Senior Leadership Positions Available to Women Veterans at Walmart

Business & Professional Women Foundation has partnered with Walmart to recruit 15-20 women veterans for senior management positions (no retail experience is necessary). This hiring initiative targets women veterans who possess leadership skills and qualities making them excellent candidates.

If you are interested or know a woman veterans who would be please share this message. Selected candidates will be required to complete an additional screening process. Finalists will be notified no later than Sept. 30.

Submit resumes to wjf@bpwfoundation.org by Aug. 31st

Business & Professional Women/USA, a membership organization, recently merged with the BPW Foundation, located in Washington, DC. The former organization had developed a program called Women Joining Forces around 2006 as a means of assisting women transitioning from military service to the civilian workforce.

It's Official

Collaborative signing ceremony first of its kind


The Army Reserve recently struck an agreement with the National Guard to better provide employment opportunities for Soldiers returning home from deployment. Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, left, Chief of the Army Reserve, and Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, Indiana Adjutant General, signed Employer Partnership Initiatives Monday and Tuesday, which stated that the two components would work together with civilian employers to acquire better job resources for troops. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Adam W. Jackson, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command)

By T.D. Jackson

Camp Atterbury Public Affairs

CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANUEVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind. – In a move the first of its kind, the Army Reserve struck a partnership with the National Guard to better provide employment opportunities for Soldiers returning home from deployment.

Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, and Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, Indiana's adjutant general, signed an agreement that the two components would work together with employers to acquire better job resources for troops. Several Indianapolis employers, the Indianapolis Fire Department, UPS, and ITT Educational Services, also signing the Employer Partnership agreement on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Monday Columbus, Ind., Mayor Fred Armstrong and Steven Chancellor, chairman of AmeriQual Group LLC., one of the producers of the Army's Meals Ready-to-Eat, signed an agreement in a separate ceremony.


Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, (far right) Chief of the Army Reserve, and Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, (far left) Indiana Adjutant General, signed an agreement Monday that the two components would work together to acquire better job resources for troops. Columbus, Ind., Mayor Fred Armstrong (second from left) and Steven Chancellor, chairman of AmeriQual Group LLC., one of the producers of the Army’s Meals Ready-to-Eat also signed the agreement which encourages them to send employment leads to the Reserve and Guard. (U.S. Army photo by T.D. Jackson, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs)

Stultz said often when Soldiers return from a deployment they are going back to jobs where they are underpaid and some, he said, don't have jobs at all.

"Everybody can benefit from this pact," said Stultz. "We're all one Army."

What the agreement states is the Army Reserve, Guard, and the employer partner agree to explore mutually beneficial initiatives that support the missions of each organization. The agreement encourages employers to post their job leads on the Army Reserve Web site that has a section dedicated to providing troops with better employment.

Roger Peterman of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) said this collaboration between the National Guard and Army Reserve with employers offers a variety of career opportunities to service members.

"We're ensuring that Warrior-Citizens are taken care of too," Peterman said. "We're very proud to join with the Army Reserve to best provide meaningful employment to servicemen and women.”

The adjutant general expressed his excitement about the milestone the state was setting.

"Indiana is the first state to sign this kind of agreement for the Guard," Umbarger said. "What this means is our very own Soldiers will now have access to this wonderful partnership which will pair them up with an employer who needs their specific skills."

Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, signed an autograph for Maj. Arthur Rabenhorst, an Army Reserve medical doctor at the Troop Medical Clinic here. (U.S. Army photo by T.D. Jackson, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs)

Stultz agreed. In his talks with various employers he found that the qualities they were looking for in a worker were the qualities that every Soldier already has, he said.

"The military is a great pool of talent that people are looking for," Stultz said. "Loyalty, dedication, responsibility … These are all the qualities that our Soldiers possess."

Stultz later explained a national strategy on how to maintain the force through the employer partnership is to match a Soldier's civilian skills with a similar job in the military - ensuring the Soldiers recieve the training they need to be a skilled worker and an experienced Soldier.

"For example you can build a force of nurses who already work in civilian hospitals, and as Reserve Soldiers they’ll work in military hospitals," he said. "Or like the Reserve Soldiers who, as civilians, are truck drivers for Conway. They’re doing it every day!"

Connecting Citizen-Soldiers with jobs that match their military skill sets is one of the goals of the Employer Partnership Office aims for, in addition to providing resources in a time when many are drying up.

Col. Todd Townsend, Camp Atterbury's commander, said he's excited about the three-fold agreement.

"It's great that the National Guard, Army Reserve and the civilian employers are coming together to support deploying Soldiers," Townsend said. "It's all about opening up the eyes of the civilian workforce and letting them know what Soldiers can bring to the table."


The Army Reserve recently struck an agreement with the National Guard to better provide employment opportunities for Soldiers returning home from deployment. Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, (far left) Chief of the Army Reserve, and Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, (far right) Indiana Adjutant General, signed an agreement that the two components would work together to acquire better job resources for troops.

At the Indiana War Memorial Tuesday, Aug. 4, several local employers signed the Employer Partnership Initiative. Shown are Jim Lewis, UPS; Col. John Layton, Marion County Sheriff’s Office; Joe Opalka, Aero Industries; Larry Dewey, Allison Transmission; Honorable Paul Ricketts, Mayor, City of Lawrence, Ind.; Randy Reichmann, Old National Bank; Todd Mayse, ITT Educational Services, Inc.; Chief Dudley Taylor, Indianapolis Fire Department; Lorinda Peters, VA National Cemetery Administration, Indianapolis; and Thomas Mattice, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Adam W. Jackson, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command)

Chicago, Illinois State Employees Sign Public-Private Partnership

Employer Partnership Initiative Supports Careers, Strengthens Economy

CHICAGO – The Army Reserve and the National Guard signed partnership agreements today with dozens of Chicago and Illinois State employers to work collaboratively to enhance job opportunities for America's Soldiers and Veterans. The alliances, launched as part of the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI), will help strengthen the community, support Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers and their Families, and maintain a strong economy.

"I'm pleased to begin lasting partnerships with the State of Illinois and so many of the Chicago area's leading employers. I look forward to collaborating with our newest valued partners to achieve mutual goals to attract, develop and retain a quality workforce," said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve. "This is a natural partnership because today's partners have always been great friends of the military."

Through the EPI, employers and the Armed Forces secure and share the talents of trained professionals. Businesses and organizations benefit from the employment of men and women with Army values, experience and proven leadership skills. Since its inception in April 2008, nearly 500 public and private employers have joined the initiative.

"The men and women of the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve are highly motivated, seasoned professionals and some of the highest caliber potential employees for private industry. This partnership is good for our Soldiers, local communities in Chicago and around the Nation," said Maj. Gen. William L. Enyart, adjutant general, Illinois National Guard.

The Army Reserve and Army National Guard are teaming up with business leaders and public officials across the country to develop staffing solutions to meet industry demands, tackle the issue of workforce preparedness, and reinvigorate the employee base in order to remain competitive in the global economy.

"It is our duty to take care of Veterans, who have answered the call to duty and bravely defended our country," said Gov. Pat Quinn. "I salute Helmets to Hardhats and all the partners here today. We join together in signing this memo of understanding so that we can help provide our Servicemembers and Veterans the jobs they deserve."

Among the partners who joined the EPI are: the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Chicago 2016, Cook County, Teamsters Joint Council 25, The Chicago and Cook County Building Trades Council, Chicago Federation of Labor, and SEIU.

"The Teamsters are committed to ensuring Veteran Soldiers forever play a role in strengthening our economy and contributing to the future of our communities," said John T. Coli, president, Teamsters Joint Council 25. "Joint Council 25 is honored to bring the Army Reserve and National Guard together with so many of Illinois' esteemed employers in support of our Soldiers and their Families."

ABOUT THE UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE

The Army Reserve provides trained and ready units to complement the Army, ready to perform their mission during peacetime, overseas contingencies and war. Our Soldiers are highly skilled full-time patriots whom civilian employers share with the Army Reserve. The value the Army Reserve brings to America is embodied in these professional men and women who possess the skills and capabilities that can be used on the battlefield and in the civilian sector. The Army Reserve is a reservoir of trained and experienced professionals in transportation, management, law enforcement, health care, information technology, telecommunications, construction, engineering, and human resources, among other fields. Army Reserve Soldiers have played a vital role in every American military and humanitarian mission of the past 100 years. Today, roughly 206,000 trained Army Reserve Soldiers in units across the country stand ready to serve the Nation when called upon by the President of the United States. Our Soldiers are one of the best returns on investment American citizens make for the security and freedoms they enjoy.

ABOUT THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL GUARD

Since 1636, the U.S. National Guard has brought glory and honor upon itself and its soldiers through quiet and selfless service. The National Guard is an elite group of warriors who dedicate a portion of their time to serving their nation. It is the only branch of the military whose existence is actually required by the Constitution. The National Guard has a long a noble history of serving at home and abroad to ensure the safety and freedom of American citizens. We have combated natural disasters, supported regular Army troops, and when called upon, borne arms against America’s enemies. Nearly 400 years ago, the Guard mobilized for the first time to help neighbors in times of need. This is still our main role: helping the community during natural disasters and civil emergencies.

ABOUT TEAMSTERS JOINT COUNCIL 25

Founded in 1911, Teamsters Joint Council 25 is the governing body representing 22 Teamster local unions in the greater Chicagoland area. The Joint Council assists its local unions in coordinating Teamster activities, solving problems, and organizing.

Employers Continue to Support the Army Reserve

Bill Crumlett, (left) executive director Human Resources, Ron Bouldin, Employer Partnership Program Support Manager, Seagoville, Texas and Rusti Clemens, assistant director, Human Resources.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Employers continue to join the Employer Partnership and demonstrate their commitment to Citizen-Soldiers.

The Southwest Research Institute signed a partnership agreement with the Employer Partnership Office in San Antonio, Texas on 24 July 2009.

Southwest Research Institute mission is to benefit government, industry, and the public through innovative science and technology.

The staff of more than 3,300 specializes in the creation and transfer of technology in engineering and the physical sciences. The Institute occupies more than 1,200 acres in San Antonio, Texas, and provides nearly two million square feet of laboratories, test facilities, workshops and offices.

SwRI, a independent, nonprofit applied research and development organization, and a total revenue for fiscal year 2008 was $563 million.

Craig Anderson, a Reserve Soldier with the 807th Medical Deployment Support Command and owner of The Anderson Group and Sonic Drive-In #5079 signed a partnership agreement in Seagoville, Texas with 10 fellow Reserve Soldiers from the 807th MDSC, Lt. Col. Ed McFadden and Lt. Col. Francesaca McFadden attending.

Craig Anderson, owner of The Anderson Group and Sonic Drive-In #5079 and Ron Bouldin, an Employer Partnership Program Support Manager, signed the agreement.

Dozens of Chicago and Illinois State employers will sign a partnership agreement Aug. 5.

Among the partners who joined the Employer Partnership are: the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Chicago 2016, Cook County, Teamsters Joint Council 25, The Chicago & Cook County Building Trades Council, Chicago Federation of Labor, and Service Employer International Union (SEIU).

This initiative facilitates strategic and mutually beneficial relationships between employers and associations to recruit and train soldiers who are interested in securing a position with Employer Partners, while they continue to provide service to our country. These soldiers will be training to fill needs in various fields like law enforcement, healthcare, construction, and transportation.

The Baltimore City Police Recruit Military Troops

Baltimore City Police Officers salute has Maj. Gen Adolph McQueen, of the military police command, and Fred Bealefeld, Baltimore city police commissioner signed the partnership July 23 that aims to recruit and hire members of the military to join the police department.


BALTIMORE, Md. - The Baltimore City Police Department joined more than 30 law enforcement organizations across the country when it signed a partnership with the Employer Partnership Office July 23.

Maj. Gen. Adolph McQueen, of the military police command, said that the uniforms might be different but the discipline engrained in the members of the Baltimore City Police Department and the United States Army is indistinguishable has was their desire to serve.

"It's the entirely right thing to do to recruit young men and women who have dedicated their lives, not by virtue of a job or uniform, but dedicated their lives to service," Fred Bealefeld, Baltimore City Police Commissioner told reporters at the event.

The partnership makes official, a trend that already exists. In the class that graduated the Baltimore Police Academy today, 12 officers also serve in the military.

"It certainly is an opportunity for us to assist those who are serving our country to have a second career or another opportunity to serve as they've done their entire lives," says Debbie Owens, deputy Baltimore police commissioner.

For more on the story visit WJZ Web site.

Four Employer Partners among the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Awards recipients

Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc., of Westlake Village, Calif., First Data Corporation, of Wilmington, Del., Microsoft Corporation, of Redmond, Wash., and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, of Phoenix, Ariz., were among the 15 employers for their outstanding support of their employees who serve in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

The 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award represents the highest recongnition awarded by the Department of Defense.

The 2009 recipients include:

FMC Technologies – Houston, Texas

AeroDyn Wind Tunnel LLC – Mooresville, N.C.

AstraZeneca International – Wilmington, Del.

Cambridge, MA Fire Department – Cambridge, Mass.

Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc. – Westlake Village, Calif.

First Data Corporation – Greenwood Village, Colo.

Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Department – Jonesboro, La.

Marks, O’Neil, O’Brien & Courtney, P.C. – Philadelphia, Pa.

Microsoft Corporation – Redmond, Wash.

Mid America Kidney Stone Association – Kansas City, Mo.

NetJets – Woodbridge, N.J.

Ohio Department of Public Safety – Columbus, Ohio

Perpetual Technologies, Inc. – Indianapolis, Ind.

Santa Ana Police Department – Santa Ana, Calif.

TriWest Healthcare Alliance – Phoenix, Ariz.

“In the eight years our nation has been at war, America's employers - almost universally - have done an outstanding job of supporting their Citizen Warrior employees, said Dennis M. McCarthy, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs. “These fifteen employers are the ‘best of the best’ this year. They reflect the powerful synergy that exists between the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve, and their employers.”

A record 3,200 National Guard and Reserve members or their family members from across the country nominated their employers for the Freedom Award this year. A national selection board comprised of senior Defense officials and business leaders selected the recipients. The Freedom Award will be presented to these employers during a formal ceremony Sept. 17, 2009 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.

The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to recognize exceptional support from the employer community.

More information about the Freedom Award is available at http://www.FreedomAward.mil or by calling the ESGR office at (800) 336-4590.

U.S. Army Reserve Launches Partnership with Helmets to Hardhats

Partnership to Connect America’s Soldiers and Veterans with Job Opportunities

Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, chief, Army Reserve, Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, acting director, Army National Guard, and Darrell Roberts, executive director, Helmets to Hardhats sign an Employer Partnership agreement on July 2, 2009 at the Pentagon. For the first time since EPI’s inception, the Army National Guard will also benefit from this partnership.


WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Army Reserve launched a partnership July 2, under the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative, with Helmets to Hardhats, a nonprofit program that connects America’s military service members with quality career opportunities in the building and construction trades. For the first time since EPI’s inception, the Army National Guard will also benefit from this partnership. This joint venture will enable each organization to recruit highly-skilled employees, support military families and contribute to a stronger national economy.

“I’m pleased to begin this partnership with Helmets to Hardhats, an organization that has been a great friend to the military. I look forward to collaborating with our newest valued partner to achieve mutual goals to attract, develop and retain a quality workforce,” said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief, Army Reserve. “This is a natural partnership because Army Reserve Soldiers are well trained and have the appropriate skill set for the building and construction industry.”

Through this partnership, both Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers will gain opportunities for employment in the construction industry and the chance to learn a skilled trade through federally-approved apprenticeship training programs. The Army Reserve, National Guard and Helmets to Hardhats will work together to recruit and train qualified Soldier candidates.

Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, chief, Army Reserve, commander U.S. Army Reserve Command, Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, acting director, Army National Guard, Darrell Roberts, executive director, Helmets to Hardhats, and David Beckler, senior vice president of Labor Relations Tennesse Valley Authority sign an Employer Partnership agreement on July 2, 2009 at the Pentagon.

"The Army National Guard is excited to be partnering with the U.S. Army Reserve and American industry in the Employer Partnership Initiative Program. The men and women of the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve are highly motivated, seasoned professionals and some of the highest caliber potential employees for private industry. This program is good for our Soldiers, local communities and the Nation," said MG Raymond Carpenter, Acting Director, Army National Guard.

The Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI) establishes a process whereby employers and the Army Reserve secure and share the talents of trained professionals. Partners, like Helmets to Hardhats, benefit by receiving greater access to men and women with military values, knowledge and proven leadership skills.

“Helmets to Hardhats is excited to have this opportunity to help bring the Army Reserve and the National Guard; the Building and Construction Trades Department; AFL-CIO; America’s Building Trades Unions and the nation’s leading construction contractor associations together in support of America’s Citizen Soldiers and their Families,” said Darrell Roberts, Executive Director, Helmets to Hardhats.

Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, chief, Army Reserve, Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, acting director, Army National Guard, and Darrell Roberts, executive director, Helmets to Hardhats sign an Employer Partnership agreement on July 2, 2009 at the Pentagon.

Since its inception in April 2008, the EPI has joined forces with over 400 public and private employers, including Fortune 500 corporations, state agencies, police departments and medical facilities, in order to secure job stability for America’s Soldiers and Veterans.

ABOUT THE UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE

The Army Reserve provides trained and ready units to complement the Army, ready to perform their mission during peacetime, overseas contingencies and war. Our Soldiers are highly skilled full-time patriots whom civilian employers share with the Army Reserve. The value the Army Reserve brings to America is embodied in these professional men and women who possess the skills and capabilities that can be used on the battlefield and in the civilian sector. The Army Reserve is a reservoir of trained and experienced professionals.

Army Reserve Soldiers have played a vital role in every American military and humanitarian mission of the past 100 years. Today, roughly 206,000 trained Army Reserve Soldiers in units across the country stand ready to serve the Nation when called upon by the President of the United States. The quality of our force has never been higher. Our Soldiers are one of the best returns on investment American citizens make for the security and freedoms they enjoy.

ABOUT HELMETS TO HARDHATS

Helmets to Hardhats is a free, nonprofit program that connects National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning active-duty military members with quality career training and employment opportunities in the construction industry.

Helmets to Hardhats is administered by the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment and Veterans Employment (CMRAVE), a joint labor-management committee sponsored by the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO; 15 Building and Construction Trades Unions, and nine leading construction contractor associations representing more than 80,000 employers in the construction industry.

Military personnel interested in securing a rewarding career in the construction industry are encouraged to register with Helmets to Hardhats online or to call 866-741-6210 (toll-free).

ABOUT THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL GUARD

The Army National Guard (ARNG) is one component of The Army (which consists of the Active Army, the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.) The Army National Guard is composed primarily of traditional Guardsmen -- civilians who serve their country, state and community on a part-time basis (usually one weekend each month and two weeks during the summer.) Each state, territory and the District of Columbia has its own National Guard, as provided for by the Constitution of the United States.

The National Guard has a unique dual mission that consists of both Federal and State roles. For state missions, the governor, through the state Adjutant General, commands Guard forces. The governor can call the National Guard into action during local or statewide emergencies, such as storms, fires, earthquakes or civil disturbances.

In addition, the President of the United States can activate the National Guard for participation in federal missions. Examples of federal activations include Guard units deployed to Kosovo and the Sinai for stabilization operations, and units deployed to the Middle East and other locations in the war on terrorism. When federalized, Guard units are commanded by the Combatant Commander of the theatre in which they are operating.