Supporting our military near and far

“I've never seen a tank or a soldier in the street outside of a parade or military appreciation event. I’ve grown up in relative tranquility thanks to all of the men and women who serve in the military,” says Data Analyst Janine Amira Zayed.

Janine made her comment on an internal discussion board during Military Appreciation Month in May 2011. It sums up why we spent that month showing members of the military how much we appreciate their service. 

During May:

We gave “Support Our Troops” bracelets and small U.S. flags to employees as well as customers who visited our offices.

Employee groups sent care packages and letters of thanks to soldiers at home and abroad. They worked through organizations like Operation USO Care Package, Adopt a Platoon, America’s Moms for Soldiers, Soldier’s Angels and A Million Thanks.

We held potluck appreciation lunches and other acts of kindness for employee military veterans.

We organized educational talks by military personnel, giving them a chance to share their experiences with their colleagues.

"We value military experience and seek out candidates with this background,” says Associate Recruiting Manager Connie Dingeman. Connie, an eight-year U.S. Army veteran, leads Progressive’s military recruitment efforts. “People with military experience tend to do really well at Progressive. They can adapt to change, lead teams, and understand goals and objectives.”

We support employee reservists who are called to active duty in some key ways. We make up the difference between their regular salary and what they earn on active duty. We also continue to provide medical benefits for them and their families.

Efforts like these help explain why Progressive was on Civilianjobs.com’s 2011 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military, GI Jobs magazine’s 2012 list of Top 100 Military Friendly Employers® and Military Times EDGE’s  Best for Vets 2011: Employers list.