There’s new leadership at the nation’s only apolitical advocacy group for veterans.
As the new chief executive officer of Mission Roll Call, U.S. Army veteran Jim Whaley said the nonprofit is a nonpartisan movement to give every single veteran a voice in policy and advocacy on the issues that are important to them.
In order to make that happen, Whaley said the nonprofit is embarking on an effort to increase its membership and tell its story in diverse ways on different platforms.
“I also want to tell all the great veterans stories, about veterans who are starting businesses and veterans who are making a difference in their community,” he said.
Founded in 2019, MRC has helped thousands of veterans by advocating for policies that eliminate the stigma behind veteran suicide. Whaley said by amplifying the voices of veterans in its network from all over the country, MRC advocates for policy change to improve the quality of life for veterans.
“Mission Roll Call equips, trains and supports our veterans and families to live a better life,” he said. “It is an honor to apply my skills toward such a noble cause.”
Whaley spent 20 years of service in the service as a master aviator, U.S. Army helicopter instructor pilot and as the director of communications at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
He also led the corporate communication function for Siemens and Sealed Air Corporation and served as president for the United Service Organizations, Inc. in the Southeast Region.
Whaley noted that 24% of the nation’s active-duty service members are food insecure.
“We are also far below our recruitment goals,” he continued. “There’s a whole myriad of reasons for that, but I submit that one of the reasons for that is we just don’t take care of our service members both while they’re in the service and when they get out of the service.”
Whaley said both the Department of the Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department have fallen short in taking care of both active duty service members and veterans.
“I consider the challenges that veterans and active duty are facing, especially when you talk about recruitment and food insecurity, as a national security issue,” he said. “We want to address that and roll call our veterans to our organization.”
Whaley noted that nearly half of all veterans in the U.S. are unaffiliated with any veteran service organization. He added that MRC’s expansion is in part made possible by generous donations from The Marcus Foundation.
“With only one percent of the population having served in the armed forces, the American public is unlikely to know and understand the unique needs of those who ensure our freedoms,” he said.
Most of those who joined the military did so because they wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves and serve their country, Whaley said.
“And most veterans when they get out of the service, whether after four years or 25 years, whatever it is, they may go back to their jobs, but they are almost always active in their communities,” he said.
Whaley said today’s veterans want direct access to organizations working in the veterans space and do not want their voices filtered.
“I always feel veterans need two things to be successful,” he said. “They need a tribe, people who support them, around them. They need a hilltop. They need something to go after. They need something to defend. They need something that’s going to fire up their hearts.”
Whaley’s wife is a graduate of West Point and also flew helicopters in the U.S. Army. The couple have three daughters, two of whom are on active duty and one of whom works for a nonprofit in the veterans space.
For more information about Mission Roll Call, including upcoming events, and to sign up to be a part of its community, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.