This Veterans Day, November 11, 2024, WeDriveU pauses to recognize our veterans for their service to our country and the invaluable contributions they make at WeDriveU.

WeDriveU’s Veterans Storytelling Project continues to expand and reflect men and women who contribute to the rich fabric of our team. Veterans who have served our country are also the faces of our company, whom we know as colleagues and friends. With gratitude, we reflect on the service of veterans who shared their stories in 2024 and previous years.

We thank and salute each one of you.

History of Veterans Day

The day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime.

Originally known as Armistice Day until 1954, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes Veterans Day as “the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty.”

As such, we set out to highlight veterans at our customer service centers and offices across the U.S. who are instrumental in delivering our transportation solutions to workplaces, campuses and communities. Our veterans now serve in various career paths throughout the company and their success within the industry is attributed, in part, to their military experience.

We set out to highlight veterans at our customer service centers and offices across the U.S. who are instrumental in delivering our transportation solutions.

What Veterans Day Means

WeDriveU veterans voice the significance of honoring lost comrades overseas, never forgetting, and acknowledging the sacrifices for freedom. They tell us they’re proud to be American and are dedicated to honoring the courage, valor, and sacrifice of all the brave men and women who have selflessly served to protect our freedom.

It is also a day our veterans tell us they spend time with family, friends, and other fellow veterans at a favorite restaurant or converse over the warmth of a cup of coffee and a time to remember the devotion of the families of those who served. The project acknowledged the important work of ensuring all veterans have and can access the benefits they deserve to guarantee their well-being. This brings to mind the sentiment of writer Charles Dickens, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another,” as reiterated by one of our veterans.

Together They Served, and Together, We Honor

Jerold Welch

Branch and Rank
United States Navy, Air Force, and Army | Sgt.(E5) Promotable

Time of Service
Over 20 years
Five combat tours

Location/s Served

• Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
• Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• Eglin AFB, Florida
• Fort Stewart, Georgia
• Baumholder, Germany

What Drove You to Serve?

“I joined simply to serve my country.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Bus Driver – San Antonio, Texas

 

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Victoria Sullivan

Branch and Rank
United States Marines | Sergeant

Time of Service
14 years

Location/s Served
Parris Island, South Carolina

What Drove You to Serve?

“I joined to be a free woman and to fight. Also to further my education.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Senior Vehicle Operator – Temple Hills, Maryland

 

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Steve Kowalczyk

Branch and Rank
United States Air Force | Staff Sergeant

Time of Service
5 years

Location/s Served

• Hawaii
• Nevada
• California
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Spain

What Drove You to Serve?

“Serve my country.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Senior Bus Operator – Princeton, New Jersey

 

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Gary Armstrong

Branch and Rank
United States Army | E-4

Time of Service
3 years

Location/s Served

• Ft. Carson, Colorado

What Drove You to Serve?

“To serve and contribute to my country’s freedom.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Transportation Supervisor – Hallandale Beach, Florida

 

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Joshua Siegal

Branch and Rank
United States Navy | Religious Program Specialist E5/RP2

(religious program specialists assist military chaplains in building a culture of spiritual care and facilitating the free exercise of religion for military service members and their families)

Time of Service
10 years

Location/s Served

• USNavy Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois
• Undesignated Seaman School – Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois
• USS MOBILE BAY (CG53)- Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser Naval Station San Diego, California
• Religious Program Specialist A School-Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi
• Naval Medical Center Balboa San Diego, California
• Expeditionary Medical Facility, Kuwait
• USMC Camp Johnson, North Carolina
• MAG 36 USMC Air Wing Okinawa, Japan
• Seoul, South Korea, Joint Exercises with Thailand and Philippines Forces
• Edson Range, USMC Camp Pendleton, California
• Ports Visited: Hawaii, Singapore, Guam, Thailand, Australia, Hong Kong and Bahrain/Horn of Africa

What Drove You to Serve?

“I originally went to college under a Graphic Arts/Film major. I felt that the courses and professors were like I was back in high school. So I wanted to do something different.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Bus Operator – Princeton, New Jersey

 

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Christopher Wade

Branch and Rank
Army National Guard | E-4 MOS 11H and 11B

Time of Service
8 years

Location/s Served
Jones Armory and Ft. Polk, Louisiana

What Drove You to Serve?

“I joined because I didn’t want my friends to have to serve alone.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Paratransit Bus Operator – Niles, Illinois

 

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Jose Valera

Branch and Rank
United States Army | Captain

Time of Service
5 years

Location/s Served

• Fort Knox, Kentucky
• Fort Cavazos (formerly known as Fort Hood), Texas
• Mosul, Tikrit, and Samarra, Iraq

What Drove You to Serve?

“Just looking for a different way forward.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
General Counsel – Austin, Texas

 

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Tyrone Breland

Branch and Rank
United States Army | Specialist 5-E5

Time of Service
7

Location/s Served

• Germany
• Fort Gordon Georgia
• Fort Cavazos (formerly known as Fort Hood), Texas

What Drove You to Serve?

“Upward mobility in life.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Senior BTW Trainer – Temple Hills, Maryland

 

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Zuleima Gonzalez

Branch and Rank
United States Army Reserve | Combat Support Hospital Unit as a Petroleum Supply Specialist

Time of Service
8 years

Location/s Served

• Mountain View, California

What Drove You to Serve?

“Derived from my motivation and desire to serve my country, while continuing to further my education and maintain a civilian lifestyle.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Safety Manager – San Francisco Bay Area

 

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Miguel Franco

Branch and Rank
United States Army | Sergeant

Time of Service
4 years

Location/s Served

• Fort Cavazos (formerly known as Fort Hood), Texas
• Baghdad, Iraq

What Drove You to Serve?

“To serve this country, the training, leadership and challenges that bring in the military.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Sr. Accounts Receivable – Austin, Texas

 

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Carlos Gross

Branch and Rank
United States Marines | Lance Corporal

Time of Service
4 years

Location/s Served

• Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

What Drove You to Serve?

“To serve my country.”

WeDriveU Role and Location
Transit Operator – Hubbard Road, Landover, Maryland

 

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A Shared Mission

These wonderful veteran stories reflect the mission of the branches these team members represent:

• Mission of the United States Army is “to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt, and sustained land dominance as part of the joint force of all U.S. military.”
• Mission of the United States Air Force is to “fly, fight and win – airpower anytime, anywhere.”
• Mission of the United States Air Force Reserve is “to provide combat ready forces to fly, fight and win.”
• Mission of the United States Navy is that the “United States is a maritime nation, and the U.S. Navy protects America at sea. Alongside our allies and partners, we defend freedom, preserve economic prosperity, and keep the seas open and free.”
• Mission of the United States Army Reserve is to “provide COMBAT-READY units and Soldiers to the Army and the Joint Force ACROSS THE FULL SPECTRUM OF CONFLICT”
• Mission of the United States National Guard is to “[…] serve both community and country. Our versatility enables us to respond to domestic emergencies, overseas combat missions, counterdrug efforts, reconstruction missions and more. The Guard always responds with speed, strength, and efficiency, helping to defend American freedom and ideals.”
• Mission of the United States Marine Corps “reflects every Marine’s purpose. In essence, our Nation is that purpose. In our world, in ourselves, and in our way, there are conflicts, challenges, and obstacles that must be fought confidently and defeated convincingly for our Nation to prevail.”
• Mission of the United States Coast Guard is “Protect. Defend. Save.”

Thank You, Veterans!

Thank you to all our veterans for their dedication and for sharing a part of their place in our history, as well as to the many other veterans who contribute to our 5,500-strong workforce. Their contributions in Safety, Operations, Drivers, General & Administrative functions and many other roles across our company are vital and appreciated, and represent the wide range of transportation careers that benefit from their skills and leadership.

Special thanks to veterans from our Austin, Texas customer service center above, Fulleechaa Pettit (United States Air Force), Sergeant Patrick Henson (United States Army) and John Hawthorne III (United States Army), for sitting down for an internal video for employees to share how their service shapes teamwork, offer advice to veterans transitioning to civilian careers, and the meaning of Veterans Day.

We’re hiring! Learn more about exciting career opportunities by browsing our job postings.

Are you a veteran on WeDriveU’s team? Thank you for your military service! We invite you to join our Veterans Storytelling Project. Ask your manager to connect you with the Marketing & Communications department.