Military

Smithfield Foods, Inc., a global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer, announced today its recognition by Military Times in the publication’s Best for Vets Employers 2019 rankings. The rankings, awarded during National Military Month, recognize companies for their efforts to recruit and support service members, veterans, and military families.

The unofficial start to summer kicks off this weekend with cookouts, pool parties, and beach getaways. As a combat veteran who has lost friends to the scourge of war, I want to provide the following public service announcement. Enjoy the holiday weekend but please find time to celebrate Memorial Day the right way. Whatever you do, avoid these holiday greetings: “Thank you for your service” and “Happy Memorial Day.”

Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), has successfully closed a $600 million debt offering – its largest debt issuance in the history of the company and its first since it merged with Duke Energy.

Merck employees are in the spotlight on "Military Makeover: Operation Career" on Lifetime TV. The show, hosted by Montel Williams, captures the stories of veterans transitioning from the military back to civilian work life and the companies who employ them.

Walmart today announced the hiring of nearly 6,000 military spouses since launching the Military Spouse Career Connection (MSCC) on Veterans Day 2018. In its sixth month, the MSCC gives hiring preference to military spouses who seek employment with Walmart or Sam’s Club.

This announcement comes at a time when more than 75 percent of our nation’s 500,000 military spouses want or need work, according to the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership. The MSCC serves as a natural step for Walmart, as the company’s Military Family Promise, now in its ninth year, also guarantees a job at a nearby store or club for all military personnel and military spouses employed by the company who move to a different part of the country as part of their military service.

Higher rates of workplace diversity can help companies evolve, innovate, problem-solve and be more efficient. It attracts the best talent, and helps define a company's reputation as a responsible company.

Hormel Foods Corporation today announced it has been recognized on the 2019 Best for Vets Employers ranking by Military Times. This is the seventh consecutive year the company has made the list, which evaluates many factors that make a company or organization a good fit for military veterans.

As I write this, I am preparing for my next tour of active duty in the Army Reserves. I will spend most of May, National Military Appreciation Month, with thousands of reservists participating in an exercise to increase our lethality, readiness and survivability.

Over the past five years, our journey towards a more diverse and inclusive workplace has evolved from a targeted focus on women to an intersectional program for all employees. While we continue to learn and iterate to provide the best environment for our employees to thrive, we are steadfast in our belief in the power of human difference. In order to harness that power, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) continues to be a critical business priority. We’ve taken an agile approach. We continue to innovate, testing research against practical application, and evolve our programs, tools and policies to drive change both in our organization and across the broader technology industry.