Remembering Where I Came From and Taking my Turn for the Troops

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of United Rentals. The opinions and text are all mine.

Do you ever sit to write and you’re not sure exactly where to begin? That’s how I’ve felt about this post today. How do I begin to explain how meaningful this is to me and to people for whom I deeply care? How do I convey what a profound difference all of us can make in the lives of so many who have served us even if we don’t realize exactly what it means, and do it without being cliché or “sales-y”?

Well they say if you don’t know where to start, start at the beginning. If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you know I was born to a military family and despite swearing I wouldn’t marry into the military, the Universe had other plans to laugh at me. So I did. I said “yes” to a Sailor. There is so much I’ve experienced and seen through the years; good and bad. From the rite of passage of finally getting my first ID card, to watching men and women in uniform as they marched in formation on base, sitting in F-16’s, meeting astronauts, and reunions out of storybooks – the experiences were beyond cool. But so often we’re shown just those picture-perfect scenes. It’s important to remember the parts you may not see or hear about. I’ve also lived the passage of time without a loved one near, seen the effects on people close to me after loss of life and limb and I’ve come to find a very large group of men and women who have served our nation are somehow forgotten by too many. And I wonder, “How can that be?”

United Rentals

Then I look for those out there doing good and I find companies like United Rentals who haven’t forgotten. They don’t talk the talk. They are working to make a real difference and a life-changing impact for those who have served. Their commitment to our military is strong; 13% of their workforce is veterans and with over 880 rental locations in 49 states and 10 provinces in Canada, that’s quite a work force. Their Military Skills Translator Tool helps qualified vets find work based on their experience in the service. Think about it: your job description has been an MOC (military operation code) and suddenly you have to translate it into civilian speak. The fact they even know what that means is pretty groovy if I do say so myself.

Turns for Troops

Now United Rentals is taking it a step further through their Turns for Troops initiative in partnership with IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal and SoldierStrong, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the men and women who have served in our military. They will donate $50.00 for every lap Graham Rahal completes through the course of their IndyCar Series Sponsorship, up to $100,000. That $50.00? It will provide a day of mobility to an injured veteran through SoldierStrong SoldierSuits. If you haven’t seen the SoldierSuit, in a word, it’s remarkable. The technology is state of the art and allows mobility that was once considered impossible. To date, they’ve donated 952 hours, or over two and a half years of assistance through this initiative. There are times we cannot possibly pay forward what’s been done for us, but we can make a difference. You all know I believe every act of giving matters. You can make a donation and check out Turns for Troops here or just click below. You can bet I will.