It’s almost a cliché, but in the military there’s an acronym for almost everything. Ask any military veteran what “PCS” means and they’ll readily explain to you that it means moving from one duty station to another, with all the headaches of picking up a whole household and uprooting children, or leaving the family behind while the military member goes to the new duty station unaccompanied.

You’ll have to press the veteran again to find out what the letters actually stand for: permanent change of station. During my 30 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, the irony never escaped me. There was nothing “permanent” about a PCS. In fact, during my 30 years, we had 15 PCS moves and I don’t hold the record. Others moved even more frequently.

After graduating from U.S. Navy flight training in Pensacola, Florida, my career as a helicopter pilot took me from Pacific Coast to Atlantic Coast to Gulf Coast, and even overseas as an exchange pilot with the Royal Navy. Along the way, I became proficient at landing a helicopter on a ship, became an instructor pilot, flew over 5,000 hours, and prosecuted hundreds of search-and-rescue cases and law enforcement patrols—and had two babies born in my aircraft.

I obtained two graduate degrees and a fellowship at the Council on Foreign Relations, and was fortunate to command two major units: the Coast Guard’s Air Station in Savannah, Georgia, as well as the Group/Air Station in Astoria, Oregon, a unit that was like a small city, with 200 housing units, an industrial facility, medical and dental clinic, fire department, piers, lifeboat stations, and more. During an assignment as chief of staff of the Coast Guard’s Eighth District in New Orleans, the largest district in the Coast Guard, where we managed operations on the Gulf Coast and the nation’s inland waterways, we responded to the Deepwater Horizon disaster and managed the multi-year clean-up effort.

Operational risk management, emergency preparedness, public affairs, leadership: the experience gained during those 30 years was invaluable. It was a rewarding career, but I count myself fortunate indeed to be in a post-military career that’s also very rewarding—one in which I can continue to serve the public and which makes use of much of that experience. In 2014, I retired from the Coast Guard and accepted an offer as deputy city manager in Bothell, Washington. I served my “city manager apprenticeship” there under the very helpful coaching and mentorship of city manager Bob Stowe. And today, I’m fortunate to be in my ninth year leading the city government in Albany, Oregon. ICMA has been there every step of the way during the last 11 years, helping me to learn and grow in this second career.

In local government, we’re motivated by ICMA’s mission: “to advance professional local government through leadership, management, innovation, and ethics.” We’re dedicated to the vision of “creating and sustaining thriving communities.” We are continuously looking for opportunities to work toward that mission and vision. One of ICMA’s key priorities is to grow the local government profession by hiring new and diverse talent.

Recognizing that military service members who have separated from active duty represent a large pool of leadership and management talent, ICMA is taking concrete steps to be able to tap into this unique talent pool. The challenge is two-pronged:

1. Increase visibility among military personnel with respect to the opportunities in local government for skilled leaders with a passion for service.
2. Build awareness among local governments of this pool of trained leaders and managers, many of whom retain a passion for continued service.

It’s a big pool. About 200,000 men and women leave military service every year to transition back to civilian life. They may be leaving after a single four-year enlistment, or they may be retiring after 20 or more years serving our nation—or somewhere in between.

Over the course of my military career, I watched as my colleagues left active duty and went to work for defense contractors, consultants, manufacturing industries, the federal government, and many other sectors. Rarely did I see anyone go into local government. Why? Why is this talent pool relatively untapped? Hiring veterans into local government positions can bring measurable value to communities.

They bring the advanced technical and specialized training and skills learned in their MOS (military operational specialty): information technology, logistics, engineering, cybersecurity, aviation, and healthcare, among many others. They bring the certifications that are often required in those specialties, which are directly transferrable. And hiring authorities can be assured that veterans have been trained beyond those technical skills. After years of rigorous training, early leadership responsibilities, and high-stakes teamwork, veterans are likely to demonstrate the following characteristics, welcomed in any local government:

Proven Leadership and Discipline

Veterans have been entrusted with immense responsibility, often under high-stress conditions. Their leadership skills are tested in real-world scenarios, making them well-equipped to both lead and follow: to lead departments, manage teams, work collaboratively in team environments, and uphold accountability in local government roles.

Commitment to Service 

Military service is public service that requires deep commitment. Veterans bring that commitment and accountability to their civilian roles, aligning naturally with the mission of local government—to serve the public interest. Veterans are taught to take responsibility for their actions and those of their teams, with core military values that emphasize devotion to duty and ethical conduct.

Strong Work Ethic and Adaptability

Military personnel are trained to complete tasks efficiently, adapt to rapidly changing environments, and work under tight deadlines. These skills are invaluable in any profession where employees need to manage multiple priorities and serve diverse communities. Accustomed to regular professional training, veterans have to learn quickly and adapt well to new systems, technologies, and processes.

Experience Working with Diverse Teams

All veterans have worked in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams. They’re accustomed to collaborating with individuals from various backgrounds, which in turn fosters inclusive decision-making and enhances community engagement. Many have deployed internationally and developed strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.

Problem Solving Under Pressure 

From logistics to crisis response, veterans are problem-solvers—often with limited resources and incomplete information. They’re trained to assess situations quickly, formulate solutions, and execute effectively—qualities that contribute to resilient and responsive local governance. Experience in high-stress, or even life-threatening situations, builds emotional resilience and often an ability to remain calm and collected under pressure, and to manage stress—essential in demanding roles.

Security, Risk Management, and Emergency Preparedness Knowledge

Many veterans have firsthand experience with emergency response, security protocols, and risk management. This knowledge is particularly valuable in roles related to public safety, utilities, information technology, transportation, emergency services, and community resilience planning.

As a bonus, veterans bring a diversity of experience and a different lens to innovation—often shaped by unique experiences acquired only in the course of military service. The inclusion of veterans not only strengthens operational effectiveness but also enriches the civic fabric of our communities and has a positive impact on civic engagement. Hiring veterans into visible local government roles can inspire broader civic participation, particularly among other veterans and underrepresented groups. It shows a community’s commitment to inclusivity and to leveraging the broad range of its human capital.

Now let’s be real. Those 200,000 veterans leaving service every year are as diverse as the American society from which they came. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and with varying degrees of skill, competence, and ambition. Not all want to continue in public service. For those that do, when applying for a post-military job, they’ll be competing with many other highly qualified candidates. Our responsibility as local government managers is to act in the best interests of our communities and hire the best people we can for the jobs we have. Veterans intuitively understand this and don’t expect any “special” consideration. Those of us who are working to build this bridge connecting veterans to local government acknowledge these facts. Our goal is simply to address the two-pronged challenge by:

1. Raising awareness among veterans about the very rewarding career that’s possible in local government.
2. Dispelling the myths and misperceptions surrounding the hiring of veterans that often stand in the way of giving a veteran a chance.

Not all veterans are rigid and hierarchical leaders. In fact, very few are. Not all veterans find it difficult to adapt to civilian life and structure. Many are yearning to return to civilian life. We want to dispel myths, clear up misperceptions, and help educate about the value of military experience.

Acting on the imperative to be more inclusive of veterans and recognizing the need to be able to tap into that large pool of leadership and management talent, ICMA stood up the Veterans Advisory Committee in 2019 to help connect veterans to the local government profession. The committee advises ICMA on the development and improvement of programs aimed at growing the talent management pool for the next generation of local government managers by engaging the veteran community.

Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship

The committee also builds relationships between the veteran community and local governments and supports efforts to recruit separating military service members into the profession. The Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship is a program that places separating service members in local government offices to gain the experience and knowledge to begin a career in local government.

City Manager Senior Fellowship Program

The committee also supports partnerships between installation commanders and surrounding municipalities through the City Manager Senior Fellowship Program. The program matches Army assistant installation commanders with city or county managers for a five-day shadowing experience.

These two fellowships are a great way to get involved and help build relationships to promote greater awareness and connection between the military community and municipal managers.

The local government profession can represent a continuation of a call to service for a veteran. The skillsets learned and used in the military can translate into a myriad of functional civilian career fields. Neither of the two cities in which I’ve worked since my military retirement had need for a helicopter pilot. Although my pilot skills sadly go unused, I have found that the experience in leadership, personnel management, financial management, risk management, emergency management, and public relations, accumulated over the course of a 30-year military career, has served me and my communities very well. 

I remain very grateful to that city manager who hired me as his deputy and provided me with an apprenticeship, to the Albany city council who took a chance on a candidate whose city management resume was not a lengthy one, and to ICMA for helping me to make my way up a steep learning curve.

Help us dispel the myths. Let’s get better about taking advantage of this part of the labor pool. Look for an opportunity to give a veteran a PCS move into a local government position!

PETER TROEDSSON, ICMA-CM, is a retired captain of the U.S. Coast Guard and city manager of Albany, Oregon. He serves as chair of the ICMA Veterans Advisory Committee.

Learn more about ICMA’s resources for veterans here or email veterans@icma.org.