Veterans have been here before

We have been living in the social distancing environment for 4 weeks now, and it has dawned on me that veterans probably feel more at home in this space than most Americans. We are used to overcoming the anxiety that physically separating from family and friends can bring due to a deployment. We are used to the concept of doing things that are personally uncomfortable or inconvenient, for the greater good of the country or globe. 

With that perspective in mind, I thought it would be helpful if I relayed some tips that I have found useful both during my service overseas but also when we returned to the working America we all love.

1.   Answer the call with Courage: We are all under a new level of stress and it takes courage to push forward in the face of that stress. In the military we are trained that simplifying the mission as much as possible will increase it’s likelihood of success. “Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast.” We must apply that principle to our interactions with our fellow citizens. Recognize that our own attitude can add to not only our own stress but also the stress around us. Now is the time to practice empathy, compassion, and understanding more than ever. 

2.   Find your Tribe: We never take on an enemy alone, we require a team, or a tribe. You are not alone in this struggle. Find people who can embrace and enjoy “the suck” together. We are #AloneTogether and we need to all check in on each other more than ever. When we defeat COVID-19, it will be because we of the collective effort at social distancing we all made.

3.   Find a way to win: One thing I know about Americans is that we are innovative at our core. Americans are more digitally connected than ever before, because of innovations in video chat applications, in social media, and mobile technology. Whatever problem you might be facing, trust that there is a way to win, and you can find that winning path.

4.   Embrace New Ideas:  Finally, every veteran that’s been deployed knows that when you return back to home you’ll find things have changed. As we have all developed our own new ways to accomplish our mission at home or work, those processes might be different than what we did before. It is imperative for the return to work that we are not quick to discount our own or others new procedures because simply because they are new. Rather, we need to give every idea the space to prevail.

The sun will indeed come up tomorrow, and the American people will again show the world how we never buckle in the face of a challenge.