Every Veterans Day, we recognize generations of America’s servicemembers – individuals who respect and honor the fragility of our personal and collective freedoms. Today, over 18 million veterans live in the U.S. and uphold the sacred value of protecting those vital freedoms.
In recognition of this year’s theme for Veterans Day, A Legacy of Loyalty and Service, we asked some of GoHealth’s servicemembers how their time spent in the military shaped them into the people and leaders they are today, and what their colleagues could learn from their experiences.
Making Decisions: The Power of Discipline
As a core tenet of military training and everyday life for servicemembers, discipline shapes and emboldens decisions that can leave lasting impacts. For Jeff Green, a Senior Manager of Licensing Services who served eight years as an Infantry Rifleman in the Marine Corps, a routine steeped in discipline taught him not just how to collaborate with others but also how to effectively build and lead teams.
“I learned what discipline is. I learned how to keep pushing, regardless of how difficult the task at hand was. I learned there is nothing more important than integrity and protecting the freedoms of others.”
Green adds, “Decision-making in high-stress situations, where lives were on the line, was something that I quickly learned how to do and something I have brought to the civilian world.”
After managing teams as large as 300 people in the Marine Corps, Green grew to understand the intricate ebbs and flows of effective leadership; most notably, he gained the skill of building personal connections with his fellow servicemembers and leveraging those connections to reach a collective goal. While the stakes in the civilian world are much lower, Green attributes much of his success as a Senior Manager to those same values.
Formerly serving as a Combat Engineer for the US Army, David Faulkner, one of GoHealth’s Medicare Account Executives, also accredits much of his work ethic and drive to help Medicare consumers to his military past. During his three years of duty as a Combat Engineer, Faulkner discovered the value of navigating imposing obstacles with mental agility and coming up with quick and creative engineering solutions. While his workplace today may be far less hazardous, Faulkner’s approach to resolving consumers’ Medicare-related matters is still driven by that same discipline.
According to a technical report shared by the US Department of Veteran Affairs, 50% of VA enrollees were dually enrolled in Medicare, with another 4% enrolled in VA, Medicare, and Medicaid in 2018. As of 2022, it’s reported that 1.3 million veterans were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, accounting for approximately 34% of the Medicare-enrolled veteran population. And while veterans are enrolling in Medicare Advantage plans at an exponentially high rate, grasping the complexities of Medicare can still be quite arduous, especially for dual-eligible enrollees. Medicare Account Executives like Faulkner and GoHealth’s dedicated CARES team help consumers cut through the confusion, providing a thorough plan assessment and guiding each enrollee to choose a Medicare Advantage plan with confidence.
During exceptionally busy times like the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, discipline gained through routine yields greater patience and focus. One Senior Team Manager, Charles Loyd, reminisces about his ten-year role as a Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of Training Staff Sergeant for the Air Force. His aptitude for training troops and preparing them for the combat zone over the course of ten years mirrors the fortitude and resilience he utilizes while working with Medicare consumers.
“My service definitely prepared me for the long hours of AEP”, Loyd reveals. “Thanks to my background and discipline, I’m able to guide more people who need our support.”
Mastering the Art of Communication
Our ability to communicate – to write, speak, and listen – impacts our ability to inform, teach, train, and inspire those around us. From calculating potential risks to adapting to changing environments, effective communication skills are paramount in the military.
As overseer of all engineering, information security, machine learning, product development, and product design projects, GoHealth’s Chief Technology Officer, Wayne Young, is no stranger to unexpected hurdles in his day-to-day operations. Kickstarting his career as a Personnel Services Administrator in the US Army expanded his worldview and presented an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with people of diverse backgrounds.
For three years, Young ran the HR department for an armor training battalion at Fort Knox. His administrative acumen and attention to detail eventually brought him to Panmunjom, Korea where he led multinational soldiers on missions with wartime implications during services in the United Nations Security Force within the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
“My time in Korea had a more direct impact on my career because my role entailed acting as a mediator between American and Korean platoons. This taught me how to defuse high-stress, high-risk personal conflicts within a larger military conflict and has been invaluable in handing much less incendiary conflicts in product management roles throughout my career.”
Maintaining open and consistent networks of communication enable licensed insurance agents, key business partners, and Medicare consumers to reap the benefits of GoHealth’s latest technological evolution.
For Rick Sander, an IT Support Specialist who supports agent and corporate-level employees with hardware and software troubleshooting, eight years of service for the Army National Guard equipped him with the expertise to quickly adapt to evolving and less-predictable events.
Sander reflects on his time as a Satellite Communication Systems Operator: “Doing IT support in a combat environment prepared me to deal with all manners of stressful troubleshooting situations in the civilian world. My experience also taught me to work collaboratively with others, as I often trained soldiers how to correctly utilize and maintain satellite communication systems.”
Supporting Veterans Where It Counts
While most people are familiar with nationally recognized holidays like Veterans Day and Memorial Day, there are countless opportunities to support veterans in your communities.
Like many other perspectives in life, military experiences are not uniform. When transitioning back to civilian life, many veterans face unique challenges, including physical and mental health issues, difficulties in finding employment, and adjusting to a non-military lifestyle. For some, these lived events serve as a great motivator for positive personal growth; for others, a stark reminder of a time riddled with loss.
Michael Raecher, a Senior Team Manager at GoHealth, embraces the blurry line of love and loss when recalling his time of active duty. His eight years of service as a Long-Range Communications Specialist for the Army “made me [Raecher] realize that life is short, and you need to make the most of every single day. Veterans are highly motivated and want to win across the board.”
His positive outlook on life and determination to succeed transforms the work he and his team of licensed insurance agents do as well. Collective success as a concept and everyday practice is crucial to Michael, because a win for one is a win for all.
While this reflection on his time serving his country is largely positive, he still recognizes that loss is still a part of this experience. Raecher adds, “While I was deployed overseas, I lost several of my close friends. Having a moment of remembrance every Memorial Day allows me to honor their memory, their service, and help serve as a reminder to not take anything for granted.”
Rebecca Smith, a Senior Benefit Consultant II, also recognizes the value of reflection – especially on Veterans Day. Smith, who served as a Non-Commissioned Officer Medic for two wars in Iraq, draws great strength from her 14-year military career. As a recipient of multiple awards for her perseverance and leadership across both tours, Rebecca often draws on her achievements to create pragmatic solutions for the challenges she comes face to face with.
Empathy, one of GoHealth’s core values, is a major influence in many of our servicemembers’ lives. David Thomasson, a Senior Benefit Consultant I and former Combat Engineer for the Marine Corps, created a tradition of supporting his fellow veterans and those in need of support.
He shares, “We usually go down to the American Legion and cook dinners for veterans and veterans’ families when we can!” According to data gathered by Feeding America, as many as one in nine working-age veterans are food insecure. As a Senior Benefit Consultant, Thomasson recognizes the extraordinary value that extra benefits and support can provide to those in need.
For support in the workplace Jeff Green encourages civilians and veterans alike to participate in RED Friday, otherwise known as Remember Everyone Deployed. By simply wearing a red shirt on Fridays, you can support and recognize servicemembers deployed all over the world.
Ultimately, these veterans’ reflections showcase the diverse impact of military service on their lives, both personally and professionally. From instilling a strong work ethic and resilience to shaping leadership styles and fostering a commitment to teamwork, their experiences have left lasting marks on their approach to work at GoHealth. Whether through honoring traditions, supporting fellow veterans, or applying military-learned skills to civilian roles, each story highlights a deep sense of purpose and dedication. Together, they remind us of the countless contributions that veterans bring to the workplace and the importance of recognizing and supporting those who have served.
