OREANDA-NEWS. November 13, 2015. Nearly 100 United Airlines employees who served in the armed forces received a special honor this Veterans Day. As a thank you for their service and sacrifice, the company flew these military veterans – representing pilots, flight attendants, maintenance technicians, ramp workers, customer service representatives and other work groups – from Seattle to its Chicago O'Hare hub on the delivery flight of a brand-new Boeing 737-900ER. In addition to the passengers on board, the entire cockpit and inflight crews on the commemorative flight also served in the military.

"Our employees are the key ingredient to our success, and we are honored to have thousands of men and women throughout our company who served, or are currently serving, in the armed forces," said Mike Ellis, United's senior vice president of Human Resources and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. "We are dedicated to supporting these courageous individuals, and take great pride in the skills, training and dedication they bring to the job every day."

The delivery flight was organized by United for Veterans, the company's business resource group established in 2013 to support the airline's efforts to recruit, retain and train highly skilled veterans.

United and Veterans

United is proud to partner with several organizations committed to improving the lives of our nation's veterans, active service members and their families. The airline and its employees provide financial support, travel benefits and hundreds of volunteer hours to prominent national and regional nonprofits, including:

  • Fisher House Foundation: Offers a "home away from home" for the families of patients receiving care at major military and VA medical centers. The homes provide temporary free lodging so families can be close to their loved ones during a medical crisis.
  • Hero Miles: A Fisher House Foundation program in which United MileagePlus members donate miles to provide free flights to the families of wounded, injured and ill service members during medical emergencies.
  • The Wounded Warrior Project: An organization whose mission is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, with a vision to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation's history.
  • Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation: An organization dedicated to supporting the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and perpetuating the legacy of the Medal through outreach and education. United provides its top-tier loyalty status, Global Services, to all living Medal of Honor recipients.
  • Ride 2 Recovery: A groundbreaking veterans program that saves lives by restoring hope and purpose through unique physical and mental rehabilitation, recovery and reintegration using cycling.
  • The Veteran Jobs Mission: A group of leading companies committed to hiring one million veterans as they return to civilian life.
  • Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Military Sports Camp: A program in which military personnel with physical disabilities are invited to learn from Paralympians and elite-level coaches.