Cal Guard and Salesforce Host Special Event at Dreamforce to Spur Veteran Hiring

  • Published
  • By 129th Public Affairs
Moffett Federal Airfield, Calif. --  Inside of a rescue operations center in the middle of a deployment-simulated tent city, a combat helicopter pilot addressed a room full of executives from Salesforce, RockTech, Tyco, Accenture and Deloitte Consulting - to name a few.

"Why should a company hire military veterans?" the pilot asked. "Well, I am going to answer that question with a story about one of the recent rescue operations that the 129 Rescue Wing executed."

On October 15, Maj Nathan Nowaski, a California Air National Guardsman from the 129th Rescue Wing, was given a very unique opportunity to directly address 55 business leaders here at Moffett Federal Airfield.  His message to them was simple: Hiring military professionals will make your companies stronger.

In conjunction with Salesforce's four-day Dreamforce conference, two California Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters picked up the business leaders in San Francisco and flew them to the federal airfield in nearby Mountain View, Calif.

Once on site, the business leaders took part in a discussion on the value of hiring military veterans and on the California National Guard's Work For Warriors initiative.  This dialogue enabled a unique approach to connecting employers with veterans who have skills and attributes that will benefit all levels of a private company.  Before returning to San Francisco, the visitors were given a demonstration of personnel recovery capabilities exhibited by the 129th RQW.

"In addition to our mission capabilities demonstration, this event was an opportunity for a broad array of industry leaders to see the level of professionalism and technical skills our airmen possess," said Col Greg Jones, 129th Rescue Wing Commander.  "The National Guard has many talented traditional guardsmen who are just waiting to show the civilian workforce what they have to offer.  And Moffett was a great venue for our airman to set the stage for the many great opportunities that will be afforded to guard members locally and around the state  - both Army and Air."

Dreamforce, the world's largest software event with more than 140,000 people registered to attend, featured keynotes from a wide range of world leaders, inspirational speakers and technology visionaries, and integrated philanthropy into each day of the event. On Wednesday, Dreamforce focused on helping veterans transition more easily back into civilian life.

"We are excited to assist with impacting the lives of thousands of veterans with training, certification, and employment in the Salesforce ecosystem," said Dan Streetman, senior vice president, alliances and channels, Salesforce. "We are thrilled to partner with the National Guard and give hiring decision-makers attending Dreamforce a close-up view of the contribution that military professionals can make to their companies. It's a complete win-win."

Established in March 2012, Work For Warriors helps job seekers refine their resumes and interviewing skills to increase their marketability. The staff also partners with employers who value characteristics Guardsmen bring to the table and places them directly in available positions. This program has placed more than 3,000 veterans and military members in new jobs. For more information, visit http://workforwarriors.org/.

The primary mission of the 129th RQW is to perform its wartime personnel recovery capabilities anywhere in the world. Equipped with MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, the 129th RQW has performed a wide variety of civilian personnel recovery missions, including the rescue of distressed persons aboard ships and lost or injured hikers, and disaster response.  The 129th RQW is credited with saving the lives of 1,007 people since 1977.