One of the clearest memories I have from my childhood is listening to my father talk about how important it is to have a sense of purpose.
A calling that drives how you live your life and how you support those around you. A purpose that drives you to be part of something bigger than yourself, one that will continue to have an impact long after you.
My dad served in the Marine Corps and he saw himself as part of a long chain of people who have served their country and supported one another in carrying out that mission. Generations of Marines united with a sense of purpose that would forever link every one of its members – past, present and future.
I have been thinking a lot about those conversations with my dad lately as the U.S. military services have a series of milestone birthdays. This week, the U.S. Marine Corps celebrates its 251st birthday. The U.S. Army and U.S. Navy recently turned 251 as well. The U.S. Coard Guard’s roots go back 236 years. And the U.S. Airforce will soon reach its 80th birthday. When I reflect on those milestones, I see them as unbroken chains of selfless commitment and sacrifice by generations of Americans, united by a common sense of purpose.
Inspired by that legacy of service and purpose, I joined the Marines Corp officer training program in college and served with deployments in Serbia, Albania and the west coast of Africa. Those experiences confirmed everything I had grown up hearing: the feeling of being a part of something much bigger than yourself, of serving others and of carrying on a legacy that would last.
When I retired from the military, I was not sure if I would ever feel that same sense of purpose in my work life again. But I have found it again here at Salute, and I’m not alone.
When Lee Kirby and Jason Okroy founded Salute nearly a decade and a half ago, they had an inspiring vision of helping military veterans launch successful civilian careers by bringing their extraordinary skills and leadership to the unique operational needs of the data center industry. Jason and Lee knew first-hand the value that military veterans could bring to mission critical environments for advanced computing systems. Each of them had decorated careers in the military before becoming impactful leaders in the digital infrastructure industry. They knew others military veterans could do the same, and they created Salute with that guiding purpose in mind.
That vision created a foundation for extraordinary results: more than 10,000 military veterans have started their data center industry at Salute. Their leadership skills, technical acumen, prevision, problem-solving talents and calm demeanor under pressure make them remarkable assets in the data center industry.
Today, 35% of Salute’s thousands of global employees are military veterans, and I am one of them. Lee and Jason invited me to become Salute’s CEO nearly four years ago, and every day I feel that same sense of purpose that they have.
I also hear that sentiment from our employees as I travel to see team members in the 150 markets where they support customers. So many of them tell me about the sense of purpose they felt in their military service and how it has been re-kindled in their work at Salute. They talk passionately about wanting to building something bigger than themselves – something that will last. And they also talk about how important it is to be part of an organization that is committed to helping the next generation of military veterans build a purpose-driven post-military career that is a continuation of their service rather than a starting over.
Salute is committed to not just continuing that legacy but expanding it. We have set a goal of recruiting 10,000 more military veterans, active-duty military personnel, military reserve and military spouses to begin civilian careers in digital infrastructure. To reach that goal, have launched the Salute Military SkillBridge program and the Salute Military Community Pathway to recruit and train veterans. I love these initiatives and I also love working with Salute employees every day to prepare them to take on the leadership of Salute in the future.
I also believe that Salute’s overall contribution to the digital economy will have a lasting, foundational legacy on the citizen services that result from the infrastructures we support. The systems our veterans help operate and maintain are the backbone of daily life for communities around the world — from healthcare platforms and educational networks to emergency response systems and financial infrastructure. That foundational role in the digital economy is inseparable from our sense of purpose, and from our commitment to preserving the quality of life that people everywhere depend on. When our team members show up every day to do this work, they are not simply continuing their careers. They are continuing their service. Together, we are building a legacy and an unbroken chain.