Veterans

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” Oprah Winfrey

When I decided to pursue a career in the military, I wasn’t sure whether it would be for 5 years or 20 years. I was passionate about serving our country and drawn to the Marine Corps’ camaraderie and values of “Honor, Courage, and Commitment”. I’ll be forever grateful for the experiences the Marine Corps provided me and, most importantly, the Marines with whom I served.

Leslie Washington is a firm believer in learning concrete skills. Coming from a big military family, she joined the U.S. Navy after high school, excited about the real world experience and travel opportunities that lay ahead. From standing on plane wings while washing down aircrafts, to organizing facilities for command events, to participating in surveillance flights during Desert Storm, Leslie’s military career was unique to say the least.

The value of military veterans extends well beyond our communities; as mission-driven leaders, they’re critical to employers like Cisco in today’s digital economy. And this week, as we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day and Veterans Day, it is an especially important time to recognize their contributions while serving in the military and as part of the civilian workforce.

In 2016, Whirlpool Corporation launched its Air cXc program in Florida in an effort to find skilled and talented military and military family members to support its Whirlpool Customer eXperience Centers (cXc). Since then, the program has expanded across nine states.

For those who have served in the military, it can be a challenge finding a civilian workplace which respects and builds upon the skills learned in service. At Nestlé in the U.S. we want to overcome this challenge, fostering an inclusive working culture that allows our veteran employees and their families to thrive long term.

The U.S. Department of Labor in October celebrated the continued improvement of the unemployment rate for veterans since with a 2.9 percent, down from 3.7 percent in 2017 (the non-veteran unemployment rate in comparison is 3.5 percent). This accomplishment is in large part due to the efforts of leading companies and nonprofits that have broken down barriers to veteran employment such as translating job skills from military to civilian work roles and communicating the high-value veterans bring to the workplace.

Wayne Hambrick worked a couple of jobs after a back injury ended his career in the Marines. But he hadn’t found what he was looking for – until he got a position working outside in sometimes difficult conditions with long hours.

The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of North American automaker FCA US LLC, has awarded $500,000 in grants to provide U.S. veterans, service members, and their families with support services and workforce development training.

FCA US announced today that it has achieved gold medallion certification for its efforts to recruit, employ and retain the nation’s veterans.