Bannock County’s Mission 3E Veterans Summit brings resources together to empower former service members
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The mission for Bannock County Veteran Services is simple: gather resources for veterans to assist in employment, education and entrepreneurship opportunities post-service. The Mission 3E Summit at The Village in Pocatello provided training sessions and expert advice for veterans in the community.
"Often times, veterans find that it's time to transition into something new, but they don't know where to begin," said Melissa Hartman, coordinator with Bannock County Veteran Services. "It's overwhelming and a lot of information to take in, and we just need a spot to start."
The three pillars of the future presented by Bannock County are employment, education and entrepreneurship. Hartman said most veterans are interested in one of the tracks, and some combine them. Specialists and organizations were on site at The Village on Saturday, August 15 for the summit event.
"They can learn how to apply to a federal position or how to write a resume," Hartman said. "Or if they're ready to start delving into school and what that process looks like, we can help and have professionals in those areas."
One mentionable booth at the summit was TRIO with Idaho State University, the local organization committed to helping veterans attend university and graduate with their degree. They can help with on the job training, first generation students and more at their office space on the ISU campus.
Hartman said officials from the Idaho Department of Labor were also presenting at the event, teaching veterans about job interviews and applications.
"We also have many people here who are business owners and investors and can help you if you're thinking about starting your own business and what those challenges are," she said.
The organizers said they wanted to build an in-person network for veterans in the community, going "old-school" instead of shepherding them all to an online portal with resources. Hartman said it's important to have face-to-face conversations with local resources and employers, making connections to put to use for veterans' futures.
She also said the readjustment period when any kind of service member returns home is extremely complicated and veterans may feel overstimulated by all the things to do.
"If we can just give them a tiny bit of an edge by bringing all of that together and say, hey, we're here," Hartman said. "They're used to having that platoon or that squad mentality, we're here now. We're your support system. We want veterans to succeed."
Hartman said this is the first Mission 3E Summit in Pocatello and was grateful for the food trucks and vendors who volunteered to be a part of it. For community members who want to support veterans and get involved, Bannnock County has a Military Affairs Committee that meets monthly.
