Operation Veteran's Promise Announces C3 Initiative

Online, May 17, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Camaraderie, friendship, fellowship, and most importantly Espirit de Corps are the founding principles of any military unit or successful cooperative venture. Whether it be a military movement or a soup kitchen, kindness and caring are two elements inherent to any successfully enduring operation. A shining example is Frank Woodruff Buckles (born Wood Buckles, February 1, 1901 -- February 27, 2011), the last surviving American veteran of World War I. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1917 and served with a detachment from Fort Riley. After the war, he settled down and got married in West Virginia. A widower at 98, he worked on his farm until he was a 105. During his final years, he was honorary chairman of the World War 1 Memorial Foundation and advocated that other memorials be established in Washington D.C. To the end of his days he did not forget his Fallen Comrades and the ultimate sacrifices many of them paid. Any medal awarded, achievement accomplished, and recognition given to a service member does not belong to the individual, but rather to the ones not there to receive it, like a cross one bears because it is the right thing to do.

The right thing to do and the hard thing to do are often one and the same. No one wants to leave their family, community, and friendships thousands of miles behind them; however, this is the initial sacrifice every serviceman entering the Armed Forces must be willing to make, cognitively and whole heartedly, even before the trials and tribulations of combat. It is loyalty that binds together and camaraderie that eases the pain of separation, trusting one another's skills and dedication that each and every one will, should the time arise, make the ultimate sacrifice so the mission and the team succeed. An old African proverb goes as follows: "want to travel fast, go alone, want to travel far, go together." An Army phrase used in training goes: "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." While seemingly unrelated, to those in the armed forces they are one in the same. Due to proper planning, actively assessing risks, and the trust inherent in camaraderie, veterans arrive, engage, and achieve victory together. Given the proper tools and resources, it is said there is nothing which can't be accomplished. The training received on behalf of the American people fortifies individuals to function as a group to achieve a collective purpose. Service men and women don't try, they simply do. To quote Margret Meade, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." This rings true in the heart and soul of every Veteran.

Everything is multi-faceted. The Military trains community, leadership, respect, duty, selflessness, honor, integrity, and personal courage (LRDSHIP the military values) yet all live within a world that is, in large, partly guided by the hand of self-interest- that which is relevant is only relative if it relates to "me". There are an estimated 21 million Americans, who are serving, have served or are family members and loved ones of service members, out a population of over 300 million. Veterans are a small, but proud, percentage of this country's population that is trained and conditioned for victory in the most difficult of circumstances. Veterans are characterized by selfless service and a duty to one's country and ones comrades. These strengths in service can be many a veterans' weakness after they transition into the civilian community. According to some estimates, on any given night, there are as many as 86,000+ veterans living on the streets in the United States. Veterans are twice as likely as other Americans to become chronically homeless. The number of homeless Vietnam-era veterans, is higher than the number of soldiers that died during the war. Between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans are homeless sometime during the year. These situations lead veterans to take their own life at a rate of 1 every 80 minutes, so the need for a structured system is obvious. That is why OVP was created, to embark on a new mission that is in many ways a continuation of the service. These statistics, while alarming, are seen as a challenge, rather than a reason for despair. First and foremost, OVP reached an understanding that the why is not important. Second, an approach must be found that can offer aid, support, and access to available resources establishing the foundations of self-sustainability while maintaining their pride and dignity. Third, as everyone knows for any ongoing operation to have any impact, financial resources must be available and ongoing. Just like on a plane, passengers are advised to secure their own oxygen mask before helping others. In this same fashion, all have basic requirements that must be satisfied before anyone can help anyone else. So OVP fosters an atmosphere and environment by which ones livelihood is directly associated with helping fellow brothers and sisters in arms.

When entering basic military training, recruits are broken down to be rebuilt as soldiers, marines, airman, and sailors. At first, this transformation goes unnoticed. That reality becomes much more apparent when one leaves a selected branch of service. In the civilian world, in particular America-the land of opportunity, an individual's reestablishment occurs and this time prior service members must guide their own development. At first, this freedom, while liberating, also tends to be unstructured and therefore unpredictable and prone to instability. This new and, in many ways, now alien environment requires a new set of skills and methods to combat the existing situation. Everything done while in the service is earned, from rank to awards. However, there is a helping hand or team and support structure that will guide, assist and recognizes along the path to success. While achievements are individually earned, the odds of success go up exponentially with strong leadership and team structures rendering support. Welcome to Operation Veterans Promise- the civilian equivalent of that guiding hand and supplemental support structure. OVP will benefit from helping veterans rebuilding a working team once enjoyed. Knowing OVP is providing self-sufficient opportunities, the ultimate reward is to pay it forward to others. OVP believes by helping veterans, their Espirit De Corps will inspire the nation so everyone in this country can benefit from the leadership qualities taught and trained into every veteran. This is only possible because the American people themselves sacrifice every day for it to be so.

Communication, Community, Camaraderie (C3). Service members are familiar with G2, which is an operational divider for levels of intelligence/information/communication, organized and disseminated based on 'need to know' for a successful operation. The motto C3 would be familiar to most service members, in the same spirit that OVP wishes to make relevant information, tools, and resources readily available to veterans that need it. However OVP's approach is 'open-source' or 'unrestricted' and actually thriving on open networks. Since OVP's inception, they have established contact with supportive employers and fellow veterans' organizations, individual vets and other companies to bridge the communication gap and begin building a community. The OVP Staff initially reached out for donations when they began in September of 2012. They would still consider them today; however, as they travelled the country to meet with interested parties and individuals in hopes of propelling the operation and quickly realized the difficult economic times have taken their toll on everyone. They concluded in order to maintain their momentum, they needed to change their avenue of approach, but the mission remained the same. They have incorporated a veteran run business plan in renewable energy of which the proceeds will keep it running, while the profits will be donated to veterans outreach organizations. The initiative is to embrace the ambitions and attributes of other organizations nationwide with differing approaches to tackle the existing situation. Through a selection process, OVP will underwrite some, launch others and provide perpetual assistance for veterans outreach initiatives. By incorporating their mutual networks, OVP can greatly enhance the effectiveness of both. The enemy fought now hides in plain sight much like the homeless veterans which appear to have become an accepted part of the landscape in every major city. There is no singular motive, conscience, or individual that this can be attributed to, to demand a solution from. Therefore OVP must take it upon themselves to take on the responsibility. Should the drums of war pound in front of America's doors, all know that veterans were those who once raised their hand and carried that burden.

In conclusion, the number of returning service men and women will continue to rise as the current security concerns persist. The present situation will not change without dedicated and committed people with the proper resources to facilitate progress. Hard-work and discipline was a staff member's unit motto and OVP adheres to its' simple but effective guidelines.

Regards,

Michael Angielski

Chief Executive Officer
OPERATION VETERAN'S PROMISE

Web: http://www.operationveteranspromise.org
Email: Operation.Veteran.Promise@gmail.com
Michael@OperationVeteransPromise.org
Phone: (708) 654-2356

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Greg A. Dobrowolski

Director of National Fundraising
OPERATION VETERAN'S PROMISE

Email: greg.dobrowolski@operationveteranspromise.org
Phone: (254)669-0665

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For this and other postings of Operation Veteran's Promise visit their website.