Joining Forces to Support our Veterans: The Right Thing to Do
At National Vision, we are committed to supporting our nation’s current and transitioning service members and their spouses. We operate 52 military locations across the country and since January 2015 we have employed 160 self-identified military veterans and/or veteran spouses. We have committed to hiring a minimum of 500 veterans and/or veteran spouses over the next 5 years across all of our retail brands.
Within those 500 positions, we have committed to hiring a minimum of 100 military veterans and/or veteran spouses in technology-focused positions as part of the Joining Forces initiative.
Launched in 2011 by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, Joining Forces is a nationwide initiative calling on all Americans to rally around service members, veterans and their families and to support them through wellness, education and employment opportunities.
On Thursday, May 5th, National Vision participated in a press conference at the White House with Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden celebrating the first 5 years of Joining Forces and announcing the commitment of organizations like ours for the next 5 years.
National Vision President Bruce Steffey and Dr. Janine Toucet-Pacheco, affiliated with our Humble, Texas America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses store, represented us at the event. Both Steffey and Dr. Toucet-Pacheco are military veterans. They were joined by National Vision’s Veterans Affairs lead Forrest Tennant.
We recently sat down with Bruce to find out more about his experience.
As a military veteran yourself, what did it mean to you to participate in this event?
Whether you are a veteran or a business leader, the Joining Forces initiative is a program everyone should be proud of and support. The men and women who protect this country should know that once their service is over, there are business and political partners here to assist them in their next career. I was fortunate to have a company waiting for me at the end of my military duty, but I knew so many others that went years without finding a meaningful job.
Personally, it was such an honor for me to participate in the Joining Forces event at the White House, and I hope the pledges set by participating companies to hire veterans continue to be successful.
What was your most memorable moment from the event?
Every moment of the event was meaningful and emotional. To see the passion that First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden have for this program makes you feel good to help in any way possible. The promises by so many companies to hire military veterans and their spouses were touching, and to hear that Amazon will hire 25,000 veterans in the next 5 years should drive us all to do even more.
Why do you think it important for companies today to “join forces” and support veterans affairs?
Every company in this country should be part of Joining Forces initiative! The training and skills our veterans have from their time of service are of great benefit to any business. When they return home, not only have they developed leadership characteristics, but they are experienced working in teams, exhibit global thinking and are dedicated to helping others just to name a few.
Most importantly, we have our freedom and way of life thanks to these outstanding men and women – those who put their country first to help us be a great nation. Our veterans need to know that we will be here for them when the time comes, just as they are doing for us.
National Vision has made the promise, and we will always be part of Joining Forces. It is the right thing to do – for us and for all companies.
Kristina Gross
