NEW YORK, New York – May 29, 2020 – As COVID-19 gripped the world, many military service members, who were slated to leave the service soon, were severely impacted by the pandemic as workdays were reduced and many were told to stay at home. Additionally, DOD installations around the world put on hold their critical Transition Assistance Programs (TAP), which are crucial part of a military member’s transition out of the military and into the corporate world. The temporary halt of TAP programs left those who were transitioning out of the service with less than optimal transition resources — resources they needed to be successful in the private sector.
Enter the Veterans Outreach Program, funded by the DRI Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable foundation, the program has worked with transition programs across the U.S. and was quick to recognize the impact COVID-19 could have on military personnel leaving the service. Program leader, Alan Lake, reached out to military installations and transition programs around the world offering access to scholarships, training, professional certification, and help with job placement. The program extended its operations and created numerous online programs for those who were transitioning and stuck in lockdown.
With DRI Foundation’s Veteran’s Outreach Program’s assistance, U.S. military personnel from all services from across the U.S., Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Romania were able to attend online courses. “We are so proud to be able to find a way to help them” said DRI Foundation President Al Berman. “It’s tough to make a transition into the corporate world when you get out of the military, under normal circumstances. It’s even tougher without assistance programs and extremely daunting if both of these occur while you are stationed overseas,” Berman said.
The response and feedback from transitioning military was incredible.
“DRI delivered the mail during Italy’s COVID-19…the course provided the link between my military experience and the (business continuity) career…Outstanding!” – Chief Master Sergeant Nate Zinn, U.S. Air Force, Italy
“The DRI Foundation has been the best news. Much of the…training options were canceled or postponed. DRI’s course was essential and it seemed like it was a godsend.” – Sergeant Jase Mosley, U.S. Army, Texas
“Online class is a perfect opportunity for us overseas to get this class done especially during COVID. Big thanks to those at DRI who put so much effort into making this a reality for us.” – Chief Petty Officer Karen Gavina, U.S. Navy, Germany
“I am very thankful that you guys were willing to provide the training utilizing online so we could continue training even with the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.” – Sergeant First Class Michael Rodriguez, U.S. Army, Germany
“Thank you to the instructors and DRI for keeping this program…[for those of us] who are transitioning at a very trying time.” – Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bryan Miles, U.S. Army, Germany
“DRI’s course on BC provided the opportunity for me to be trained and educated in many of the principles of business continuity that I had been doing in my 22-year career in the military.” – Lieutenant Colonel Adam Ennis, U.S. Army, Belgium
“This career field definitely aligns with what I’ve done over the past 25 years.” – Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Jordan, U.S. Army, Germany
“Training teams, planning for business continuity in the face of a pandemic was the nation’s top priority and my calling to continued service.” – Colonel Andrew Ziegler, U.S. Air Force, Virginia
The Veterans Outreach Program is also helping those recently separated from the military who have earned their Certified Business Continuity Professional credential, with job placement opportunities, interview planning, resume writing and general advice on how to approach the civilian job market.
“We and our volunteers are proud to have helped our military members when they needed it during this pandemic. We look forward to following their new careers and keeping in contact with them as they bring their experience, knowledge and ‘can do’ attitude to the corporate world – preparing for, responding to and recovering from natural or manmade crisis events,” said Colonel (Ret.) Alan Lake the head of the Veterans Outreach Program and its chief instructor.
About the DRI Foundation
The DRI Foundation’s mission is to provide financial, educational and volunteer aid to those who have been impacted by disasters. The Foundation strives to provide training and employment to those who have specific needs that will further the goal of creating a more prepared and resilient world.
As a registered 501(c)3 corporation, the DRI Foundation serves as the charitable arm of Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI) International, the institute that helps organizations around the world prepare for and recover from disasters. Founded in 1988, DRI International has 15,000+ certified professionals and conducts native-language training in more than 50 countries, offering in-depth courses ranging from introductory to masters level, as well as specialty certifications. The Foundation empowers DRI’s certified disaster management professionals to help their communities through targeted preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives. For more information, visit https://foundation.drii.org/
About the Veterans Outreach Program
Disaster Recovery International (DRI) Foundation is committed to helping our veterans succeed. To do our part, the Foundation has created a Veterans Outreach Program to help our Veterans realize their dreams and help both themselves and their respective organizations achieve great success as they transition into the professions of emergency response, crisis management, business continuity and disaster recovery.
The Veterans Outreach Program’s focus is to establish an industry-first “giving-back” scholarship program to active duty or recently separated (within five years) veterans of our United States Military. The scholarship will include, at no cost to qualified candidates, admission to Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI) educational course (BCLE 2000), all course materials, qualifying examination, and all applicable certification application fees. These certifications are the standards of excellence in business continuity management and will help the candidate to stand out as a job candidate in this competitive field. Certifications acknowledge an individual’s effort to achieve a professional level of competency in the industry.
For more information, visit https://foundation.drii.org/what-we-do/veterans-outreach-program/