Armed Forces Day is observed yearly on the third Saturday in May. Memorial Day honors those who have given their lives and Veteran’s Day all who have served. Armed Forces Day pays tribute to the four branches of the military and those currently serving in uniform. In 1949 the Defense Department unified the separately celebrated Army, Navy and Air Force Days into one observance. The Marine Corps has joined in the single observance, although the Corps still has its own day set aside. The Coast Guard has come on board to mark the day with the other services, even though it is a branch of the Department of Homeland Security.

Beef Jerky Outlet stands with the branches of the serving military, as well as the first responders who also face real danger and hazards in the line of duty. At Beef Jerky Outlet many of our Franchise Partners and Teammates have served in the military or as first responders. Several have served as both. Beef Jerky Outlet Franchise and our individual stores have always looked for ways to honor serving military, veterans and first responders. Over the years the franchise has done a variety of different things, from supporting Wounded Warrior programs to our own Jerky for the Troops initiative. We have even delivered jerky gift baskets to police and fire stations on Random Act of Kindness Day.

One of the very special ways that Beef Jerky Outlet stores honor service is by setting up a Wall of Honor. The Walls are designated display areas in stores that feature the personal service memorabilia of local veterans and first responders. The Walls display unit patches, citations, badges of rank and flags. The first BJO Wall of Honor was put up by Allen Musick when he was a store manager. The Wall of Honor was Allen’s way of honoring our first responders and military veterans. Since then, many BOJ stores have set up their own walls to honor those who serve our country and communities.

Allen is a military veteran and career police officer who moved from store manager to store owner to executive within the Beef Jerky Outlet Franchise. Allen recently retired from the franchise, after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Beef Jerky Outlet 2018 Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Allen sets a high bar for the rest of us, he truly deserves his own Wall of Honor for his contributions and service.

A Wall of Honor is certainly a great conversation starter. After viewing a Wall, customers will often send in a patch or badge of their own or a close relative to display. Here’s a great way to observe Armed Forces Day:  visit a Beef Jerky Outlet store and pick up a gift of jerky to send to someone currently serving in the military. Beef Jerky Outlet stores ship to APO/FPO military addresses all the time, we are experts! Even if you don’t know someone currently in the service, just ask and we’ll find a way to make sure a deserving member of the armed forces gets a ration of tasty beef jerky!