For most of us, leaving a job is just a change of scenery. But for our veterans, coming home is a whole different kind of fight. It’s a fight for identity, for purpose, and for a place to belong after a life spent on a mission. This is a reality Fleet Master Chief Raymond D. Kemp, Sr. knows intimately.

After a 33-year Navy career—rising from a young man who faced down racism on his first day to become the most senior enlisted person in the entire fleet—Kemp didn’t just come home. He came to Dallas, and he’s using his experience to build a new kind of mission.

The Silence of Being Out

Kemp speaks on what he calls the “silence of being out”—that deep, quiet place veterans can fall into when the noise of a shared mission suddenly stops. “The energy and the noise of having a mission is a lifestyle, then it’s not,” he explains. While military programs teach vets how to write resumes, they often don’t prepare them for this profound shift in their spirit.

For Kemp, this experience fueled his current work with Kemp Solutions, LLC his leadership development firm. He’s dedicated to helping people, including our veterans, find clarity and purpose when things feel chaotic.

What Kemp describes isn’t just a feeling; it’s a scientific reality. As a study from VA.gov, supported by over 75 years of Harvard research, confirms, strong relationships matter more to our health and happiness than money or power.

For veterans who leave behind the tight-knit bonds of their unit, re-establishing those connections isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential for their very well-being. The research shows that finding a new “tribe” can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and strengthen the immune system. For our veterans, community isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a matter of life and death.

A Different Kind of Fight: Exercise and Wellness

In addition to building new social connections, recent research shows that physical exercise can be another powerful tool in a veteran’s journey home. An April 2022 study in the Federal Practitioner highlighted that exercise may be a useful treatment option for reducing the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The review found that various forms of physical activity—including yoga, aerobic workouts, and resistance exercises—showed preliminary evidence of reducing PTSD symptoms in veterans.

Beyond the mental health benefits, joining a gym, a local sports league, or a running group also provides a natural pathway to meet new people and rebuild the social networks that are so crucial for a healthy civilian life. For many veterans, the discipline and camaraderie of group exercise can feel like a continuation of their military training, but in a new, positive environment.

A Strong Foundation Right Here in Dallas

Kemp’s journey highlights a critical need for a centralized, trustworthy resource—what he calls a “blue-checked” list of vetted organizations. The good news is, our Dallas community has already stepped up to the plate. We have a powerful network of organizations ready to help veterans transition and thrive.

• For Housing and Financial Stability: Organizations like Homeless Veterans Services of Dallas (HVSD) and the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation provide essential aid, from emergency assistance to daily meals.
• For Career and Education: Our local Dallas College offers military-focused programs. The Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center (VWEC) in Southern Dallas is a national gem, helping women veterans and military spouses build and scale their businesses right here at home.
• For Mental Health and Wellness: The Dallas Vet Center and The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Metrocare offer free, confidential counseling for issues like PTSD and depression.
• For Continued Service and Advocacy: Groups like The Mission Continues DFW Platoon empower veterans to continue serving our community through projects that address issues like food insecurity.

Lifting as We Climb

Kemp’s leadership philosophy—his ABCs of Attitude, Belief, and Character—isn’t just for students of his leadership seminars. It’s for all of us. He shared the powerful story of a young sailor, Dion Johnson, who was on the verge of being discharged. Kemp saw his potential and intervened. That same young man, with Kemp’s guidance, went from being homeless to founding a multi-million dollar non-profit in Chicago that feeds the underserved.

That’s what this is all about. It’s about more than just policies and programs. It’s about seeing the potential in our people, whether they are returning heroes or young men and women in our own neighborhoods.

“People deserve to be led well. So the leadership that they get can have an impact on how strongly and independently they perform,” Kemp reiterated.

Raymond Kemp’s journey is a powerful reminder that our veterans served our nation with immense dedication, and they deserve a community equally dedicated to serving them—by lifting as we climb, right here at home.

Kemp will be featured next as the guest speaker at the Leadership in Action seminar on Tuesday, October 14. Catch his inspiring journey to leadership at the Collin College Conference Center Frisco Campus at 1:00 p.m.