T-Mobile's Commitment to Veterans

In these challenging times, one truth I come back to again and again is the value of service. Our routines might be turned upside down, our work and school and social lives might look completely different than what we’re used to — but amid all that uncertainty, I rely on helping others to provide a sense of purpose and connection.

That’s why I’m honored to serve as the executive sponsor of T-Mobile’s Veterans & Allies Network, or VAN for short. VAN is a community of T-Mobile military service members, current and otherwise, and their allies, all of whom support veterans, active duty service members, National Guard, Reservists and their families. Working with VAN allows me to understand exactly what the impact of service looks like.

I’m not talking about my own service — I’ve actually never been in the military myself — but that of the men and women of T-Mobile who have served and are serving in the US Armed Forces. Thousands of our teammates have spent time in one of the five branches of the military, and many of them bring their embrace of duty, sacrifice and community to T-Mobile as part of VAN’s 53 national chapters. And now that Sprint has joined the T-Mobile family, we welcome their own military-aligned employee resource group, known as VETS.

As we observe Military Appreciation Month throughout May, I want to take a moment to recognize a few of our company’s servant leaders who have been called to active duty to help combat COVID-19, and also to call out the importance of supporting them as a company as they serve our country.

A salute goes out to Bianca Abrego, a mobile expert from the Rocky Mountain region, was activated for COVID-19 support in Bismarck, North Dakota. Mobile expert Deante Miller was supporting retail in northern Illinois during the outbreak, then was deployed to California to help build US Army mobile field hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. And mobile expert Robert Grigorian was holding down T-Mobile retail in Brighton Beach, New York, when he was deployed to support COVID testing sites in New York State.

On behalf of myself, my fellow T-Mobile executives and all of Team Magenta, I want to extend gratitude to each of these individuals, as well as to the others who are on the frontlines protecting the health of our nation. You have our deepest respect!

While these folks are away from their families, friends and coworkers, sometimes separated by thousands of miles for months at a time, T-Mobile will continue to pay their base compensation AND provide the healthcare and other benefits they’re used to for up to 52 weeks. Of course their jobs — and their smiling coworkers! — will be waiting when they return.

And while they’re looking out for us, we’re looking out for them. When the first outbreak of COVID-19 hit the U.S., my team and I immediately made the call to shut down a majority of T-Mobile’s company-owned retail stores while simultaneously introducing creative new solutions like curbside pickup and virtual retail. In this challenging time, connectivity is essential, but so is doing what we can to protect the health and safety of our employees.

Military Appreciation Month happens to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month, and I’d like to respectfully point out that the two fields are related. Suicide is a critical issue within the military community, with its 20 per day average disproportionately higher than the civilian population. What’s more, due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, simply reintegrating back into civilian life after military service can be more difficult than usual right now.

Recognizing the ongoing challenges to the mental health of veterans, T-Mobile joined the Department of Veterans Affairs and the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC last November to sign the Pledge to Prioritize Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing in the Workplace. We are committed to providing workers — veterans and civilians alike — with the resources they need to stay happy and healthy.

By signing this pledge, T-Mobile hopes to encourage conversation around mental health. Our military veterans offer lessons of resilience and fortitude under immense pressure, and I hope that all of us — leaders, allies and coworkers alike — will play a more active role in taking better care of each other in the workplace and beyond.

Speaking of taking care of each other, I’m proud to say that one of T-Mobile’s largest business customers is the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Thanks to Mike Katz and team, last year we partnered with the VHA with 70,000 lines of wireless service to power their telehealth app and make healthcare more accessible to veterans, particularly in rural communities where a third of veterans live. This is especially important during a stay-at-home order, as the VHA has reported more than 20,000 telehealth visits a day – a 800% increase from before the pandemic began. As the pandemic establishes new health and safety standards across industries, advanced telehealth enabled by 5G will play a huge role in making sure veterans and their families are getting the highest quality healthcare from their doctors.

To our veterans and allies: We want more of you on our side! I mean A LOT more. T-Mobile is committed to hiring 10,000 additional current and former servicemembers by 2023. Because when it comes down to it, service to our customers is our number-one priority, and as I’ve learned, if anyone knows what service truly means, it’s military men and women.

To those military folks, thank you for being here for us. I hope you know that we are here with you.