Meet two Starbucks military spouse partners who find comfort and continuity in their career.

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Store manager and Army spouse, California

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For military spouses like Alma, whose husband serves abroad for months at a time, a supportive community is critical to enduring the challenges of separation.

"Not having your best friend around to experience life with you and share those moments, that's the hardest part."

Exploring jobs near her husband's base, she researched companies that actively support military families and heard about Starbucks.

"Their commitment to military spouses and veterans stood out. The fact that they celebrate the military was totally different."

Alma receives support from Starbucks at every level, which makes connecting with other military spouses and partners easy. Between Workplace, the company's online community, and compassionate baristas and managers, Starbucks fosters a culture of understanding built around shared experience.

"It's incredibly selfless. My managers regularly check in with phone calls and visits. There's always a shoulder to cry on if you need it."

Alma also finds her connection to customers especially rewarding, spurred by the American flag on her apron and Adopt a Unit, a Starbucks program that sends care packages of donated coffee, snacks and tokens of home to troops overseas. They ask her how she and her husband are doing and thank them both for their service.

"The support I get from customers is tremendous. When they donate and thank me for my service, it makes me feel all the sacrifices that he and I go through are worthwhile."

Shift supervisor and Air Force spouse, Nevada

Raphael relocated with his Air Force wife from Santa Maria, California, to Las Vegas. What began as a job to pay the bills quickly became a refuge of understanding and support. Interacting with compassionate partners was the uplifting connection he needed.

"People think we're just coworkers, but Starbucks stores are more like families that take care of each other inside and outside of the store."

Raphael's store partners immediately welcomed him. They hung out together after work in the evenings to introduce him to the area.

"Knowing others care about how you're feeling, that makes a big difference."

When his wife was stationed overseas, Raphael felt lost and had to confront the solitude of the six-month separation. Partners and supervisors stepped in to help fill the gap and included him in their family gatherings, even inviting Raphael to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

"They knew I was away from family, and Starbucks acted like a second home to me. To take me in like they did was really cool."

Upon his wife's return from deployment, the store greeted her like an old friend despite never meeting her in person. Then his managers provided him with flexibility to spend more time with her.

"Managers are really good at helping partners get better in their situation, in whatever they're doing."

When a new military spouse joins the team, Raphael makes time to talk and offer advice–sometimes it's as simple as carpooling; other times it’s more personal.

"We bond because we relate to one another. I feel like I don't have to be alone. Telling our stories helps because we're going through the same hardships."

Since 2013, Starbucks has hired over 17,000 veterans and military spouses, and is committed to hiring 25,000 more by 2025.

To learn more about the Starbucks Military Commitment, visit: <a href="http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/veterans">starbucks.com/responsibility/community/veterans</a>.

Meaningful careers, supportive communities

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

Starbucks Stories

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Starbucks has hired more than 15,000 veterans and military spouses in the last five years. Each small, embroidered American flag on the right side of their special green aprons is a portal to countless stories of duty and commitment â packing tape and moving boxes; letters and video calls; long absences and joyful reunions; family and chosen family; courage and love.

"Being a military spouse is one of the hardest jobs out there, said Kyle Trombley," who decided to join Starbucks after relocating to Tacoma, Wash., with his husband, Army Maj. Christopher B. Garrett.

Trombley got his start as a barista in a Military Family Store near Joint Base Lewis McChord. The store is one of 42 Starbucks locations near major military bases that have been designated and dedicated as <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/careers/veterans" target="_blank">Military Family Stores</a>. All are staffed by veterans, military spouses and advocates, which helps the stores function as hubs of support for the military community and a cultural bridge between military and non-military customers. There will be 132 of these stores open by 2022. Starbucks has committed to hiring 25,000 veterans and military spouses by 2025.

"Starbucks from day one has become my second family. The people I worked with, our customers, we share many of the same struggles. It's not just a place to work," Trombley said. In their nearly 15 years together, he and his husband have relocated three times and are preparing for a fourth move this summer.

"To have somebody that you work with who knows that experience and what it's like to go through that's just like an instant connection," Trombley said.

He said the Tacoma Military Family Store is a hub for many different types of people "veterans, active military members, military families and civilians. The Tacoma store features subtle nods to its community military-themed photos and illustrations and a large sign that reads, "This store is dedicated to people united by their courage to serve our country."

When Garrett got orders to move yet again, this time Trombley was able to transfer his job "a benefit offered to veterans and military spouses at Starbucks." He now manages a store in Lake Charles, La. Being able to develop his own career, even while relocating at regular intervals in support of his husband's military service, is one of the main reasons Trombley chose to pursue a job at Starbucks.

"I wanted to be able to transfer within the company and actually build a career instead of just having to constantly have to start from square one," Trombley said. "There has not been one moment where I ever regretted that decision."

Last fall, Trombley drove his husband to Fort Polk and sat with him until it was time for Garrett to board a bus and then a plane. Garrett went to Iraq, and Trombley got back in the car, had a good cry and drove home alone. It was the fifth farewell of this kind "the deployment kind" in their nearly 15 years together.

"He's only gone for nine months this time, but still, it' very emotional. That never changes,' Trombley said. "You're saying 'Goodbye' but wondering if this is a 'See you later' or an actual goodbye. You don't know." 

Military life brings a host of challenges and complications, but to Trombley, these long separations are by far the most challenging part.

"I feel like we've been apart more than we've been together over the last 15 years, although he's always there for me no matter if he's halfway across the country or on the other side of the world," Trombley said. "It's hard, because you never know what's going to happen. I know that's true of life in general, not just having a loved one in the military, but this just adds that much more."

Learn more about Starbucks commitment to veterans <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/veterans" target="_blank">here</a>, and visit the Starbucks Global Newsroom to<a href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/military-spouses-only-constant-is-change" target="_blank"> read more about the challenges and rewards of military spouses</a>.

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, one Starbucks partner talks about the sacrifices, rewards and unpredictability of military life.

For military spouses, the only constant is change

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 Civilians sincerely want to learn how to better approach veterans today in America, and the solution is far simpler than it appears at face value. 

Civilians can better understand the challenges and opportunities that veterans and military families face post service, including their experiences overseas, when we stop trying to cut corners to understanding and get to know one another. Our American citizenship, and our humanity connect us far more than our service separates us, but only if we have the courage to meet one another, one real conversation at a time.

It’s special when it happens. Two people are chatting, getting to know one another. Finally, one of the pair, the veteran of the two, looks at the other to pose a common question in the military community, “so, what branch did you serve in?”

This is one of my very favorite moments to witness.

Flushed and stumbling, the new friend submits, “Oh, I didn’t serve in the military”.

The veteran is surprised. Because of the comfort level, the veteran assumed she/ he had met a fellow service member.

The light in our veterans’ eyes tells the whole story. There is a realization of new beginnings, a subtle, yet critical step in the journey home. A new relationship is birthed between two people. When it grows, real conversations are had, real challenges are shared and real understanding is forged. A simple, yet authentic engagement, built upon the foundation of empathy, is the dawn of relationship and relationships lead to understanding.

The opposite scenario is disappointing, and sadly far too common.

As a veteran, I know that I am a statistical outlier of the population, part of the 1% who has born the burden of nearly 16 years of American conflict. Naturally, there is true interest on the part of my fellow Americans; I appreciate and encourage this, yet find myself baffled by the approach at times. Typically, when someone discovers that I am veteran, they want to jump right into the juicy set of “common veteran questions”.

I am often asked what I think about the following: the war, our geopolitical policies, my perspective on Islam and invariably, the question that so many Americans are burning to know the answer to: how many people did you kill?

Go ahead and cringe for a moment with me.

I cringe, literally, even as I write these words and sincerely hope to communicate why.

First, I am not an expert on some of these topics. My four rotations in Afghanistan did not anoint me as such. Next, I don’t even find interest in some of them, nor do I spend my time ruminating on them. Third, typically, I don’t know the person asking me these fairly personal questions. And finally, some of the questions are frankly insensitive at best and rude at worst. Perhaps civilians are just nervous and grasping?

We can make it very difficult for civilians to connect. We are a closed off and tight military family. For just as many of the preconceived notions that civilians may have, veterans come in with their own set of assumptions. I question if we would be talking if I wasn’t a veteran. I wonder about your objectives and become suspicious. Often, I find myself leaning back a bit, anticipating the common question that so many Americans are burning to ask me. This is not a one-way matter.

While the military has thread this exclusive bond by necessity, veterans can also do our part in connecting with our non-military compatriots as we return to civilian life.

For many years I have served as a leader with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teamrwb.org/">Team Red, White and Blue</a>&nbsp;(Team RWB), a veteran serving nonprofit whose mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. As “Eagles” (members), we encourage our veterans to engage with our families and communities and recommend them to tell their story.

Telling my story to my family and to other trusted civilians has been a huge part of my journey home and to wellness. In the process, I have learned that the problems that I and many other veterans face are not uniquely veteran problems, they are people problems.

Countless Americans have experienced the challenges of violence, loss, sadness, depression, grief, addiction, suicidal ideations and guilt.

I see this every day at The&nbsp;<a href="https://tennysoncenter.org/">Tennyson Center for Children</a>&nbsp;and know that while veterans do not own a monopoly on trauma, sadly, neither do adults.

In telling my story, I have also heard from my civilian friends. There are so many others who are trying do their best through parenthood, marriage, transition and the workplace to name a few. No longer am I a statistical anomaly, desperately hanging onto the fringes of our society; I am just a person, like you, an American trying to do my best every day.

But my story is just that, mine. It is my life. My story is not a commodity to be traded, nor purchased with the investment of a chance meeting or a moment in time. There are experiences I treasure and regrets I hold. Instants I would willingly relive in a breath and moments I painfully recall through tears. Situations I cannot forget, no matter how hard I try. Please understand these cannot be bought in a moment and know that I, in turn, will extend the same respect. This opportunity, this bridge we may forge together, I treasure. I get the chance to earn each piece of your story that you entrust me with, one meaningful moment at a time. I get to use my story, my life, to invite you in and begin our story.

I was a Soldier, an Infantryman, a Ranger and a Special Operator. I am a veteran. Some of these may be foreign to you. I am also a Spouse, a Parent, a Friend and a Leader. Most of these are relatable to all.

Above all things, I am a person. I am an American citizen. I’m no hero nor victim of the war, I’m an American who raised his hand to serve our great Nation. I treasure this and will gladly share my experiences when and where it is appropriate, if you give me time.

There is a tension in America today. We are connected strangers swimming in the vast openness of our social/ digital world. Hiding in plain sight, lobbing opinions into the faceless void, yet reticent to meaningfully engage with one another in an effort to truly seek understanding. This same tension exists between civilians as it does between veterans and civilians. So many of us hide behind our walls, eager to throw them down and be united, yet fearful to expose ourselves fully. Fearful to be seen fully. But it is so scary.

There is no shortcut to relationship. No playbook to authenticity. No hack to trust. It must be built, and building takes time and effort, not a simple checklist of questions.

So, when a civilian is faced with the opportunity to engage a veteran, I encourage you to consider introducing yourself with a warm smile and a handshake and ask that one question we all appreciate, “What’s your name?”

It’s simple, but that one question may begin the long and rewarding journey to a relationship, and the rest will unfold from there.

Brandon Young served as a US Army Ranger, and is the Chief Advancement Officer for the Tennyson Center for Children, which heals, stabilizes and reintegrates severely abused kids in Colorado.

One Question Every Veteran Wants to Answer

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Hundreds of thousands of service members transition from the military to civilian life each year. Imagine that for a minute. What would it be like? How would you translate your skills into terms a potential employer could understand? Starbucks gets it and values the unique leadership experience. We wanted to help create opportunities and pathways for successful transitions back into our communities. So we made a goal in 2013 to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses in five years. We are honored to have accomplished that mission ahead of schedule. Today, Starbucks proudly reaffirmed its commitment to supporting service members and military spouses by increasing its hiring commitment to 25,000 total hires by 2025. “The numbers don't tell the story. The story is the unbelievable heart, conscience, integrity, leadership skills of the people that we have been fortunate enough to bring into our company,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks ceo and chairman. Watch the story and see how your support as a customer has allowed us to proudly serve those who serve.

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We can't just focus on what happens in the store. We reach out and take care of our community, just like they come in and take care of us.
 
 -Justin Zaelke
 Starbucks store manager
 Marine veteran

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Starbucks is proud to support our armed forces in many other ways, too. We operate 32 Military Family stores near major military bases. The Military Mondays program provides a space in stores where pro bono legal support and other important transition services are offered. We also partner with organizations that help us bridge the civilian-military divide and enable veterans to serve in their communities, such as Blue Star Families, Team RWB, Team Rubicon and The Mission Continues. And we sponsor the Starbucks Armed Forces Network (AFN), an internal group with more than 16 chapters that provides support for employee veterans, veteran spouses and advocates.

Being married to a military member that gives back to their country every day, to have that recognized, that makes me feel really special to be a part of that.
 
 -Tim Klipp-Lockhart
 Starbucks partner
 Air Force spouse

For more information about Starbucks veterans and military support, check out <a class="post-fragment-link" href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/veterans" target="_blank"> starbucks.com/veterans </a> .

Learn how Starbucks reaffirmed its commitment to support service members and military spouses by increasing its goal to 25,000 total hires by 2025.

Power of Coffee: How you helped Starbucks hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses

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Since 2013, we've hired over 17,000 veterans and military spouses, and we're committed to hiring 25,000 by 2025. See how they're making our company better and our communities stronger every day.

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Meaningful careers, supportive communities

For military spouses, the only constant is change

One Question Every Veteran Wants to Answer

Power of Coffee: How you helped Starbucks hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses