Who among us Navy veterans has not muttered throughout our lives “I learned this in the Navy” or “The Navy taught me this?” Children, friends, and colleagues have long heard these sworn testimonies.
We are Navy veterans, a force of several million MacGyvers.
“Forehandedness.”
We love “gear.”
And we know how to organize work.
Withering critics of bad management, foolishness, and pretension.
And we are sitting around enjoying our civilian lives with no way to connect with that mystic brotherhood of veteran shipmates and sailors on active duty. Everyone has an alumni association—except us. We are too hard-wired for purposeful activity to endure social events with veterans of all the armed forces. Nor are all of us interested in “projecting sea power,” and other such lobbying efforts. There does exist a magnificent alternative, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, to which I belong. Fine. But I want to work with other Navy veterans for the common purpose of serving the Navy. Yes, it is possible to serve two masters.
What I have in mind is Navy veterans whose primary mission is helping the Navy recruit—telling the Navy story to young people. A secondary mission would be to extend a helping hand to active-duty members who have concerns and needs beyond their immediate family—the enlisted sailor worried that her grandmother will have heating bills paid this winter or asking someone to look in on her. We also could extend our hand to Navy veterans experiencing difficulties, emotional and otherwise. A third mission would be to be ready to assist local first responders‚ training in ICS (Incident Command System), or, in some cases, having unique gear to provide (think of the Cajun Navy, as an example).
These three missions demonstrate the Navy brand and build permanent Navy towns across America.
How will this work in real time? Simple: We will copy the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and, instead of recreational boating safety and operational assistance, we will advance the Three Missions. The playbooks are already there—structure, command etc.
Now, will this organization be a formal part of the Navy? That is unlikely. Although the Coast Guard Auxiliary is volunteer, there are still operating expenditures. While the Three Missions are clear cut, they are still intangible and not directly related to the current Navy mission. But this organization can be formed as a nonprofit, either a IRC Sec. 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19). Operating revenues can be funded from private donations, both individual and other.
Uniforms? The current Coast Guard navy blue ODU’s are just fine and available anywhere. Personally, I prefer garrison caps to ball caps, with a device indicating Navy veteran. That’s enough for a start.
Working relationships? We will establish close relations with local Navy Talent Acquisitions Groups (NTAGs), as well as Naval Offices of Community Outreach. For veteran support, we will get referrals from the Veterans Administration. And active-duty support will rely on local bases and commands to spread the word. We will get to know local FEMA management and first responders. All of this requires building trust—trust is the common currency of all shipmates, past and present.
How to start? With an incorporation as a not-for-profit corporation in Delaware, followed by a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. With an Employer Identification Number and a Certificate of Incorporation, a bank account can be opened. I have already reserved a website: navet.org. Communicate on LinkedIn, Slack. etc. With a determination letter, contributions are tax deductible. Nondeductible contributions are not unknown. Hundreds of millions of dollars donated to political campaigns are all non-deductible.
For a slide deck on all this, you can contact me on LinkedIn. Or shoot an email to ars38@me.com (Who among us doesn’t use old hull numbers?).
In the meantime, if there is interest and this is being “formed,” what can you do? Attend a Coast Guard Auxiliary meeting to get a feel for the structure and organization, contact your local NTAG, a recruiter, anyone who will speak with you. Ask how you can help. Call, or use LinkedIn/Facebook to contact me. Drop by in person. Contact FEMA, your local fire department etc. With hashtags #Nav Veteran on Facebook and LinkedIn a lot of shipmates can be informed of this proposal in a short period, with links to a ten-minute webinar.
A mystic band of brothers and sisters with no boundaries of time and space; bonds forged early in our lives; a realm of imagination, memories to which we constantly return. And now these bonds and memories can be the deck planks of a new platform which deepen our commitment to our communities, to all generations of shipmates and to the United States Navy.
