Patrick Murphy, undersecretary and acting secretary of the U.S. Army, has said he believes the entire military branch should emulate efforts at Fort Hood, Texas, to help soldiers make the transition to civilian life.
“Fort Hood is really the model when it comes to the Soldier for Life program,” Murphy said in a statement published Thursday.
He also pointed to the base’s partnership with Raytheon and General Motors to train transitioning military personnel for service technician positions at the two companies under the Shifting Gears initiative.
“To see in action what the community of Fort Hood is doing — the civilian community outside the gates and the community inside those gates — and how they are working at creating these public-private partnerships is inspiring,” he added.
Murphy estimates the Army and the Defense Department have spent approximately $4.6 billion in military unemployment benefits over the past five years and believes a portion of funds allocated for unemployment compensation should go to transition assistance programs.