America’s debt to our military heroes is a year-round obligation, but it’s a debt we repay with an extra measure of gratitude in May. Designated as National Military Appreciation Month by an act of Congress in 1999, this is our opportunity to recognize the service of military veterans, as well as the men and women, currently serving whether active-duty, Reserve, or National Guard. 
In this year of COVID-19, our debt of gratitude must also extend to the hundreds of service members here in Ohio who are working on the frontlines of the pandemic battle: delivering meals and helping food banks, setting up emergency hospitals and assisting with virus hotspots in our prisons.
I believe that military service, in times of peace or war, not only deserves commemoration but commitment. Military Appreciation Month is a time to remember our obligation to veterans and military spouses who have served our nation’s military and those now in service who will soon return to civilian life. This means acknowledging the physical, emotional, and occupational challenges facing veterans who come home to a changing world. It means ensuring they have access to healthcare, counseling, and education they need to lead happy, productive, and fulfilling civilian lives. As an educator, and as an Army National Guard veteran myself, I know that’s always been true, but in today’s challenging COVID-19 economy, it’s essential.
When commerce and industry in Ohio return to “normal” after the pandemic, we’re going to find that our old ideas of normality have become very different. Good-paying jobs will require an even higher level of skills, and employers will be even more selective in filling those jobs. Fortunately, this will create a job market in which a well-prepared veteran can thrive. That’s because veterans leave military service as products of a system that emphasizes discipline, focus, and competency-based training. They are familiar with jobs-skills schooling that’s been provided in innovative ways, outside traditional classrooms, and geared to the needs of the adult or non-traditional learners. This is exactly the preparation and attitude that today’s in-demand civilian careers require, and it makes veterans the kind of men and women that Ohio employers are eager to hire.
Today at Western Governors University, we are helping our students gain the additional education they need to turn their military or civilian job experience into an accredited bachelor’s and master’s degree in a broad range of programs.
For veterans accustomed to the military’s competency-based instruction methods, WGU’s approach will be familiar. Students earn credit toward a degree by demonstrating their mastery of a subject from previous work experience, rather than by how many hours they sit in the classroom or are forced to spend “re-learning” what they already know.
As we show our gratitude to members of our military services this month, we must never lose sight of the challenges many may face when they re-enter civilian life – especially in these uncertain times. For any Ohioan – including veterans – seeking the educational credentials needed to compete for in-demand jobs, WGU can be the perfect resource. And for employers seeking motivated, tested workers with credentialed skills, WGU Ohio graduates can be just what you’re looking for.
K. L. Allen is state director of WGU Ohio, the state affiliate of online, nonprofit Western Governors University.