About the Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG)

Welcome to Argonne National Laboratory’s (ANL) Veteran employee resource group (VET-ERG) webpage!

Happy Veterans Day

November 11, 2023

Click here for a message from the VA about Veterans Day.

Veterans ERG recorded a reading of the Constitution’s Preamble.

Memo From Laboratory Director, Paul Kearns on November 9, 2023

Memo sent on November 9, 2023 from Paul Kearns

Colleagues,

Veterans Day falls on Saturday this year, and I encourage everyone to thank our veterans and find a moment to consider the significance of this holiday. Veterans are our colleagues, collaborators, family members, and friends. Their service and sacrifices parallel our mission’s dedication to American security and prosperity. Our veterans contribute to the diversity of our lab, and we would be a lesser institution without them.

More than 165 of our employees are veterans. Many of them are part of our Argonne Veterans employee resource group (ERG), which enriches our lab community with many outreach activities.

Thanks to their leadership, last month, we hosted a veterans resume-writing workshop, which brought over 30 local veterans to our Lemont campus. The ERG and Human Resource Services staff helped the vets refine their job search strategies, documents, and interviewing skills. Interim Deputy Lab Director for Operations and Chief Operations Officer Karen Hellman addressed our guests and told me that the event was a big success. This community outreach will help us further build our world-class community of talent.

Argonne connects with veterans in many other ways, not all of which are well-known. For several years, the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility has collaborated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on MVP-CHAMPION (Million Veteran Program Computational Health Analytics for Medical Precision to Improve Outcomes Now). This program leverages our supercomputers to crunch massive amounts of veteran health care data to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Other research areas support active-duty members who will one day become veterans. The Nonproliferation Research, Analysis and Engagement group provides technical expertise for nuclear nonproliferation to safeguard materials, equipment, and technology. At the same time, the National and Cyber Security Information Sciences group is advancing cybersecurity to keep infrastructure running smoothly and the military operating effectively. These are only two examples of our various projects for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Our freedom to experiment as a society and as scientists — to evolve established assumptions, invent novel approaches, and apply cutting-edge ideas — are protected by the U.S. Constitution and the veterans who have sworn to support and defend it. Just recently, our Veterans ERG recorded a reading of the Constitution’s Preamble. It’s an encouraging reminder of the values of the Enlightenment movement that the framers brought to the Constitution and that continue to inspire us to this day.

Please listen to the recording. It prompted this reflection and my great appreciation. I again encourage all of us to thank those who served in our military.

The Basics of Military Culture

https://psycharmor.org/militaryculture

In a look borrowed from vintage newsreels, this four-part series on The Basics of Military Culture, powered by PsychArmor in partnership with Comcast NBC Universal, covers stories from six American service members about their experiences serving our country.

This series provides an in-depth exploration of military service and culture, covering topics such as the commitment required to serve, the values that guide military culture, the diversity and inclusivity within the military, and the challenges service members and their families face during and after their service. This series features personal stories and interviews with service members, as well as insights into the benefits of military service and the invaluable soft skills that it provides.

Honor Flight Chicago Fundraiser

The Argonne Veterans ERG is raising funds to support Honor Flight Chicago.

Honor Flight Chicago’s mission is to Honor, Thank, and Inspire by building awareness and appreciation of the debt of gratitude America owes its veterans for their service and sacrifice for our nation.

One of the ways this is accomplished is by offering veterans an opportunity for a one day event to fly from Chicago to Washington D.C. and back in order to visit national war memorials and other military themed sites. Every flight is a beautiful event.

Please consider contributing to the fundraiser at GoFundMe.


History

Several years ago, veterans at Argonne noticed the American flag outside of Building 201 needed to be replaced. They  orchestrated a flag changing ceremony. It was hosting this ceremony that reminded on-site vets of the comradery among people who have served in the army, navy, coast guard, air force, and marines. With a desire to network and share resources among the Lab’s veteran community, these vets chartered the Veterans ERG and set it up in a way that anyone can participate and share in this community.

Mission

Argonne Veterans Group is dedicated to building awareness and providing resources to Veterans/Veterans Families/Friends of Veterans and bringing together members of the Argonne community in a supportive environment and in furtherance of Argonne’s commitment to equal employment opportunity for all employees.

Outreach

The Veterans ERG hosts events at the Lab that seek to connect Argonne’s veteran population while fundraising for Veteran organizations. Previous event partners include Team Red White and Blue, a veteran health and fitness group, and Canines for Veterans, an organization dedicated to training dogs to assist their Veteran owners. Read more about these organizations here.