As a former commander of military forces, I can say with confidence that the troops serving our country benefit from one of the most extensive education, training and readiness programs in existence. This has been proven again and again over the last 13 years as servicemembers have excelled under extraordinarily stressful conditions faced on the front lines of our national defense. When it comes to America’s military veterans, how-ever, they are not always credited with the enviable skills and personal qualities they have gained and nurtured during their ser-vice years.

Military analysts expect approximately 200,000 veterans to be released from active duty each year for the next five years. Unfor-tunately, the unemployment rate for veter-ans, and particularly for post-9/11 veterans between 24 and 35 years old, has ranged between four and nine points above the national average for the last five years. A hur-dle for veterans is that the excellent skills and traits they bring from their service careers don’t easily appear to translate directly into new civilian careers.

When I retired from the Navy after 36 years of service, I was fortunate to find an organization that offered me the opportunity to help address this problem. That organiza-tion is SAP National Security Services (SAP NS2), a Rockville, Md.-based software com-pany that is led by 20-year Air Force veteran Mark Testoni. It is staffed by many veterans

of military and national security service, as well as other employees who simply appreci-ate the service and qualities of our veterans. Under Testoni’s leadership, last year SAP NS2 established an independent, non-profit organization called NS2 Serves, which is not just talking about helping our military veterans, but is actually training vets and helping them find employment.

U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry, Medal of Honor recipient, keynotes at NS2 Serves graduation.

[Photo courtesy of NS2 Serves]

Strengthening national Security by inveSting in veteranS.by JoSeph Kernan

As seen in the June 2014 issue of

www.MAE-kmi.com1 | Reprinted from Military Advanced Education, Volume 9, Issue 5

NS2 Serves is more than just a “feel good” initiative. During a rigorous, 11-week program, veterans are trained in the use of SAP software solutions to support critical missions in the military and private sec-tor, graduating with sought-after certifica-tions that are valuable in many careers. The curriculum also includes communications skills and creative problem-solving, as well as weekly engagements with business mentors and career placement advisors.

In May, the first class of 17 veteran-trainees graduated from this program and has been working with several companies to secure employment, including CSC, SRA, Accenture Federal, HCL Axon, IBM, Deloitte, Huntington Ingalls Industries, CACI, Unisys, Lockheed Martin, ManTech, RTS, JTSI, Per-

fecta, SAP NS2 and SAP America. Several government agencies also participated in our recruiting and hiring efforts, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Defense Logistics Agency, Navy and Army. Many of our graduates will begin their new jobs in June.

We are committed to taking our small scale success and expanding it to benefit more deserving veterans. Appli-cations are being accepted now for the second class to begin in September. Inter-ested candidates should apply online at www.ns2serves.org/apply-now.html. How-ever, multiple classes on an annual basis can only be accomplished with the support of willing partners. Corporate, individual and nonprofit sponsors are critical to this goal.

As chairman of NS2 Serves and a military veteran, it has been my honor and privilege to work alongside many dedicated colleagues at SAP NS2 to make a difference in the lives of these veterans. Through this non-profit venture, we are empowering a com-mitted, talented yet underutilized workforce to thrive in new civilian careers. In many cases, they will continue serving our national security needs as civilians serving in other government and federal organizations.

During our recent graduation ceremony, Mark Testoni commented on the lack of substantive success of many veteran hiring programs in affording veterans long-term, progressive career opportunities. His and NS2 Serves’ goal will always be careers for veterans, that they and their families can be proud of and benefit from for many years—and we believe we have reached this milestone for our inaugural class. O

Vice Adm. (Ret.) Joseph Kernan

Vice Admiral Joseph Kernan (U.S. Navy, retired) is a 35-year Navy SEAL veteran and chairman of the NS2 Serves Board of Directors. After spending the early part of his career as an engineering officer on a Navy cruiser, Kernan joined the SEAL com-munity, operating in many regions over 30 years before becoming commander of Naval Special Warfare Command in 2007. He returned to the fleet as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet and also served as senior mili-tary assistant to former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Deputy Commander, United States Southern Command.

To learn more about NS2 Serves, including how you can get involved, visit www.ns2serves.org.

For more information, contact MAE Editor Kelly Fodel at kellyf@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives

for related stories at www.mae-kmi.com.

Darnell Broadnax, NS2 Serves graduate and 20-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, speaks at the graduation ceremony. [Photo courtesy of NS2 Serves]

NS2 Serves graduation in May 2014, featuring the inaugural class and instructors. [Photo courtesy of NS2 Serves]

www.MAE-kmi.com2 | Reprinted from Military Advanced Education, Volume 9, Issue 5