Veteran Jobs Mission Convenes in Dallas

"Veteran unemployment is a missed opportunity for businesses that must recognize the valuable skills that the military instills. Thank you for having the heart to be part of the solution." Vietnam Veteran and famed Dallas Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach shared these words of gratitude with a packed room of fellow Veteran Jobs Mission members during a reception at the Plano Campus.

The Veteran Jobs Mission, founded in 2011 by JPMorgan Chase and 10 other leading companies, is committed to addressing U.S. military unemployment. With an initial target of 100,000 veteran hires by 2020, the coalition now comprises more than 240 private-sector companies that have hired more than 450,000 veterans. We are now working toward 1 million veteran jobs.

More than 100 Dallas area members of the coalition joined the event, representing a wide range of industries including American Airlines, AT&T, JLL, La Quinta, Southwest and Wells Fargo. Also in attendance was Salvatore Giunta, a United States Army veteran and the first living person since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor. Staubach and members of our Office of Military and Veterans Affairs (MVA), which serves as the Veteran Jobs Mission Secretariat, addressed the group to share reflections on the current best practices in veteran employment.

Ryan Beck, Vice President on the MVA team, shared the JPMorgan Chase Pathfinder Playbook, a guide and roadmap to developing veterans acclimation and development programs. The playbook offers insights gained and lessons learned from the firm's experience designing and implementing programs that support veteran success.

"As we know, veterans bring great entrepreneurial spirit, transferable skills, and hard earned experience as leaders, gained in some of the world's most austere environments," said Beck.

A longtime member and supporter of the Veteran Jobs Mission, Staubach founded Allies in Service to reach out to veterans and the community by leveraging an all-encompassing network of support in the areas of employment, housing, education, and health care. He joined Allies in Service Vice President of Veterans Affairs and Operations David Whitley for a fireside chat on the latest challenges and opportunities for veteran employment in Dallas and across the country.

"We recognize that veteran employees are an asset. I always say 'there are no traffic jams on the extra mile.' Veterans go that extra mile," said Staubach.

This event was part of a series of regional receptions organized by the Veteran Jobs Mission across the country this year, which will culminate in the annual national gathering in New York in October 2018.