Top Three Objections to the New SkillBridge Policy for the United States Marine Corps
Sara B. McNamara, MSOD
10+ years Culture Change, Veteran & People Strategies, Training, Leader Development | 10+ years Corporate Sales, Entrepreneurship, Marketing | Curiosity-Driven Executive with Passion for Moving Humanity Forward
In case you missed it, the revisions are available here: https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/3809908/interim-guidance-on-the-implementation-of-the-skillbridge-program/
DOD SkillBridge stands out as the premier program for transition and more importantly, personal transformation, assistance. It offers unparalleled civilian work experience, upskilling opportunities, cultural immersion, civilian networking and pathways to meaningful employment. Unlike any other transition assistance program, SkillBridge provides emotional benefits to participants such as increased self-awareness and confidence while alleviating the overwhelming uncertainties of leaving "home", identity, and purpose.
I know this to be true because I've witnessed it firsthand. I'm sharing my objections because to me, this is personal.
While force readiness is crucial, the current policy places the burden of approval on individual commands. This forces commands to choose between supporting their Marine or meeting the immediate (vs. long term) needs of the US Marine Corps. This manpower issue should be addressed at the Department of Defense (DOD) level, rather than placing this difficult decision on the commands.
2. Duration and Timing for E-1 to E-5s:
The policy assumes that E-1 to E-5s, having served fewer years, need more transition assistance. Based on eight years of experience working, studying, volunteering, and researching the military-to-civilian transition experience, I strongly disagree. The longer the service, the more transformation is required. Those with more years of service face greater challenges in transitioning to civilian life.
3. Big Picture and Lifecycle Approach:
The current policy misses the larger perspective. When the US Marine Corps invests in SkillBridge, it demonstrates a commitment to the whole person and their family. This lifecycle approach to "taking care of our own" not only aids in the transition but also serves as a powerful recruiting and retention strategy. If the Marine Corps wants to attract and retain more Marines, it must show a commitment to post-service employment pathways like SkillBridge and related programs for military-connected family members.
General James F. Amos, the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps, says:
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"We make Marines. We win our nation's battles. We return quality citizens back to society."
The question is, "What makes a quality citizen?"
Throughout history, our United States military has consistently demonstrated its ability to produce "quality" Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Guardians. By "quality," we mean individuals who are disciplined, resourceful, loyal, resilient, committed, educated, trainable, worldly, and service-oriented.
These recent cutbacks to the USMC SkillBridge program raise concerns about the awareness gap among federal decision-makers regarding the essential requirements for successful transitions to enable and empower "quality" veterans. Supporting robust transition programs like SkillBridge is critical to ensuring veterans' success, happiness and their continued contributions to society.
Transition support is, thankfully, not a core competency of the Department of Defense.
Because of that, service members are NOT trained on civilian society integration without their peers, or how to navigate grief and loss while securing meaningful employment as veterans in order to provide for their families.
Now is the pivotal moment for private and public employers, and government agencies reliant on the defense sector, to step forward and play their roles.
They must invest time, money and resources to play a crucial role in ensuring the success of military transitions, facilitating employment opportunities, and fostering fulfilling lives for all military-connected individuals, because they can (and not only because of the value military talent brings to their bottom lines).
Let me know if I can help.
Sara B. McNamara
AI Growth Hacker | Expert in Scaling Businesses using AI-powered Cold Outreach Marketing Techniques | Cold Marketing Maverick
4 个月Sara, Appreciate you sharing this!
SOC Analyst | Network Administrator | Pen Testing Enthusiast | Nunchaku Practitioner
4 个月Spot on, Sara. This policy is a step in the wrong direction. There has to be a better way to balance enterprise requirements with individual needs.
Supply Chain Program Manager | Podcaster | U.S. Marine Corps Officer
4 个月Sara, thank you for writing this article. As a O5/LtCol in the Marines, I had to forgo SkillBridge due to the new policy that does not allow for a gap in a vacated position. Despite my command's willingness to accept a gap or any efforts on my part to provide turnover instructions and get ahead of projects, the policy stands. Most Marines don't receive orders until around March, which is when transitioning Marines also find out when their replacement is arriving, usually at the end of July. This results in a retirement date near the end of the fiscal year (1st September) or later in the calendar year (HQMC prefers retirement dates before 1st October), causing various issues such as entering the workforce during non-peak hiring times, when kids go back to school, and the limited number of SkillBridge opportunities within the narrow Aug-Sep window. It also leads to the potential need to sell back leave instead of using it, creating financial and emotional losses. Additionally, the retirement COLA opportunity cost is also a concern. These policy changes have made SkillBridge more of a risk than a benefit for my transition. I'm mitigating this by leveraging other great resources like FourBlock and American Corporate Partners (ACP).
Supply Chain and Operations Executive | Veteran Advocate
4 个月Point 1 is so critical- it’s putting commanders in an unfair position. Skillbridge could just be built into the enlistment contract and many of the concerns on both ends are addressed