Celebrating Memorial Day

As the executive sponsor of Commvault’s Veterans Employee Resource Group (VALOR ERG), I wanted to share my perspective on Memorial Day, a U.S. holiday that was created to honor and remember those who have fallen while serving our country.

In many of our local communities, as we look up, we may see banners and salutes to these heroes from their loved ones and neighbors who cherish and rekindle the memories of, not only the fallen, but many service members who sacrificed physical or mental capabilities as part of their service commitments.  As you drive around your town, take a moment to look up and see if you can spot some of these memories, or as you race to your plane, take note of the photo boards celebrating those who have or are currently serving.

Our VALOR ERG is focused on bringing awareness to the value our veterans contribute to the private and public sectors. We aim to provide the skillsets veterans will need to have a competitive edge in technology today. We encourage a supportive work and life environment for veterans and their families. As a U.S. Navy veteran myself, it has been an honor to help lead this inspiring group of Vaulters and allies.

Earlier this week, our VALOR ERG hosted a virtual event for all our Vaulters to attend in honor of Memorial Day. The event featured guest speaker Rick Yount, founder and executive director of the Warrior Canine Connection, a pioneering organization that utilizes its Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to support recovering combat veterans and their families.

Rick shared more on the organization’s mission to provide veterans with a regained sense of purpose through the opportunity to engage in a critical military support mission while simultaneously receiving treatment for their own symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injuries.

Rick also shared how he pioneered the first therapeutic service dog training program at the Palo Alto, California, Veterans Hospital in 2008. Rick’s new program concept, involving veterans with PTSD in the training of mobility service dogs for fellow veterans, has yielded very positive results. He has presented the program concept at forums, including the Veterans Administration National Mental Health Conference and the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies.

We were honored to have Rick join us and have this discussion centered on the importance of supporting veterans and giving them and their families the resources they need. We also were joined by several four-legged friends, as our Vaulters were encouraged to tune in with their pets.

Here at Commvault, we are proud to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their life in the line of duty.

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