Letter From Our CEO: Tragedy at Fort Hood Emphasizes the Need for Improved Service Transition Support for Military Personnel

Posted on 11. Nov, 2009 by john in Uncategorized

Dear Friends and Colleagues,  

The tragic incident at Ft. Hood only dramatizes the quiet violence already taking place in the background as increasing numbers of military service veterans take their own lives.  At least 134 active duty personnel have killed themselves this year.  This total is likely to break the previous record of 140 set last year.  This represents a 37% increase since 2006 and likely dramatically under-represents the totals, particularly for those who have been discharged.   

As Veterans Green Jobs participates in several Veterans Day events around the country, I believe the importance of our message and our mission is even more significant.  There is no clearer indication of a loss of hope and connection than these acts of personal or social violence.  For soldiers sent back again and again into the destruction and death of war, it can be little surprise that without a clear pathway towards a more hopeful and restorative future upon their return, many lose a life-centered bearing.

It is the urgency of this catastrophe, particularly the unseen self-destruction by those who have served and are now home, that has pushed us so far so fast.  As we all know, there is far too little opportunity to serve and support our veterans in making the transition to a hopeful mission.  Veterans Green Jobs is building such a path, and that is the other aspect of our urgency–to share with others that there is another way, a hopeful way, a way that can heal.    

In a world in which we so often feel powerless to affect the crises that are taking place around us, Veterans Green Jobs is creating a vehicle that enables a real impact on these problems. Part of this is through our direct work and programs–current and emerging–and much of it will come from the inspiration we all embody as we tell this story, share this mission, and invite others to work with us or take similar actions.

Veterans Green Jobs is ultimately about a mission of restoration–of moving beyond the violence that pervades our world towards a future that exemplifies the goodness of life through rebuilding and healing.  I hope each of you involved with Veterans Green Jobs will know how significant a role you are playing in bringing this vision into reality. We are all ambassadors of a healing mission on this Veterans Day.

Brett KenCairn

Founder & CEO

Veterans Green Jobs