To date, OSDTN has served countless veterans. In the past, our legacy has been to help chronically homeless Veterans. We still continue to do that today while also helping Veterans find meaningful employment, empower them to be successful, and give them a hand up not a hand out. We are currently making adaptive changes to our services to also reach the Post 9/11 Veteran so that we can battle the projected homelessness increase expected in 2025 to 2030. It is OSDTN’s belief that if we can engage Veterans early in their transition, find out what that Veteran wishes to accomplish, show them available Veteran benefits and how to access them, and help them find meaningful employment, we can prevent hardships that Veterans face every day.

 

• In 1993, Operation Stand Down Nashville (OSDN) began as a coalition of volunteers and organizations who came together to provide outreach, social services and information to Nashville’s chronically homeless Veteran population. Every year OSDN would host a three-day stand down to provide services to Middle Tennessee’s Veterans. OSDN hosted these events annually for 11 years.

 

• In 1996, the IRS granted OSDN nonprofit status as a 501c3 organization. OSDN also became a duly registered organization with the State of Tennessee. All legal requirements to maintain this status have been completed each year. OSDN was approved for donations by the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) date.

 

• In 1999, OSDN Board of Directors elected to expand services by becoming a full-time agency. A Veteran Service Center was opened and four homes were purchased to begin a Transitional Housing Program, which could serve 30 Veterans–27 men and three women.

 

• The following year, in 2000, OSDN was selected as a United Way of Metropolitan Nashville partner agency in an effort to empower our community.

 

• In 2004 and 2005, OSDN expanded housing services with the purchase of three homes, adding four beds for women and eight beds for men.

 

• In 2009, after residing for ten years in the I.W. Gernert Tower, OSDN moved across the street into our current offices at 1125 12th Avenue South.  In 2014, OSDN purchased the 26,500-square-foot strip mall that sits on 2.14 acres. Following the purchase, OSDN changed its name to Operation Stand Down Tennessee (OSDTN).

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• In January 2015, OSDTN opened its Clarksville Service Center at 400 Madison Street.

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• In July 2016, OSDTN was selected as a Partner Agency of the United Way of the Clarksville Region and Montgomery County.

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• In 2019, OSDTN in partnership with Giarratana LLC, philanthropist Mike Curb, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, the Tennessee Development and Housing Agency and the US Veterans Administration began construction on Curb Victory Hall. Curb Victory Hall is a 39 unit apartment building consisting of affordable permanent housing for Veterans and their families located on the Operation Stand Down campus in Nashville, TN.

 

• In 2019, OSDTN retired the mortgage on its Nashville Veteran Service Center and on all seven transitional houses.

 

• In 2020, OSDTN completed renovations on its Nashville Service Center.

 

• In 2020, Curb Victory Hall opened.

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• In 2021, Operation Commissary launched to provide food insecurity resources to hundreds of local Veterans and their families through non-perishable food delivery and food bag pick up at Veteran Service Centers and partner Veteran agencies. 

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• In October 2022, OSDTN expanded to serve 20 counties in Middle Tennessee. 

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• In January 2023, the Columbia Veteran Service Center opened.

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• In February 2023, Career RECON launched its first cohort in collaboration with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Belmont University's Jack C. Massey College of Business.