After nearly three decades of military service—including 13 combat deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and Ukraine—I recently transitioned out of the U.S. Army. The end of my uniformed service marked not a conclusion, but a new beginning—one where I feel called to continue serving, just in a different way. My mission now is to help fellow veterans transition successfully into civilian life, and my goal is to create a nonprofit in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that connects transitioning service members and homeless veterans to the full range of resources already available in the community. Earning my Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University will provide the tools, training, and network I need to build that vision into a sustainable, impactful reality. This scholarship would help make that vision possible. The transition from military to civilian life is complex, even for the most experienced and well-resourced veterans. I know this from firsthand experience. After 28 years of leading high-performing teams, managing billion-dollar assets, and directing strategic operations across multiple continents, I found myself struggling to reorient. Despite Winston-Salem being home to several veteran service organizations like MOAA, the American Legion, and Veterans Helping Veterans Heal (the city’s only VA-funded transition facility), there remains no single holistic resource that helps veterans navigate life after service. I want to change that. My plan is to build a veteran transition hub—not to replace existing services, but to partner with them. I envision a nonprofit that connects veterans with local organizations like City with Dwellings, Love Out Loud, Greater Winston-Salem Inc., and Winston Starts. The goal is to create a network that veterans can tap into as they begin their new chapter: a one-stop resource that helps them find employment, access mental health support, secure housing, and build a sense of community. The transition experience should not be fragmented or disorienting. With the right approach, it can be empowering and purpose driven. I am particularly focused on helping homeless veterans. Too often, veterans fall through the cracks, despite having earned the nation’s gratitude. They deserve more than a temporary roof—they deserve access to the full continuum of care that helps them reintegrate into society with dignity and respect. Winston-Salem has the infrastructure to make this happen. What’s missing is a unifying, intentional effort to bring those resources together in a way that is accessible and effective. The Wake Forest MBA program is the cornerstone of this plan. It offers more than a credential. It offers the opportunity to refine my leadership skills, learn how to build and sustain a nonprofit, and leverage the school’s business and civic networks to bring this vision to life. I intend to begin laying the groundwork for this nonprofit while I’m still in the program, with the goal of launching before I graduate in May 2027. My professional background has uniquely prepared me for this challenge. I led organizations of up to 25,000 personnel, managed operating budgets of $265 million, and oversaw the safeguarding of $15 billion in assets. I earned national recognition for risk mitigation and compliance while commanding Dugway Proving Ground—a vast 800,000-acre installation critical to national defense. Under my leadership, our team achieved zero safety incidents, zero compliance deficiencies, and earned distinction from the Army Safety Center and Inspector General. I’ve developed a deep appreciation for precision, accountability, and high-impact, sustainable solutions. I’m also a 100% disabled veteran, including a 70% rating for post-traumatic stress. While I do not let these conditions define me, they are a part of my lived experience and have made me more empathetic toward those silently navigating the challenges of service-connected trauma and reintegration. These experiences reinforce the urgency I feel about building a network that serves veterans with dignity, compassion, and clarity. Beyond the uniform, I’ve remained active in my community and committed to mentorship and service. I’ve served on the Advisory Council of Veterans Helping Veterans Heal and mentored youth through Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Lodge—Fayetteville Area Operation Inasmuch. I’m a Fellow of FourBlock, an alum of The Honor Foundation and The Station Foundation, and a dedicated parishioner and volunteer at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. I stay grounded and connected to my physical health and community through Washington Park CrossFit. I’m also a lifetime member of the Association of the United States Army, the Chemical Corps Regimental Association, The Three Rangers Foundation, and the 82nd Airborne Division Association. These affiliations keep me rooted in purpose and aligned with like-minded individuals committed to service beyond themselves. Pursuing graduate school at this point in life—with three children, including my oldest who will begin at Brown University in Fall 2025—requires careful financial planning. As a family, we are navigating the simultaneous challenge of funding two tuitions while also establishing a nonprofit that will require startup capital, long hours, and a clear strategic plan. This scholarship would reduce the financial strain on our household, allowing me to remain focused on my studies and fully immerse myself in the Wake Forest MBA experience. More importantly, it would allow me to dedicate the time and energy needed to stand up this nonprofit before I graduate. This is more than a professional goal; it’s a personal mission. I carry with me the stories of soldiers I’ve served with—some who made it home and struggled, and others who never made it back. Every step I take toward building this nonprofit is, in some way, for them. It’s how I continue to serve. It’s how I continue to honor the oath I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States—not just in combat, but through community, compassion, and commitment. Receiving this scholarship would not only support my academic goals—it would help launch a purpose-driven effort to ensure veterans in my community have the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive after service. It would allow me to shift my full focus to making a difference where it’s needed most, and in doing so, carry forward the values of service and sacrifice that have defined my life thus far.

After nearly three decades of active-duty service, thirteen combat deployments, and more than sixty service-connected medical conditions—including a 70% VA rating for PTSD—I have only recently begun to accept that my well-being and survival no longer depend on a uniform, a unit, or a combat mission. Throughout my adult life, serving alongside America’s finest gave me purpose, identity, and a deep sense of camaraderie. Yet, like many veterans, I silently carry unresolved trauma, breeding fear, insecurity, and isolation. I have experienced the loss of teammates to combat and suicide, witnessed the deaths of countless civilians, and carried the relentless weight of survivor’s guilt—wounds impossible to pack away neatly alongside worn uniforms and blood-stained body armor. When I decided in July 2024 to leave the Army, the transition proved harder than anticipated. My family—my wife Jordan and our three children, Winston, Harper, and Charles—moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, marking our 14th relocation in 25 years. While they faced new schools and built new relationships, I grappled with the absence of familiar structures and struggled to find purpose and meaningful connections outside the uniform. Searching for transition resources, I discovered a significant gap in the support systems available in our new community. Initially, I sought fellowship through the local American Legion, where I found camaraderie but not the specific transition resources I needed. Eventually, I connected with Veterans Helping Veterans Health (VHVH) of Winston-Salem, a VA-funded transitional home providing essential services to vulnerable veterans. Volunteering and serving on the advisory council, I began understanding the severity of unmet needs for transitioning veterans, particularly those coping with PTSD. This experience sparked in me a new sense of purpose: to become an advocate and facilitator for veterans in Winston-Salem navigating the complex transition from military to civilian life. As a future MBA student at Wake Forest University, I plan to leverage my education and experiences to bridge the gap I personally encountered. I want to create and enhance resources in Winston-Salem dedicated explicitly to transitioning veterans struggling with trauma, isolation, and identity loss. These spaces —like the one I found at VHVH— ideally situated within veteran organizations, corporate transition programs, and local community centers allow veterans to talk openly about trauma without fear of judgment. Furthermore, partnering with employers and nonprofits, I will advocate for workplace accommodations, such mentorship programs and flexible scheduling for therapy, ensuring veterans feel genuinely supported in their transition and throughout their careers. While I never had the honor of knowing Bryent Smothermon personally, learning about his life and legacy while searching for veteran-focused scholarships left a lasting impression. His humor, selflessness, resilience, and commitment to the well-being of others reflect the very ideals I strive to uphold as I transition into this next chapter of service—one rooted in advocacy, community, and healing. I hope to dedicate myself to helping others find connections, purpose, and opportunity beyond the battlefield. Through continued education, community engagement, and a deep commitment to fellow veterans, I aim to carry forward his legacy in a way that brings real, lasting impact to those who need it most.