{"id":970,"date":"2020-02-06T11:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T19:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hiringourheroes.org\/hiring-our-heroes-presents-a-new-toyota-to-sc-army-national-guard-veteran\/"},"modified":"2021-04-19T12:31:18","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T19:31:18","slug":"sc-army-national-guard-vet-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiringourheroes.org\/stories\/sc-army-national-guard-vet-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring Our Heroes Presents a New Toyota to SC Army National Guard Veteran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kashona Oakman served in the South Carolina Army National Guard for 23 years. The oldest of five children, Oakman was in her second year of college when she made the decision to enlist in the Army National Guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oakman decided to serve after her college roommate enlisted. Two of Oakman\u2019s brothers then followed in her footsteps and joined the U.S. Army. Currently, both brothers are serving on active duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kashona
Two of Kashona Oakman\u2019s brothers followed in her footsteps and joined the U.S. Army.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Four years later, Oakman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology. Armed with her college degree, Oakman continued to serve in the National Guard. For 16 years, she was a part of the South Carolina Army National Guard’s 251st Area Support Medical Company. Then after the birth of her daughter, Oakman transferred to the South Carolina Medical Detachment. This detachment provides medical sustainment and treatment for the soldiers of the South Carolina National Guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kashona
Kashona Oakman served in the South Carolina Army National Guard for 23 years.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

“Throughout my military career, some of my full-time positions included working with Tricare and Deployment Health Programs,\u201d retired Staff Sergeant Oakman told Hiring Our Heroes. She currently works a team leader at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We Owe You a Tremendous Debt of Gratitude<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Hiring Our Heroes and Toyota North America recently presented Oakman with a 2020 Toyota RAV4 as the winner of Hiring Our Heroes’ \u201cCommitted to America\u2019s Heroes\u201d sweepstakes<\/a>. Besides representatives from Toyota and Hiring Our Heroes, Oakman\u2019s former commanding officer and father attended the ceremony at Lugoff Toyota in Camden, South Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Providing the new vehicle to a deserving veteran was made possible through a long-standing partnership between Hiring Our Heroes and Toyota, explained Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes and vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis event is one way we thank our veterans and their families for their tremendous sacrifices and it\u2019s a little bit more than saying \u2018thank you for your service,\u2019\u201d Eversole said during the ceremony. \u201cIn this case, it\u2019s about giving a brand-new vehicle to Staff Sergeant Kashona Oakman as a small token of our appreciation for all that she and her family has done for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a surprise announcement<\/a> during the presentation, Lugoff Toyota also covered the vehicle taxes and fees and donated three years of free car washes to the vehicle winner. “We’re excited to partner with Hiring Our Heroes to honor a local hero,” said Samer Abraham, new car sales manager of Lugoff Toyota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Veteran
Retired Staff Sergeant Kashona Oakman was presented with the keys to a 2020 Toyota RAV4 during a ceremony at Lugoff Toyota in Camden, South Carolina.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Since 2011, Toyota North America has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation\u2019s Hiring Our Heroes. A decade ago, the unemployment rate for veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces any time after September 2001 was 12.1%. The jobless rate for all veterans was 8.3%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the unemployment rate for veterans hovers around 3%. That reduction in the unemployment rate is, in part, due to Toyota\u2019s support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHiring Our Heroes could not have connected more than 700,000 transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses with fulfilling civilian career opportunities in the last decade without partners like Toyota,\u201d Eversole said. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t be more thankful for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Guard is an Integral Part of Our Military Community<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

During the vehicle presentation, Eversole recognized Oakman\u2019s military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m really proud of the fact that we\u2019re giving this new RAV4 to a staff sergeant because she represents a population of our military service community that is often overlooked,\u201d he said. \u201cOur National Guard and Reserve community is an integral part of our military community. They serve side by side with our active duty service members.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eversole discussed the sacrifices that National Guard members and reservists make for our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur National Guard members not only have to balance a military career, but they also have to balance families, a civilian job, and many are going to school,\u201d Eversole said. \u201cTo be able to recognize Staff Sergeant Oakman on being that silent warrior as she balanced a very demanding military career with a civilian career and a family, we all owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oakman was honored to receive the Toyota RAV4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to thank this great organization, Hiring Our Heroes, for everything that they do for veterans,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n