Cover Story: Citigroup Joins EUSA; Veterans Advantage® To Thank Returning National Guard And Reserve

Employers United For A Stronger America (EUSA), a new foundation supporting the activities of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the 31 year old Department of Defense Agency, and Veterans Advantage, a nationwide membership program providing military service benefits for U.S. Veterans, National Guard, Reservists, active duty military and their families, announced today that Citigroup (NYSE: C) has joined their "Welcome Home!’ Campaign as an Official Sponsor to thank National Guard and Reserve returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Welcome Home! Campaign mission is to deliver Veterans Advantage cards to demobilized Guard and Reserve as a ’thank you’ for their service. Citigroup is establishing a drop-point for its 150,000 U.S. employees worldwide to donate their used and inactive cellular phones, in this new patriotic recycling drive to generate proceeds for the cards, so they may be provided at no charge to Guard or Reserve.

"Citigroup’s efforts represent significant monetary and symbolic value to our National Guard and Reserve--a group that comprises half of U.S. military forces. These citizen-soldiers have proudly served their country in this Operation. They have left their careers on hold and in many cases, face tremendous financial pressure," said Scott Higgins, founder and CEO of Veterans Advantage.

"We salute Citigroup for becoming a Sponsor of this important program, and. supporting the service of this special group of Americans," Higgins added. "Veterans Advantage is committed to delivering them new service benefits from top U.S. companies, to honor their service and to help support them and their families financially in their transition back to civilian life."

Citigroup is the first Fortune 10 corporate partner to join the Welcome Home! Campaign, just after its Memorial Day launch. "We are proud to join this initiative with Veterans Advantage and EUSA to support the troops," said Judith Binney, Director of Human Resources Communications at Citigroup. "Citigroup has a strong tradition of giving back to our communities and supporting the environment, so this program is a great fit for us."

Coordinating distribution of the benefit cards to our returning forces, EUSA foundation will be offering complimentary Veterans Advantage cards to demobilized Guard and Reserve, to recognize and reward them for their service to the nation.

Corporations can serve as Official Sponsors of the Welcome Home! Campaign by encouraging their employees to collect used cell-phones in their workplaces. The campaign provides phone collection boxes free of charge. There are no shipping costs for a sponsor, representing a cost effective way for corporations to support our troops.

Veterans Advantage continues to seek companies for the Welcome Home! Campaign.

To Contact Us About Joining the R&R Campaign:

• EMAIL: Contact us.
• FOR LETTER CORRESPONDENCE ONLY:
  Veterans Advantage
  4410 Massachusetts Ave.
  Washington, DC 20016