From the Military Service to the Public Service: The Benefits of The GI Bill®️
Roger L. Kemp, PhD
My Military Service Time
My active duty military time gave me an appreciation for public service, and the opportunity to get the education that I wanted after I was discharged from the U. S. Coast Guard. My memberships in national professional associations let me network with fellow professionals, both from the municipal and academic communities, and provided me with a knowledge of possible available internships, and information on possible employment opportunities in my field of study – public administration. Some of these professionals even let me use them as references during my job searches. I welcomed this opportunity.
Roger L. Kemp, MPA, MBA, PhD, Distinguished Adjunct Professor
Executive MPA Programs, Ageno School of Business, GGU
The first time I flew on an airplane in my life was when I joined the U.S. Coast Guard at nineteen years old, and I flew from the City of San Diego, in southern California, to the City of Alameda, in the San Francisco Bay Area, the home of the U.S. Coast Guard training center. I was there for eight (8) weeks for my initial military service training. Upon the completion of this training, I was transferred to the 11th Coast Guard District Office headquarters in the City of Long Beach, California. I worked in our District Office with a 9 to 5 o’clock office job that I held for nearly four years. This position, and its hours, allowed me to attend night school at Long Beach City College, earn an A.A. degree and made me the first person in my family ever to attend and graduate from college. This was done prior to my discharge from the military service in the evening while I was on active duty.
The military taught me the value of public service and the need to have a good education to serve the citizens. In the military service, I learned on-the-job skills that made a significant difference in my life. I was honored to serve our nation during my military service. It made me want to continue to serve the public in future years. When I returned to civilian life, I went to night school on the GI Bill®️ for nearly 15 years— and never missed a semester! During my public service career, I served for nearly three decades as a City Manager in cities on both coasts of the United States – in California, Connecticut, and New Jersey. I was also an Adjunct Professor at leading public and private universities, teaching night courses, during my city management career.
My Educational Benefits
After completing my B.S. (Bachelor of Science) degree and an MPA (Master of Public Administration) degree at San Diego State University, I found a job in the Office of City Manager, in the City of Oakland, California. I still had time left on the G.I. Bill, so I set my sights on a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) degree program in public administration in California and looked for a night-time program since I had to work full-time during the day. There were only two nighttime doctoral programs in public administration in the State of California at the time. I chose the one at Golden Gate University, which is located in the City of San Francisco, across the Bay from the City of Oakland. The other night-time doctoral program in public administration was at USC (the University of Southern California), which is located in the City of Los Angeles. I preferred the San Francisco Bay Area, so I chose to relocate from the City of San Diego to the City of Oakland, right next to the San Francisco Bay, and not far from the City of San Francisco, the home of Golden Gate University.
It took me five years to complete the doctoral degree’s program requirements, one night class per semester while working full-time in the City of Oakland, California. The same month that I received my PhD, I went from being an Assistant to the City Manager in the City of Oakland, California, to becoming a City Manager in the City of Seaside, California. And I have served as a city manager ever since that time—in Southern California, New Jersey, Connecticut, and then back in Northern California. Every place where I served as a city manager, I taught courses in MPA programs at night at primarily local public and private universities. It was easy to get a teaching assignment as an Adjunct Professor at a local university with my MPA from San Diego State University, my Ph.D. in public administration from Golden Gate University, and my experience as a seasoned career city manager.
Other Military Service Benefits
While the GI Bill®️ was a major benefit of my having been a veteran, there are various other veteran benefits available from other levels of government too, like states, their counties, and their municipal governments. Many public officials approve benefits for veterans that include tax reductions, and user fees and charges discounts. Nowadays, there are also even many businesses in the private sector that offer discounts to veterans, including goods and services from national commercial retail establishments, and from selected national restaurants. The level of benefits to veterans includes all branches of the military service and continues to evolve and expand over time. The more years that go by, the types of benefits that are provided to veterans, and the level of the cost reductions available, have been increasing. This is a trend that will continue in future years. It is great for the private sector to honor our citizens that have served in our military service, in all branches of military service – the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Other Lifetime Accomplishments
Over the years I have published, or have been a contributing author to, nearly 50 books on various topics related to public management, ranging from strategic planning in local governments, homeland security practices, and the preservation/restoration of natural resources in our communities. My book on the best practices in homeland security was made available to every city manager in America since it was published by the International City/County Management Association. These accomplishments are based on my military service, and my ability to go to school in the years that followed on the GI Bill®️.
Getting college degrees on the GI Bill®️ changed my life! It greatly enhanced my public service career and provided me with the opportunity to teach night courses at some of the leading public and private universities throughout the nation. The first book that I published was my doctoral dissertation at Golden Gate University.
I have also given speeches, based on the research for my books, all over the world, as well as in states throughout the United States of America! Over the years, I gave presentations to members of professional associations in dozens of states in America, as well as many countries throughout the world, such as Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Germany, and Puerto Rico. I’ve also worked in, and been a career city manager in the largest council-manager cities across the nation, on both coasts of the United States, including Oakland, California; Clifton, New Jersey; and Meriden, Connecticut. It has been a wonderful experience to live on both coasts of this great nation! All of my educational and professional accomplishments, including the ability to live on both coasts of our nation, were based on my active duty military service, and receiving the benefits of The GI Bill®️ afterward to attend college to receive an undergraduate, graduate, and advanced graduate degrees.
Since I received an AA degree by attending evening classes during my military service, when I got out of the U.S. Coast Guard, I transferred to a public state university in San Diego, California, entering as a junior. I used all of my educational entitlements under the GI Bill®️, and went to night school for nearly 15 years, without ever missing a semester. If it was not for the GI Bill®️, I would not have gone to college, since I would not have been able to afford it. The colleges included Long Beach City College, San Diego State University, and Golden Gate University.
Later during my city management career, I made an application for and was accepted into the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program, at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, at Harvard University. They had government leaders from throughout the world in this program, which was designed for senior executives in state and local governments. I also applied for, was accepted into, and also attended the Graduate Finance Institute, at the Graduate School of Business, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This was, and still is, the only program of its type in our nation, and is sponsored by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). My acceptance into these programs was based on my previous educational experience, and my professional accomplishments, all of which were based on my ability to utilize The GI Bill®️ to attend college because of my prior active duty military service.
The Future
I encourage young people throughout America to serve in one of the branches of our military service and to receive the subsequent benefits provided to them under The G.I. Bill. It will help them achieve their personal and career goals in cities and states throughout America, which many citizens call “the land of opportunity.” The GI Bill®️ paid for my entire education, which has served me well, both personally and professionally, throughout my lifetime. Other young people have the same opportunity, and should take advantage of it since they also live in “the land of opportunity!”
Students, especially graduate students, should join national professional associations too. Such groups have regular local and regional meetings, hold workshops, and help their members network with other professionals in their field. It also provides an excellent opportunity for young people to acquire knowledge of possible internships and employment opportunities in many professional fields. Students receive discounts on their membership fees in these national professional associations. Memberships in such associations will also enhance a person’s resume. Like The GI Bill®️ helps you achieve your educational goals, your membership in national professional associations will help you achieve your desired professional employment goals in the field that you were educated in. Networking with professionals also helps young citizens put their education to good use, and facilitates their local, regional, and national job-seeking opportunities.
Lastly, I recently heard a young person say when asked if he was going to college, “… my mom and dad can’t afford to send me to college, so therefore I won’t be going to college.” I also heard a parent say when asked if his daughter was going to college, that “… she applied and was accepted into a good school, but she failed to get her scholarship and, therefore, she won’t be attending college.” I would like to say, in closing, that a young person’s education is not dependent upon the wealth of their parents, or their ability to receive a scholarship, to pay for their educational expenses.
All young people nowadays have the opportunity to join the military after high school, serve their active-duty time, and then attend college on The GI Bill®️ afterward, like I did, after they are discharged from their military service. If I can do it, all young people in America can! All it takes is having a knowledge of this educational opportunity, being dedicated to your country, and being willing to serve your time in the military service, then going to school, either full-time or part-time, based on the payments that they receive from the U.S. Government for their active-duty military service. Such opportunities, and the accomplishments that you receive from them, will change your life, as you will have higher career goals, and will have received a good education to help you achieve them!
Note: The G.I. Bill® is the common name for the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, the legislation that created The G.I. Bill for our nation’s World War II veterans.
Source: Dr. Roger Kemp’s story was originally published as “From Military Service to Public Service through the GI Bill®️,” in Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III, Mickey P. McGee, and Roger L. Kemp, editors (2020). Veteran Care and Services: Essays and Case Studies on Practices, Innovations, and Challenges (McFarland Publishing).
