7X24MAGAZINE FALL 2013
e Story of Salute, Inc.
BringingMilitary-TrainedPersonnel intoDataCenters:
AWin-Win for the IndustryandVeterans
ByR. LeeKirby
Thedatacenter industry is facingapersonnel
shortage, due to rapid industry growth
combinedwith an aging staff demographic
and increasing retirement rate. At the same
time, military veterans transitioning from
active or reserve duty face above-average
unemployment rates. More thanonemillion
service men and women are expected to
return to thecivilianworkforceby2016.
Salute Inc. addresses both of these issues,
hiringmilitaryveteranstoprovidedatacenter
facilityservicesandservingasagateway for
theseworkers into the industry. Saluteoffers
itsemployees trainingandskill development
to supplement the disciplined, precision-
oriented approach that military experience
fosters. Salute’s personnel have already
proven the value that they represent to the
data center industry. In just one year of
operation, Salutehassecuredcontractswith
marqueecustomersandhasbeendelivering
high-qualityservices toU.S. datacenters.
BACKGROUND
To tell the full storyofSalute, I need tobackupand tell youa
bitaboutmeandtheexperiencesandperspectivesthathave
shapedthis initiative.Hailing fromruralAppalachia, Igrewup
inTennessee—the “Volunteer State”—where theheritageof
service is deeply ingrained. I was raised hearing stories of
selflessness, fromDavyCrockettattheAlamotoWorldWar I
hero Sergeant York. There were also older friends who
volunteered forand thennevercameback fromVietnam.
Theseexamples instilledasenseofduty thatdrewme to the
militarywhen I reachedadulthood. Ienlisted in 1976,did four
yearsofservicethenwenttocollegeontheGIBill.Attheend
ofmyactiveduty, I transferred to the reserves.Aftercollege I
pursued a dual military and civilian career, receiving my
commission in 1982,withonlyone recall toactiveduty in the
mid-80s for themission to restoredemocracy inHaiti. Then
theattacksof9/11changed the tempoofmilitaryoperations;
reservepersonnel began to rotateonandoff of activeduty
ona regularbasis. In total, I endedup recalled toactiveduty
foranadditional sixyears.
THE INSPIRATIONFORSALUTE, INC.
Movingbackand forthacross the line frommilitary tocivilian
life during this period, I both saw and experienced the
problems that reservists were having trying tomaintain a
civilian career path—or evena steady job. As a seniorArmy
reserveofficer, IwasactivewiththeEmployerSupport forthe
GuardandReserveand ledvarious initiatives thatmorphed
into theEmployerPartnershipProgram,which isnowpartof
the Hero 2 Hired job portal. In 2012 when I reached my
mandatory retirementdateafter36yearsof service, Ibegan
to look forotherways toserve.
Many of the tools used today to help transition military
members to civilian careerswere not inplace just 10 years
ago. Much progress has been made, but the problem is
complex. When I learned that the unemployment rate for
combat-specific trained veterans (e.g. Infantry) who had
served at least oneperiodof enlistmentwas exceeding 20
percent, thisbecamemy target.My formativemilitaryyears
were spent in the Infantry, and I foughtwithmany Infantry
units in thePersianGulf, so this cohort is special tome. I’m
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GeneralOdiernowishingLee farewell, Iraq2010
