By Noah Parks

May is Military Appreciation Month and it’s important to take a moment to remember those that give their lives to serving in the military.  When my Grandfather signed up to fight in the Mediterranean, he said goodbye to the love of his life and his home.  He sailed with the US Navy across the Atlantic Ocean where he flew helicopters for the Navy delivering supplies to and from depots and other ships.  He’d never been out of the state of Iowa and now he was learning to pilot helicopters in the open seas.  Then there’s my cousin who worked for the Air Force and monitored American nuclear silos in North Dakota and Radar installations in Alaska.  She used to muse that if, “we could see all the missiles that were fired” besides the ones the news reports that “we’d move to Canada.”  These are just two people that I know but I have many others that I could share about.  HMG+ is proud to support our United States military service members this month.

When someone volunteers for the US Military they are making a commitment to excellence and tradition that spans all 200+ years of our democracy.  This is a commitment that is lifelong and lasts well after their tours are over or being discharged.  It is building a community of individuals to promote and maintain democratic ideals at home and abroad.  Many missions for the military are less dramatic than the ones we read about in history books.  These are no less important.  Soft power comes from missions that build roads, schools, and infrastructure across the globe.  These assets improve life for the military personnel stationed at home and abroad but also improve life for the cities, states and countries where there is a military presence.  In addition to the solidarity of military personnel, there is the camaraderie that comes from shared purpose.  In small way HMG+ also seeks to create an effective and hospitable community of service professionals that can be deployed to any event, company, or venue. 

The reason that May is Military Appreciation Month is because of the number of military holidays that occur in May.  There are around 2.2 million service members serving actively and in our national guard and reserve units.  This month honors these and the many that came before with holidays including Loyalty Day, Victory in Europe Day, and of course Memorial Day.  While many celebrate Memorial Day as a three day weekend and time to toast the start of summer fun.  My cousin once said that she would rather we celebrate or show gratitude for veterans, rather than focus on the losses or sacrifice.  Make sure to thank veterans or those serving when you see them, especially those that visit during special events here in New York City.

HMG+ is a staffing solution for New York City and proud to hold our service professional community to a high bar.  However, no matter how high we raise it there will always be those that go far beyond it.  The United States Military answers a calling that allows communities like ours to thrive.  We thank all of our HMG+ members that have served and for all those outside of HMG+ that serve we are deeply grateful for your service.  Finding a way into a purpose driven life can take time.  For those that served due to the draft, that time came too quick and left some with scars inside and out.  Then there are the thousands that join because they are unsure of what to do after high school or feel unfulfilled in their work.  There is always purpose in service, whether it’s in the military or in hospitality.  Serving others is always rewarding, especially for HMG+.