A plane touches down on a desert runway. A soldier inside strains against their harness as the plane decelerates. Soon the back ramp of the plane is lowered, and the soldier takes their first steps onto foreign soil. They squint from the glare of the desert sun and shift their helmet to absorb the sweat that has already begun forming on their brow. Their mind races with questions. What will this deployment be like? How will current political events shape my time here? How well will my family cope while I’m away? Their mind drifts to thoughts of home and their civilian job. If they were home, they’d be at their desk with a cup of coffee, logging into the State network to get the day started.
For many State Employees, this scenario is a reality. Serving in the National Guard or Reserves requires monthly and annual training and often includes active-duty deployments. Balancing a career with the State of Indiana and military service can be a challenge. The demands of home, work and military service require a fine balancing act of priority setting and flexible scheduling.
John Spears, Civil Engineering Section Manager with the Department of Natural Resources, has learned over the years how to manage a busy civilian career with an equally busy career in the Indiana Army National Guard. “My typical military time commitment ranges from 10-20 hours per week, sometimes more depending on what’s going on. I most recently completed U.S. Army Command & General Staff College, which was about 2 yrs of 10-15 hours per week on top of normal duties,” John says.
When asked about managing deployments and other military commitments including weekend drills and trainings, John gives this advice, “Alternate work schedule has been helpful to complete the needs of my full-time job & flex my time as needed to meet the needs of my military job. Mobilizations can happen in a moment’s notice & can be stressful. Service members are some of the most resilient people I’ve known, but it does take time & space to adjust both for getting ready for a mobilization & returning to normal life. So, what we need most is some time & space for those adjustment periods.”
John believes one of the benefits of working in both worlds is the potential for partnerships between State Agencies and military units. “I do think there’s opportunity for partnership with state/local government & the National Guard. This is particularly true with engineer units. Service members that are in both the military & these government entities can be a liaison between the two. It’s just a matter of asking the question & figuring out where there is common ground of mutual benefit.”
Understanding the perspectives and challenges faced by employees who also serve in the military helps foster trust and support. Resources for the veteran community are available at www.in.gov/dva/divisions/indiana-benefits-at-a-glance. To stay in touch with the latest veteran related news, please subscribe to the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs monthly newsletter at www.in.gov/dva/newsroom.
The State Employee Veteran Resource Group is here to support veterans and their families. The group is open to anyone interested in learning more about veteran support services. Get connected by emailing Paul Brayton at PBrayton@dnr.in.gov
