New Hampshire Military Coaching Alliance Event at The Hundred Club, Portsmouth, NH May 5th, 2022

My name is George T. Jackman and I am a United States Marine Corps veteran. I served as a Reconnaissance Marine, Hostage Rescue Team Member, Search and Rescue Swimmer, aircraft hydraulics mechanic, and finished up as a recruiter in New England. After departing the Marine Corps I became a recruiter working with engineers…opening a new chapter in my life. The intangible traits that were harnessed and matured in the Marine Corps, leadership, decisiveness, confidence, and self-reliance, opened many doors for me and transferred well into business.

My name is Olga Smeltzer and I want to share my story and how it led me to the New Hampshire Military Coaching Alliance (NHMCA). During my time in the US Army, I gained leadership skills, knowledge and more importantly confidence. After serving for 5 years, my husband and I made a family decision to part with the military and give our children some stability.

In June of 2020 I retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after 26 years of service. My career included more than eight years of operational leadership at Coast Guard units including command of 110 people aboard a 270 foot flight deck equipped ship in Kittery Maine. My other experience ranged from teaching chemistry at the Coast Guard Academy, to HR program management, to managing regional law enforcement operations, to leading governmental relations and public affairs from New York City to the Canadian Border.

Transitioning out of the US Armed Forces can be a daunting challenge regardless of age, career field, or pay grade. As a Senior Noncommissioned Officer, I’ve had the opportunity to assist many fellow service members face this new chapter in their life and many found success. The Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) over the years has gone from a robust program to one that leaves many service members feeling even more unsure about their future. In four years, I attended that program three times and each time, the gap in knowledge didn’t close. However, there is hope for veterans.

Will Foley is a retired US Army Special Forces Green Beret and combat veteran whose unit assignments include service with the 82nd Airborne Division, the 10th Special Forces Group and the JFK Special Warfare Training Center as a Chief Instructor and Master Trainer.