Caleb S. Cage: Launch of Green Zone Initiative set for Aug. 14

After more than a year of effort, I am very excited to announce that we are ready to launch the Green Zone Initiative in full Aug. 14.

It is our statewide strategic planning model created to improve the delivery of services to Nevada’s veterans, service members and families. The object is to align services, recommending policy improvements and outlining funding opportunities. The focus has been on workforce development, education and wellness.

We developed a plan allowing us to better implement the ideas we generated. From statewide to local infrastructure, these efforts will be the next phase of our initiative. They will be the focus of our launch, which will be at the Las Vegas City Hall.

The launch will begin with presentations. Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey will present about how the initiative fits into the national conversation. A representative from the Department of Defense’s Office of Warrior and Family Support also talk about how the effort fits that office’s state-level partnership program aimed at improving the transition process for service members and their family members. Gov. Brian Sandoval also will speak.

Following the remarks, we will start unveiling the efforts we have developed to help us carry this program forward. We will unveil the Green Zone Network, a social networking site allowing those with military ties to communicate and stay informed. We will officially announce the activation of our Veteran Community Councils, and we will unveil the Green Zone Employer program, which has been created thanks to a generous grant from the Nevada Military Support Alliance.

At noon, the Nevada Office of Veterans Services will host a networking luncheon. In the afternoon, we will host focus groups focused on ways to improve services with respect to the initiative’s focus areas, as well as for our female-veterans program.

For more information about this event, go toveterans.nv.gov.

For those who are interested but cannot travel to the launch, we will promote the initiative statewide after Aug. 14. We hope you will join us.

Caleb S. Cage is the executive director of the Nevada Office of Veterans Services.