Veterans in Advanced Energy Profile: Jessica Klinge

jessica klinge, 2020-2021 Veterans advanced energy fellow. click the button below to learn more about the fellowship.

Jessica Klinge, a 2020-2021 Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow, says her military service and nonprofit work to educate veterans on the environment and climate change are driven by a desire to help other people and love of her country. Her advice for other veterans? Follow your passion and don’t settle for a job you don’t want. As told to Leah Emanuel.

Why did you join the military and what is your role?

I joke that I was raised to be in the military. I was in junior ROTC, so I’ve been wearing a uniform since I was fourteen. I came from a military family—my dad was in the US Army for 30 years, and both my grandfathers served in World War II. I was definitely influenced by my family, but it was also an economic opportunity for me. I joined the military five days after I turned seventeen because I wanted to go to college, and as far as I knew my father could not provide for me to do that. In my first semester of college after joining the military—right before I got my first reserve activation—I had to join my classes late because I couldn’t pay my dorm bill. Even at such a young age, I was also driven to join the military by a sense of patriotism—which has only grown during my service over the last twenty years.

I’m still in the military today as a US Army Reservist. I was a Chief Paralegal for twenty years in the JAG Corps where I assisted the lawyers and court martials discharging soldiers. Now, I’m transitioning to civil affairs which is more centered around helping local populations solve problems both in combat zones and non-combat zones.

How did the military influence your career trajectory into energy?

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JESSICA KLINGE

My drive to serve in the military and to work in the clean energy sector are at the core of who I am as a person. The reason I care about energy has a lot to do with climate change and finding the best approaches to address it. The reason I care about climate change, ultimately, is because it impacts people. I’m a very empathetic person, and I think this is driven by my childhood and my background. I was in foster care for four years. My mom was an alcoholic, and we struggled a lot with poverty, we had a lot of financial issues. When I went to the University of Wisconsin Madison, I studied geography and people and environmental interactions. I also participated in different efforts with the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group, which had a hunger and homelessness campaign, a green energy campaign, and a transportation campaign. Through all of this, I learned a lot about climate change and its impacts on humanity. Because I care about people, I always really enjoyed doing jobs that helped both people and the environment, so that’s how I got interested in clean energy. I work in the nonprofit world now as an event coordinator for the Brushwood Center, coordinating all of the art and nature programs for veterans. There is definitely a correlation between working with a nonprofit and military service—the work is driven by service and a loyalty to my country. I sincerely love my country, and I want to serve as best as I can. So this all ties together: my desire to help people, to help the environment, and to serve my country. 

What are you most excited about in advanced energy developments, or, alternatively, what are you most concerned about?

I’m most concerned that we won’t get anything accomplished for political reasons. I’m concerned that we won’t take the actions that we need to take and that our politicians won’t do what’s necessary to solve climate change. I’m most excited, though, about the technological developments we’ve seen during my lifetime—there has been so much growth in our efforts to address climate change. All of these different ideas and developments can be implemented to help us in profound ways, and this growth continues to increase exponentially. That, I think, is really exciting. 

Why is energy important to U.S. national security?

Photo provided by Jessica klinge

The energy used by the US military is massive. We expend a lot of resources in combat zones and use so much oil for the convoys. It would be incredibly beneficial if we had more energy efficient machines, mechanisms, and modes of transportation. So that’s the main reason: a lot of resources are wasted that wouldn’t need to be if we were more energy efficient. And, in general, as climate change increases, we will have access to fewer resources, which could put our military and our missions at risk. It is essential that we mitigate climate change to protect our resources, our safety, and our way of life. 

Do you have advice you would like to share with other veterans?

In terms of transitioning from a military to civilian career, network and volunteer as much as possible to get your foot in the door. There are a lot of really great veteran organizations—networking with these organizations was really helpful for me. I would also advise veterans to really focus on what you want to do, and don’t feel discouraged because the transition can be very challenging. I felt a lot of pressure from others and let too many people influence me to apply for jobs that I didn’t want. Many people were encouraging me to apply for government roles because I was a paralegal in the Army, but I knew that I wanted to be involved in environmental education, and I wanted to work in the nonprofit field. I know there are financial constraints, but try to to find what interests you, and seek out a role that you are passionate about. Don’t let others discourage you or pressure you to take a job you don’t want.

What is your greatest take-away from the Veterans Advanced Energy Fellowship? 

It’s great to know that I’m not the only member of the military community who cares about climate change. There are a lot of us who are interested in the intersection between energy and environmentalism, and that’s really exciting and encouraging for me. I hope to continue on to be a larger part of this program and help this community continue to grow.