Army Veteran Grateful for Assistance Transitioning Into Civilian Life
After spending much of his working life in the Army and Army National Guard, Dean Brock decided to transition to civilian life in 2021.
He was tentative and worried about his next steps until he was accepted into the Operation Homefront Transitional Housing — Apartments (THA) program.
Dean’s journey to Operation Homefront began in 2022, after he left the Guard and when he was living in rural North Carolina with his wife, Tabitha.
He was working at Walmart with side jobs at Uber and DoorDash to make ends meet while he tried to navigate the VA disability system. He was trying to gain greater disability because injuries he sustained in training and during two Iraq deployments were not documented.
Tabitha struggled to find work because they had only one car and no other transportation options. Even working from home was problematic because of an unstable rural internet connection.
Dean first learned about Operation Homefront after paying for a costly car repair caused them to fall behind on rent. The Critical Financial Assistance Program® provided funds to pay their back rent and food assistance. During talks with the staff, they learned about the THA program and looked into the Frederick, Maryland, location.
Launched in 2021, it is the newest of Operation Homefront’s four distinct programs to assist military families transitioning to civilian life.
Through the program, honorably discharged veterans within four years of service live for one year in an apartment. The families pay no rent or utilities, and they participate in financial counseling and career education to help achieve stability and chart a path to long-term post-military success.
For the Brocks, moving from the rural area to somewhere they would have more job opportunities was an exciting prospect, so they applied.
Tabitha and Dean moved into the Federick, Maryland, apartment in October 2023. They enjoyed the complex, which had a clubhouse and hosted activities. It was also near a pet store that Tabitha visited often with their husky, Chase.
Dean’s goals for the program included learning to budget, taking college classes, and raising his and Tabitha’s credit scores. They accomplished each of those goals. Financial counseling sessions helped them learn to build a budget and communicate with each other about money matters, something they had not done before.
“(The donors) are helping to rebuild lives.” – Dean Brock, Army and Army National Guard veteran
“We are thankful for our counselor,” Dean said. “Operation Homefront was so amazing. They were always available to help us.”
Tabitha also made progress toward a degree in cybersecurity.
She expressed gratitude for Operation Homefront and its donors for helping them build a stronger foundation in the civilian world.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “The (program) gave us time to breathe and think about what our next step was going to be. I got to finish two years of schooling within a year. Dean got to work on his VA benefits, which with the help from Operation Homefront, he got more resources to get it done. Everything Operation Homefront and its donors did for us during that year was unforgettable.”
The program was transformative for the Brock family. Not only do they now communicate better about their financial goals, the couple also decided after completing the program in late 2024 to settle in Frederick.
They built a support system there, and they love the city because it has lots of outdoor spaces where they can be active, it is a dog-friendly community, and the cybersecurity job market offers strong prospects after Tabitha completes her degree.
Even Chase enjoys Frederick, the snow especially. He has met doggie friends at the park.
Dean is currently working in a retail job while Tabitha finishes her degree. The couple looks forward to their future and thanked the donors.
“They are helping to rebuild lives,” Dean said.
Dean is still continuing to work on his VA benefits appeals.
For Dean, the military life was something he knew since he was a child — his dad was in the Army for more than 20 years — and Dean joined in the late 1980s. He served in the Army, then joined the Army National Guard, deploying to Iraq in 2003 and 2009 as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear specialist. He also spent three years stationed in Germany.
The Brocks are looking forward to their future now that Operation Homefront has helped make them stronger, stable and more secure.
