Service providers in occupations that serve military families can look to OneOp as a free, centralized source for professional development. Military families have unique needs, and it can be daunting trying to fully understand key priorities and reliable research-backed approaches that will best support military family readiness.
Collaborating with both the Department of War and university experts, OneOp invests in strengthening service members and their families by focusing on real impact.
It matters that the Department of War’s Military Family Readiness System is backed by a cross-disciplinary, open-access organization that brings providers together to share knowledge and best practices and build military cultural competencies. OneOp accomplishes this in many ways, including the following:
- Practicing Connection
- Military Family Readiness Academy
- Impact Evaluation
Military.com interviewed Joyce Vaughn, OneOp’s Director of Communications, to highlight the mission and vision of the organization, showing how OneOp leads to tangible results. The discussion below covers how to collaborate on work issues affecting military families, engage in peer learning and professional growth, and how OneOp is advancing the Military Family Readiness System.
Military.com (Kim O’Brien): OneOp describes itself as a “single point of entry” for professional development for military family service providers. What does that look like in practice, and why is that centralized approach important?
Joyce Vaughn (OneOp Director of Communications): Being a single point of entry means that any professional who serves military families, whether on an installation or in the local community, can come to OneOp and find professional development resources they need. OneOp is intentionally designed to serve providers across disciplines, bringing together personal finance managers, dietitians, school counselors, HR specialists, and more under one platform. This diversity of perspectives creates a holistic approach to learning and ultimately supports better outcomes for military families. All at no cost to the provider.
Due to OneOp's wide reach of disciplines, our programming can function differently for each provider. A personal finance manager can stream a webinar on the unique tax considerations for service members. A family support professional can quickly pull up programming on nutrition and wellness, youth development, or spouse employment to provide resources for the military. OneOp brings together research-based, actionable content across many areas so service providers can focus on what they need right now instead of searching across dozens of disconnected sources.
That centralization matters because the quality of support military families receive depends on the professionals supporting them having reliable, current, trusted resources close at hand. Backed by a decade-long partnership with the Department of War and the United States Department of Agriculture, OneOp is uniquely positioned to consistently deliver high-quality, up-to-date programming for military family service providers, whether you are new to the field or a seasoned professional.
What sets OneOp apart is that it is the only resource focused on the ongoing professional growth of service providers from multiple disciplines across the entire Military Family Readiness System. Our team includes distinguished professionals from eight universities across the country who collaborate with Department of War subject matter experts to create programming that is both evidence-informed and grounded in the realities of practice.
"OneOp provides me with access to research-based and evidence-informed information, promising practices, educational materials, and programming efforts that help me to better support and aid military families in my field of work." - OneOp Learner
Military.com: Military family readiness priorities are constantly evolving. How does OneOp ensure its programming remains responsive to emerging challenges within the Military Family Readiness System?
Vaughn: Working alongside our partners at the Department of War (DOW), we stay closely attuned to shifting priorities and move quickly to develop high-quality professional development that reflects those priorities. As a virtual organization with a global reach, we're well-positioned to respond in a timely manner.
While all of our webinars are offered live, they're also recorded and available on demand so providers can learn on their own time and in their own time zone. We also offer fully asynchronous courses and a weekly podcast, Practicing Connection. Our diverse offering of programming allows service providers to work at their own pace, completing content in one sitting or breaking it into smaller segments that fit their schedule.
One of the ways we stay directly aligned with DOW priorities is through our annual Military Family Readiness Academy, a cross-disciplinary professional development series for service providers across the Military Family Readiness System. Each year, the Academy focuses on a different priority issue relevant to military family well-being. Past topics have included nutrition security, financial security, and military-connected youth well-being.
This year's Academy explores the importance of building community capacity to support military families. Through a series of webinars and a panel discussion, experts will help service providers understand how their communities and networks can better support military families by taking shared responsibility and strengthening collective competence.
Military.com: Can you share an example of how OneOp’s training and knowledge-sharing initiatives have meaningfully improved the capacity of service providers working with military families?
Vaughn: OneOp's Impact Evaluation tracks changes in service providers' knowledge and work behavior after participating in OneOp programming. The 2025 evaluation offers a clear picture of what that impact looks like in practice.
Evaluation participants reported meaningful gains across multiple areas — 97% reported improvements in their professional skills, 93% said they were more knowledgeable about military family life experiences, and 94% reported feeling more comfortable practicing trauma-informed care.
In 2025, 95% of evaluation respondents reported increased knowledge capital after attending OneOp webinars, and 73% anticipated making changes to their work after attending OneOp programming.
"Participating in OneOp programming has enhanced my ability to support military families by providing access to research-based, practical, and inclusive resources tailored to their unique challenges. The trainings and webinars offered by OneOp have deepened my understanding of military culture, family dynamics, and the stressors related to deployment, relocation, and reintegration. This knowledge has directly informed my approach when working with service members and their families, allowing me to be more culturally competent and responsive." - OneOp Learner
Military.com: Looking ahead, what are OneOp’s priorities for expanding its mission, strengthening collaborations, or innovating in professional development for those who support military families?
Vaughn: Looking ahead, OneOp is focused on deepening its impact rather than simply expanding its footprint. That means continuing to align closely with DOW priorities as they evolve, ensuring our programming reflects the most current research and responds to emerging challenges facing military families.
"The landscape of military family support is changing. OneOp is positioned to respond to those changes and promptly provide resources for military family service providers. When providers are well-prepared, military families are better supported which strengthens force readiness. We’re improving our use of data and continuously developing new programming so the professionals who support military families get the resources they need when they need them.” - Bob Bertsch, National Project Leader, OneOp
We're committed to strengthening the bridge between on-installation and community-based providers. As military families increasingly access support both on and off the installation, the professionals serving them need a shared foundation of knowledge. OneOp is equipped to continually provide that common ground of knowledge.
We continue to stay connected to service providers to see how we can continue to meet them where they are through flexible formats, on-demand content, and programming that fits into a busy schedule without sacrificing depth or quality.
Military.com: Is there anything else you would like the military community to know about OneOp?
Vaughn: OneOp is committed to creating professional development programming that is research-based, evidence-informed, and designed with the military family service provider in mind. We believe in creating spaces that encourage real growth, increasing the knowledge and skills of service providers.
OneOp also serves as a bridge between on-installation providers and community providers. Military families don't live only on installations, and community providers need the same evidence-based knowledge and practical strategies for working with this population. The pressures that come with military life are unique, and every provider who works with these families deserves to understand them.
"There are a lot of nuances to working with military families that I would not have known about if I had not attended OneOp webinars." - OneOp Learner
Our goal is to strengthen the readiness of service members and their families by empowering every provider who supports them. We continue to expand our continuing education options, track industry trends to keep our programming relevant, and create flexible learning opportunities that fit the realities of working professionals.
