Gayle Anders understands that for many, the transition from the military back to the civilian sector is rarely easy. Anders, a DRI Foundation Veteran’s Outreach Program Scholarship recipient, believes that the CBCP course and certification are incredibly useful tools in this transition. “The course makes absolute sense for veterans. It allows them to step out of one organization and into another.”
Anders joined the military in December 2001, shortly following the September 11 Attacks. His service took him from Iraq, to Japan Mongolia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, among other countries. Anders’s introduction to emergency management began when he began working with the Department of State following a natural disaster in the Philippines. Following 18 years of infantry, Anders was promoted and sent to Camp Pendleton, California, where he currently works as first sergeant. There, he is responsible for establishing the care team for all wounded, ill, or injured Marines and Sailors.
Anders believes that the course is especially valuable for veterans because it allows them to take the skills they already have and apply them to the business world. “We in the military already have the experience,” he says. “You just need to get a little bit more education to translate your military experience into corporate relevance. And the DRI course absolutely does that.”
One of the strengths of the Veteran’s Outreach Program is the fact that it is specifically tailored to servicemen and women, Anders explains. He says, “The course takes all of the professional practices of DRI and breaks those things down into how it applies, regardless of your branch service, regardless of your job specialty.” The CBCP course and certification help veterans find a new path after the military. “This is all about the transition,” Anders says. “Take the course, get the certification, get some exposure to other things that exist out there in America besides what we’ve been geared towards in the military.”
Anders highlights how the CBCP course and certification open up a world of possibilities for veterans that they may have never considered previously. He explains how the effects of the course are immediately visible. “You’re going to put it on your LinkedIn profile, you’re going to put it on your resume, and it’s going to open up conversations and opportunities to you,” Anders says. Anders understands how useful a certification like the CBCP certification is. “Every single corporation, everything on the Fortune 500 list has a business continuity department,” he says. “There’s a great opportunity to serve your communities because all these companies reside in communities, from across the country.”
“It’s a phenomenal opportunity,” Anders says. “I’m very appreciative of the DRI and the outreach program. I absolutely loved it.”
About the Veterans Outreach Program Scholarship
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 information, visit https://foundation.drii.org/what-we-do/veterans-outreach-program/