Military
How is it that a single word has the power to conjure hundreds of images in our mind and evoke waves of distinct emotions … all in a split second.
The Merriam-Webster defines military as “of or relating to armed forces” and “performed or made by armed forces”. But, based on how our lives and loved ones have been touched by the military, we may use other defining words.
It’s a safe bet that close to every single one of us knows or knows of someone who is serving or has served our nation in the military. Cast a wider net to include the spouses of the armed forces and one would be hard pressed to say they don’t know a single person in or associated with the military.
CME is proud to say that close to 10% of the men and women in the CME Corp workforce are active reservists or former armed forces personnel.
We are honored to have former Staff Sergeants, MPs, Medics, Hospital Corpsmen, Coxswains, Airman 1st Class, Air Transportation Specialists and a multitude of Technicians choosing to call CME their work home.
Our veterans have been deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraq for both “The Surge” and “The Withdrawal”. They have served on aircraft carriers, the Spirit of Louisiana and Spirit of Florida bombers, Huey Gunships, destroyers, and the air traffic control tower. Their skill sets have kept Apache helicopters in top working condition, executed civil engineering projects, and supported celebrations as a musician and singer with the Navy band.
That’s a lot to be proud of!
It just makes sense to hire men and women who, because of their military service, have self-efficacy, are comfortable with uncertainty, can quickly evaluate a dynamic situation, adapt to changing needs, and act effectively. And if that wasn’t reason enough, studies have shown that “veterans entering the civilian workforce are more accepting of co-workers' differences in the workplace, especially in interpersonal relationships.”1 How better to encourage a high-performance culture than to hire men and women who have served in the Military.
This May, in observance of the 24th Military Appreciation month CME employees across the United States are uniting in a drive to support troops overseas with care packages. These packs are filled with essentials, chosen by veterans who have been there and donated by companies like Dude Wipes, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Jersey Mikes, Colgate, Kind and many others. Our aim is to show our troops that they are on our minds and appreciated, “one deployment, one soldier and care package at a time”. 2
As we look forward to Memorial Day parades and reflect on those who have served and are serving, don’t forget not all who serve wear uniforms. Remember the spouses and partners of our troops May 12th, Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Then, celebrate the men and women of our Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps on May 20th, Armed Forces Day.
Even if we don’t have a direct relationship with anyone in the Armed Service, our lives have been touched by them through the freedoms we enjoy and fight to protect.
“We do not know them all, but we owe them all”
Anonymous
1. https://www.military.com/hiring-veterans/resources/10-reasons-to-hire-vets.htm
2. https://troopster.com/donate/
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers. With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.