Photo By Sgt. Devin Klecan | U.S. Army Spc. Mason Corzine, a fire control specialist assigned to V Corps, stands...... read more read more
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FORT KNOX, Ky – Whether from Kentucky or Poland, V Corps ensures Soldiers successfully transition from Soldier to civilian and ultimately, U.S. Army veterans.
U.S. Army Spc. Mason Corzine, a fire control specialist assigned to V Corps, became a member of the V Corps team in October 2021 after completing his initial and advanced individual training courses in the Army. Now, he is using the Fort Knox career transitioning classes and his military experience to establish a bright future as a veteran.
Since his arrival at the unit, Corzine participated in multiple corps exercises. While in the field, he learned new ways to solve problems.
“I had to communicate with British soldiers during the exercise to get practice on cross-country scenarios in the exercise simulation,” Corzine said. “I learned how to improve my communication techniques despite many challenges with international systems. That could be helpful to me if I work in a diverse environment in the future.”
Corzine now uses multiple Army transition resources that Fort Knox has to offer, such as the installation’s Transition Assistance Program, or TAP.
“In TAP, they will help you build a resume for federal and civilian jobs, help you get a business license, help you get into a trade or will help you utilize your GI Bill to start college,” said Corzine. “I also utilized the Army’s Thrift Saving Plan and the [contribution] match that the plan gave me increased my savings by a lot. It boosted me financially for my retirement plan outside the Army.”
The corps also relies on transition services from U.S. Army Garrison – Poland, co-located with the corps’ forward deployed headquarters at Camp Kościuszko. U.S. Army Garrison – Poland provides Soldiers resources related to educational career counseling services and programs.
“We have a fully functioning finance office and transition office who have been indispensable to me,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Val Armantrout, an intelligence analyst assigned to V Corps who anticipates retiring from active duty at Camp Kościuszko. “The resources available to veterans allow for a change in career and location.”
Armantrout said he plans to use the Veteran Technology Education Course program through the Veterans Administration to complete Information Technology certifications. Appreciative of the flexibility IT provides, he said changing careers from intelligence to IT allows him to choose from more locations to live and work.
As Corzine and Armantrout began transitioning from V Corps, the lessons they learned and the growth they obtained as Victory Soldiers will stay with them for life.
“My leadership has made a positive impact on me. I am more social now and have made quite a few friends. My situational awareness is better now too,” said Corzine. “I am looking to possibly become a corrections officer or truck driver, so those experiences will help me in the future.”
For Armantrout, he will remember persevering through military operations in Europe and the managerial skills he learned in V Corps.
“The corps has always presented me with ways to grow during my time serving in Poland. I’ve had to grow a lot to keep up with our high operational tempo. Most of the growth I’ve done is project management, which I very much can use in the civilian world,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 11.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2024 08:58 |
| Story ID: | 485055 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, How V Corps Soldiers transition to veterans in Europe and the US, by SGT Devin Klecan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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