ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — For many veterans, the transition from military service to civilian life is anything but simple.
“I didn’t know how to find a doctor… I really did not understand how to get health care,” said Kelly Smith, a U.S. Army veteran and director of advocacy and community partnerships with the VetReset Foundation.
After years of structure in the military, even routine decisions can become overwhelming.
“I was asking permission for everything… it really was a transition period,” Smith said.
That shared experience led to the creation of The VetReset Foundation, a nonprofit focused on helping veterans adjust to civilian life before challenges turn into crises.
Founder Lindsay Kinslow, who served nearly 14 years in the Army, said her own transition was difficult.
“The transition was not easy… I came home and I had to figure things out on my own,” Kinslow said.
Kinslow said many veterans leave the military without the tools needed to adapt especially when it comes to identity and mental health.
“One thing about the veteran population is we learn how to be a military member, but we don’t learn how to not be one,” she said.
VetReset aims to fill that gap.
“We are preventive… we like to address the concerns, the mental health concerns before it’s a crisis, before… homelessness,” Kinslow said.
The organization provides support ranging from wellness programs and reintegration coaching to job readiness training and connections to community resources.
What sets VetReset apart is its team.
Three of its four staff members are veterans who have experienced the same struggles they now help others navigate.
“Listen, I’m a veteran too. I understand how hard it was just to get acclimated to civilian life,” Smith said.
That shared experience helps build trust, something many veterans struggle with after leaving service.
Sekou Hill, the organization’s director of wellness, is not a veteran but works closely with those who are.
“The process of transitioning out… you kind of find yourself, what am I gonna do with that time?” Hill said.
He focuses on mental, physical and spiritual wellness, helping veterans rebuild structure and confidence.
Director of reintegration Rochelle Hemingway, who served 30 years in the Air Force, said she also faced uncertainty after leaving the military.
“I was wandering… not understanding what I was going to do next,” Hemingway said.
Now, she helps veterans rediscover their identity beyond the uniform.
“You have everything you need… it’s just a matter of tapping into it,” she said.
For the team at VetReset, the mission is personal.
By turning their own experiences into support, they hope to ensure no veteran has to navigate civilian life alone — and that help comes before crisis, not after.
