Veterans Day recognizes all the men and women who served in our armed forces and offers us a chance to thank our veterans for their service to our nation. 

NETL is fortunate to have a robust cadre of veterans on our team, and I’m honored to recognize their service, along with the millions of other veterans across our nation who have selflessly served and defended our nation, our freedoms and our way of life. 

Our Lab greatly values veterans’ leadership and technical skills, and we’re committed to fostering an environment of inclusivity where diversity strengthens our organization — this includes U.S. military veteran representation.  

We’re committed to supporting veterans’ rights and needs, as well as preserving the honor due to all veterans. 

One component of this is the DOE EnergyVets program. When veterans join NETL, they are invited to attend all EnergyVets meetings and events, which provide a way for veterans to come together across the agency to share information and access useful resources. EnergyVets seeks to provide enduring, enterprise-wide support that fully values the unique capabilities, experiences, and leadership that military veterans bring to the DOE enterprise, including NETL.

EnergyVets helps service members adjust to working as a civilian, helps agency leaders understand what veterans bring to the table, and provides information about events and observances to the broader DOE community.   

This Veterans Day, I encourage everyone to show their appreciation for our nation’s veterans and recognize their service. Please consider taking time on Nov. 11 to safely honor our service men and women — watch a Veterans Day parade, visit a VA hospital as regulations permit, spend time with a veteran and ask about their service, or observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m. 

These are just a few of the ways we can individually recognize those who served in our nation’s Armed Forces and acknowledge the tremendous impact of their service on protecting our values and liberties, and — for our NETL vets, their many contributions to driving innovation and delivering solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future.