Blog: Veterans REBOOT Lives

I am sharing my blog, Veterans REBOOT Lives, to get the word out about a wonderful program that helps veterans with the transition to civilian life. Here's a taste

Getting the REBOOT

I’m sure we’ve all rebooted our computers to get them to work correctly after a major hang up.  I don’t think the founders of REBOOT, a workshop to help veterans transition from military to civilian life, could have come up with a better name for their program. Fewer than one percent of American’s serve their country at any given time yet becoming a servicemember impacts our lives in ways we could hardly imagine as civilians and when we go back to the 99 percent, we tend to be lost. That’s where REBOOT comes in.

I am a retiring servicemember in San Diego just trying to figure out what I’m going to do to support my family when my career in the Navy is over.

I found out about REBOOT through a coworker who is also retiring. He had signed up for the program and told me that he had heard such great things about the program that if I can afford the time to go then I needed to sign up as soon as possible. I took his advice and emailed, called and all but went to the location to find out when I could get into a class before I retired. I was desperate for any information that would help me focus on being successful outside of the military.  I felt like I was in crisis mode whenever I would think about my life outside the Navy because nothing was certain.

To give you an example of these moments of despair, let me tell you about when I met a new civilian coworker.  He’s a retired veteran and I asked him for some words of wisdom. He said it took him more than four years since his retirement to find a job he was happy to be hired for. He told me that no companies are waiting to hire veterans and he interviewed for about 500 jobs through USA Jobs and only got three interviews. He lived with his mom and dad to get by because his retirement check wasn’t enough to live off of.

I went to my office, closed the door and cried to myself. Here’s a flesh and blood retiree who obviously put effort into finding employment and couldn’t for a long time.  I can’t afford to be looking for four years for the job I want or any job for that matter. I have a family to provide for.  What made me cry was the thought of not being able to take care of my family and having my life fall apart around me. I decided I wasn’t going to let that happen and started looking for solutions.

Enter REBOOT.

If you've been through REBOOT, please share your story if not and you're intersted in attending then contact Dietrice at (619) 822-2701 or dietrice@nvtsi.org. REBOOT is funded by donations from individuals and businesses. If you're intersted in helping change the life of a veteran please visit nvtsi.org to learn more. 

Krishna M. Jackson is the owner of Veterans REBOOT Lives. She can be reached at krishnajackson@yahoo.com.