My name is Jason Crane and I’m a Veteran of the United States Air Force, where I served honorably until 1995, stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana. I served my country during a war, got married, and had my first child. I got out of the military at the age of 22, and felt on top of the world. My GI Bill was in front of me and I was ready to grab life by the horns; I was certain I had all the tools to be successful and happy in the civilian world.

Then the struggle began.

My transition out of the military was much harder than I thought it would be. I lost the camaraderie I felt in my military unit and feeling of purpose no longer existed. The compassion of my fellow soldiers disappeared over night. I tried out numerous jobs thinking it would help, but I found myself battling the void I felt in my life.

When I heard about The Mission Continues, my life drastically changed. I began as an intern in January and was hired full time as a Fellowship Recruitment Associate by May. I filled my emptiness with the passion I found from our mission. I talk to Veterans everyday that are struggling with the same things I did and I empathize with them as they face issues like PTSD and joblessness. In recent months, I placed two homeless Veterans in the program. The best part of my job is calling them to let them know they were accepted for a fellowship. Some scream, some cry, and some just can’t stop saying thank you. We aren’t just offering them a fellowship, we are offering them hope and an opportunity to be something bigger than themselves.

At The Mission Continues, we award Fellowships to post-9/11 Veterans. Through Fellowships, Veterans are provided with another opportunity to serve their country by serving within their community. The application deadline for our next class of Veterans, Delta Class, is July 30th. New Fellows will gather in Dallas on October 19, 2012 to meet their new unit and deploy as citizen leaders in their own communities. If you or someone you know is looking for a chance to use your military skills to benefit those around you, please visit The Mission Continues.

Jason Crane served in the United States Air Force and is a Fellowship Recruitment Associate at The Mission Continues.

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One Comment

  1. JEFFREY PARSONS July 28, 2012 at 20:36

    Good luck with your program, My mission is coming to a end pretty quick. The VA really does’nt care and i’m personally convinced of this with fighting for my disabilties since 1995.I CAN’T continue on with this . I will be evicted from my house in a few week’s and the VA is not to concerned with expediting my claim’s. I SENCERLY WISH you and the mission much success, there are alot of younger vet’s out there that could use your help, for me it would be a wast of time ,finances and resource’s. GOOD KUCK!!!!

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