Veterans Day is a day to recognize and show thanks to those who served their country in times of war or peace. In honor of the annual holiday, we asked Blue Yonder veterans and military families to share their stories and how these experiences have positioned them for success in their corporate careers. Below are some of the responses we received.

Tony Moon, Principal Solutions Advisor, Sales
Date and Branch of Service: U.S. Army, Transportation & Aviation Branches (1983-2006), Lieutenant Colonel (Retired)
“After the initial shock of a completely different work environment wore off, the biggest advantage is the ability to remain calm during challenging days or projects.”


Shaheed Ahmedi, Practice Director, Consulting
Date and Branch of Service: U.S. Army (1991-1998)
“I will always be grateful for the leadership skills that I learned while serving in the U.S. Army. I use the situation analysis skills daily in both personal and corporate life. The Army teaches techniques like dynamic threat assessment, deliberate risk management, and cause-consequence analysis to quickly develop short- and long-term strategies that are extremely useful in my corporate career. The Army also teaches how to customize your style of leadership for each resource and situation to ensure that you can get maximum utilization out of each member of your team even in very stressful situations.”


Adam Chitwood, Senior Project Manager, Sales
Date and Branch of Service: U.S. Navy, Cryptologic Tech (CTM) (1995-2003)
“The U.S. Navy taught me to put my team and my mission before myself. I use that same mentality today – whatever it takes to get the job done and to be successful.”  


Dave Rhodes, VP, Transformation Leader, Consulting
Date and Branch of Service: U.S. Naval Academy (1982-1986), U.S. Marine Corps (1986-2008) Active Duty (1986-1991), Active Reserve (1991-2008), Lieutenant Colonel (Retired)
“Becoming a U.S. Marine was the single most influential decision in the course of my life-journey. The foundation of the Marines is the commitment to the Corps: A purpose and a spirit larger than any individual. The mindset that teams are successful and that a leader’s role is to enable their team to be successful has been a primary driver throughout my corporate career. My other takeaway from being in the military: Don’t be afraid of the hard task — in fact, lean into it and take it on. The thing that is in the way, is the way.” 


Anonymous, IT Team Member
“As a military spouse, navigating my husband’s severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and his passing taught me the power of empathy and emotional intelligence. These experiences have deepened my understanding of mental health and resilience, enabling me to create supportive environments and advocate for well-being in the workplace.”

Originally celebrated as Armistice Day, Nov. 11 commemorated the end of World War I. In France and Germany, it is still celebrated as Armistice Day; however, Canada, Australia and the UK celebrate it as Remembrance Day, a day honoring the fallen in combat. In the U.S., it was changed to Veterans Day in 1954, honoring all U.S. veterans. We would like to honor and thank all of our veterans across the globe at Blue Yonder.