BENTONVILLE, Ark. August 26, 2013 – Walmart is on a mission to welcome home returning troops with a job and an opportunity to grow a career in retail. As part of its veteran hiring initiative, the company expects to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years and is deploying recruiters to Houston to identify top talent for positions with the world's largest retailer.
"As we have turned a page in Iraq and reduced our profile in Afghanistan, more and more service men and women will be returning home and transitioning to civilian life," says Retired Brigadier General Gary Profit who serves as senior director of Walmart Military Programs. "If they've fought for our country, they shouldn't have to fight for a job when they return."
Since launching the Veterans' Welcome Home Commitment on Memorial Day this year, Walmart has hired more than 3,400 new Walmart veteran associates, including 165 in Texas. For all those who qualify, Walmart will offer a job at one of its more than 4,800 facilities in the U.S. including Walmart stores, Sam's Clubs and Distribution Centers.
Veteran job seekers, active duty military members and Guard and Reserve members can explore employment opportunities with Walmart and other Houston-area businesses at the "Hiring Our Heroes" career fair on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The event will take place during the American Legion National Convention from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Room 342 of the George Brown Convention Center.
The Walmart Veterans' Welcome Home Commitment follows a legacy of supporting veterans. The company was founded by Captain Sam Walton who opened his first retail store with the $5,000 saved from his Army tenure and modeled it after the military structure and values he so diligently served. The company currently has 100,000 veterans on staff and another 150,000 associates who represent military families.
To learn more about career opportunities available, visit www.walmartcareerswithamission.com.
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About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better -- anytime and anywhere -- in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 245 million customers and members visit our 10,857 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2013 sales of approximately $466 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.