PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- The commander of the Installation Management Command spoke during the Association of Defense Communities conference here Aug. 6 about the important job communities around the nation are doing to support their troops.
During that speech, Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter spoke about the importance of providing Soldiers and their families with support that allows the service members to focus on completing their missions.
To help assist Soldiers and their families with successful careers and high quality of life, Ferriter pointed to the 107,000 IMCOM employees who are "dedicated professionals supporting Soldiers and families around the world."
The employees are the "face of the Army's commitment to Soldiers and families and set the standard for caring and service," Ferriter said.
He also said that it is as important to get that support from "outside the gates." To support this point, he explained that while 33 percent of military members and their families live on post, 67 percent live in off-post housing.
When military families move to a community, they become part of that community, which is why the Army's Community Covenant is so important.
The partnerships forged by the covenant support education, behavioral health support, financial planning, legal assistance and spouse employment, Ferriter said.
The Community Covenant also builds and sustains "effective state and community partnerships to improve the quality of life for Soldiers and their families," he explained.
Taking care of a Soldier doesn't stop the day a Soldier's enlistment ends.
Ferriter pointed to the importance of employment for transitioning Soldiers who leave the military community to join civilian communities.
He said that preparing Soldiers to successfully transition from uniform to civilian life includes focusing on employment and higher education.
He explained that the process begins at least 12 months prior to the Soldier's separation and that there are strong partnerships with the Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to assist a Soldier with the right tools to succeed.
After Ferriter spoke at the conference, he toured the Presidio of Monterey and met with service members during lunch at the Belas dining facility.
Social Sharing