Project RELO

When I agreed to participate in the Project RELO experience in 2016, I knew very little about it. All I knew was that it had to do with spending time with military vets. Perhaps like you, I thought I had a good handle on the value that America’s veterans bring to an organization. Leadership, of course. Tenacity, certainly. Endurance, check. However, after going through Project RELO, my perspective has permanently been altered, and I see that while those are qualities that vets unquestionably bring to the table, they woefully understate their value.

Project RELO is a non-profit that brings business leaders together with veterans on a multi-day series of “missions” on a military base. For a short three days, business leaders live what can only be described as a glimpse of the military experience. We witness the kind of deep professional education, personal development, character building, and intellectual challenges that have defined their military careers.

During the day, our military vets were our guides at the massive Camp Grayling in Northern Michigan. Our “battle buddies” took us through simulators where we fired imitation rounds from real machine guns and other military weapons. They ran us through convoy training and virtual reality simulations. We experienced mock negotiations with tribal leaders, navigated underground sewer tunnels, and simulated an urban assault. This just scratched the surface of helping us appreciate the extent to which our military members are trained.

At night, we debriefed, ate dinner, and had deeply earnest discussions around the fire. Incidentally, this was my first experience sleeping in a tent (best sleep ever). We learn from the veterans, in a very personal way, what they bring to an organization.

Although it can hardly be compared to military experience, Project RELO enabled me to formulate a mental model of how military experience brings out the adaptive, collaborative, communicative, and loyal traits in these Americans. These are merits that so many companies in corporate America say are hard to find. It is best to grasp these qualities by meeting my veteran friends:

Casey: Each business leader was assigned a battle buddy. Casey was mine for the first half. Casey is a young, enthusiastic, incredibly energetic, highly intelligent young man with a strong sense of kinship. Immediately upon meeting Casey, you are part of his family. His loving and empathetic nature could lead you to believe that he was raised with strong parental bonds. Negative. It was his many deployments overseas, in battle and in peace, that kindled his collaborative spirit and his recognition of the value in every person. It was during his infantry experience, starting at age 18, that Casey formed his notion family. Casey depended on his team in the ways his team depended on him: emotionally, professionally, and, at times, existentially.

Marsha: Marsha turned 29 years old on this trip. She had been in the military for 10 years. Marsha decided early on in her career that she would take every opportunity that the military afforded her to build on her already solid foundation of intelligence. She took whatever downtime she had, even when deployed overseas, to study new languages, learn new skills, collecting associate degrees and certifications along the way. Marsha has a hard-to-describe warmth and sweetness about her that draws people in. You immediately know that she is a person with whom you want to spend time. A person that you want to converse with and who makes it very easy to open up. These qualities no doubt served her well professionally. Marsha’s job in the military was gathering human intelligence.

Mike: Mike (“Fletch”) claims to have only two emotions. While he may only show two, spend any amount of time with him and you get the strong sense that he is a far more complex person. A first responder now, Mike’s military career was as a Naval Officer. His passion and talent is developing others. Mike took us through a simulation that demonstrated the difficulty of keeping a motorized convoy together. Without realizing what was happening to us, we (the business folks) went from a disorganized mess to a semi-organized team. During our debriefing, Mike helped us realize that the difference from our beginning to our end was that we discovered the power of communication. If Mike could bring us that far and make us feel that proud in an hour, imagine spending your career under his tutelage.

Jimmy “Fixit”: Jimmy “Fixit” was my battle buddy for the second half. He is without question the most selfless person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We call him Jimmy Fixit because there is nothing he cannot fix. Part of a familial line of welders, it is not just his ample technical skill that makes up his gift. His military experience honed his resolve, creativity, and genuine desire to make others safe, happy, and great. Forget any notion of vets being rigid and protocol-driven. He showed me that one of the most valuable skills that a military vet brings is adaptability. Jimmy is quick to tell you he loves you, and he means it.

Rick: Proud father of four in West Seattle. Rick is warm, kind, and has a razor-sharp intellect. He better. He is a retired US Coast Guard Rear Admiral. From Rick, I learned that American vets bring more than technical skills to a project. They bring an adaptive and collaborative mindset that is often overlooked when thinking about vet value. Rick taught me the importance of character, which is essential when you are the Commander for keeping over 3000 men and women (sometimes over 4000) in a state of readiness to respond to just about any emergency situation. Rick is the perfect gentleman.

Christian: Our guide for Project RELO, Christian, embodies and personifies leadership done well. When you talk to Christian, you are the only thing in the world that is important. You want to succeed because he wants you to succeed. You won’t fail because he assures you that you won’t fail. He will subtly facilitate the kind of teamwork, collaboration, and support that drives you to want to make others succeed. Christian loves people, teams, organizations, and of course, the veterans. All he wants from you is to share that passion. He does this by tapping into your potential and helping you realize your part — your value — in the team experience. Christian was a Captain in the Marines and is now the CIO of a large global enterprise organization.

Adaptivity. Collaboration. Passion. Compassion. Command. Character. Intellectual horsepower. Empathy. Scale. Enthusiasm. These descriptors appear time and again in corporate job descriptions and reqs. And here they are, in ample supply, in our military veterans, just waiting to be applied to the corporate domain. It seems to me that correcting the veteran underemployment problem should, in theory, be a no-brainer. Yet it hasn’t happened.

What I learned about our military veterans in this immersive training experience was nothing short of profound. Everything I knew about vets before was cliché. Eating with them, sleeping with them, learning from them, relying on them, laughing with them, crying with them, they awakened in me the pathway for developing the same attributes that I admired so greatly. If they could give me this level of personal growth in 72 hours, imagine what they could bring your organization.

Amazing organization that works hard to teach corporate America the importance of hiring veterans. A few days spent on a mission with Project RELO will change your point of view on many HR items and how you can make your organization better!

My first mission with Project Relo was nothing less than spectacular. I am looking forward to many more adventures with Relo. As a veteran instructor I thought it was going to be me teaching, what I didn't expect is that I would learn so much as well. Definitely one of the best leadership exercises that I've ever been a part of.

MSG Shawn Bryant
U.S. Army Retired

An outstanding nonprofit that supports Veterans by training our business leaders on the value of military veterans in our workforce.

I recently completed my first Project RELO mission. This three-day leadership program was an immersive experience unlike anything I had previously been a part of. The RELO instructors were great communicators, trainers, guides and partners throughout the experience. They were all truly committed to Project RELO, the Veteran community and to sharing the leadership lessons and skills they gained while serving our country.
The experience took my group outside of our routines and comfort zones which required us to examine the challenges and tasks we faced from a fresh perspective. During the three day experience I learned more about communication, trust and leadership than I have in any prior management or leadership seminar.
I would like to thank Project RELO and specifically the Veteran leaders who make the program possible. Thank you for your service!

I had the distinct pleasure in October 2022 of being able to travel to Northern Michigan and take part in the 3-day Leadership training with Project RELO. During these fun-filled jammed packed days I learned firsthand through military simulations and practices why it is so critical to have clear communication, trust in your team and after action follow up. I learned so many things about what it takes to be a true and authentic Leader. One of the key takeaways from my 3-day journey that was so impactful to me was the art of being "slightly uncomfortable" and the importance of recognizing this, communicating, and finding a way to work through this with the help of your Team. Being in a Leadership role means you need to trust in your Team and understand the value of their roles and contributions.

Project RELO was by far the most meaningful, beneficial and impactful training in my professional career. Thank you to both my Team and the Project RELO Team for this amazing time together, and for being who you are as Leaders.

Fantastic experience that showcases our military talent! I learned an enormous amount!

I continue to be so very impressed with the team at Project RELO - the impact they have on their missions, on both ends - Exiting military and civilian participants. To do something good couldn't feel any better and to see the emotional impart and the reward has been truly amazing.

Great organization with a very important mission - our military veterans have strong leadership skills and many appealing qualities for employers, and Project RELO helps to demonstrate this value to employers while also supporting our veterans and building community. Their model is innovative and effective, making a huge impact to all those who participate!

With the Covid pandemic I started to fell like I was all alone in the world. Project RELO made an effort to reach out to myself and all of its volunteers to simply say we are in this together and continued the open communications with each of us that a family has.

An amazing organization, with an incredible mission, and a phenomenal staff. I am so grateful to be able to work with Project RELO and this group of people. I look forward to serving further.

An amazing org that shares with you the value of hiring and working with veterans. Their motto is "Changing the Narrative". They do this through a 3 day venture onto a military base doing many different task and programs that your involved with each day. The team building experience is best value. For me, I needed to see what was being taught to teach that value. I got that on day one. By the end of the event, I was informed enough to go home and back to work and share with others what I learned. The only negative was that it was only three days!

I have partnered with Project RELO for many years to source top military talent for my organizations. Project RELO understands how to find, coach and prepare transitioning military into organizations. I have consistently been impressed with the people whom I have met through Project RELO. Top notch organization!

I love what this organization does. The fact I am not military and I was able to go on a military base, there are no word that can express what they really do personally to each person. One thing is for sure, I intend to be back for more of what Project RELO is offering. In closing, leadership and working with veteran's that's a win in my book all day every day.

Project RELO is an amazing organization that follows through on their core values and mission. It’s run by a great group of people with a strong vision and ability to deliver outstanding life changing outcomes for veterans. Glad to have had the opportunity to be part of this nonprofit!

I was not at first what to think about on my first mission. I was so surprised by the leadership and staff that walked you through the entire process. This is what leadership is. Corporate America should take note. Veteran's are a value!

I have been fortunate to be part of the RELO team since it’s founding. I say fortunate as it is both rare and precious to be part of an organization that deeply, positively affects the lives of our military members and veterans. As one RELO alum said, “RELO hasn’t affected just my life, yet rather has positively impacted the trajectory of my entire family’s lives”.

Statements such as this clearly articulate the value of RELO to our veterans, and to those that actively support the cause.

The classroom scenario does not prepare you for real-life situations in the workplace. This is an experience of a lifetime that you won't just take back with you to your workplace, but to your every day life, and eventually to the grave. Hands on training should be a requirement in all workplace settings, especially in those that are high stress, high anxiety, and fast paced cultures. Every leadership professional in the workplace should take the time to experience the leadership and teamwork training of the military practices taught during Project RELO!

GREAT mission, GREAT team! the CLOZTALK team is honored to call this org a partner & promote its good work!

CLOZTALK team
>> Jonny Imerman, co-founder

The Project RELO mission was one of the most profound professional and personal experiences that I have participated in. It further opened my eyes to the the intangible qualities veterans can bring to the workforce. The relationships forged over those 3 days continue today and will serve the mission of career building for veterans and to the success of those companies that proactively seek to hire them.

I’ve seen lives changed because of the work Project RELO does- not only our veterans but companies as well.

This organization has a unique approach to the issues Veterans face today. Going to the source, CEOs of various companies, the person that sets the tone for hiring. By educating the CEO there is a better chance of changing the culture. On the other side is the Veteran, hearing what the CEO thinks about veteran hires. This allows a bridge between the two. #Changethenarrative

For many years Project RELO had helped corporate America realize how important Veterans are to that arena. Without them so many companies would have the notion that Veterans are only good at one job. When in fact RELO helps them to see that we as Veterans are so versatile at everything we do.

An amazing group of individuals helping veterans to make a smooth transition and also educate corporate leaders on how to better utilize veterans in their businesses. Life changing all around

This organization has a defined goal and they do a great job executing it. They impact so many veteran lives for the better by improving the relationship between private businesses and the military, thereby, getting more veterans jobs.

As I approached the end of a 30 year military career, I considered several new career opportunities. My friend and Army teammate, Casey McEuin, introduced me to Project RELO and I can't thank him enough. As a senior military officer who managed hundreds of people and processes, I was unaware of the monumental task that was ahead of me. Project RELO emphasized the importance of transitioning from the military was a marathon not a sprint. During my rotation through the program, I was able to communicate with leaders from different segments of corporate America, strengthen my elevator pitch, improve my business acumen, all while learning to say "I" instead of "We" during job interviews. I highly recommend Project RELO to corporate leaders that want to mentor and learn from military Veterans and transitioning service members that want to mentor and learn from corporate leaders.

RELO means Family and with only one mission Project RELO became just that. Total strangers became family to me in just a matter of minutes of being on site with a Project RELO mission. Christian and Casey have developed a system that is unparalleled in the non-profit world. I learned as much about myself as I did about the other participants, and being able to bring that knowledge home with me and put it to everyday use has proven invaluable. Thank you, Project RELO for truly taking the time to care about 'Family.'

The entire organization is dedicated to the cause of veterans leading in corporate America. They only spend money and time where the impact of this story can be felt by all who attend their mission trips.

Furthermore, their entire organization, from the President to the CEO and volunteers, is committed to their mission.

Change the Narrative! Relo lives its culture statement and makes it fun while learning about corporate leaders and veterans.

This organization facilitates veterans and corporate CEO's/head of departments together for a hands on leadership educational environment. The veterans have an opportunity to show first hand the discipline and depth of thought process needed to be successful in the military and specifically on a field of combat. How these traits can translate into a corporate company and the asset a veteran can be to that company is essential. Combine that with the ability to destroy any stigmas a career corporate individuals may have developed is equally important to the success of Project RELO. Veterans speak a different language, however they also speak determination, dedication, and loyalty. That is a language our current generation has a hard time speaking.

As a veteran leaving the military, the guidance and support of the Project RELO network has been outstanding. Their unique perspective on bringing corporate leaders together with veterans for multi-day events brings an unmatched level of understanding for both military and private sector leaders of one another. I don't know of any other organization that blends elements of developing an understanding of veteran capabilities for private sector careers, gaining corporate commitment for veteran hiring, and assisting veterans will developing a much needed professional network outside the military.

I had the great privilege to participate in a Project RELO mission a couple of years ago, and it was not only a life-changing experience, but also challenging, heartwarming, and simply unforgettable. Getting to know about the transitioning vets and their remarkable skills opened my eyes to the vast arrays of talent and experiences our veterans develop and accumulate, and the real power of Project RELO came as business execs understood more clearly the huge value talented and high-integrity veterans can bring to an organizations. The Project RELO leaders--particularly Casey McEuin--are devoted, committed, smart as hell and incredibly hard-working. I regard Project RELO as one of the most outstanding non-profits I've ever had the great fortune to work with. With great admiration and respect,

Bob Evans

Project RELO has one of the purest, most selfish missions I have seen from a nonprofit. They seek to give back to the servicemen and servicewomen who have given so much to their country by introducing veterans to employers via a unique leadership development and learning experience. I deeply enjoyed my experience with Project RELO and make use of the lessons I learned from my Project RELO experience every week with my team. I have also taken specific steps to include veterans in my recruiting efforts. Thank you, Project RELO!

I had the privilege of attending a Project RELO training and was so humbled by the experience. The exposure I got to our veterans (and other executives) gave me a whole new perspective on not just leadership but life in general - am so grateful for the opportunity I had and hope I can do more with this amazing organization. I felt compelled to write about the mission I participated in and you can read it here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leadership-skills-project-relo-brindha-dyer-pmp/

A great opportunity to learn how to be a better leader, a better partner, and a dedicated contributor to the veteran community.

By far one of the most legitimate and purposeful non-profits out there! This group does an amazing job of assisting Veteran's and civilians with their transition into civilian life and the civilian workforce. Having experienced one of their missions and watching the emotion and education unfold for the entire group, I would say that ProjectRELO has the potential to create a wave of change for Veteran's and Employers in a way that I have never witnessed before. I look forward to seeing this group grow and I am excited to say that I am a part of it! RELO

I continue to volunteer with Project RELO because of the change it fosters for both veterans and business leaders alike is absolutely amazing. If you are up to a life-changing experience, I recommend you sign up and experience a Project RELO Mission. There is no other leadership training experience which can match the depth of knowledge, transformation, and growth attendees attain. Keep up the great work you are doing Project RELO! You are truly making a difference in changing the dialog on the value of veterans in the workplace.

Businesses today are engaged in a fierce battle for the talent necessary to propel them towards increased growth and profitability. Project RELO provides business leaders insight into an often overlooked, and certainly under-employed talent pool that possesses the very skills companies most - our military veterans.

Great organization that thrives and achieves success through hard work and dedication. This organization connects business leaders with veterans to assist with veterans transition to the civilian sector. I can not say enough about this organization.

Since the moment I learned about ProjectRELO a few years ago, I have been sharing their mission with corporations and Human Resources executives in our Chicago community and beyond. Having been a 20-year member and now chapter president of Chicago SHRM, I am keenly aware of the value military leaders add to our organizations. ProjectRELO is not a “feel good” or one-time support type of non-profit. They exist to help businesses exceed expectations, create value beyond their competition, increase revenue for shareholders and employees alike, and create an incredible culture-add to already existing best-in-class companies.

Experiencing a mission with ProjectRELO is something that will live in you forever. The relationships you build, compassion you will feel and learnings you will share are beyond words. I am fortunate to be part of this journey on changing the narrative of hiring military veterans.

Project RELO is by far the most innovative and progressive nonprofit organization out there. Having worked in the nonprofit world for years, Project RELO has revolutionized the way that companies think about business strategies when it comes to a veteran hiring program, and focuses on hiring for the character of the person, rather than what is depicted on a resume. When you bring business leaders and veterans together, you see a psychological change in both parties, only wanting one thing..... Change. Project RELO is that change, and for that, I will be invested in Project RELO for life!

Project RELO is a life-changing experience. I have been on several missions and every time, I come away inspired by what the women and men of the military can accomplish. The most gratifying aspect for me is to watch the strong bonds and mutual respect that gets created in 4 short days between all of the veterans and business executives. I'm proud to be part of this organization and recommend Project RELO to anyone in the business community that is interested in learning first hand about how their organization can improve by hiring individuals of high integrity with superior problem solving skills, a can-do attitude and deep sense of loyalty.

I was lucky enough to participate with Project RELO’s inaugural mission, and have participated in several of them since. These "missions" combine business leaders with veterans in an outdoors experience, where teamwork and camaraderie prevail. The experience of participating on a mission is on my short list of life’s best experiences. It is incredibly rewarding to be part of a team that is dedicated to improving the hiring practices of businesses, as well as the career opportunities for veterans. Significant business leaders show up and the networking opportunities are real, but the huge bonus is that this networking is with people that are committed to making a difference. The veterans I’ve been privileged to meet on these trips are exceptional people that I’m now proud to call my friends. In practice, I’ve now entered into business arrangements with two of them simply because of how impressed I am of their abilities. I strongly recommend this experience to anyone that can find the time…it’s truly life changing. I started off as a participant, and later got involved with the Board because of my belief in this group.

I have been working with Project Relo and their team for a little over a year and am absolutely blown away by not only their commitment but by the impact they are making all across corporate America. Project Relo is an exceptional organization, reaching senior leaders across all industries who would otherwise have very little knowledge of and experience with our military and exposes them to best we have to offer. I would strongly recommend a mission to any company that cares about our country and is willing to invest in bridging the gap that exists and is growing between the men and women who serve and the citizens of our nation.