D.C. area veterans center serves military-connected community

Transition from military service can be one of the most challenging times for service members and their families. Their careers, education, health care, housing, and identity change simultaneously, requiring understanding, support, and community.

Virginia Tech’s Boeing Center for Veteran Transition and Military Families, based at Academic Building One in Alexandria, is helping to ease that transition. A partnership between the university, industry, and government, the center is a hub that connects veterans and their families to education, employment, entrepreneurship, and community resources designed to help them adjust to and thrive in civilian life.

“This center grew directly out of Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission and embodies our culture of service and motto, Ut Prosim,” said Deborah Bradbard, founding director of the center. “We’re here to help veterans and their families not only transition but succeed in their careers and communities.”

Built on partnership and purpose

The center began as part of Boeing’s foundational gift to establish Virginia Tech’s new home in the greater Washington, D.C., area. It was officially established in 2022 through a partnership between Boeing, Virginia Tech, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Virginia’s Department of Veteran Services. The vision represents a commitment to align military talent with workforce and innovation needs and ensure that service members and their families were set up for success in their next chapter.

Today, the center focuses on three areas: employment and education, entrepreneurship, and informative research.

Bradbard sees the center’s location in the D.C. area as an advantage. “Our location at the intersection of government, private industry, and higher education allows us to bring together top thinkers, doers, and programs that we know help veterans and their families thrive,” she said. “That’s real power.”

A holistic approach

The center’s work relies on a holistic “social determinants of health” framework to serve the military and military-connected community — an idea that stability relies on connecting various aspects of one’s experience, rather than looking at any one thing in isolation.

“Serving in the military is a deeply mission-driven experience,” Bradbard said. “When you leave, that sense of purpose doesn’t always translate immediately to civilian work. People are adjusting to new systems, new expectations, and sometimes new versions of themselves.

"If we’re helping a disabled veteran find employment, we’re not just helping them get a job," she said. "We’re also helping them advocate for workplace accommodations and supporting their overall health to ensure they have access to all the resources they need. All these pieces are connected.”

Rather than recreate existing programs, the center collaborates with partners to identify best-in-class initiatives and expand their reach beyond the D.C. area.

“Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission gives us the ability to share what works here, pilot it, and expand it into other communities who can benefit from what we learn,” Bradbard said.

A community built for the future of work

Bradbard often describes veterans and military spouses as “built for the future of work.”

“The business world is constantly changing, and so is the military,” she said. “People in the military community know how to adapt, think critically, and lead through uncertainty. Those skills are invaluable: not just for service, but for innovation.”

This adaptability is an advantage for employers like Boeing, where veterans and military spouses play a vital role in the workforce.

“Boeing is proud to partner with Virginia Tech on this center, which not only honors veterans’ service but also ensures they have the resources, community, and opportunities needed to thrive in civilian life,” said Linwood Ham, Boeing’s director of military and veteran affairs. “Together, we are building a future where every veteran’s next mission is one of success and fulfillment.”

Research-driven, community-informed

Bradbard, a licensed clinical psychologist and researcher with experience in workforce development and trauma, believes that effective programs must be shaped by the people they serve.

“If we’re developing something for women veterans, we start by talking to women veterans,” she said. “If it’s for military spouses, we ask them what they need. Programs must be informed by lived experience.”

That philosophy is already reflected in the center’s programming.

Earlier this fall, the center hosted 25 Pat Tillman Scholars – a distinguished group of military-connected leaders – for an intensive leadership program designed to further their impact in public service. Over the summer, 40 women veterans participated in a similar Virginia Tech-certified leadership course, developed by Beneath the Service and focused on strengthening their personal and community influence.

“These programs don’t just impact the people in the room,” Bradbard said. “They ripple outward. Those 65 people are going to lead others in their communities, and that’s where the real impact happens.”

The center has also partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation on Amplify, a workforce initiative for military spouses: a group with a 20% unemployment rate nationwide.

“These are capable, driven professionals,” Bradbard said. “If we can help them build confidence, sharpen their resumes, and connect with employers, we can close that gap.”

Growing impact and continuing the mission

Bradbard’s focus is on expansion: not just in programming, but in visibility and reach. That growth will rely on collaboration – with funders, philanthropists, employers, and public agencies – to ensure that the center fills gaps rather than duplicates existing efforts.

“Our ultimate goal is impact,” Bradbard said. “The more people learn about our work, the more we can listen, learn, and build programs that truly meet community needs.”

For Virginia Tech, the center is an investment in people who have already given so much to their country and communities.

“We’re helping the military-connected community lead in the next phase of their lives,” Bradbard said. “This time, through innovation, entrepreneurship, and the next generation of public service.”

The work continues this fall.

On Nov. 13, the center and the Arlington Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) will co-host “From Service to Startups: Veteran & Military Spouse Entrepreneurship in Action” – an event that will explore how military service translates to business success.