VIENNA, Va. (Nov. 9, 2011) -- The commanding officer of the United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment spoke with government, military and industry leaders during the 2nd Annual Wounded Warrior Hiring and Support Conference Wednesday. The two-day conference was hosted by Naval Sea Systems Command in an effort to gather those “that are committed to hiring and supporting wounded warriors in the workplace,” according to the official website for the event.
Col. John L. Mayer sat on a panel with his counterparts from the other branches of service. Together with Mayer, Army Col. Greg Gadson, Navy Capt. Valerie Zimmerman and Air Force LtCol. Susan Black provided an overview of each service’s wounded warrior program and their efforts to connect servicemembers transitioning out of active service with potential employers and career pathways.
Participation in the panel had additional meaning because November is Warrior Care Month, a Navy and Marine Corps-wide effort to increase awareness and understanding of wounded warrior programs and services available to Navy and Marine Corps servicemembers, and their families, government and non-government partners, and the American public.
Mayer described a portion of the WWR staff that is “specifically designed to assist Marines who will join the civilian workforce or pursue academic goals.” Each of the Regiment’s two battalions, located in Camp Lejeune, N.C. and Camp Pendleton, Calif. have unit transition coordinators who work in concert with the transition cell at the Regiment. They provide assistance such as resume writing, career planning, federal internship placement and mentoring. The transition staff also networks with various government and non-government organizations to match Marines who are leaving activity duty with available career positions.
While the transition staff’s primary mission is assisting Marines with employment, other staff in the WWR also contribute to this mission. “Each wounded, ill or injured Marine assigned to the WWR is supported by a recovery care coordinator, section leader and unit transition coordinator,” Mayer said. These staff members work with Marines at the appropriate point during their recovery to develop a comprehensive career assessment, establish an education and career plan and determine what steps are necessary to accomplish set goals.
After learning about what the WWR and other wounded warrior programs do to support Marines as they look for future careers, the audience asked what industry leaders could do to connect with these programs in order to communicate the opportunities they have to offer. The overall response from the panel was to contact them so the wounded warrior programs’ transition coordinators can communicate with them directly.
Employers who are interested in extending employment to wounded, ill or injured Marines should call the Regiment’s 24/7 Sergeant Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center at (877) 487-6299.
Established in 2007, the Marine Corps’ WWR provides and facilitates non-medical care to combat and non-combat wounded, ill, and injured Marines, and Sailors attached to or in direct support of Marine units and their family members in order to assist them as they return to duty or transition to civilian life. The Regi¬mental Headquarters element, located in Quantico, Va, commands the operations of two Wounded Warrior Battalions lo¬cated at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C., and multiple detachments in locations around the globe.