U.S. Army lauds veteran employees during first-ever ‘Army Week’ in Boston

Photo By Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris | Maj. Gen. Mark W. Palzer, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, discusses the benefits of hiring veterans and reserve-component Soldiers during a “Lunch and Learn” event April 9 at Clean Harbors headquarters in Norwell, Massachusetts. This engagement was part of the U.S. Army’s first-ever “Army Week-Boston,” which is a Total Army community outreach effort to connect the Boston community and its citizens with the Army they haven't met yet – including active Army, National Guard and Army Reserve.  

NORWELL, MA, UNITED STATES

04.09.2019

Story by Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris 

99th Readiness Division

NORWELL, Mass. – Discussing the benefits of hiring veterans and reserve-component Soldiers was on the menu April 9 during a “Lunch and Learn” event at Clean Harbors headquarters here.

Maj. Gen. Mark W. Palzer, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, spoke with the company’s leadership and employees about all the ways in which current and former Soldiers contribute unique skills and experience to an organization.

“We’re looking for business partners – we believe we have something to offer you, and that you have something to offer us,” Palzer said. “You’re looking for leadership experience, training, decision making and problem solving skills, discipline and understanding of hierarchical structure – that’s what you get with the Army and with veterans.

“We’re looking to have a ready force for the nation, and employed Soldiers are ready Soldiers – they’re ready to deploy because they’re financially fit,” he continued. “I look at our employers as a priority in our ability to produce Soldiers who can perform on the battlefield, because they’re secure that their family is taken care of and they have a job to come back to.”

This engagement was part of the U.S. Army’s first-ever “Army Week-Boston,” which is a Total Army community outreach effort to connect the Boston community and its citizens with the Army they haven't met yet – including active Army, National Guard and Army Reserve.

“This is really an opportunity for the Army to get out and educate the population about who and what we are,” explained Brian Concannon, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army for Massachusetts. “We live in a part of the country where there are not a lot of military bases, and so it’s not a natural thing for us to understand and appreciate who and what our military is.”

Clean Harbors provides environmental, energy and industrial services such as end-to-end hazardous waste management, emergency spill response, industrial cleaning and maintenance, and recycling services. In late 2018, the company entered into the Partnership for Youth Success program with the U.S. Army.

As a PaYS partner, Clean Harbors guarantees Soldiers an interview and possible employment after their Army service is complete. Currently, nearly eight percent of the company’s 14,000 employees are veterans.

“We try to reach out to exiting members of the Army to try to address some of our staffing needs and provide good jobs for veterans,” said Jeffrey H. Knapp, executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Clean Harbors. “I want to thank all the veterans who work at Clean Harbors.”

Soldiers and veterans have a wide range of skills and experience that can fit into many job settings. The Army has more than 150 career choices available, and more than 50 of these are in the healthcare field. Ninety-nine percent of all Army jobs have related civilian credentials.

To learn more about opportunities in the U.S. Army, visit www.army.mil.

• Date Taken: 04.09.2019
• Date Posted: 04.12.2019 10:07
• Story ID: 317889
• Location: NORWELL, MA, US