This Fourth of July plenty of Americans will head to the
beach, attend a barbeque and send fireworks hurling into the sky. (Safely I hope!) Before you head out to the festivities, take
a moment to look around your place of employment and recognize a veteran
working near you. We wouldn’t be able to
celebrate our independence without the service of our nation’s veterans, so show your gratitude for their service and for their family's support too!
Here are five places you’ll find plenty of military veterans and their families working after their military service.
Whether you’re in Washington or Tinseltown, take a moment this 4th
of July weekend to show your appreciation for those who have served:
1.
The
Boardroom: Tons of
current
and former CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and other industry-leading brands are veterans including the heads of Comcast Cable, Foot Locker, Johnson & Johnson, Ralph
Lauren himself, Apria Healthcare, Verizon Wireless, Levi Strauss & Co.,
Amtrak, and of course former
Proctor
& Gamble chief Bob McDonald, who will be nominated by President Barack
Obama as the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
2.
The
Hospital: More than 75,000 Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve members work in
healthcare
support occupations, and last year nearly 10,000 separated from the
military.
3.
The
Silver Screen: Many
Hollywood
stars played their first important roles in a military uniform including Morgan
Freeman, Gene Hackman, Tom Selleck, Bill Cosby, Mel Brooks, Harvey Keitel,
Montel Williams and “The King” himself, Elvis Presley.
4.
The
Beltway: Lots of veterans pursue
civilian jobs with government agencies.
This is a smart move for many reasons including the “veterans
preference” given to vets and military spouses in the hiring process. In addition to thousands of civilian jobs and
contractor gigs, you’ll also find plenty of vets occupying an elected office. Currently there are
106 sitting members of Congress
who have served in the military including 9 current members of the military
reserves (8 House, 1 Senate), and 6 current members of the National Guard (all
in the House). As a side note,
twenty-six Presidents of
the United States served in the military before heading to The White House.
5.
The
Classroom: Veterans have proved
they’re highly trainable. Vets make
great trainers too – and so do their families! Page 4 of a 2013 report from
The
White House found that the #1 job you’ll find military spouses working in
is teaching.
No matter where you work, you’re likely to encounter
veterans. Take a moment to show your
sincere appreciation for their service.
