I’m proud of my father’s service as a medic in the U.S. Army for six years. Being deployed away from home for long periods of time and possibly in harm’s way is a sacrifice that is hard to repay.
UPS is also proud of their military employees. In fact, approximately 25,000 UPSers are veterans and about 2,500 UPSers are currently on military leave.
This Sunday is Veteran’s Day, a holiday honoring and thanking all United States Armed Forces members for their service. We asked UPSers to share their stories about serving in the military. Here are just a couple of them:
In the seven years I spent in the U.S. Marine Corps, I met countless remarkable men and women who day in and day out committed themselves to serving our country and helping keep its citizens safe. Many of my fellow Marines stayed in the service and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of them will be soon coming home.
Over the next several months, tens of thousands of men and women will return from deployment in Iraq, Afghanistan and Southeast Asia. Opportunities in the private sector are needed to provide these individuals a smooth transition into civilian life. Veteran unemployment rates are 11.7% and 22% for veterans under 25 years. These are staggering and undeserved numbers among the men and women who have honorably served to help keep our nation free.
Since 2003, The UPS Store has participated in the International Franchise Association (IFA) VetFran Initiative, a voluntary effort of IFA member-companies that is designed to encourage franchise ownership by offering financial incentives to honorably discharged veterans. In that time, approximately 150 The UPS Store locations have opened under this program, providing more than $700,000 in discounts to these men and women.
As we step into the early days of November, I find myself running the logistics of the coming holiday period thru my mind. Today I ordered POS labels, thermal tape, Next Day Air envelopes, pouches and ink for my postage meter. Next, I have the entire inventory of my business to review and will need to place re-stocking orders before the holiday rush starts.
With this being my second holiday season as a The UPS Store owner, I find myself calm as I go through the steps to get ready.
