SAN FRANCISCO, October 17, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Georgetown University and ZeroMils, a Veteran-owned social impact organization, will co-host the first national Military Thriving Change Forum October 23, 2024, at the Leavey Convention Center at Georgetown University. This groundbreaking event, sponsored by Wells Fargo, will bring together senior leaders from across public, private, and nonprofit sectors to create a blueprint outlining a path forward to improve military recruitment efforts. It intends to combat negative viewpoints related to self-reported mental wellness and trust in institutions. The event will also be live streamed to the public through LinkedIn.

In 2023, the U.S. military missed its annual enlistment goals by 41,000 recruits, according to data published by the U.S. Department of Defense. Following this decline, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Ashish Vazirani testified before Congress that "the all-volunteer force faces one of its greatest challenges since inception."

To reverse the trend, 250 leaders representing government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, higher education, and the nation’s most impactful nonprofits and think tanks will meet at Georgetown — to create actionable, measurable plans to be implemented at community-wide engagements throughout 2025.

The events stemming from the Change Forum next year will welcome thousands of military and veteran employees from business resource groups and small business owners serving alongside young people. Georgetown, ZeroMils and their committed partners believe this whole of nation approach will change the "broken veteran" narrative — communicating a positive message of military service and influencing perceptions and propensity to serve.

"We must reestablish trust between our national institutions and the trailblazers of tomorrow," said CEO of ZeroMils, retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel. "Together, the private and public sectors can spotlight the strengths and successes of our military and veteran-connected families. We, as a community, are thriving because of our service, not despite it."

Sean Passmore, U.S. Army Veteran and Head of Enterprise Military & Veteran Initiatives at Wells Fargo, said military experience and the skills veterans bring to the workplace offer tremendous value.

"Veterans make our company better," Passmore explained. "Today’s military service members are the corporate leaders of tomorrow. It is imperative that we resolve these issues impacting our military and beyond."