Walmart’s Veterans Welcome Home Commitment
“DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH WALMART AND THE INSTITUTE FOR VETERANS MILITARY FAMILIES (IVMF). ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. SEE MY DISCLOSURE/PRIVACY POLICY.”
Every Service member can remember their interactions with the military recruiter during the infancy stages of their pledge to serve America. But what was the impetus for these individuals to join in the first place? For me, there were several attributes of service that I felt passionate to be a part of: Honor to country, teamwork, and a chance to lead my peers. As both an Enlisted Sailor and Naval Officer during an 8 year active duty cycle, I had a chance to be part of special squad of men and women sailors that gave 100% of their heart and soul to protect our borders and serve our fellow Americans both on sea and land.
Upon leaving the military and active duty service, veterans can rapidly hit a crossroad in their lives. The military provides a “turn-key” environment whereby the mission is clear, the uniform of the day is set, and everyone has a role to play in support of the orders given. Once our Service Men and Women take off the uniform and trade them in for a pair of civilian clothes, many of us find ourselves in a quagmire – we desperately yearn for the same structure, commitment to others, and duty that we were part of when serving the Red, White and Blue. This longing feeling may hit a veteran a week, a month, or even a year after leaving active duty – for each of us this can vary. Many anticipative veterans lurch for the first job vacancy that comes their way after discharge, often to feel disenfranchised and lost upon arrival – unable to adapt to the “new world” of politics, informal protocols, and lack of “chain of command”.
When I left active duty back in 2004, there was a nascent push for corporations to launch a Junior Officer Recruitment and Training curriculum to attract veterans to apply. The ideology was simple – if a corporation could reproduce a welcoming work environment to transition into, there was a greater probability that the both the veteran and company could sustain a symbiotic, loyal relationship moving forward. The value proposition is monumental for both the firm and veteran – if they can strike the right balance and chemistry – the company gains a valuable new employee and the veteran comes away with a future career path.
Walmart is an example of a US corporation that has taken on a greater responsibility to hire our veterans. Walmart’s veteran commitment numbers are staggering – they have hired more than 194,000 veterans and promoted more than 28,000 of these prior service members into roles of greater responsibility nationwide since 2013. Walmart understands the needs of veterans, and thru their workforce acclimation program called the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, they provide vets with stability and a chance to lead a team in civilian life. More than 1,300 new veterans and their families return to civilian life every day according to the Department of Defense. The Veterans Welcome Home Commitment helps veterans find career opportunities at Walmart and aims to ease the difficult transition from active duty to civilian life. As a veteran, I cannot express how important it is for my fellow service members to find meaningful careers when they come back home.
As a Virginian, I am proud to support Walmart in announcing that it has hired 6,247 veterans and promoted more than 800 to roles of greater responsibility since launching its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment in May 2013.
Thank you Walmart for your commitment to our Men and Women who served – please continue to guarantee a job to any eligible, honorably discharged US veteran who has separated from active duty since Memorial Day 2013. These jobs mean a lot to our Vets, their families and our country. One of the most pivotal times for a veteran is during that bumpy transition – and with the help of Walmart’s unsurpassed veteran hiring practices and available resources – they are investing in something paramount in our lives and community.
April 1, 2018 @ 11:01 am
Love the veterans good job
April 1, 2018 @ 10:01 pm
It’s good of them to do that
April 2, 2018 @ 12:44 am
I commend Walmart for their commitment to Veterans…
April 2, 2018 @ 3:10 am
I had no idea that this program existed. Thank you so much for sharing this information.
April 2, 2018 @ 3:21 am
My son was in the ir Force for four years. It helped him get a good job when he got out.
April 2, 2018 @ 11:46 pm
What a nice program
April 4, 2018 @ 2:07 am
It is heartening to know that Walmart recognizes the valuable skills that our armed forces learn while serving.
April 4, 2018 @ 10:13 am
If you’re not familiar with the military, you may not realize how difficult the transition to civilian life can be. I’m glad there are programs like Walmart’s that help.
April 4, 2018 @ 5:13 pm
I may not always agree with Walmart’s policies, but I do appreciate their commitment to our armed forces & veterans.
April 5, 2018 @ 6:51 pm
I hope the Transition Assistance Program is educating servicemembers about Walmart’s program.
April 7, 2018 @ 2:46 am
That commitment to serve and sense of duty is what makes former service members such great leaders, I think. Thank you for your service!
April 7, 2018 @ 7:14 pm
I totally understand how veterans look for employers where there is a clear goal and chain of command as it is an environment that they are accustomed to.
April 9, 2018 @ 12:48 am
I’d love to see more corporations reach out to veterans as Walmart does.
April 10, 2018 @ 12:52 am
Walmart’s veteran hiring practices are admirable.
April 10, 2018 @ 5:10 pm
Some may bristle under the regulations of the military, but I’ve found that many find their path to adulthood and independence.
April 11, 2018 @ 11:39 pm
I certainly hope the military has only improved their transition assistance program and created a liaison with local Walmarts.
April 12, 2018 @ 4:59 pm
Veterans have leadership and goal-oriented skills that would benefit any company.
April 13, 2018 @ 7:28 pm
It’s gratifying to know that Virginia Walmarts have taken this project to heart and have hired to many veterans.
April 14, 2018 @ 1:29 am
This is good to know. I hope other businesses get on board and do the same.
April 14, 2018 @ 5:13 am
This sounds like a great commitment from Walmart for our service personnel
April 14, 2018 @ 11:22 pm
I wasn’t aware of Walgreens effort for former military. Thanks for the knowledge.
April 15, 2018 @ 2:42 am
I did like that there was a uniform of the day. It made it easy to help prepare his clothes for the next day.
April 15, 2018 @ 7:57 pm
I think people join the military for a varied number of reasons. I think the sense of purpose it provides can be gratifying.
April 15, 2018 @ 9:18 pm
Yes thank you walmart for your support.
April 16, 2018 @ 5:56 pm
That’s wonderful–thank you to Walmart for supporting veterans! We need more of this!
April 16, 2018 @ 7:49 pm
Walmart’s program sounds like it would be a great environment for our loyal and dedicated veterans.
April 17, 2018 @ 6:37 pm
I’d love to hear about other companies that recruit veterans.
April 18, 2018 @ 1:26 pm
I hope the rest of the DMV -area Walmarts emulate Virginia!
April 18, 2018 @ 7:03 pm
Thanks to Walmart for recognizing and celebrating our deserving veterans!
April 19, 2018 @ 4:59 am
I wish more companies did this
April 19, 2018 @ 8:13 pm
It’s great to see a large corporation leading the way in doing this–veterans need jobs!
April 19, 2018 @ 11:14 pm
Kudos to Walmart for what sounds like an outstanding program.
April 20, 2018 @ 6:49 pm
I think military service also provides an opportunity for personal growth.
April 21, 2018 @ 7:11 pm
I’m glad to see Walmart doing this and hope other large companies are following suit!
April 21, 2018 @ 7:53 pm
I don’t think our military provides law enforcement but they do participate in counter-drug ops.
April 22, 2018 @ 7:53 pm
Programs like this help keep our veterans productive members of our society.
April 23, 2018 @ 8:50 pm
Thanks for sharing a bit of your military experience.
April 24, 2018 @ 2:46 am
This article makes me happy each time I see it–veterans really do deserve these opportunities and good on Walmart for doing this!
April 24, 2018 @ 11:15 pm
What makes Walmart’s program so great for veterans is that it’s accessible – there’s bound to be a store near you.
April 25, 2018 @ 3:50 am
Taking care of our veterans is so important–it should be a priority for all companies!
April 25, 2018 @ 6:25 pm
I think Walmart’s going to hit its veteran hiring goal well ahead of 2020.
April 26, 2018 @ 1:37 am
It’s nice to hear that Walmart is not only employing but also promoting hard-working veterans!
April 26, 2018 @ 4:47 pm
Walmart’s promotion of so many veterans in Virginia is quite a feat.
April 26, 2018 @ 10:27 pm
Sounds like a good program
April 28, 2018 @ 4:58 pm
Everyone had a job to do in the military and that sense of purpose bodes well in the civilian workforce.
April 29, 2018 @ 5:20 pm
It is wonderful to see a company really putting their money where their mouth is where vets are concerned.
April 29, 2018 @ 8:54 pm
I hope that other companies follow Walmart’s lead and recruit from all levels of military veterans, not just officers.
April 30, 2018 @ 3:00 am
It is so important to support veterans and organizations that support them.
April 30, 2018 @ 5:37 am
I’ve never been a Wal-Mart fan (only shopped there twice in my life). However, this commitment does make me think I should give them another try.
April 30, 2018 @ 8:27 pm
I look forward to seeing more companies emulate Walmart’s initiative.
October 3, 2019 @ 3:06 pm
I need to talk to someone at the vet welcome home commitment how do I contact them