Servicemember comes full-circle: Serving our nation as an Army sergeant, VA training specialist on the Digital GI Bill
Together, we can make sure that as veterans transition to civilian life, it opens doors to new opportunities and ways to thrive.
Transitioning from military to civilian life can bring a great deal of angst. Everything is different: the mission, the culture, the skillset required to land a livable wage, even the language.
The Servicemembers’ Readjustment Act of 1944, more commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights, was created in part to upskill veterans for civilian life by providing college tuition stipends and to ease the transition from military housing to home ownership through low-interest home loans. The GI Bill has done this and more, truly earning its reputation as one of the greatest pieces of legislation to be signed into law in the 20th Century. This year the program that started in 1944 during World War II celebrates 80 years.
I’ve seen firsthand what a gamechanger it is.
When I left the military as an Army Sergeant First Class and took the leap to a civilian job with my newly earned Bachelor’s and later Master’s degrees, the journey was daunting. It felt like a whole new world, cue the Aladdin theme song. There was a ton of paperwork to fill out. And much of the process was done over a legacy mainframe that proved inefficient and time intensive.
This created in me a resolve to help ease the process for other veterans to make at least this portion of their military to civilian transition much smoother.
This summer, the Department of Veterans Affairs moved one step closer to decommissioning that 50+ year system by converting much of its beneficiary data and payment processing to a modern platform, which is not only more secure but also reduces maintenance costs.
I know firsthand how difficult the process was in the past and how easy it is today. After a decade serving in the Army, I now work on that new and improved system — the Digital GI Bill (DGIB) program — as a contractor, using my operations management experience to continue to serve others and give back a portion of the gratitude I still feel over the program that became a saving grace for me.
It’s my way of honoring our heroes.
The Digital GI Bill program transforms what was once a lengthy, complicated process that could take months to finish into a quick, efficient task that can be completed in 10 minutes. Imagine the time it takes to enjoy a good cup of coffee is now the time it takes for a veteran or his or her family member to apply for benefits!
This work fills me with immense pride. Working with the DGIB training team to directly help those who work with the GI Bill beneficiaries every day has been such an impactful experience for me. Developing materials to train over 20,000 school certifying officials on a new system (Enrollment Manager) that helps beneficiaries more efficiently get their payments is a rewarding milestone to be a part of and I’m grateful I can support a modernization effort that has such an impact on the educational opportunities, career pathways and post-service lives of veterans.
The DGIB transformation isn’t just about efficiency, although that is important. For me, this is about showing respect and gratitude to our military community, acknowledging their sacrifices and providing a tangible way to ease their transition. By simplifying this process, we’re showing our veterans how much we value them.
DGIB isn’t just a program. It’s a testament to what we can accomplish when we put technology and compassion to work for those who have given so much to our nation.
As we continue to refine and enhance the ways we support our veterans and their families, let’s take a moment to spread the word and ensure every veteran knows accessing their benefits is now easier than ever. This Veterans Day, and the entire month of November, let’s renew our commitment to those who have given so much and ask for so little in return.
Together, we can make sure that as veterans transition to civilian life, it opens doors to new opportunities and ways to thrive.
Lilian Morales is a training associate manager at Accenture Federal Services and Army veteran, working on the Digital GI Bill program in support of the VA.
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