Community Internship Program

The Yellow Ribbon Fund Community Internship Program provides experience in the civilian community for the many of the several hundred injured service members in long term care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. All injured service members at Walter Reed begin their day at military formation, if they are physically able, and then proceed to their doctors’ appointments, physical therapy, or other aspects of rehabilitation. Many are then free for the rest of the day. A majority of these service members will be discharged from the service upon completion of their rehabilitation and recovery. This internship program enables the injured service member to use that free time to explore employment possibilities prior to discharge from Walter Reed and from the service.

Participating wounded and injured service members will obtain the permission of their supervisory physician and command prior to commencement of an internship. They will work on a volunteer basis at a job that requires actual duties on real tasks. They will to work with their assigned mentor to develop a plan to accomplish the transfer from military work responsibilities to a civilian career.

The Yellow Ribbon Fund recruits its mentors and its companies and organizations providing internships from the local community in the Washington Metropolitan Area. All mentors engage in the program as volunteer employees of the Department of Defense under the supervision of the Army Community Services Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. They are active or retired business men and women who have had successful careers and who are willing to share their experience to help an injured service member to have a more successful transition to civilian life.

The Yellow Ribbon Fund will assign a mentor to each participant. The mentor will work with the participant to develop a personalized internship plan based on the capabilities and interests of the participant. The Mentor will help the participant develop a resume. The mentor will serve as a conduit to the community where the service member may gain an internship, further education or training. Either the mentor’s company/organization, or perhaps others, will provide the actual internships. The mentor will continue to be available for consultation to the participant for the entire time that the participant is in the program, offering insights into the work environment and the experience, answering questions and giving guidance the job search process.

A wide variety of companies have offered to provide internships. Local banks, real estate development companies, construction companies, hotels, car dealerships, building supply companies, insurance companies, television stations and a host of local retail and wholesale companies typical of any community have volunteered. Community service organizations, trade associations, large national companies, with a wide diversity, including media companies, defense contractors, government consulting firms, public relations companies, have also volunteered. The Yellow Ribbon Fund Mentor Advisory Committee will provide guidance and assistance to the mentor in selecting the best internship experience for each participant in the program.

Participant accomplishments will vary. For those who have only a short time remaining in the service, a mentor may simply assist the participant as he or she searches for a job and begins a career. For others, accomplishments will vary by the amount of time and commitment that the person is willing to make. At a minimum, the participant will receive the benefit of some type of internship from one or more companies and guidance from a mentor on career planning. The internship will then be added to the participant’s resume and provide a start on a civilian career.

The mentor will consult with assigned Walter Reed hospital staff and the Transition Employment Assistance Management Service (TEAMS) director and staff, as appropriate. The Yellow Ribbon Fund staff will assist the mentor in these activities..

Get Involved
Sign up here find out how you can help.