APPA

B eing the main provider of education for over 60 years for Ellsworth Air Force Base's 28th Bomb Wing in Rapid City, South Dakota, Black Hills State University (BHSU) has a long his- tory of working with the military. In fact, BHSU has been honored as one of the best colleges for student veterans by Military Times for six consecutive years. Employees with military service have a unique and valuable benefit to offer our universities, as they have the ability to both communicate directly and express their opinions in a respectful manner. e bottom line is that the United States military does a great job training our veterans to be huge assets for the civilian workforce—in fact, the military is undoubtedly the greatest leadership development institution on the planet! As an educational facilities professional and the father of a Marine veteran, I am proud to support veterans' transitions to a career in educational facili- ties by employing several veterans at BHSU Facilities Services. is initiative is so important to our profession that APPA has established a subcommittee specifically to help military personnel transition to a successful career in higher education. APPA and SAME (the Society of American Military Engineers) also formed a strategic alliance specifically to support military personnel who are seeking a career change. e following is a real-life example of a personal transition from military service to educational facilities. Scott Hanson, facilities services business manager at BHSU, has worked for me for the past four years. Here is his story: Facilitating the Transition from Military Service to Higher Education 12 MARCH/APRIL 2018 FACILITIES MANAGER By Randy Culver, with Scott Hanson membership matters T ransitioning in life is a daily occurrence, but making a career change after 25 years can be fearful for some. During my time in the United States Army, I had the privilege to serve my country with honor, respect, and loyalty. There are some who may not understand that, but in others it instills a personal pride that is hard to explain. Yes, there were days that were more difficult than others, but the best part was that I was doing something I chose to do: making the Army my career. Having a career in the Army is different than one in educational facilities in many ways, but more similar than most realize. Both career paths have similar attributes and responsibilities, with the main difference being what's at stake. Yes, the military sector is a different discipline than higher education with respect to how things are done, but they are similar in that a final outcome is attained in both sectors. In the Army, our job is to defend our nation, so we were constantly training to ensure we were able to comply at a moment's notice. In facilities management, our job also requires contact training and complying at a moment's notice to protect and maintain our universities. One may think changing a career after so long would be easy because it is just moving on to a new chapter in life. I thought I was prepared for what was next, but the truth is that I wasn't. I have started a new life, transitioning from an extremely disciplined environment including something as simple as wearing a uniform every day, to a more casual environment. One's wardrobe is only a part of the transitioning

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