Military and Civilian Service Make for a Powerful Combination

By Robert L. Gordon III, President of Be the Change, Inc., former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense

Robert L. Gordon III, president of Be the Change, Inc., shares how his family’s experience represents “a new transformative continuum, with Veterans and military family members transitioning out of military service to bring their talents, commitment, and sense of duty to the national civilian service sector to tackle some of the nation’s most pressing problems.”

There is a well-known picture in my family of my father, my brother and me – all in our military and cadet uniforms – laughing on our sofa at my parents’ home in Colorado Springs. Indeed, my father and I served a total of 53 years in the Army, and my brother spent six years serving as an Air Force Officer. My sister married an Army engineer captain, who eventually went on to become a senior Foreign Service Officer in the Department of State. My mother and wife, both military spouses, were instrumental to strengthening our familial and military communities as we deployed and moved to scores of military installations at home and abroad.

Our experience underscores the commitment my family made to serve our country across two generations, and now we watch proudly as our children carry the legacy in national civilian service. One of my sons, three nieces and one nephew have all served in national civilian service organizations, City Year and Teach for America, which are members of the AmeriCorps network. We value their service in high poverty schools and challenged communities to make a measurable and meaningful difference. My son served in an elementary school in Boston, while years later one of my nieces found herself in service for two years as a teacher in an underserved school in Atlanta.

Continue Reading Robert’s Story

Robert L. Gordon III is the President of Be the Change, Inc.. He is the former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, and a 26 year Army Veteran. He is a member of the Leadership Council of the Franklin Project on national service at The Aspen Institute.