OREANDA-NEWS. Walmart launched the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment to offer a job to any honorably discharged veteran within his or her first 12 months off active duty, and projects to hire more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years.

“Hiring a veteran can be one of the best business decisions you make,” said Bill Simon, Walmart U.S. president and CEO and US Navy Veteran. “We believe Walmart is already the largest private employer of veterans in the country, and we want to hire more.”
“Veterans have a record of performance under pressure. They’re quick learners and team players and are leaders with discipline, training and a passion for service,” Simon continued. “I can think of no better group to lead in revitalizing our economy than those who have served in uniform. Through their service, veterans give us a land of freedom. When they return, it must be to a land of possibility.”

In April, Walmart participated in the Joining Forces Employment Announcement at the White House, and challenged companies to hire 100,000 veterans and their spouses by the end of 2013. To move this effort forward, Simon wrote to 50 CEOs in the U.S. to urge them to make hiring commitments of their own.

“Every company in America has benefited from the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform,” said Simon. “The biggest issue facing our veterans today is jobs. Sadly, too many of those who fought for us abroad now find themselves fighting for jobs at home.”

The company’s focus on supporting veterans extends beyond its hiring initiative. The Walmart Foundation has committed USD 20 million through 2015 to helping veterans and their families transition from the military into the civilian workforce through programs that provide job training, transition support and education.