Veteran Organizations Form Nation’s First Statewide Network for Former Service Members in Texas

HOUSTON – Texas is now the first state in the country to offer veterans an interconnected network of services to help them go from the battlefield to the civilian workforce.Veterans groups, philanthropies, state agencies and institutions of higher education have joined forces to for create the Texas Veterans Network. The unique collaboration will streamline services to help veterans accelerate the transition to successful careers outside the military. Combined Arms, a Texas-based collaborative impact organization using an innovative approach of technology and service delivery to disrupt the veteran transition experience, joined The Texas A&M University System and other groups – including the Texas Workforce Commission, Wal-Mart Foundation, Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and Texas Veterans Commission – to connect veterans and their families with the resources and programming they need to thrive. The newly formed Texas Veterans Network is intended to meet the needs of fragmented communities and the veteran families who live in them.

The network will provide the first and most comprehensive combination of customized assessments and vetted quality programming for veterans anywhere. Historically, veteran services have existed in silos without any the effective communication needed to improve the processes. This partnership will ensure that all federal, state, and local government and nonprofit agencies are connected into the Texas Veterans Network in order to effectively serve more military, veterans, and their families in both urban and rural areas of Texas. State agencies will now have the capability to connect these veterans and families into a comprehensive network of services ranging from employment to education to healthcare to volunteering in a matter of seconds by leveraging the Texas Veterans Network technology to connect directly with government and nonprofit partners.

The Director of the Texas A&M University System Office of Veteran Services, Colonel Gerald Smith, USMC (Ret.) stated, “we look forward to this new formalized and collaborative effort to enhance veteran support and serve as a model for the rest of the country.”

he formation of the network is made possible by funding from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), The American Job Center Network and the generosity of the Wal-Mart Foundation, which has made significant contributions toward expanding employment for veterans after they have finished their service to the country.

John Boerstler, Combined Arms CEO, stated, “by continuing to invest in the expertise of the Texas Veterans Network, the impact on the transitioning veteran population is efficient and immediate.”

About Combined Arms
Combined Arms is a Texas-founded and Texas-operated nonprofit organization committed to unleashing the impact of veterans on the communities they return to. Through streamlined assessments and customized resources based on individual veteran needs, Combined Arms is simplifying and accelerating the connection point between veterans and resources. Combined Arms deploys a data-driven approach and a collaborative, connected model of service delivery so that veterans and the community are united after the uniform.

About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation with a budget of $6.3 billion. The System is a statewide network of 11 universities; a comprehensive health science center; eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management; and the RELLIS Campus. The Texas A&M System educates more than 151,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $1 billion in FY 2019 and helped drive the state’s economy.

Contact: Tim Eaton
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
(979) 458-6018
teaton@tamus.edu