February 22, 2007 | Read Time: 5 minutes
OUTSIDE THE NONPROFIT WORLD
Last year, Bonnie Jenkins received a phone call with a message that few foundation officials have ever received. She was going to war.
Ms. Jenkins, who works at the Ford Foundation, in New York, learned that March morning that her U.S. Naval Reserve unit had been called up to serve in Iraq. While eventually her orders changed — she’s currently stationed at the U.S. Central Command, or Centcom, in Tampa, Fla. — her experience in the armed forces and at Ford give her unusual insight into the often disparate worlds of philanthropy and the military.
Ms. Jenkins, who is an arms-control expert and formerly served as counsel on the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, has been in the military reserves for a number of years. But until now she has never served during wartime.
When the order came, she admits she had concerns. She did not totally agree with the U.S. government’s decision to invade Iraq and, on a more practical level, worried about leaving her job for an extended period. To her pleasant surprise, Ford guaranteed that her position would be available when she returns and allowed her to keep her foundation e-mail address to stay in contact with her colleagues. In addition, several foundation employees set up a support group for her.
For these efforts, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded the foundation a commendation it gives to employers that assist members of the armed-forces reserve.
“It was a great relief that Ford never gave a second thought to making sure that my job would be waiting for me and that I’ll have a smooth transition when I move back to New York,” she says.
But her challenges certainly didn’t end there. Immediately after being called to duty, Ms. Jenkins spent two weeks at an Army base in South Carolina learning first aid, convoy operations, basic land navigation, and how to shoot an M-16.
“I wore 60 pounds of equipment nine hours a day while doing all the required training,” she explains. “It was two weeks of numerous physical and mental challenges.”
As a lieutenant commander at Centcom, she works in the Targets Development Branch, helping to — as she puts it — “identify military targets overseas, to choose the weapon required to strike them, and to estimate collateral damage.”
In April, Ms. Jenkins will come back to Ford and resume her job making grants to efforts that improve America’s foreign and security policy.
While the two responsibilities may seem in conflict, in an e-mail interview with The Chronicle, Ms. Jenkins explained how her military duties may improve her role as a grant maker and how she hopes she can help nonprofit officials better understand the rigors of being a member of the armed forces.
What were your concerns about going on active duty?
It was very difficult to leave Ford, the work I had done, and the people I had met. I enjoyed what I was doing.
To complicate matters, while I completely support the U.S. decision to send troops into Afghanistan, I have often questioned our decision to go into Iraq. In Afghanistan, we were going after those responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001. That wasn’t so clearly the case in Iraq.
With all that in mind, I did have many reservations about being called up for duty. But ultimately, my personal questions about the war were overshadowed by my desire to fulfill an obligation I took years ago.
I reminded myself that military personnel from all over the United States are reporting for duty, that the war requires different skill sets and levels of expertise. I also wanted to do what I could to support our troops overseas who are facing danger every day.
How did your nonprofit peers react to your departure?
Most of my colleagues from the foundation world, including those at Ford, reacted to my news the same way as those outside that world. They were shocked and surprised. Many of the individuals in the foundation world do not know anyone serving in the military. I realized that one thing I could do that would be beneficial would be to serve as a link between them and what is happening in the life of someone mobilized at an active time in U.S. military history.
Has your experience at Ford affected your military role?
I have found that my time running the U.S. foreign- and security-policy and international-peace efforts portfolios at Ford helped my transition to Centcom.
In fact, there is no position as a grant maker that I could have occupied at the foundation that could have prepared me more for this assignment. My past professional experience and my work at Ford landed me in a job at Centcom where I can use my background as well as recently acquired knowledge, on nonproliferation and disarmament of W.M.D. [weapons of mass destruction], foreign and security policy, international law, and international peace and security.
Also, having worked with many organizations that are dedicated to issues within my portfolio at Ford, I have increased my awareness of organizations whose products are useful for my research I do at Centcom. It is rewarding when I can rely on the excellent work of my grantees.
Will your experience as a member of the military benefit your grant making?
I have no doubt that my year here will be useful when I return to Ford. I will go back with a wealth of new knowledge and experiences that I can use in my daily work. I will also return with renewed energy and a better understanding of what I would like to accomplish.
As an example, one of the goals of my portfolio has been to promote the engagement of retired military into foreign-policy debates. I am sure my work in accomplishing that goal will be enhanced after my year in the military.
