U.S. Department of Defense honors company for 40 years of support
In 1972, General Motors was the very first company to sign a pledge to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) that vowed to continually support members of U.S. military services and their families in both times of peace and times of crisis. Recently, GM was honored by the DoD for its commitment to the National Guard and Reserve, and its loyalty to a promise that has spanned more than four decades.
“Our veterans embody the values we believe in, and I thank the U.S. Department of Defense for the opportunity to formalize this commitment and express our sincere gratitude,” said Mark Reuss, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain.
At a Veterans Day celebration at GM’s Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, representatives from the DoD were joined by hundreds of employees and reps from several military groups and councils to recognize the 100,000-plus GM workers who have served.
“General Motors is setting a high standard for all automobile manufacturers to follow by providing above and beyond support of veterans, many of whom currently serve in the Guard and Reserve,” said Tom Bullock, chief of employer outreach, DoD Office of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).
Also at the ceremony, the ESGR Extraordinary Employer Support Award was bestowed upon GM for the company’s continued commitment to employees in the National Guard and Reserve.
Despite only being formalized in 1972, GM has been providing exemplary sustained backing to members and families of the U.S. military for more than 100 years. GM currently supports organizations and programs such as Building for America’s Bravest and the Achilles Freedom Team. In fact, at the ceremony in November, GM announced a new campaign, spearheaded by the GMC brand, to raise funds for and general awareness of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation (the parent organization of Building for America’s Bravest) to help build customized, specially-adapted homes for injured or disabled veterans. For more information on this initiative, visit www.ourbravest.org/enlistme.
This article is presented by Jack Maxton Chevrolet in Worthington, Ohio.
Jack Maxton Chevrolet 