Centurion Military Alliance comes to the San Antonio Zoo to Help Veterans in Transition

In June 2019, while still active-duty in Hawaii, I was looking for events in San Antonio TX to attend once I moved to Military City, and I came across something called Centurion Military Alliance (CMA). A one-day workshop that seemed to feature everything that TAPS/GPS provided. Much like TAPS/GPS, seats for CMA filled up very fast. Knowing that transition was going to be a challenge for me, CMA peaked my interest.

On Thursday, December 12th, 2019, I was finally able to attend this extraordinary event. Held at the San Antonio Zoo, which originally struck me as an odd venue to hold such an event. I literally thought we would be sitting around a few hippopotamus, which in fact, we were. Later we would be given the opportunity to hand-feed giraffes, but that's besides the point.

When I walked in, almost immediately I started seeing familiar faces from around the San Antonio veteran community. People like R.T. McClain from USO Pathfinder, Bernard Beaullieu from Beaullieu & Associates, Laurie Pimentel-Johnson from the Texas Veterans Commission, William "Bill" Drumm from Grand Canyon University, and Leadership Consultant, Don L. Gleason. It started to occur to me that I was attending something much more than a "transition class".

Centurion Military Alliance CEO Chaunte Hall begins the introduction and drives home three takeaways from the course: financial literacy, educational attainment, and vocational proficiency. Next up is her father Dr. Steven Hall who talks about education, and while these might not be topics unfamiliar to those in transition, they both share personable and professional experiences as they are both veterans and have walked the same path as many of us. A path that although has been successful, was not without hardships both personal and professional.

A range of topics are then briefed to support the three takeaways, such as, finances, holistic health and mental well-being, resume review, LinkedIn profile review, elevator pitches, and mock interviews.

Something unique to CMA is that they introduce you to the community around you so you can get a first-hand account about what it takes to successfully transition, the opportunities and resources available to you, and the support network to drive home the statement of "It Takes a Village". That support came from the likes of:

Chuck Bunch, Quincy Harper, Sam and Rey Domingo from LinkedInMilCity, Serafina De Los Santos from Joint Base San Antonio, Jeremy Woodworth from USO Pathfinder, Danielle Carosello from G.E. Healthcare, Terry Knorreck from Christus Health, Josh Andrews from USAA, Sean Passmore from Perfect Technician Academy, Glenn Errhart from RBFC, D. Matt Scherer from LinkedIn, Kristen Smith from Remax, Angenetta Lambert from O2O/IVMF and Stan Lindquist from Marathon Petroleum, along with many others.

It was not just a day where a few giraffes may have been overfed. It was a day full of vital information from those who have walked the walk and can talk the talk, and have the credentials to prove it. It was a day that drove home the message we as transitioning veterans need to tell ourselves more often as we face the somewhat uphill battle: That we are NOT alone, and that we WILL succeed together.

As you near transition, you will attend TAPS/GPS. You should. There's some great takeaways from that. If you happen to find that Centurion Military Alliance is coming to your town, or your base, make it a priority to attend. You will not be disappointed.

A very special thanks to Chaunte Hall and Dr. Steven Hall for providing this sensational event, and a special thanks to Tim Morrow and Nathan Simmons from the San Antonio Zoo for providing their venue for a unique special experience.