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Colonel (R) Jill Willig Chambers
Funny you should ask…
Hand selected by current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen to serve as the first Special Assistant for Returning Warrior Issues, COL Jill Chambers was tasked with pinpointing "Ground Truth" about transitional challenges facing wounded service members and then developing dynamic, real time strategies and recommendations for the Chairman. When hired for the job he told her there were two things that happen when one becomes Chairman. First, the food gets better and second, one seldom hears the unedited or difficult truth about problems service members face. He explained that he was committed to ensuring that under his watch no fallen comrade would be left behind. He then empowered her to work with that end in mind.
Her authentic interest, deep understanding and mindful approach to discovery opened the door to hundreds of hours of unusually candid interviews with wounded service members and Veterans as well as their families. Several of her resulting "rubber meets the road" recommendations helped to positively reset the tempo for change in the oft avoided and stigmatized conversations about service members and mental health.
One of her first discoveries was that the term "Wounded Warrior" is not a phrase most wounded service members are comfortable with. After returning with and offering these findings there was a "follow up" of sorts by some senior leaders in Town Hall meetings. Just as Admiral Mullen had predicted, reports came back saying these leaders had heard "nothing of the sort".
There was little or no acknowledgement that service members, concerned with how it may affect their career, are very reticent to speak freely about such issues even behind closed doors, never mind a Town Hall meeting in front of hundreds of their peers. You simply can't get "there" from "here".
Hand selected by current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen to serve as the first Special Assistant for Returning Warrior Issues, COL Jill Chambers was tasked with pinpointing "Ground Truth" about transitional challenges facing wounded service members and then developing dynamic, real time strategies and recommendations for the Chairman. When hired for the job he told her there were two things that happen when one becomes Chairman. First, the food gets better and second, one seldom hears the unedited or difficult truth about problems service members face. He explained that he was committed to ensuring that under his watch no fallen comrade would be left behind. He then empowered her to work with that end in mind.
Her authentic interest, deep understanding and mindful approach to discovery opened the door to hundreds of hours of unusually candid interviews with wounded service members and Veterans as well as their families. Several of her resulting "rubber meets the road" recommendations helped to positively reset the tempo for change in the oft avoided and stigmatized conversations about service members and mental health.
One of her first discoveries was that the term "Wounded Warrior" is not a phrase most wounded service members are comfortable with. After returning with and offering these findings there was a "follow up" of sorts by some senior leaders in Town Hall meetings. Just as Admiral Mullen had predicted, reports came back saying these leaders had heard "nothing of the sort".
There was little or no acknowledgement that service members, concerned with how it may affect their career, are very reticent to speak freely about such issues even behind closed doors, never mind a Town Hall meeting in front of hundreds of their peers. You simply can't get "there" from "here".
