I am not a hero, I'm just getting started

I will never forget the afternoon of September 21st 2015, when I received a phone call from the President of the United States informing me that I would be receiving the Medal of Honor. I didn’t understand what this call truly meant. I was unaware of the platform and responsibilities it would bring. I was not ready for the label that I would face day in and day out – suddenly I would become a “hero” to everyone I met. I was not prepared to be defined by a medal, one that represents the worst day of my life. All I knew was that my life had changed forever on the day of the attack and that my new journey to this day began in a hospital bed with too many unknowns.

Four years ago, I was drowning in my own sorrows. My internal demons were working around the clock to defeat my inner spirit. I didn’t self-identify anymore. I didn’t want to be considered a veteran and I didn’t want to remember what happened. Even though I was smiling on outside, I was defeated on the inside. I was angry at myself for living while four members of my company, my fellow countrymen, my brothers, never made it home. What I needed was a way to change my mindset, look at the situation from a different perspective and understand that I was lucky, not doomed.

While recovering at Walter-Reed, I realized – with the help and support of Travis Mills, a wounded warrior and quadruple amputee -- that I was in fact, one of the lucky few who was given a second chance at life and now had the opportunity to change the world for the better. So, I forced myself to listen. I put my inner warrior back to work. And with the help of my teammates and my support system, I defeated my demons.  But it was a fight.

I spent years working to identify my purpose. I never thought that my skill sets and experiences within the military could transfer to corporate America. The reason is simple. I lacked self-perception. Like the many service members transitioning from the military into the civilian workforce, I didn’t know how to transfer my skills, write an effective resume, speak to that resume, and network. All I knew was that as an infantryman, I probably didn’t have the right skills to become a businessman.

I was wrong.

I am proud to say I’m now embarking on a new mission as Director of Boeing’s Veteran Outreach. Not only do I possess a unique set of skills that employers like Boeing actively look for in their employees, but my experience in the military strengthened my character; taught me about competence, drive, courage, and stamina; and instilled in me a hunger to always aim for success in everything I set out to do.

Now, as a Boeing employee, I am part of a team that consists of more than 22,000 self-identified veterans. Since joining the company, I have been amazed at how much time our employees – both veterans and civilians alike – spend in our local communities. Through programs and partnerships with great organizations like the National Park Service, the USO, The Mission Continues and RP/6, Boeing and its employees are driving positive, lasting change for our military and those who have served.

Part of the Boeing mission is to protect our troops by providing them with the best equipment the industry can offer in order to safely and successfully accomplish the mission. My mission is to ensure members of our military, veterans and their families are taken care of back home. We accomplish this through programs that focus on transition, health, and wellness and volunteering, because we at Boeing know that this country will only continue to grow and become stronger with our veterans helping to lead the way.

So, here I am as a 33 year old man, traveling the country to speak about overcoming adversity, the importance of teamwork, and why veterans are the future of corporate America. Today, I am a Director at Boeing, a company that honors my future and in return I am doing all that I can to honor the future of my fellow veterans. I don’t consider myself a hero - I’m an American soldier who transitioned back as a civilian. Yes, I did receive the Medal of Honor, but it does not belong to me, I am merely a courier of it. The Medal represents our nation’s finest individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice for our way of life, for our freedom. The Medal represents the gold star families that have to live with the consequences of a loved one who didn’t come home. This Medal belongs to the United States of America, the greatest country in the world, day in and day out.

My time in the military may have come to a close, but I’m not done serving. I’m just getting started.

-Flo

It’s time to rethink the way we honor our veterans. This Veterans Day, and every day moving forward, we’re not only recognizing veterans for their achievements in uniform, but also celebrating their potential and all they have yet to accomplish. Watch the #HonorOurFuture campaign video below.

To follow Flo’s journey with Boeing, follow him on Boeing LinkedIn.

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Twitter: @FlorentGroberg

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