By Lee Kirby, Co-founder and Chairman of Salute Mission Critical
I was taken aback the other day when one of Salute’s largest clients concluded our conversation by apologizing for having never served in the military. So, I was compelled to address this with him and would like to share the key points with you. Salute is far more than a business because we have had and will have material impact to the lives of many veterans and their families. We are all civilians. Some of us serve in the military for a period of time and some of us don’t, but every one of our clients and special staff are doing their part to serve now. There are quiet heroes in the military that most people don’t realize exist, and those are DOD Civilians. They were in Iraq and Afghanistan providing subject matter expertise so that combat troops could focus on the fight. They don’t get parades or much recognition at all, but they did their duty and that is all that matters. Salute special staff serve in a similar role; providing expertise required to build the business and thus the jobs for veterans. You can expand the story as far as you want and take a moment and look at WWII. The war would not have been won if every person in the US was not focused on producing the weaponry needed to wage the war. Those men, women and children worked double shifts for years to support the mission. We all do our part whether on the front line or the assembly line. So I asked our client if he would do only one thing for me, do this…don’t EVER apologize for not having served in the military, stick your chest out and proudly share how you are serving now by giving veterans a chance to start a career in this industry. Salute clients and special staff have changed the lives of over 150 veterans in just the last couple years. They will continue to change the lives of many more and I consider it a great honor to be on this mission together. Thank you to everyone who has given us the chance to prove the value of military experience in the data center industry.