U.S. Marine volunteers to help VetFran

My name is Raymond Cate, and I served in the Marine Corps for over eight years.  It was my honor to be a part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and now the International Franchise Association (IFA) has given me an opportunity to continue my service beyond the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring Opportunity.

On Friday, January 13th, I attended the Hiring our Heroes; Military Spouse Career Forum at the Washington D.C. Convention Center in order to inform these heroes of what the IFA is doing for veterans.  If the volume of attendees was any indicator, this event was a tactical victory, but there is much more ground to cover before we can declare operational success.

When I decided to trade my camouflage utilities for a suit and tie, there were several problems I faced, which I believe most veterans face during this transition.  One of the more menacing is translating combat skills into civilian equivalents.  What I have discovered is that these skills – even when poorly translated – are very valuable in the franchising industry, and this is the message spouses and their veterans needed to hear.

I discussed the incentives franchisors are offering to veterans through the VetFran program with countless veterans and veteran spouses.  Many of these service members and their families were not aware of how valuable they are to franchisors. It was very exciting to see this connection being made between our heroes and an industry that needs their service.