FirstEnergy has launched an initiative to honor veterans within the company and beyond, led by Mobile Maintenance Manager David Brahosky and his team of 52 employees. The project involved collecting American flags from significant locations worldwide, such as the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and U.S. Camp Ramadi in Iraq. These flags have been mounted into custom frames for display across five FirstEnergy buildings in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
The company employs nearly 1,000 current and former service members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Each flag display includes the names of veteran employees working in those buildings. A video showcasing these displays is available on FirstEnergy's YouTube page.
David Brahosky, a Navy veteran who served as an aircraft electrician on the USS Independence CV 62 during Operation Desert Shield, spearheaded this initiative with help from other veterans on his team. They collaborated with active military peers to acquire these special flags for FirstEnergy.
“It’s so humbling to lay eyes on something from a war zone where people fought and died to defend freedom, or from a significant military landmark where history was made,” said Brahosky. “Veterans are proud of the American flag and it resonates with all of us.”
FirstEnergy has been recognized over the past decade by Military Friendly as a Military Friendly® Company due to its efforts in recruitment, hiring, training, and development practices for veterans and their families.
“Our veterans knew they might have to put themselves at risk and were willing to do that for our nation,” stated Dan Rossero, Vice President West Virginia Generation. “This project is a small way to honor our employees who served and show visitors to the building how much we appreciate every veteran’s dedication to the country.”