels need additional resources, it is also true that as a nation, the United States already devotes enormous resources to veterans’ issues. But reintegration doesn’t occur at a national level. It happens at the community level. And so key to addressing reintegration challenges is identifying and quantifying the needs in specific regions and communities, and then ensuring that appropriate resources are made available and communicated to veterans in a timely manner.
These goals can be accomplished through greater collaboration and partnership among reintegration stakeholders—at all levels of government and within all sectors of society—that have shared?mission responsibilities to assist our nation’s veterans. This will require moving beyond the traditional lines of communication and authority to determine how the varying needs of veterans in different regions and communities can best be served, and then applying resources to bring about the necessary changes.
You can view or download the report by clicking the image above or by clicking here. It's a worthwhile read and presents some very valuable conclusions on the situation facing our returning service members. The findings of the study were in fact instrumental in driving the creation of the Warrior Gateway. Feel free to read it, share it with your colleagues, and let us know what you think by leaving a comment or by contacting us.
Shinseki: cutting claims backlog a top priority
From the Washington Times:
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki (center) is greeted by veterans as the Charleston Vet Center in Charleston, W.Va. Image courtesy Associated Press
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said he is making it a top priority this year to tackle the backlog of disability claims that has veterans waiting months - even years - to get financial compensation for their injuries.
Among those waiting for relief are sick Vietnam and Gulf War veterans to whom the former Army commander feels a special allegiance.
"I'm a kid out of the Vietnam era, I just have enough firsthand knowledge of folks walking around with lots of issues. If there's a generation of veterans that have had a tough row to hoe, it's the Vietnam generation," said Mr. Shinseki, 67, as he traveled through snowcapped mountains in Ohio and West Virginia between meetings with veterans.
Mr. Shinseki, a former Army chief of staff who had part of a foot blown off when he was a young officer in Vietnam, was unapologetic about a decision he made in October to make it easier for potentially 200,000 sick Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the Agent Orange herbicide to receive service-connected compensation.
He said it was the right thing to do, even though the volume of claims will grow and it will likely take about two years to get the average claim-processing wait time back to where it is today, about five months.
Read the full article here.
Hiring at the VA
We're currently at the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA)'s winter conference, hearing about many of the issues and activities of VA offices at the state and local levels.
The Washington Post today has a good piece on exciting new goings-on at the federal level--the hiring of 105,000 employees over the next two years within the VA system. The Post interviewed Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs W. Scott Gould. Here is an excerpt:
Q Who exactly are you looking for? Just doctors and nurses or claims folks?
We're looking for medical professionals: Doctors, nurses top our lists. Also claims processors. We're putting a big emphasis on clearing through the backlog. Obviously, in addition to new technology and better processes, we need good people to make those judgments.
How's this going to work? Besides a $12.4 million television ad campaign, are there recruitment fairs at medical schools or some other outreach?
We're airing on the Olympics; we're on all the major award shows. We think it's a brand-new way of getting out in front of folks and letting them be aware of what the VA has to offer. In addition to that, we're looking to streamline our internal processes. So when someone calls, they express an interest, they're going to find a more customer-friendly VA.
Pretend I'm a med student who's plotting my post-school plans. What would be the sales pitch?
Number one, the mission. Taking care of our veterans, taking care of the people who have protected our freedom over time. I can't think of a better synergy and overlap between a physician who wants to do something for their community and heartfelt service to veterans. The second would be leadership that gets it. Leadership that's prepared to invest in them and develop their careers over time. And the third thing I'd say is that we're growing.
Via Washington Post.
NASDVA Conference
This week the Warrior Gateway team is here at the NASDVA (National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs) Mid-Winter Training Conference.
The conference has been great so far -- this has been a great opportunity to meet a number of the State Directors and hear their concerns and the issues on the ground in state and local VA offices.
There have been a number of informative talks, most notably that given by VA Secretary Shinseki. He covered a wide range of topics, highlighting the issues at the top of his agenda as Secretary--fast-track processing of Agent Orange claims, combating veteran homelessness, and improved GI Bill processing.
Today Devin will be speaking to the conference about the ways in which the Warrior Gateway can assist state and local VA offices and particularly VSOs. If you don't get a chance to speak with Devin after his talk and would like to get in touch, don't hesitate to contact us.
You can view more photos from the event on Flickr.
Warrior Gateway on the road
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