In 2013, AT&T made the commitment to hire 10,000 veterans "into career opportunities" over the next five years. By 2015, the company had exceeded its goal, hiring more than 11,500 vets during that two-year period. But rather than resting on its laurels, AT&T, in conjunction with Joining Forces - "a nationwide initiative calling all Americans to rally around servicemembers, veterans and their families, and support them through wellness, education and employment opportunities"- has committed to hiring another 10,000 veterans by the year 2020.

AT&T believes that hiring vets is not only "the right thing to do," but is also "good for our business." According to the AT&T website, "For nearly 100 years, AT&T has remained dedicated to supporting active military personnel, veterans and their families. Our nation's service men and women make sacrifices to protect our country and our freedoms, and as a company, it is an honor to support them both at home and abroad. Moreover, military veterans possess the skills we need to succeed as a company and are an invaluable part of our workforce."

AT&T is working to achieve this goal by increasingly promoting the company as "an employee of choice" for veterans.  In order to accomplish this, the company recently hired a Military Talent Attraction program manager, whose job it is to "inform the military about AT&T and educate AT&T managers about the military."

To assist veterans in their job search, AT&T has also made a number of tools and resources available on its website, including:

• A career site dedicated to transitioning members of the military (www.att.jobs/military)

• A "Military Skills Translator Tool" that connects AT&T jobs to the equivalent Military Occupational Codes or Specialties (www.att.jobs/mos)

• A Careers for Veterans program that connects veterans with fellow vets currently employed by AT&T (www.veterans.att.jobs)

• A career page designed specifically for military spouses (www.att.job/milspouse)

• Special military discounts on AT&T products and services

• The AT&T Veteran's Resource Group, which is more than 30 years old and boasts more than 9,600 members who provide community, philanthropy, outreach and career opportunities for veterans employed by AT&T.

AT&T is a founding member of the 100,000 Jobs Mission that was started in 2011 by JP Morgan Chase and 10 other companies. The organization now boasts more than 180 corporate members committed to hiring 300,000 veterans by the year 2020. As of 2014, it was well on the way to that goal, having provided employment for approximately 217,000 veterans in the first three years alone.

AT&T has been widely recognized and awarded for its work with transitioning servicemembers. Recently, it was listed as number five on Diversity, Inc.'s annual list of Top Ten Companies for Veterans. In 2014, it received the Secretary of Defense's Employee Support Freedom Award, and for its commitment to working with veteran-owned contractors and suppliers, it's been listed among Vetrepreneur Magazine's 10 Best Corporations for Veteran Owned Businesses for the fourth year in a row.