Take 5 with our Veterans: Craig Kunard

This week we honor the brave men and women who have served our country, including many of our own employees at Take 5 Car Wash.

Craig Kunard: United Sates Army, 1996 – 2003, Corps of Engineers – Captain

Now VP of FP&A at Take 5 Car Wash, Craig Kunard's career started in 1996 when he graduated from West Point and was commissioned as a U.S. Army Officer in the Corps of Engineers.?He held various roles and multiple deployments as a Deep Sea Diving officer leading underwater demolition and construction teams.?His last assignment was as a Company Commander and Instructor at the Navy Dive School.

Kunard is grateful for the shared bond he has with all military members. He says they are family regardless of race, gender, religion, or anything else that typically divides people.

"I am most proud of two things related to my service - both are people-oriented. First, the people I mentored, helped, and trained in the military - those relationships are lifelong," Kunard said.?"Second is seeing firsthand how the military helps people in other areas of the world that don't have the luxuries we take for granted here."

While he gained many positive experiences from being a part of the military, Kunard says one of the hardest parts about being a veteran is seeing a casket draped in a flag, or visiting a national cemetery. He says that burying a friend and telling their wife and kids it'll be OK leaves a wound that never heals. Kunard wants his fellow veterans to know that they represent the best of the U.S., they served when many are unwilling to.

Military experience has greatly influenced the way Kunard approaches his work and career today. The blood, sweat, and tears associated with his service taught him the importance of teamwork, mutual sacrifice, and greater value associated with shared wins. "In short, it's not about me," he said.