The definition for veteran is “Men and women who have previously served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.” In my opinion, that definition doesn’t capture the honor bestowed upon our veterans. To the American civilian the word Veteran is defined as hero, fighter, and survivor. These are the people, both active duty and retired soldiers, that we are most grateful for. Without these strong men and women our country would not be where it is today. We would have no peace, no freedom, none of what makes America, America.
In 2016 our country had 20,900,000 veterans. This number makes up about 9% of the civilian population (over 18 years of age). Of those 20.9 Million, 5% of these veterans were unemployed. That’s over half of the entire veteran population that cannot find work. At Results Staffing, we don’t stand for this. We hold a special place in our hearts for the people who have given everything to better our lives. It’s because of those facts that we say we are proud to serve our veterans. We help them develop skill sets and get out to work immediately.
I sat down with Tommy Stewart, a veteran working out of our Dallas North branch, to talk to him about his time in the service and what happened after he came home. Tommy had a wonderful spirit, and honorable principles. Tommy has only been with Results Staffing for 3 months, but before that he was in the Army for 25 years before being released on honorable discharge.
Tommy told me that being in the military was the happiest time of his life. He saw the world, fought for his country, and then came back to American soil. When asked about what it was like to come home, he said this, “It was very difficult trying to get reinstated back into society. I wanted to see if America loved us, as much as we (the military) love the American Citizens. I didn’t do my job for thanks, but I came across several people who seemed ungrateful of our service. This was most apparent when I started looking for a job and was told that I was ‘high-risk’ and not a good candidate.” I can’t imagine how that would feel, can you? However, I have never been more proud of our company than when Tommy said, “It all changed when I came to Results Staffing. Every morning when I come in and get to go out to work, it puts a smile on my face. Results Staffing has shown me that I am appreciated.” He chose to work with Results because of our fairness in work distribution, a policy called First Come First Serve. He stated that “I get up, get to my branch early, and I get to work. It’s a very fair system. I get paid the same day, and it makes it easy to budget my money.” We’re just honored that we have the chance to serve those who have sacrificed so much to protect us. Mr. Stewart gives this advice to those just coming out of the military: “Take care of your priorities and responsibilities before going back to work. When you first come out you might have things in the military to take care of, such as getting set up with the VA. Get all these things handled so when you go back to work, you can fully focus on your job.”
Sources:
“Employment Situation of Veterans Summary” from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Release date: 3/22/2017.
Ashli Cooper has a background in graphic design and is new to the Marketing Department. She’s hungry to hit the ground running and help Results Staffing develop further. Ashli has a fierce passion for Results Staffing’s mission and values, and hopes to be able to share that passion with our customers and employees. Welcome to the team, Ashli!