5 Former Warriors, the Senior Enlisted Military Form Pinnacle Five; Launch Advocacy Campaign with a Valentine for Veterans and Families Saluting Their Value and Telling Employers It’s Time to Care

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Five former senior enlisted military leaders who each rose to the top of their respective military services advising the Joint Chiefs of Staff while preparing, leading, and supporting the collective US forces, have created Pinnacle Five to ensure employers understand the value of Veterans as potential employees. Calling them “America’s competitive advantage,” Pinnacle Five intends to educate employers and the public about the true value of Veterans. And, they’re offering to speak to any employer who will listen. But first, they’re sending a very public multi-media valentine…that they hope will “go social.”

“Now, we want to build that bridge to the employer community and ensure they know the value of Veterans as employees”

Pinnacle Five consists of 5 men who worked together closely during and after 9-11 to “build a bridge” between the enlisted force and key decision-makers in the Pentagon. All five have transitioned successfully to the private sector in their post-military careers and know what it takes to succeed. “Now, we want to build that bridge to the employer community and ensure they know the value of Veterans as employees,” said Jack Tilley, 12^th Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army and founder of the American Freedom Foundation--which puts on concerts to benefit Veterans and their families.

“Our goal is to get people to send a Valentine’s Day message to their hiring manager, head of HR, or CEO to remind them that regardless of their military branch or the job they performed in the military, Veterans possess the inherent traits of self-discipline, respect, loyalty, initiative and team so in demand in today’s workplace,” Jim Herdt, 9^th Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy and CEO of Herdt Consulting, said. “We also want to remind Corporate America, just as Michelle Obama reminded the United Nations in her 9/24/2010 speech, that Veterans are some of the most talented people in the world-- the cream of the crop. They are returning to America’s communities and should be considered for the highly skilled jobs the global community needs to build infrastructure and development.”

Pinnacle Five hopes the multi-media valentine will be used as a loving reminder to Veterans and their families of the affection with which they are held and of the their post transition value. Pinnacle Five also wants employers to consider the strength of Veterans as employees. “The military is rooted in and invests heavily in both leadership development and skills training,” said Jim Finch, 13^th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, and founder of Jim Finch, Inc. “We want to ensure employers understand that Veterans possess more than simple technical skills – and as Assistant Secretary of Labor Ray Jefferson says, ‘Of all jobs in the private sector, 80% have a correlation in the military.’”

The message of the valentine comes from military.com, which will distribute it to its 5.7 million members. “It’s delivered on video by Pinnacle Five in their inimitable style – characterized by the warmth of their friendship, decades of committed service, and love of Country,” said Ted Hacker, president and co-founder of the American Freedom Foundation.

“Hiring Veterans makes good business sense,” says Vince Patton, currently the Director of Community Outreach for Military.com/Monster.com and the 8^th Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard because Veterans:

1. Learn Quickly
2. Accept Leadership Roles
3. Work Well with Culturally Diverse Teams
4. Readily Adapt to Age Diverse Organizations
5. Embrace Innovation and Change
6. Perform Efficiently Under Pressure
7. Understand Technology
8. Accept Risk and Accountability
9. Operate with Integrity
10. Focus on Health and Safety Concerns

Source: military.com

Asked whether a valentine was the right way to get the message out, Al McMichael, the 14^th Sergeant Major of the U.S. Marine Corps, author, of Leadership: Achieving Life Changing Success from Within, and founder of the Drew Foundation said, “It's not about being soft on Valentine’s Day. It shows how caring we are about what we do. We are guys who can do it all-- not just the warrior part. Our families are the part of our lives that made us who we are today in our careers. There is no better time to show our love than on Valentine’s Day. It’s time for us to show Veterans and their families that we all care. We hope employers will embrace the value of Veterans.”