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An online magazine for America's veterans looking to transition back into civilian life by finding new careers. Discover news, resources, events, job opportunities, and inspirational examples of your fellow comrades-in-arms.
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VETERANS ENTERPRISE4 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 5
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WHYWE
SERVEOutreach Program
Puts Human Face on Military Service
By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service
Sharing military
experiences with the
American public injects
a human element into
events often conveyed
through the cold glare of
television’s nightly news.
U.S. Navy photo by Petrty Officer 2nd Class Kevin S. O’Brien
VETERANS ENTERPRISE8 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 9
“The numbers that you hear on TV of soldiers
dying, the numbers that you hear that we’re
going to bring 30,000 (troops) home, I just
put a face to those numbers, and we all do,”
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery Duncan told
American Forces Press Service.
Duncan, a 40-year-old senior aircraft maintenance
supervisor with 21 years of service, completed a
five-month deployment to the Middle East in May.
He’s one of a group of eight military members who’ve
completed a week-long nationwide speaking tour
featuring 20-30 engagements as part of the Defense
Department’s “Why We Serve” public-outreach
program. Audiences at his speaking engagements
love the military, Duncan observed, noting he told
listeners how much he enjoys the camaraderie
inherent across the armed forces. “We are one team,
and that’s what we do,” Duncan emphasized, adding
that his speaking tour was an awesome experience.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine
Gen. Peter Pace started the Why We Serve program
in the fall of 2006. Duncan’s group constituted the
fourth iteration of the program, which is conducted in
quarterly segments.
Why We Serve duty tours are about 90 days.
Participants are selected by their individual services
and talk to schools, veterans’ organizations and
business groups.
Why We Serve program director Marine Maj. Chris
Devine praised Duncan and his fellow speakers in
the fourth group for their professionalism and energy.
“They have the high bar for others to knock off,”
Devine said. “I think they’ve done extremely well, not
only in their venues, but representing their services,
as well.” The previous eight-member groups were
comprised of two selectees from each military
service, Devine noted. However, the next, fifth group
will feature 10 speakers, he said.
The Why We Serve program has matured, and
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
Dorrance Smith has decided to “take it to the next
level,” Devine explained. “What this program is doing
is helping us win the ‘war on narratives,’ especially in
the mainstream media,” Devine noted. The program,
he added, offers a different perspective about the
war on terrorism, from the viewpoints of military
members who’ve served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the
Horn of Africa.
Another Why We Serve member in Duncan’s group,
Marine 1st Lt. David Bradt, served two tours in Iraq.
The 26-year-old combat engineer said he enjoyed
telling people about his Iraq experiences. Bradt
noted his experiences in Iraq were varied, from “full-
scale infantry missions to cache sweeps to more of
a support role.” The Marine said he was emotionally
moved when people thanked him for his military
service during his speaking tour. “Almost at every
single venue a number of people would come up and
thank you,” Bradt recalled. “We don’t need gifts; we
don’t need medals. Just come up and say, ‘Thank
you.’” Bradt said he is impressed with the Why We
Serve program. “They should fund as many of these
(speaking tours) as they can possibly afford,” he
urged.
U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery S. Duncan
Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery S. Duncan is 21-year veteran of the United States Air Force and is currently serving as part of the Why We Serve speakers program. He recently returned from assignment in the United Arab Emirates and is speaking to groups around the country about his personal experiences serving in support of Operation Iraqi and Operation Enduring Freedom.
In January 2007, Duncan deployed to Al Dhafra, United Arab Emirates with 380th Air Expeditionary Wing for five months. While deployed, Duncan was directly responsible for the five different aircrafts with surveillance and refueling options. Throughout his assignment, he trained, led, and united over 427 military and contracting personnel.
Born in Marshfield, Missouri and raised in Ellington Missouri, Duncan joined the Air Force in 1986 and currently resides in Hawaii as the Squadron Superintendent of the 15th Maintenance Operation Squadron at Hickman Air Force Base. He has also served as a maintenance technician and a flight safety officer. Since joining the Air Force, Duncan has traveled to all fifty states and around the world several times.
Duncan’s decorations include a Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with six devices, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor and six devices, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and one device, Kuwait Liberation Medal, and Kuwait Liberation Medal.
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery Duncan
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison, U.S. Air Force.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Dorrance Smith Photo by William D. Moss
Meeting one-on-one with the American public helps
to combat misperceptions about the U.S. effort
in Iraq, he said. “It’s a new fight. It’s a very, very
powerful information war,” Bradt explained.
Another Why We Serve speaker, Air Force Master
Sgt. Howard Watkins, accompanied supply convoys
from Kuwait into Iraq during his overseas tour of duty
from March to December 2006. Many people he met
during his speaking tour stops weren’t aware of the
fact that that the Air Force is doing convoys for the
Army and has been for the last three or four years,
Watkins observed. He called the Why We Serve
program a worthy endeavor . “The best thing that I
have gotten from the program was seeing that there
are still people out there that have the same ideals
and beliefs that I have,” Watkins said. “There’s so
much negative media.”
Navy Lt. Judith Lemley served a seven-month
tour in Afghanistan before she embarked on her
speaking tour. Lemley said she relished urging
veterans groups members to keep supporting
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. David W. Bradt
1st Lt. David W. Bradt is a three year veteran of the United States Marine Corps and is currently serving as part of the Why We Serve speakers program. He recently returned from assignment in Iraq in March 2007 and is speaking to groups around the country about his personal experiences serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Lt. Bradt joined the Marine Corp in 2004, after receiving his degree in Communication from the University of California at Davis. 1st Lt. Bradt graduated from Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an Officer and 2nd Lt. of Marines on August 13th, 2004. He graduated from The Basic School in March of 2005 as a member of the Commanding Officer’s Honor Roll.
In October 2005, 1stLt Bradt deployed to the Western Al Anbar Province of Iraq with Charlie Company, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion. While deployed, 1st Lt. Bradt was responsible for supporting all engineering operations for the 2nd Marine Regiment.
In September 2006, 1st Lt. Bradt deployed to Habbaniyah, Iraq as the Combat Engineer Platoon Commander for the 3d Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment and the 3d Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. While deployed, 1st Lt. Bradt was responsible for all engineering operations for the respective Infantry Battalions to include, but not limited to: weapons cache sweeps, combat demolitions missions, construction and deconstruction missions, force protection and defensive improvements.
Born and raised in San Diego, California, 1st Lt. Bradt currently resides in Carlsbad, California and is currently stationed with the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California. 1st Lt. Bradt’s Grandfather served as an Army Ranger during World War II and his father served as a Navy Corpsman in the Fleet Marine Force.
Bradt’s decorations include a Naval Commendation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.
Marine 1st Lt. David Bradt
VETERANS ENTERPRISE10 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 11
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The Marine said he was emotionally moved when people
thanked him for his military service during his speaking
tour. “Almost at every single venue a number of people
would come up and thank you,” Bradt recalled. “We
don’t need gifts; we don’t need medals. Just come up and
say, ‘Thank you.’”
servicemembers. “It’s so much easier for us to focus
on our jobs knowing that so many of these people
back home” are working to take care of the nation’s
military veterans, she said. Lemley said she also
told audiences that the military is truly an equal-
opportunity employer. “I’ve never been held back
because I’m a female,” she said. “I’ve been given the
same opportunities as everyone else.” Lemley, who
traveled across Afghanistan to train the country’s
soldiers, described the often dangerous, gritty
conditions she’d experienced to her audiences.
Despite the arduous conditions in Afghanistan,
Lemley told her speaking-tour audiences that she
didn’t complain. “Because I do what I love,” she said.
Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado recalled telling audiences
about his wartime experiences in Afghanistan and
Iraq. “I could tell I was having an impact on them,”
Alvarado, a combat engineer, observed. Asked if
he’d volunteer for another hitch in the Why We Serve
program, Alvarado replied: “I’d do it in a heart beat.”
_____________________________________
U.S. Navy Lt. Judith L. Lemley
Lt. Judith L. Lemley is a 14-year veteran of the United States Navy and is currently serving as part of the Why We Serve speakers program. She recently returned from assignment in Afghanistan and is speaking to groups around the country about her personal experiences serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In September 2006, Lemley volunteered to serve in Afghanistan as the Tactical Communications Chief for the Afghan National Army. Lemley was responsible for building an economical tactical communication program and quickly familiarized herself with business rules and multinational relationships. Her other responsibilities included procuring, fielding, training, and maintaining all tactical communications equipment. This included developing communications budgetary and plans for the transition of 50,000 to 70,000 Afghan National Army Soldiers.
In 2002, Lemley was assigned to the USS Ponce where she served as Electronics Material Officer, Debark Control Officer, and assistant Operations Officer. Lemley joined the Navy in 1992 after graduating from the University of South Alabama. One of her earlier assignments was to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center where she was responsible for the installation and upgrading of Naval Tactical Command Support System on super-carriers and assault ships.
A native to Mobile, Ala., Lemley currently resides in Norfolk, Va. and is assigned as the Computer Security Manager with the Combat Direction Systems Activity. Lemley is married, has a seven year old son and is pursuing her second master’s degree from the Touro University International in Information Technology Management.
Lemley’s decorations include a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, four Navy Achievement Medals, four Navy Good Conducts, and the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.
U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado
Sgt. Daniel Alvarado is a 13-year veteran of the United States Army and is currently serving as part of the Why We Serve speakers program. He recently returned from assignment in Afghanistan in April 2007, and is speaking to groups around the country about his personal experiences serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In April 2006, Alvarado deployed to Afghanistan with the 27th Engineer Battalion as a member of the Alpha Company in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While deployed, Alvarado was responsible for maintenance and service for various pieces of Army equipment, as well as the health, welfare and training of his section of mechanics.
Alvarado joined the Army in 1995, when he attended Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. In January 2005, Alvarado deployed with the 44th Engineer Battalion to Korea and Iraq as a part of the 2nd Initiating Directive. As the Company Team Leader, Alvarado while deployed was responsible of preserving the health, welfare and training of his section of mechanics.
A native of Vineland, N.J., Alvarado currently resides in Fayetteville, N.C. and is assigned as a Motor Sgt. with the 27th Engineer Engineering Battalion as a part of the Alpha Company maintenance team. Alvarado is the father of two girls, Clarissa and Kaelyn. When not fulfilling his military responsibilities, Alvarado hopes to reclassify his skills and become an Intelligence Analyst.
Alvarado’s decorations include two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, three Army Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Korean Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, two Overseas Deployment Ribbons and two NATO Medals. He has also deployed to Kuwait, Kosovo, and Colombia.
Navy Lt. Judith Lemley (above)
Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado (below)
VETERANS ENTERPRISE12 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 13
VETERANS NEWS BRIEFS VETERANS NEWS BRIEFS
Lilly Grant to VA Will Enhance Services for Returning Combat VeteransThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will
augment its world-class health care to local
veterans with a $9.9 million grant received this
October from the Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Indianapolis-bas ed philanthropic foundation
is providing the funds to the Richard L. Roudebush
VA Medical Center to support a new clinic for
injured service members returning from Iraq
and Afghanistan and other projects, including a
“comfort home” serving families of hospitalized
service members while their loved ones undergo
rehabilitation.
“The generosity of the Lilly Endowment will help VA
to continue to provide our wounded warriors with the
best in rehabilitation medical care,” said VA Under
Secretary for Health Dr. Michael J. Kussman, who
accepted the grant on behalf of VA.
The grant will provide $5.8 million for a 24,000-
square-foot Seamless Transition Integrated
Care Clinic where returning troops will receive
comprehensive multidisciplinary health care.
Another $3.5 million will be used to build a 28-suite
comfort home that will provide accommodations for
veterans’ families during extended periods of care.
In addition, the endowment is funding retreats at
which veterans and their spouses or loved ones
can reunite and learn to work through readjustment
issues typically associated with returning from
deployment.
Another $500,000 is designated for rehabilitation
events, including the National Veterans Golden Age
Games, which the Roudebush VA Medical Center
will host in the summer of 2008. This senior adaptive
rehabilitation program is designed to improve the
quality of life for older veterans, including those with
a wide range of abilities and disabilities.
VA provides a comprehensive array of benefits
and services tailored to meet the unique needs of
America’s latest generation of combat veterans,
including special access to VA health care for
two years for those having no service-connected
illnesses or injuries; polytrauma centers caring for the
most severely injured that are setting new standards
for multi-disciplinary treatment of complex medical
problems; world-class clinical care and research
for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD); and aggressive outreach program
to help veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan
access the benefits they have earned.
The Lilly Endowment was established in 1937 by
members of the Lilly family as a vehicle to pursue
their personal philanthropic interests. It is separate
from the Eli Lilly and Co. pharmaceutical firm and is
independently managed.
VA Previews Texas Site for “Polytrauma” Health CareThe Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital will
house the nation’s newest Polytrauma Rehabilitation
Center, where seriously injured and wounded
veterans can go to receive intensive medical
rehabilitation for treatment of disabilities due to
trauma, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said
last month.
VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Michael J.
Kussman on Friday visited the site, which will
eventually house one floor of polytrauma ward space
(12 beds) and transitional housing (12 apartments);
one floor of polytrauma rehabilitation and multi-
purpose space; and one floor for physical medicine
and prosthetics service.
“VA manages the only nationwide network to care
for polytrauma patients, and we are aggressively
researching new methods of identifying and treating
traumatic brain injury. San Antonio will play a critical
role in our ability to properly care for these badly
injured veterans,” Kussman said. “We are the world’s
leader in traumatic brain injury, rehabilitation and
research.”
“Polytrauma” refers to multiple injuries such as loss of
vision or limbs and brain injuries, frequently caused
by improvised explosive devices used by insurgents
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Service members who are
close to those blasts can suffer a range of brain
injuries, even if they don’t suffer from a visible wound.
Those injuries are called “traumatic brain injuries”
(TBI).
VA created four special TBI centers in 1992 in
Minneapolis, Minn.; Richmond, Va.; Tampa, Fla.;
and Palo Alto, Calif. The centers expanded their
mission in recent years to assist TBI patients and
service members suffering from other serious
problems, including amputations, burns, blindness
and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Their
new designation as polytrauma centers reflects their
expanded mission. The facilities have structured
their services around teams of specialists.
Last year, the four polytrauma centers were joined
by 17 other regionally-based facilities to meet the
needs of less severely injured veterans or those
whose conditions had stabilized at one of the four
primary polytrauma centers.
“The polytrauma system of care has been designed
to balance the needs of our combat injured for highly
specialized care with their needs for more local
access to life-long rehabilitative care,” Kussman
said.
The San Antonio project will consist of two stages.
In the first, VA will construct an 84,000 square-foot,
three-level building for rehabilitation, transitional
living and prosthetics. This will be followed by
renovation of 32,500 square feet of office and exam
room spaces in the main medical center building at
the veterans medical center. The cost of the entire
project is estimated at $66 million. Construction is
expected to begin next year.
VETERANS ENTERPRISE14 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 15
VETERANS ENTERPRISE16 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 17
VETERANS NEWS BRIEFS VETERANS NEWS BRIEFS
VA Leading Fight against MRSABuilding on the success of a pilot program that
reduced a worrisome staph infection by 50 percent,
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has tough
new screening requirements now in place in all of its
153 hospitals.
In addition to emphasizing its commitment to hospital
hygiene and flagging affected patients for special
precautions, VA facilities monitor all incoming
patients on key units with nasal swabs and cultures
for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA).
“VA demonstrated that dramatic reductions in
MRSA-related infections are possible,” said Acting
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield.
“VA’s completion of our national deployment of
these serious prevention measures reinforces VA’s
stature as one of the safest health care environments
nationally.”
New Resource for Seriously Injured on Care, Federal BenefitsThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the
Department of Defense (DoD) have signed an
agreement to provide “federal recovery coordinators”
to help ensure medical services and other benefits
are provided to seriously wounded, injured and ill
active duty service members and veterans.
The agreement puts into place one of the top
recommendations of the President’s Commission
on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors,
co-chaired by former Sen. Robert Dole and former
Health and Human Services Secretary Donna
Shalala.
The agreement initially establishes that the first
federal recovery coordinators will be provided by
VA in coordination with DoD and will be located
at top military treatment facilities throughout the
nation. They will coordinate services between VA
and DOD and, if necessary, private-sector facilities,
while serving as the ultimate resource for families
with questions or concerns about VA, DoD or other
federal benefits.
“This agreement ensures our nation’s active duty
service members and veterans who have been
wounded receive the very best care during their
recoveries,” said Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Gordon H. Mansfield. “Service members, veterans
and their families can be assured they will have an
ultimate resource they can rely on whenever help is
needed from VA or DoD.”
Job postings for the new positions have been made
at http://www.va.gov/JOBS/Fed_Recover_Coord.
asp, with the first 10 federal recovery coordinators
scheduled to be hired by Dec. 1. Plans call for the
new employees to be trained and in place at four
of the military’s major health care facilities during
January 2008.
The coordinators will ensure the appropriate
oversight and coordination is provided for care of
active duty service members and veterans with major
amputations, severe traumatic brain injury, spinal
cord injury, severe sight or hearing impairments and
severe multiple injuries. The coordinators will also
work closely with family members to take care of
services and needs.
The first 10 coordinators will work at military health
care facilities and at any other locations where
patients are later assigned. They will be located at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington,
D.C.; the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.; the
Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston,
Texas; and Balboa Park Naval Medical Center in San
Diego. Additional recovery coordinators will be added
in the future as needs are determined.
The coordinators will have a background in health
care management and work closely with the
clinicians and case management teams to develop
and execute another major recommendation from
the Dole-Shalala panel, individual federal recovery
plans for the wounded. Those plans specify what
services are needed across the continuum of care,
from recovery through rehabilitation to reintegration
to civilian life.
The coordinators will have access to and support
from the VA’s Under Secretary for Health, VA’s Under
Secretary for Benefits, DoD’s Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness, as well as the
commanders of facilities where service members and
veterans receive treatment.
“The coordinators will have the training, resources
and support from the highest levels of VA and DOD
to help remove any barriers to care and benefits
for the service members, veterans and their family
members,” said Dr. Michael J. Kussman, VA’s Under
Secretary for Health. “VA provides the best health
care available anywhere. This will ensure returning
Global War on Terror heroes receive the care they
deserve.”
These federal recovery coordinators are in addition
to 105 patient advocates VA has hired, trained and
put in place since June 2007. Those advocates, most
veterans of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, ensure
VETERANS ENTERPRISE18 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 19
VETERANS NEWS BRIEFS
a smooth transition of wounded service members
through VA’s health care system, while also cutting
red tape for other benefits.
Forming Internal Task Force to Examine Veteran Job DevelopmentThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced
the initial hiring of 10 full time Veterans Employment
Coordinators to focus efforts to attract, recruit and
hire veterans throughout the Department. These
coordinators will work closely with the recently
formed Federal Recovery Coordination Program to
assist Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation
Iraqi Freedom veterans to potentially obtain
employment with VA.
“After our young men and women have concluded
serving in our military, VA will use every hiring
flexibility available to bring their talents and skills
to our department should they want to continue to
serve this great nation through the VA,” said Acting-
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon Mansfield.
The Veterans Employment Coordinator job
announcements will be posted on www.usajobs.gov
and www.va.gov/jobs with the goal of being hired
by the end of the year. The coordinators will work
with veterans interested in employment at the VA,
including those who have completed one of VA’s
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services
programs.
“VA believes enhancing a veteran’s opportunity for
employment is not merely the obligation of a grateful
Nation. It is good government and good business,”
added Mansfield. “This stepped-up recruitment and
hiring of veterans into the Department of Veterans
Affairs ensures we are able to employ some of our
Nation’s most highly motivated, disciplined and
experienced citizens.”
Mansfield also announced the formation of an
internal task force to examine the Department’s
retention, training and development of veterans
already in the VA workforce. The task force will
be led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Human Resources and Administration, with
VETERANS ENTERPRISE20 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 21
VETERANS NEWS BRIEFS VETERANS NEWS BRIEFS
employment experts from the Veterans Health
Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration,
National Cemetery Administration, and additional VA
staff offices.
Approximately 31 percent of the 230,000 Department
of Veterans Affairs employees are veterans, and 7.7
percent are service-connected disabled veterans.
One Exam Used for “Fitness for Duty” and Disability Pay In a landmark agreement to simplify life for
service members with medical problems as
they leave the military and return to the civilian
world, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
and the Department of Defense (DoD) signed a
memorandum to pilot a single physical examination
to be used by both Departments.
“This agreement commits VA and DoD to develop a
single process to assess the medical conditions of
wounded, injured or ill service members,” said Acting
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield.
“We will make it easier for these heroes to go back
to their homes, with the key questions about their
eligibility for VA compensation already decided.”
The agreement, signed Nov. 6 by Mansfield and Dr.
David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness, calls for a pilot program
to evaluate a single physical examination that would
be used by DoD to determine the medical fitness of
injured personnel to remain in uniform and by VA for
awarding disability compensation.
The announcement continues progress on the
recommendations of the President’s Commission
on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors,
co-chaired by former Sen. Robert Dole and former
Health and Human Services Secretary Donna
Shalala.
The pilot, which begins late this month, involves
VA and DoD facilities in Washington, D.C. Service
members from the Walter Reed Army Medical
Center, the National Naval Medical Center in
Bethesda, and the Air Force’s Malcolm Grow Medical
Center at Andrews Air Force Base will participate in
the pilot.
Medical evaluations will be performed by VA,
although the agreement notes the physicals could
actually take place in VA medical centers, military
installations, VA contracted examination centers or
other facilities.
The memorandum says the process “lays the
foundation for building a network of qualified
providers and resources that will meet both DoD
and VA requirements and ease the transition of
members from military service to veteran status.”The
evaluations will be based upon VA’s system for
disability examinations and include an examination
of medical conditions identified by military physicians
that call into question a service member’s fitness for
duty, as well as other applicable medical conditions
identified by the service member together with VA.
VA Agrees with Key Points about PTSD TreatmentThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today
agreed with a new Institute of Medicine (IOM) report
finding exposure-based therapies for the treatment of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to be effective.
The report released today by the IOM Committee on
Treatment of PTSD concluded among its key findings
that exposure-based therapies such as prolonged
exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy
have proven to be effective treatments for PTSD,
while more research is needed on pharmacotherapy
to determine its effectiveness.
“VA is pleased to see IOM agrees with us that
exposure-based therapies are effective treatments
for PTSD,” said Dr. Antonette Zeiss, VA’s Deputy
Chief of Mental Health Services. “VA has been
making the therapies readily available, even before
the IOM report was released.”
Prolonged exposure therapy utilizes techniques
to promote confrontation with feared objects,
situations, memories and images. It involves use
of psychoeducation, breathing retraining, prolonged
exposure to the memory of the trauma through
imaginary reliving, and repeated exposure to safe
situations being avoided because of traumatic fear.
Cognitive process therapy involves psychoeducation;
written exposure in which patients write about the
impact of trauma on themselves and others and
interpret traumatic events; challenging patient’s
interpretations of traumatic events and cognitive
restructuring of their beliefs that have been disrupted
by traumatic events.
Dr. Zeiss said VA began developing training about
a year ago for its mental health professionals in
the use of exposure-based therapies, starting with
cognitive processing therapy and now including
prolonged exposure therapy.
In fact, VA’s Dr. Patricia Resick, head of the Women’s
Division of the National Center for PTSD in Boston, is
a leading researcher in cognitive processing therapy.
And the leading researcher in prolonged exposure
therapy is Dr. Edna Foa, who helps train VA mental
health professionals.
Dr. Zeiss said VA also concurs with other key
conclusions of the report that more research is
needed about pharmacotherapy as an effective
treatment. It is important to note, Dr. Zeiss said,
the IOM conclusion states only more research is
needed, not that medications have been found to be
ineffective.
VA provides treatment for PTSD through cognitive
and exposure-based therapies, with the use of drugs
approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
VA is a recognized international leader in treatment
and research for PTSD. In 1989, the Department
created the National Center for PTSD, which
promotes research, trains health care professionals
and serves as an information resource for
researchers and clinicians around the world.
VETERANS ENTERPRISE22 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 23
VETERANS ENTERPRISE24 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 25
VETERANS ENTERPRISE26 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 27
Mix special forces training, proven team-building talent, a “can do” attitide,
add a generous helping of drive & ambition and what do you get?
Larry Broughton. The founder and CEO of a fast growing company with
an eye not only on its future, but also on the future of its employees and the
betterment of communities as a whole.
VETERANS ENTERPRISE28 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 29
Picture if you will, an ex Green Beret Special
Forces Staff Sergeant. A man who spent
many of his days engaged in missions still
considered “top-secret” to this day. Green Berets are
often referred to as “the quiet professionals” going
about the dangerous work that elite “A” team Special
Forces units of twelve men do. From reconnaissance
to direct action missions, water infiltrations and
aerial insertions, Broughton learned early on that the
camaraderie developed by focusing the efforts of a
small, motivated team on a common goal or shared
vision, was and is the impetus for success. Fearless,
tenacious, and well trained in the field of military
procedures, one would easily think that Broughton
would end up in a defense, security or military
training profession after retiring from eight years
of service. However, that’s not the path he chose.
Instead, Ret. Special Forces Staff Sergeant Larry
Broughton took what many may find as an unusual
path to success in civilian life… the hospitality
business.
That’s right. Hospitality. Not the first thing that comes
to mind when you think of a tough, hard charging
veteran and team leader. Yet somehow, Broughton
has found a home in a highly competitive industry
where most spend a lifetime learning the ropes of the
hotel and restaurant industry by starting out at the
bottom. Few make it to the top but Larry Broughton
has with his company, Broughton Hospitality.
After leaving military life in the mid 1980’s, Larry
found himself a job as a Night Auditor working the
graveyard shift at a small motel in San Francisco.
This gave him the opportunity to attend college using
his G.I. Bill benefits. While studying Political Science,
Larry found that the challenges of the hospitality
industry piqued his interest and thought that his
team-building experience could lead to success. His
studies soon shifted to learning all he could about the
hotel and restaurant business.
Fast-forward about ten years and you’d find Larry in
the position of Senior Vice President and partner of
Joie de Vivre Hospitality, then California’s largest and
fastest growing independent hospitality company.
During his thirteen-year tenure with Joie de Vivre,
the organization grew by more than 100% per year,
managing more than $100 million in assets, and
was named among the top four boutique hospitality
companies in the US by Travel Agent Magazine. Not
one to stand still or get too comfortable, he stepped
down, moved to southern California and opened his
own restaurant. The restaurant business is by no
means a “slam-dunk” success route. In fact, there’s
an old adage that still echoes through the ranks
of restaurateurs…. “Everyone must open and run
a restaurant at least once to see just how good it
feels to get out of the business!” Not exactly what
an entrepreneur wants to hear when starting out,
yet, Broughton did not get out… in fact, he ventured
deeper into the perils of the hospitality industry.
At a time when the hospitality industry was suffering
perhaps the worst business climate since World
War II, Broughton began the process of acquiring
underperforming hotels. With a keen eye on what
worked and what did not, Broughton and his team
took over four such properties, and in short order,
turned underperforming properties into award
winning, service driven successes. Today, Broughton
Hospitality boasts about twenty hotel properties,
restaurants and even a vineyard and winery
operation producing his own private label, award
winning wines.
You would expect someone like Larry Broughton to
take all the credit for his success, but this is not so.
In fact, he’ll tell you that he is the least
important component in the success
of the business choosing instead
to place all the credit in the hands
of his staff. In his words Larry says,
“our organization is not successful
because of me, we’re successful
because of the team of people that
we have there. I’m basically the
figurehead…. It is my team members
that bust their butt everyday that are
doing it.”
With Larry Broughton, it all comes
down to one word… TEAM. And
it’s not just rhetoric. Part of the
Broughton Hospitality way of doing
things is to put employees first, even
over clientele and the bottom line.
In Broughton’s opinion, ensuring
that employees are being treated
fairly, compensated well, and
given significant opportunities for
advancement is crucial. Employees
who are treated with respect, who
2006 was another memorable year in
Broughton Hospitality history. The
company was selected as the 2006
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year Award.
(left to right: Larry Broughton, Suzanne
Broughton, Jim Sichta - VP of Operations
and Partner of BHG)
VETERANS ENTERPRISE30 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 31
Who wouldn’t be impressed by co-workers who
volunteer their time to work with hospice patients
– helping them to die with dignity? Serving others is
an honorable cause. Veterans understand that, and
I want more people to learn the rewards of it.”
Taking time from his busy schedule for an informal
interview with Veterans Enterprise, Larry shared
some of his thoughts and background.
VE - How many years and with what branch did
you serve in the US military?
U.S. Army Special Forces on active duty from 1983-
1987, and in the Special Forces Reserve from 1987-
1991. I was honorably discharged with the rank of
Staff Sergeant (E-6).
VE - Leaving military service, what motivated
you to enter the Hospitality industry?
In the beginning, it was a means to an end. I was
working the graveyard shift as a Night Auditor at
a small motel in San Francisco to supplement
my GI Bill benefits while I attended college. After
I completed my nightly work, I studied for a few
hours, and then went to classes during the day. I
was studying Political Science, but soon found
that the hospitality industry offered a lot more than
simply checking guests into hotel rooms. It offered
the challenges of customer service, real estate,
finance, team building, and leadership—all areas
that intrigued me. I really fell in love with the idea
that we could identify an underperforming hotel,
and through a smart acquisition plan and then
renovating and repositioning the hotel, could add
real value to the project.
VE - Did you utilize any government or military
programs to prepare for or finance your civilian
business ventures? If so, what were they and
how did they assist?
We used private equity and private financing to
launch the company and fuel our growth. I wish
I knew then what I know now about education
programs and financing assistance for veterans.
VE - Did you attend any institutions of higher
education after your military service in order to
increase your business knowledge?
Yes. In addition to dozens of leadership and industry
specific seminars, I attended University of California
at Santa Barbara and the Executive Program at
Stanford University.
VE - Does your company employ other
veterans? Do you have an outreach program or
special training you offer transitioning military
personnel?
About 4% of our employees are US veterans.
Although we don’t currently have a specific outreach
or transitioning program, I had an interesting meeting
with a veteran-advocacy group recently where we
discussed the growing need for such programs
given the number of veterans leaving the service
over the next couple of years. In addition to the
outreach programs businesses should implement,
we all should push for national changes to the
transitioning of military personnel to civilian life. With
the reported increases in veteran suicides and PTSD
cases over previous periods in our history, and the
backlog of caseloads with the VA, clearly we are
falling short in our support and care for our veterans.
As a business, we are now committed to making a
change.
VE - What would you say are the most important
elements of your management style and how
does your past military experience help in
developing those techniques?
are considered the cornerstone of business success,
are going to go the extra mile to ensure that guests
of Broughton Hospitality properties receive service
and accommodations that exceed expectations.
Exceeding guest expectations is what separates
Broughton Hospitality from the competition, but
ultimately it’s all about people.
Recognizing the efforts of his
team members is an important
component. Their “Honor and
Excellence” program is one
such method of recognizing
contributions of Broughton
Hospitality staff. “This is one of
the most significant recognition
programs we have at Broughton
Hospitality Group. The idea
came out of a brainstorming
session when we were trying to
determine how we recognize those
in our organization who were living
the tenants of our mission statement,
which is “Inspiring Significance and
Distinction.” We take this mission beyond
the workplace and apply it to our homes,
communities, and our places of worship.
We wanted to recognize those who are
not only superstars at work, but who are
making a difference outside of work.
Public recognition motivates people
differently, and we understand that
most people do not do good works
for the recognition—most do it
quietly, in private. But the award
has inspired co-workers
to get involved in their
communities in an effort
to make a difference.
“I try to develop a small highly-
effective, highly-motivated team
who subscribes to our common
vision, and then I let them
do their jobs.”
VETERANS ENTERPRISE32 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 33
San Francisco, where there is a sizable homeless
population; many of which are veterans who need
a hand up and assistance with substance abuse
and job training. Having served in Special Forces I
know the impact on the family of the death of one of
these special ops warriors. It is a shame when our
country looses one of our very finest. These guys
are not only elite warriors, they posses the highest
integrity, live selflessly, understand sacrifice and love
their families deeply. Special Operations Warrior
Foundation comes to the aid of these families
and offers education benefits for our warriors’
children. Both of these organizations are committed
to restoring dignity, hope, and self-sufficiency to
our veterans and their families. Regarding our
motivation; in addition to it simply being the right
thing to do, we understand that we make a living by
what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
VE - Would you, do you encourage veterans to
apply for positions with your company and if so,
what is the advancement potential for those who
do so?
I would absolutely encourage veterans to apply.
I have heard various statistics about veteran-
run companies outperforming non-veteran run
companies, and the number of veteran–owned
businesses outnumbering the number of non-
veteran-owned businesses. There is something
about a veteran that makes them great leaders, and
great team members. I’ve touched on some of those
qualities earlier. These are qualities that will assist
any person when it comes to advancement. The
potential for advancement in a company likes ours,
one that is growing dramatically, is enormous.
VE - What are your plans for the future of
Broughton Hospitality and are there other
ventures you are considering for the future?
I try to develop a small highly-effective, highly-
motivated team who subscribes to our common
vision, and then I let them do their jobs. In Special
Forces I came to understand that a small cohesive
team who shares a common vision can outmaneuver
a larger, well armed, less motivated unit. The same
principles apply in business. My time in uniform
also taught me the importance of honor, tenacity,
camaraderie, sacrifice and vision in any worthwhile
endeavor.
VE - In interviews conducted with you by other
reporters/media, you spoke of teamwork as
a critical component of success in business.
How do you encourage teamwork within your
organization?
We try to celebrate the differences in people, and
foster the understanding that teams may not always
make the job easier or even add efficiencies…but
studies have shown that they do make the results
better. Every manager and supervisor in our
company has taken Gallup’s StrengthsFinder test,
which identifies our top 5 natural strengths. Based
on those results, we try to build our teams with an
appropriate number of visionaries, analytical types,
achievers, relators, or whatever strengths we need
on the team to exceed our desired results. We try
to stay away from having too many creative people
on our accounting staff, this is where we want our
analytical team members.
VE - Broughton Hospitality is actively involved
with many charitable organizations. Two such
organizations are The Special Operations Warrior
Foundation and Swords to Plowshares, both
military service personnel charities. How did you
become involved and what was the motivation
for doing so?
I learned of Swords to Plowshares while living in
VETERANS ENTERPRISE34 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 35
We’d like to grow the company to become a leading
operator and developer of independent boutique
hotels in the US, while maintaining honesty and
integrity in all we do. We have several new
construction projects, as well as the acquisition of
existing hotels in the pipeline, and this will keep us
busy. My sense is that we’ll double in size in the
next 12 months, and continue significant growth for
the next 5 years. Really, we just want to make a
positive difference in the lives of those we serve: our
team members, guests, patrons, vendors, investors
and clients. I think I have a book or two buried inside
me that need to be written that combines my military
background and business experience. I’ll let you
know more as that gels.
VE - What advice can you give other veterans
seeking to start their own business?
(1) Begin with the end in mind. Know whether you
are starting the company as a legacy play that you’ll
hold forever, or whether you plan to build it with the
intention of phasing out or selling it. It will determine
the answers to a lot of questions that come up in the
early years.
(2) Understand yourself enough to know whether
you are a manager, leader, or entrepreneur. They
really are three different animals and will respond to
growth and challenges differently.
(3) Don’t over analyze things. Gather your
information; make a plan, then take action. General
George Patton said “a good plan violently executed
now is better than a perfect plan next week.”
(4) Surround yourself with a team who is brighter and
bolder than you are, and don’t be afraid to seek their
counsel. In the end, though, you are the one making
the decisions.
VE - What advice can you give other veterans
seeking civilian employment post military
service?
Seek your heart for what you really want to do, not
necessarily what is easiest to do, or what is expected
of you. Although very honorable positions, too many
veterans feel they can only become law enforcement
officers or fire fighters. These are people of integrity
and bravery, but these are also qualities sorely
needed in the ranks of business leaders and CEOs.
VE - Last, where there any obstacles that you
could classify as veteran specific that you had
to overcome in order to achieve the success you
have with Broughton Hospitality?
When I first left active duty in the mid-eighties and
moved to San Francisco I had a sense (real or not, I
don’t know), that I should keep my military service to
myself. There were times when I felt like an outsider,
given my military background. As I have grown
personally and professionally and while the climate
of acceptance has shifted to embrace our veterans, I
have become bolder and have embraced my veteran
status.
So there you have it. Success need not be out of
reach nor should it be at the expense of others.
Success comes to those that persevere, to those
that embrace ideals like community service, share
a common vision and are not afraid to “step out”
of their comfort zone. Take chances following your
passions and what it is you love to do. Treat your
partners, employees, guests and vendors with
respect and care. As they go, so does your business.
Build small, highly-effective teams and train them to
do the best possible job. Recognize excellence and
reward it accordingly. Above all, have a shared goal,
a “common vision” as Larry Broughton likes to call
it. Chances are that similar success can be yours.
Just remember to give the credit to everyone else
but yourself... it works for Larry Broughton and we’re
sure glad that it continues to do so.
As a result of Broughton’s commitment to people, Broughton Hospitality has received numerous awards and accolades including: • Entrepreneur Magazine Hot 500 of Fast Growing Companies in America
• Ernst & Young 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• Hotel & Motel Management Top 100 Third Party Management Companies
• Hotel Business Top 100 Management Companies - 2006 & 2007 • Georgian Hotel 34th Best Performing Hotel in North America 2005
• Mojave — TripAdvisor Most Popular Hotel in U.S., May 2004
• Mojave — Travel Holiday Magazine Among the 25 Best American Escapes
• Mojave — Travel + Leisure Magazine Among the 30 Great Inns in U.S
• Inn of the Spanish Garden TripAdvisor - 3rd Most Popular Hotel in U.S.,
• Inn of the Spanish Garden — Among the Top 15 Romantic Getaways in U.S.
• Inn of the Spanish Garden — Travel & Leisure Magazine’s 500 Greatest Hotels
• Blue Wing Saloon Best New Business of the Year
• Blue Wing SaloonGold Medal for 2005 Sauvignon Blanc
Inn of the Spanish Garden
Georgian Hotel
The Blue Wing Saloon
VETERANS ENTERPRISE38 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 39
An Iraq veteran lost his legs, but
never lost hope. He inspired the Little
Caesars Veteran Program and today,
there are nine who call themselves
franchise owners.
Robbie Doughty inspired Little Caesars Veteran
Program. Former Army Staff Sgt. Robbie Doughty
remembers July 8, 2004, well. The special operations
intelligence soldier was traveling from Tikrit to Balad,
which meant “we had to pass through Samara, a
hotbed,” Doughty says. “[In Samara], they did not
want any Americans in there at all.”
LITTLE CAESARS GIVES VETERANS AN OPPORTUNITY
By Fred Minnick
Doughty’s convoy took the bypass route around
the city, hoping to avoid confrontation. Apache
helicopters whizzed in from behind, making sure
there were no insurgents toting guns or planting
improvised explosive devices. But the convoy
entered the streets before the route was cleared by
the helicopters, and a roadside bomb detonated on
the lead vehicle.
Doughty was in the front passenger seat with his
feet on the running board facing the roadside—a
common set up for special forces Humvees.
He lost both legs.
“The only thing I remember is not so much hearing
the explosion as feeling it,” Doughty says. “White
smoke just sucks the life right out of you…The last
time I looked down at my legs, I noticed that my right
boot had blown off. My legs were still attached.”
A Special Forces medic synched tourniquets on his
legs and “just really did a miraculous job saving my
life,” Doughty says.
STANDING TALLAfter reading a USA Today article about Doughty’s
road to recovery, Little Caesars founder Mike Ilitch,
a former Marine, reached out to the Paducah,
Kentucky, veteran.
Mr. Ilitch said he was really impressed with me and
wanted to give me a franchise, but he was also
concerned about my physical health.”
“Mr. Ilitch said he was really impressed with me
and wanted to give me a franchise, but he was also
concerned about my physical health,” Doughty says.
Doughty brought in his friend and veteran Lloyd
Allard, and in January, they opened the store that
inspired the Little Caesars Veteran Program.
Former Army Staff Sgt. Robbie Doughty remembers July 8, 2oo4 - that’s the day he lost both his legs to a roadside bomb in Samara.
Christopher Ilitch, President and CEO, Ilitch Holdings, Inc., Lloyd Allard, Little Caesars Franchisee, Robbie Doughty, Little Caesars Franchisee, Mr. Ilitch and Dave Scrivano, President, Little Caesars Enterprises, Inc., at the grand opening ceremony.
VETERANS ENTERPRISE40 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 41
The vet program provides qualified, honorably
discharged veterans a $5,000 reduction on the
franchising fee, financing benefits, and a $5,000
credit on the first store’s equipment order. The entire
$20,000 franchise fee is waived for service-disabled
veterans like Doughty, who also receive additional
financing options and benefits, a $10,000 credit
on the initial equipment order, and grand-opening
marketing support.
Doughty says running a pizza shop is easy work.
“The military really prepared us for something like
this,” Doughty says. “You put pepperonis on a pizza
like this, you put cheese on like this, you make
dough this way. All the tasks are simplified like that.
We’re working within a system just like the military.”
But the in the Army, Doughty never had to worry
about marketing, food costs, or his physical
limitations.
“I wear prosthetic legs, and I’m on my feet all day,”
he says. “If I need to sit down for a little bit, I can do
that because our staff is trained well enough now I
don’t have to be so hands-on and involved.”
Robbie Doughty talks with media at Paducah grand opening.
BELOW: Dave Scrivano, President, Little Caesars Enterprises, Inc., congratulates Lloyd Allard on their store opening.
Most single-unit operators dream of the day their
employees can run the store without their help. How
has Doughty done it in five short months? Army
discipline?
“I wish I could [make them do pushups]. It would be
a whole lot easier,” says a laughing Doughty. “We
really try to get the employee to respect you enough
to want to do a good job, so I don’t have to come
out there and demand for them to do something. But
there’s always going to be that 5 percent of people
that just are un-trainable, unemployable; they don’t
want to listen.”
VETERANS ENTERPRISE42 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 43
DESIRED SKILL SETSDoughty is a natural leader, says Rick Moreno, Little
Caesars executive vice president of administration
and strategy. In fact, Moreno says leadership is
the common denominator among all nine of the
program’s veterans.
“I have been amazed at the skill sets of [our]
veterans,” Moreno says. “They demonstrate
dedication, team building, good management,
leadership, and they are familiar with systems and
processes.”
Moreno says there’s no cap on how many veterans
Little Caesars will sign, but says the military
background is “a good fit. And we wanted to
demonstrate to other business leaders that programs
like this can be created to make a difference.”
The Little Caesars veterans recently met in Detroit
for the Inaugural Little Caesars Veterans Training
Program, a three-day precursor to the pizza chain’s
six-week franchisee training program. They received
training on real estate, operations, marketing, and
human resources, among other things. The group
also enjoyed a Detroit Tigers game, where Doughty
threw the first pitch.
At the game, Moreno noticed the vets swapping
numbers and bonding on a different level. “As they
open their stores, they will rely on each other.”
Something servicemen and women are all too
familiar with. It doesn’t hurt that the veterans respect
their franchisor, too.
“Little Caesars has really opened up to veterans
and given [us] the opportunity to put [our] foot in the
door,” Doughty says.
A former Marine and former Detroit Tigers minor
league baseball player, Mike Ilitch is familiar with
facing transitions. After suffering an injury that
abruptly ended his baseball career, Mr. Ilitch had
to determine what to do next. His baseball skills
weren’t as useful off the field, and he never forgot the
struggle of trying to answer the question “what now?”
After investing his life savings to start Little Caesars
with his wife Marian in 1959, he knows the rewards
of building a business. The Little Caesars Veterans
Program was created out of this experience
In recognition of his service to Veterans, with the
Secretary’s Award, the highest tribute given to a
private citizen by the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs. The ceremony, which took place on
Little Caesars founder Mike Ilitch
VETERANS ENTERPRISE44 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 45
Monday, September 17th, in the nation’s capitol at
the Department of Veterans Affairs, recognizes Mr.
Ilitch’s industry-leading support of Veterans through
the Little Caesars Veterans Program.
FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES
Little Caesars is looking for veterans with integrity
and character who take initiative, utilize a teamwork
management style and have a strong personal
commitment to the business. A Little Caesars
franchise can provide business owners with the
opportunity to become leaders in the communities
they serve, maximize their potential and realize a
strong sense of accomplishment by achieving goals
and growing their business.
Little Caesars National Vice
President-Franchise Services,
Mike Shaub, is a veteran
and had this to say about the
program, from both a veteran’s
and a colleague’s perspective:
“It makes me proud that
Little Caesars has chosen to
recognize the contributions of
America’s veterans in such a meaningful way. This
program is a win-win for qualified veterans and for
the company.”
PROGRAM BENEFITS
All Qualified Veterans
The Little Caesars Veterans Program provides
the following benefits for all qualified honorably
discharged veterans: a $5,000 reduction of the
franchising fee, financing benefits and, a $5,000
credit on the equipment order for the first store.
Service-Disabled Veterans
Service-disabled veterans are eligible for additional
benefits, including a waived franchising fee
($20,000), additional financing options and benefits,
a $10,000 credit on the initial equipment order and
grand opening marketing support from leading
national companies. The total benefit for service-
disabled veterans can be approximately $68,000.
Veterans seeking to get involved in this unique
program can apply through two different resources
listed below. Text links to these resources are colored
blue, simply click on any link below to access the
web sites that assist veterans in the process.
WHERE DO I START? Little Caesars Veterans Program
Step 1: Contact
Contact the Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE)
or Marine For Life (M4L) for assessment.
Step 2. Assessment
They will review your qualifications.
Step 3. Referral
Veterans meeting the qualifications of CVE, M4L and
Little Caesars will be referred to and contacted by
Little Caesars.
Louisville, Kentucky-based writer Fred Minnick is
an Iraq veteran and contributing author to Simon
& Schuster’s The Blog of War. Contact him at
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY LITTLE CAESARS. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM QSR MAGAZINE.
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VETERANS ENTERPRISE46 VETERANS ENTERPRISE 47
Announcement From the Veteran Small Business Federal Interagency Council
The 4th Annual National Veteran Small Business Conference and Expo will be held July 7-10, 2008, at
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada.
This event, which is the largest conference of its kind nationwide, is sponsored by the Veteran Small
Business Federal Interagency Council to provide Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned
Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) with a week of educational and networking sessions designed to help these
businesses thrive.
The conference attendees come from all levels of the federal procurement community; small businesses,
large prime contractors, and government agencies have all been well-represented at past events.
Drawing in such a diverse group allows
attendees to find unique business
opportunities that may have otherwise
gone unnoticed.
The conference will begin with a
“Federal Contracting 101” informational
session on Monday for businesses that
are just breaking into the public sector.
Later that evening, a ribbon-cutting
ceremony and welcome reception will
give attendees a chance to introduce
themselves in an informal setting.
General sessions and breakouts covering a variety of
subjects will run from Tuesday morning to Thursday
afternoon. Past discussions have included new
and pending legislation, joint ventures, international
opportunities, and industry-specific topics.
For businesses looking to market themselves to
the government, the conference will feature a large
expo hall. Over one hundred exhibitors made the
2007 expo a huge success; Disabled Veterans Office
Suppliers reported an increase in sales of over 30%
as a direct result of their participation in that year’s
event. Federal small business offices will be on the
VETERANS TALK BUSINESS IN LAS VEGAS
lookout for highly qualified contractors in the expo
and in one-on-one matchmaking sessions.
The federal government is striving to meet its
goal of awarding 3% of total contracting dollars to
SDVOSBs, and it considers outreach events like
this one critical to its success. The opportunities
available to veteran entrepreneurs at this event are
invaluable – small business owners should not think
twice about attending.
For information on the conference
agenda and registration, please visit the
NATIONAL VETERANS CONFERENCE
ONLINE or call the conference hotline at
(703) 695-3220.
If you have questions about the expo or
sponsorship opportunities, please call
(703) 769-4200, ext. 130.
Multi-service National Honor Guard detail during the opening session of the 3rd Annual National Veteran Small Business Conference and Expo.
Champion of Veterans Enterprise (CVE) Award: Ms. Pinson (left), Director of the U.S. Army Office of Small Business Programs. Gordon Mansfield, Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs, presents the VA CVE Award (for meeting/exceeding the 3% contracting goal mandated by Public Law 160-50) to Ms. Alice Williams-Gray (right), Associate Director for Small Business at the U.S. Army Contracting Agency.
