Honoring Our Nation’s Military Members, Veterans and Families This Month and Every Month

As the head of public sector at AT&T I get to see the contributions our military members make, how they innovate for every mission and tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges. There are brilliant minds in every branch of service bringing cutting edge technology to life defending our country on both the physical and digital battlefields.

While I’ve always tried to appreciate and honor the brave men and women of the Armed Forces—something that has been instilled in me over my 24 years at AT&T my new role has given me a much deeper and richer perspective of just what these heroes face.

Military Appreciation Month was created in 1999 through a U.S. Senate resolution to “promote national awareness of the sacrifices that members of the United States Armed Forces have made in the past and continue to make every day in order to support the Constitution and to preserve the freedoms and liberties that enrich the nation.”

May was chosen because of the rich military history that surrounds the month, including Loyalty Day (established in 1921 after the end of World War I), Victory in Europe Day (created in 1945 to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe), Children of Fallen Patriots Day and Military Spouse Appreciation Day as well as Memorial Day and the creation of Arlington National Cemetery (established in 1864).

Supporting our military is a big part of our core mission here at AT&T. For more than 100 years, we've supported active military personnel, their families and veterans, helping them transition into the workforce with jobs both within and outside of AT&T.

In fact, to date:

• Employees who self-report as a military veteran make up 8.4% of AT&T’s U.S. workforce; 8.4% of managers; 8.4% of frontline employees.
• In 2022, employees who self-reported as a military veteran made up 7.8% of AT&T’s new hires. 
• AT&T military veteran Employee Resource Group—AT&T Veterans—has over to 6,200 members. 

But the work doesn’t just stay inside our walls. We can all contribute in our own way. Many of the organizations AT&T partners with through its Thank Our Heroes campaign offer a great place to start for those looking for a new way to support our military and veterans.

That includes organizations like Carry the Load—a nationwide nonprofit organization which provides an active way to connect Americans to the sacrifices made daily by military, veterans, first responders and their families. Anyone can join the CTL walks and marches that happen across the country every May. Volunteering is easy and it gives civilians a chance to connect to and share stories which provides an amazing perspective on the work our military is doing.

I urge everyone to find a local organization working with military and veterans. They do so much to protect us and the freedoms we enjoy every day. Even an act as small as saying thank you can make a huge difference.