"We are really excited to join the ranks of AUSA Association Membership" said, 360VA President, Steve Salazar. "It really is a big step for our Member Services to be able to extend annual AUSA Membership to our 360VA Members" The two year, $40 membership is a great deal in itself with so many services and discounts, but we get to extend that value to our members at no cost to them.

The AUSA member benefits are extensive and a great value with discounts as well as services for our core membership: NCOs and Families. Check it all out on the AUSA website!

We are so pleased to announce that Kelly Kreis, has accepted our invitation to join our board of directors! Kelly is our first military spouse to join the board and as you would expect she is excited to represent all of our Military Families. Kelly is immensely qualified, and we are lucky to have her.  A military spouse of over 25 years including through multiple combat deployments, Kelly has served as a wife, mom, and spouse leader, all while building a career and an impressive body of volunteer work.

She has volunteered for over 25 years with an array of Non-Profit organizations performing every service including, board training and development, strategic planning, development plans and fundraising, education, marketing, database and website management, and volunteer coordination! Just what we need!  

She served as an Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) Conference Subject Matter Expert (SME), facilitator, and program manager; Team Lead for the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC); Ways and Means Chairperson, Army Spouses’ Club of the Greater Washington Area (ASCGWA); a Spouse Advisory Panel Member, Military Officer Association of America (MOAA); and until recently she was the President ASCGWA.

She currently gives her time as a Reservations Chairperson for ASCGWA and works part-time for Herman & Associates, a legislative and motor fuel regulatory compliance service.

Kelly has completed MRT and Army Community Service training.  As you can see Kelly is giving a considerable amount of her time volunteering to makes things better for our military community and especially its Family Members. What made her readily agree to join the board is seeing firsthand how the Leader 360 Course makes such a difference and her deep desire to do all she can to help us Make the Strong, Stronger!

Can hardly describe how honored and excited we are to have LTG (R) Buchanan join the 360VA board of directors. General Buchanan has been an advocate of the Leader 360 course for many years having seen it make a difference for leaders of every service from Joint Base Lewis – McChord to the Military District of Washington and more recently, Joint Base San Antonio. He has said that Leader 360 “...is the best leadership course in the Army!” He knows well what a difference it has made in the lives of so many Leaders and their Families.

Commissioned from the University of Arizona, LTG Buchanan has led at every level from Platoon to Army command. He is an Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran. Recently retired, he is continuing to serve in support of other great organizations including The Uniformed Services Benefit Association and the World Maker International/National Resilience Institute.

Sir, great to have you on board. Make the Strong, Stronger!

360VA Members Newsletter                                                            Fall 2019

From the President         

Hope everyone had a great Summer!  Over the summer months the Leader 360° Team had the opportunity to deliver life skills for hundreds of leaders from San Antonio to Alaska! 

We welcome and celebrate our most recent group of members from Joint Base San Antonio’s 502d Air Base Wing courses 19-5, 19-6 and 19-8 in July, August and September at Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases, respectively.  The Leader 360° Team also had a great trip to Fairbanks, Alaska to deliver a course to the Army troopers of US Army Alaska’s Fort Wainwright! 

We are now over 750+ Members and growing.  Pay it forward and invite a fellow Veteran and Family Member!

Your 360VA: 

It’s our Birthday!

This October 14^th our fellow citizens celebrate the discovery of America in 1492. 14 October also happens to be the date in 2015 that we incorporated 360 Veterans Association (360VA) as a 501(c)19 War Veterans organization. We did so to form a means to promote and sustain the life skills that the 360° Program has been delivering to our military service’s Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) for nearly ten years.  

We believe that the most important thing we can do to secure our democratic experiment and promote our nation’s ability to continue leading the hopes of all Americans in their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness is to equip, our military community’s most important leaders, our NCOs, to continuously improve their personal well-being and that of those they love and lead.  360VA’s purpose is to support 360° Program alumni and their fellow Veterans in their life-long endeavor to be Stronger: 360°Strong!  

To mark our birthday, we are rolling out the new logo above. It won’t replace the old one but wanted to find another format to complement our current one and depict our 360° principles. Would appreciate your feedback…think it would look good on a coin?

Our Journey

There is a lot we want to do, but these things take time, funding and many volunteer hours. We conducted our first board meeting in March 2016 and thanks to some dedicated work of our board and great supporters like Rich and Dave Barber of Startguides, LLC https://www.startguides.net we were able to launch our website and begin inviting and registering members in late 2016. Thanks to a generous donation from Got Our Troops Foundation of New Orleans in 2018 we were able to initiate our first member support programs including the Spouse Incentive Program and our “I am 360 Strong” campaign which is also supported by Mr. Kutlay Kaya, a Turkish – American and Chairman of Zenith Quest Corporation.

The support of SOS International allowed us to host our first graduation BBQ luncheon in March 2019 at Fort Myer and since then we have continued with an Ice Cream Social for each graduating class. 

We hope you enjoy and value these services…we sincerely enjoy providing them. We will sustain and grow them, but we also have a vision do much more. 

Our Vision: Promote – Sustain - Improve

Our goal is to continue to Promote the life changing 360° Program so that more and more of our leaders can benefit from being equipped with 360° life skills.  With that foundation they can continue to grow as we Sustain with members services those skills and more.  We want each member to be able to make even more of a difference for: themselves, for others and for changing the culture of our military service institutions for the promotion of well-being.  Like each if you, we continually work to improve as a program and association.

Expand Local Chapters: We would like to see local chapters in every community that the 360° Program touches. Thanks to some great volunteer service led by TSgt Lyle Kelly, we have our very first of what we hope will become many local 360VA Chapters. If  you are in JBSA area invite you to join 360VA – JBSA.

Increase Veteran Participation: Open the Leader 360° Course to our Veterans and their Families who have already transitioned. We have had a few outstanding Veteran participants and we know everyone benefits from their participation in a course.  Ultimately, we would like to be able to expand to fully donation funded Veteran courses. To assist this initiative, we have invited wounded warrior and 360° Leader Member, CPL (R) Shawn Lopez, USMC to join the 360VA Board of Directors.  Dr. Mary Lopez said, “having Shawn on our board is an ideal fit. He has unique personal experience as a wounded warrior and 360 Alum, along with the energy and passion for taking care of other Veterans.”

Interactive Sustainment Services: Starting with a 360VA App to more readily access 360VA webservices, we believe there is a way we can serve as a referral service by helping connect our Members to community and Nationwide services while also providing 360° unique interactive – virtual and/or remote – services.

360° “Booster” Course: We believe there could be value in a “Follow – On” advanced or 360° Skills “booster” course.  Our vision is a donor funded, 2-3 day off-site, experiential program to further strengthen our personal starfish saving abilities!  Let us know what you think. 

This is your association, so your thoughts and feedback are part of the role you play as a member. You can email me directly or comment on your members website in the 360VA Interactive Newsroom. 

360VA News: 

JBSA Chapter Report

360VA - JBSA reports the Ice Cream Socials continue! Our most recent graduation at Randolph Air Force Base was also supported by Popcorn Fridays! Popcorn Friday’s is a Veteran Owned Small business in the San Antonio area. “The new members really thought it was a real treat to be welcomed to 360VA with Cake, Ice Cream and now Popcorn! By the way, Raffles are a hit with 360° paraphernalia, coupons and cash prizes!”

NYPD: The 360° Team engaged in an outreach to the New York Police Department where they are struggling with an increase in police deaths by suicide.  Three of their officers joined the recent Leader 360° course in San Antonio at Randolph Air Force Base.  They attended to see the potential applicability of Leader 360° training to their police force.  But, of course the 360° Team made the most of the opportunity to make a difference in the personal lives of these dedicated professionals.  Our NYPD colleagues enjoyed every aspect of the program…including yoga and hypnosis! And, commented that the course made a difference: 360 has equipped me with…“Introspection and stress management”…“It [360] has given me a better perspective to deal with my family, peers, and subordinates.”

NOVA: 360VA has been selected as a finalist for recognition as Veteran Service Organization of the year by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.  The Distinguished Service Awards honor individuals, companies, and non-profit organizations for their service to Veterans in the Greater Washington business community. The awards are presented in recognition of community stewardship and business leadership. We will attend the ceremony on October 22d to represent you and look forward to telling you the results. 

SSG Daniel A. Quintana Memorial Leadership Award.  This quarter four leaders were recognized by their peers with the SSG Danial A. Quintana Memorial Leadership Award. They are the 44^th through 47^th recipients of this prestigious recognition.  See all 47 recipients and learn more about the SSG Daniel A. Quintana and our Memorial Leadership Award on your association’s website: www.360VA.org

Spouse Incentive Program continues to make a difference This past quarter we had over 29 spouses attend, and we know it made a real difference for them.  They said,  

• “He sat down and listened to me while trying to show me that he was listening…”,
• “…my spouse is open than before”
• “…our communication has improved
• “…everyone needs this…”

[Editor – I noted there were also a number of references to “Soup”!]

Military Community Significant Days & Observances: 

Date & Event

• October 13, 2019 - Navy Birthday
• October 14, 2019 - the fourth anniversary of 360VA incorporated in the State of Virginia as a 501(c)19 War Veterans Organization. 
• October 14, 2019 - Columbus Day: A day set aside to commemorate Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492.
• October 14 – 16, 2019 - AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC
• October 27, 2019 - 44th Marine Corps Marathon, Arlington, VA
• October 22, 2019 - Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NOVA) hosts its Distinguished Service Awards Event at the Army Navy Country Club.  360VA is honored to be among the finalist for recognition as Distinguished Veteran Service Organization of 2018. 
• October 26, 2019 - National Day of the Deployed: A day set aside to honor all of the brave men and woman who have been deployed and are sacrificing, or have sacrificed, their lives to fight for our country and acknowledges their families that they are separated from.
• October 31, 2019 – Halloween
• November is Military Family Appreciation Month - A month to honor and celebrate the contributions and sacrifices of the families of the U.S. Armed Forces. 
• November 3, 2019 - Daylight Saving Time ends
• November 10, 2019 - Marine Corps Birthday
• November 11, 2019 - Veteran’s Day. A day set aside to thank military veterans for their service. Also, the anniversary date of the signing of the armistice which ended the World War I.
• November 18 – 22, 2019 - Leader 360° Course, Joint Base Charleston
• November 28, 2019 - Thanksgiving Day
• December 1, 2019 - Civil Air Patrol (USAF Auxiliary) Birthday
• December 7, 2019 - Pearl Harbor Day
• December 9, 2019 - Leader 360° Course, Joint Base San Antonio (Fort Sam Houston, Vogel Resiliency Center)
• December 13, 2019 - National Guard Birthday
• December 14, 2019 - National Wreaths Across America - An annual laying of wreaths at Veterans cemeteries across the nation. LINK - Wreaths Across America
• December 24, 2019 - Christmas Eve
• December 25, 2019 - Christmas Day
• December 31, 2019 - New Year's Eve

Continue to Pay it forward:  Pass the word to your “Brothers and Sisters in Arms” and our military Veterans by inviting them to register for their membership at www.360VA.org.  Send us your feedback and recommendations. Participate in member groups and pass the word and follow us on:  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/360-veterans-association/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/360VA.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/360va/

We don’t ask our members for donations. Membership is free but of course all we want to do has a cost.  If you know someone who wants to make a difference with their charitable donations, ask them to consider 360VA. They can donate online https://360va.org/donate/ or contact us if they want to help in some other way. 

Best wishes for a great Fall season!

Stay 360° Strong!

Steve Salazar

BG (R), USA

President 

360 Veterans’ Association

“Making the Strong Stronger”

360VA is a 501(c)(19) War Veterans’ Organization: organized exclusively for the charitable, educational, scientific, and literary purposes to benefit veterans and members of the United States Armed Forces.  Donations are tax exempt and directly support our Nations’ Veterans.

-- Of Veterans, for Veterans --

https://www.militarytimes.com/education-transition/2019/09/26/do-veterans-lack-social-emotional-skills-a-major-study-finds-that-many-civilian-employers-believe-they-do/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2009.27.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

3 Reasons Why Veterans are Afraid of Entrepreneurship

In a title which may seem oxymoronic, indeed, offensive to a veteran, there lies some truth. Combat, the crucible of danger, calls for the most courageous and dedicated of people. One would believe, with good reason that our nation’s warriors are the perfect fit for the rigors of entrepreneurship. However, only 4.5 percentof the more than 3.6 million post 9/11 veterans will choose this path (49.7 percentin WWII). The Coalition for Veteran Owned Businesses (CVOB) states that of the 26 percent of veterans who want to start businesses, only six percent do. This is due, CVOB states, to a lack of access to funding. This and other contributors like a strong job market are all to blame but there is something else at play. That something is fear. In my own entrepreneurial experience, following 27 years in uniform and three combat tours I almost ran from this danger. Here are three reasons why. 

1.  A Culture of Risk Aversion.  

Training and combat are loaded with risk. Because of this, risk assessments compliment practically every military event, from parachute operations to a military ball. Unit safety officers constantly raise awareness and advise commanders of danger. Safety briefings and training on accident prevention precede activities ranging from weekend liberty to combat patrols. In combat, I’ve delayed operations for days due to inclement weather preventing aerial medical evacuation. Risk management works. Combat casualtieshave dropped significantly over the years and while casualties from training ebb and flow, they remain substantially low. While risk management thankfully saves lives, it does create a culture of risk aversion in a military which dominates, choosing when and where it will fight.  

Good entrepreneurs analyze risk for sure, but not typically on par with military operations. Often, they take risks or gamble based on a hunch. Hazards are often ill defined or unknown. There is no chain of command or on-call group of experts to assess and manage risk. Urgency often trumps thorough risk management and there are no safety officers alerting entrepreneurs of dangers they cannot see.  

• Isolation

From the first day in uniform onward, service members are never alone. Try going anywhere by yourself, even to the bathroom in Navy Seal training or in Army basic training and you could face expulsion. Envision a soldier in full combat gear on a remote battlefield. While the image may show only the soldier, within arm’s reach you’ll find his or her teammates. Beyond them exists a larger, cohesive team prepared to come to their rescue. Not in view but not far away, a helicopter stands ready to extract this soldier from danger. Artillery tubes and their crews stand by to provide supporting fire. Airborne surveillance drones scan the area depicting danger beyond view and attack aircraft dominate the sky ready to swoop in and save the day. The soldier is equipped with modern protective gear and weaponry. Team members watch his or her back and are ready and equipped to provide lifesaving first aid. While dangerous and frightening, the soldier is emboldened by an extensive safety net of protection, backed by a team which knows and trusts one another.  

Now picture that same soldier attempting to start a business. Scan left and right and you’ll find no one. Once removed from service, from this comprehensive safety net and sense of security, trust and teamwork all but vanishes. An investor will not rush to the aid of an entrepreneur should they stumble and fall. A business mentor won’t be at arm’s length and they’ll be nothing hovering overhead to detect threats beyond their view. A new fear emerges from this isolation and nakedness.      

• The Foreign Language and Focus of Money

Consider the fear of being thrust into a foreign country unfamiliar with the local language and customs. This is what combat feels like, especially in rural Afghanistan. I felt this fear but overcame it with my trusty interpreter by my side. Almost overnight, upon separation, the word entrepreneurship and its associated moneylanguage, rarely spoken in the military, become the veteran’s new native tongue. Scale, venture capital and valuation replace phase line, time on target, and mission command. I and my soldiers were good stewards of our allocated Army budget but we never lost sleep over cashflow or meeting payroll. Finances received little attention, especially after 9/11 where the military seemed to operate from a government blank check. We received our standard pay and allowances instead of negotiating a compensation package. To this day, three years into my own entrepreneurship journey, I’m still uncomfortable with this focus on money. I have mentors to turn to but they’re not at arm’s length.    

While some battles have been lost, the war -- veterans as entrepreneurs-- is not. This fear can be defeated when veteran entrepreneurship is treated as a journey and not a one size fits all class or evening networking event. It starts with self-awareness and passion alignment. It then requires mentorship from engaged former military and civilian business mentors. Mentors must develop trust and actively and constantly challenge the veteran bolstering their courage and keeping them on task. “Call if you need me” will not work. Experienced teachers must transform the veteran’s risk management process and teach the new language of money. Vignettes of successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs should be studied. Repetitive exercises, like rifle drills, in business planning and operations should be conducted. We must find ways to replace the teamwork and trust once enjoyed in uniform with a new team of brave, risk-taking, mentors, coaches and trainers.  

Veterans fought for the very freedom entrepreneurship provides. They ought to enjoy what they fought for. Emboldened by a new approach to risk, new businesscomrades and entrepreneurial language skills, they can muster the courage to overcome the obstacles of starting a business becoming America’s next generation of entrepreneurs.  

Colonel Rob Campbell

Rob Campbell is the founder of Investing in People Consulting and Coaching LLC.  A leadership entrepreneur, Rob speaks, writes and coaches on leadership in the modern workplace.  He is the author of It’s Personal, Not Personnel, Leadership Lessons for the Battlefield and the Boardroom.  Rob is a 27-year Army veteran with combat service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Under Rob’s leadership, his 5,000-person infantry brigade achieved Army-leading (number one of 34 brigades) results in personnel performance, soldier retention, promotion selection rates and other leadership accomplishments.

robcampbellleadership.com

  Check out Rob's Book!

360 Veterans’ Association Members Newsletter

Summer 2019

From the President

Summer is here! Time for Family, fun and celebrating our Nation’s Independence.  Happy Birthday USA!  We also celebrate our most recent group of members from the May Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) Leader 360 Course. And, we are excited to be heading back to JBSA to deliver courses for Army North and the Air Forces 502d Air Wing over the summer. We are now over 600 Members and growing! Thank you!

Got Our Troops Foundation 7^thAnnual Golf Tournament

360VA was privileged to be sponsored by Got Our Troops Foundation of New Orleans to participate in their 7^thAnnual Golf Tournament. The GOT Foundation and some generous donors in San Antonio afforded us the opportunity to host USMC Veteran CPL Shawn Lopez, Army SSG Ben Weller and his wife Amber from the Military District of Washington, and our JBSA Chapter President, Air Force TSgt Lyle Kelley and his wife Samantha. All had a great time meeting local veterans, enjoying some great NOLA food and taking a whack at some Golf! 

GOT Foundation Recognized with its First “Starfish” Award!

Dr. Mary Lopez said, “it’s great to be invited back, feel the support of the New Orleans community and get to personally say thanks by presenting Got Our Troops with their First Starfish Award”!  GOT Foundation is making a difference!

JBSA Chapter Report

JBSA President Lyle Kelley reports the first Ice Cream Social was a hit! He said, “The new members really thought it was a special treat to get welcomed to 360VA with Cake and Ice Cream and it was great for our chapter members to meet them and as always see the 360 Team!”

SSG Daniel A. Quintana

So, as it happens, we often lose contact with even those so important to us. Such was the case with 360 and Nilda. We had lost contact as both had moved from Germany following Daniel’s death. Gratefully, we are all a small - big military Family and during our most recent course at Joint Base San Antonio a couple in the class recognized that they knew the story of SSG Daniel Quintana because they had met his Family while serving at a TAPS grief camp. They passed us Nilda’s contact information and we have been so pleased and honored to get reconnected. Nilda sent the update below over Memorial Day weekend. 

I remember the day Daniel came back from 360 Leaders Course in Vilseck, he came talking about what he did in the class and that he actually loved the experience. Never would have imagined that would have been the last class he was able to attend after he deployed and was KIA Sept of 2011. I was 7 months pregnant with our daughter Adriana and my son was 13 at that time. Today Adriana loves hearing stories about her Daddy and I did show her this award as well. My son Jose joined the United States Navy. I heard a few years later from a mutual friend that attended one of the courses that it was named in honor of my husband and I was so proud that so many people recognized the great man and leader he was.  I am so happy that I was finally able to say thank you for it. Please let’s don’t lose the contact!

We will not lose contact Nilda and we will Never Forget! In May, SSG Hasand Sanders, USA was recognized by his peers for his leadership and became the 43^rdrecipient of the SSG Daniel A. Quintana Memorial Leadership Award. With the support of our members and caring leaders, there will be many more to come.

SSG Daniel A. Quintana Memorial Leadership Award.  Learn more about the Leadership award, see the list of all 43 recipients and learn how you can sponsor a Veterans attendance to a Leader 360° Course on your association’s website:www.360VA.org

Spouse Incentive Programgenerated its highest turnout recently at Joint Base San Antonio when 16 spouses participated in the course! We know it made a real difference for them and all of us as well. Thank you for joining us!

Military Community Significant Days & Observances: 

 04 July            243^rdIndependence Day

22 July            Leader 360 Course, 502d Air Wing, JBSA

29 July            Army Chaplain Corps Anniversary

 01 Aug            Air Force Day

 04 Aug            Coast Guard 228^thBirthday

 06 Aug            Leader 360 Course, Joint Base San Antonio

 07 Aug            Purple Heart Day

 10 Aug            DoD Birthday

 12 Aug            Leader 360 Course, 502d Air Wing, JBSA

 29 Aug            Marine Corps Reserve Birthday

 02 Sep            Labor Day

 11 Sep            Patriots Day

 18 Sep            Air Force Birthday

 20 Sep            POW/MIA Day

360 COIN. So, we think it is time we get serious about minting a 360 coin as a feature of our “I am 360 Strong” campaign! -- We had actually had report of a broken wristband recently! Btw, you can contact us for replacements anytime. -- Details to follow, but we will recognize the selected design with a $360 cash award! Watch your email for details. 

Pay it forward.  Pass the word to your “Brothers and Sisters in Arms”and our military Veterans by inviting them to register for their membership atwww.360VA.org.  Send us your feedback and recommendations. Participate in member groups and pass the word and follow us on: 

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/360-veterans-association/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pg/360VA.org/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/360va

Best wishes for a great, safe Summer!

Stay 360° Strong!

Steve Salazar

BG (R), USA

President

360 Veterans’ Association

“Making the Strong Stronger”

360VA is a 501(c)(19) War Veterans’ Organization: organized exclusively for charitable, educational, scientific, and literary purposes to benefit veterans and members of the United States Armed Forces.  Donations are tax exempt and directly support our Nations’ Veterans.

-- Of Veterans, for Veterans --