Connecting veterans with trucking, security jobs
Task Force Movement (TFM) Vice Chairman Dan Kunze is this week’s special guest on The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
Supported by the White House since its inception in April 2022, TFM works to connect veterans and the military community with jobs in the trucking sector and cybersecurity industry. TFM was formed to combat the supply-chain issues brought on by the pandemic. (More on Task Force Movement.)
“The Biden-Harris administration was trying to solve the problems of jobs and the supply chain industry specific to trucking,” said Kunze, an officer in the Army Reserves. “COVID-19 proved to us how critical our supply chain was. It proved to us how critical our supply chain is. And it also proved to us how undervalued we were treating our folks who get our goods from one place to the other.”
More than 500 veterans have been awarded free scholarships, and more than 130 employers participate in the program’s apprenticeship program.
Kunze is a leading voice in developing enterprise strategy and policy, enterprise technology, talent management, and policy efforts that support workforce development and warfighting demands.
Task Force Movement’s mission, the infrastructure bill and other initiatives are keys to helping the nation emerge from pandemic-related setbacks. “We’re betting on America and we’re betting on American people,” he said. “If you are putting money in infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and in the veterans community, then that means you believe in that community and what you are investing in.”
Kunze also offers some advice for military-connected personnel and careers:
• For transitioning servicemembers, “you need to cultivate your network, you need to be unafraid to be in the veteran network and be part of organizations like The American Legion.”
• For veterans, he says, cultivating their network with veterans and service organizations is also key. Additionally, “use organizations like Task Force Movement for what we’re worth. Help us help you make a transition from one bridge to another. And have some courage to say, ‘I’m going to do something else.’ And know that you have organizations behind you that want you to succeed, whether you can see it or not.”
This week the podcast also welcomes back original co-host Ashley Gorbulja as she is substituting briefly for Ashley Gutermuth, who was unavailable for the recording.
Also on the episode, hosts Jeff Daly and Gorbulja offer their thoughts on:
• An Air Force family forced to move due to LGBQT bullying.
• A new recruiting concept by the Marines, which elicited a “Semper Freaking Fidelis,” from Daly, a Marine veteran.
• The Army extending boot camp to prepare recruits who fall short of the initial physical fitness standards.
Check out this week’s episode, which is among more than 180 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on iTunes, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.