Support Veterans

Veterans in Parks Program

Join veteran colleagues to promote job and volunteer opportunities within the National Park Service.

The Mission Continues
The Mission Continues is a national nonprofit organization that empowers veterans who are adjusting to life at home to find purpose through community impact. Their operations in cities across the country deploy veteran volunteers alongside non-profit partners and community leaders to solve some of the most challenging issues facing our communities: improving community education resources, eliminating food deserts, mentoring at-risk youth and more. Through this unique model, veterans build new skills and networks that help them successfully reintegrate to life after the military while making long-term, sustainable transformations in communities and inspiring future generations to serve. Find out more about The Mission Continues.

Operation Warfighter
Operation Warfighter is a Department of Defense internship program that provides opportunities for wounded, ill, and injured service members to participate in internships with federal agencies during their rehabilitation process. These federal internships allow wounded, ill, and injured service members to expand their knowledge, skills, and abilities in preparation for transition or reintegration to military service. Learn more about Operation Warfighter.

Each national park may also have their own group of volunteers or partners. Read about a few examples of these unique collaborations.

Honoring Veterans in Facilities Management

Welcome to our showcase of honor and dedication at the National Park Service (NPS) where we highlight impactful projects dedicated to honoring our veterans across the country. From the Andersonville National Historic Site's meticulous sod-laying initiative to prevent erosion, to the roaring support of Rolling Thunder's motorcycle enthusiasts during the Avenue of Flags event at Andersonville, to rehabilitating a bulging national cemetery wall at Fort Donelson National Battlefield, to finally getting a peek into the collaborative efforts of the American Conservation Experience Corps crew at the Andrew Johnson NHS – each project embodies a commitment to preserving our nation's heritage.

Join us in saluting and honoring the service of our veterans, past and present, as they remain integral contributors to our national legacy. Explore the visual narratives of these projects that stand as testaments to our commitment to those who served.

Stone River National Battlefield Honors Veterans

For the third year in a row, Stone River National Battlefield NPS employees collaborate with the local Saluting Branches Program to select a project in honor of Veterans Day. Many of the Saluting Branches members are veterans who want to volunteer to recognize and honor veterans. This year’s project focused on tree pruning, removals and stump grinding.

Rehabilitate Bulging National Cemetery Wall Project at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

In 1867, Fort Donelson Cemetery was established as the final resting for Union soldiers and sailors initially buried in the Fort Donelson area. Today the national cemetery contains both Civil War veterans and veterans who have served the United States since that time. Many spouses and dependent children are also buried here.

The cemetery wall, constructed of stone is overall in good condition. There are two 50 feet long sections that the wall is bulging that is of concern to the park. This project will address one of the two sections. The job entailed dismantling a 50-foot Section of Cemetery Wall followed by inspecting the foundation and then reconstructing the wall. Existing stones that were still intact were reused and re-laid in the same region they were removed.

Preserving History One Project at a Time; Youth Crew’s Impactful Journey at Andrew Johnson NHS

Last fall, the Andrew Johnson NHS welcomed a youth crew through the Maintenance Action Team program who collaborated and dedicated their efforts towards preserving one of heritage sites. The project proved instrumental in facilitating essential projects within the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, where limited maintenance staff faced challenges in keeping up with the park's various operational demands. The American Conservation Experience Corps crew, showcased in the accompanying photos, spent ten weeks immersed in the cemetery grounds. Their impactful contributions included:

• Painting the fence around the burial plot of Andrew Johnson and his family
• Straightening and leveling over 1,200 headstones
• Applying D2 biological solution cleaner to more than 2,000 headstones
• Refinishing 14 historic benches from the war department
• And enhancing accessibility with improvements to the brick walkway around the Johnson family's burial site.

This collaborative effort not only preserves the rich history within the cemetery, but also ensures timely project completion, allowing our park staff to concurrently address other vital operations. We salute and honor the service of our veterans, both past and present, as integral contributors to our legacy.

Andersonville National Cemetery Avenue of Flags Investment Initiative with Veterans

On November 11, 2023, Andersonville National Historic Site volunteer group Rolling Thunder lent their assistance to the park staff for Avenue of Flags. Rolling Thunder is a group of veterans who are all motorcycle enthusiasts. The park regularly uses Avenue of Flags to honor America’s veterans and POWs around special holidays and remembrance days like Veterans Day. Park staff, many of whom are veterans themselves, sincerely appreciate the help Rolling Thunder regularly provides for days like this.

One Team’s Remarkable Effort to Save Andersonville National Cemetery Wall

In September 2023, ANDE National Cemetery Investment Initiative (NCII) team and maintenance staff removed dozens of cubic feet of dirt that had built up inside the cemetery wall on the southeast corner. After the sediment was removed from along the wall and redistributed on the hill from which it had eroded, the staff laid 9000 sq ft of new sod on the hill and along the wall to prevent future erosion from happening again.