This Veterans Day and Remembrance Day, we’re taking the time to honor the brave individuals who have served or currently serve in the military, both in the U.S. and abroad. Our veterans at Samsara help us win as a team—bringing unique perspectives, approaches, and talents that help us solve problems, build products, and support our customers.

Investing in our veterans

We are proud of the veteran community at Samsara and strive to celebrate and support them year-round. This year, Samsara’s Benefits team introduced a new leave policy that ensures up to 12 weeks of full pay when an employee is called away to serve their country. Earlier this month, we launched our Veterans at Samsara Employee Resource Group (ERG) with the mission to empower veteran employees through service recognition, provide a community for mentorship and support, and grow the presence of veteran employees at Samsara.

For Veterans Day, we interviewed Lieutenant Colonel Rob Polston, a Director of Recruiting at Samsara and a commander in the Army Reserve. This year, Rob honored his manager with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award, a recognition of his support for Rob’s ongoing Army Reserve commitments. Read about Rob’s military service journey, how Samsara has supported him in his service, and how Rob utilizes skills honed during his military experience as a leader at Samsara.

Employee Spotlight

Where did you serve? Why is serving your country important to you?

I was commissioned as a tank officer in the Army in 1997. I was on active duty for four years and then transitioned to the Army reserve in 2001. My time in the Army has literally taken me around the world and back again. I deployed to Bosnia (former Yugoslavia) as a NATO peacekeeper in 1998 as part of Operation Joint Endeavor, and then to Afghanistan in 2011 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. In between these deployments, I served in Kentucky, Texas, California, Louisiana, Washington D.C., and Germany. I currently serve in the Army Reserve as the battalion commander of the 419th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB) in Tustin, CA, which consists of six companies and about 750 soldiers.  

Serving in the military is important to me for a variety of reasons. My family has a long history of service going back to my great-grandfather who served in the Army in World War I, my grandfather who served in the Navy during World War II, and my father who served over 20 years in the Army. Ultimately, I love our country and feel that serving in the military allows me to give something in return for the freedoms we enjoy today.  

How has Samsara and your team supported you as a member of the military?

Samsara is absolutely fantastic in supporting my military service. There is actually a federal law (USERRA) that requires companies to protect the job of any employee who is called up for military service. However, Samsara’s support goes above and beyond this minimum threshold. Samsara offers military differential pay for up to 90 days, which essentially ensures that employees called up for military duty receive their full Samsara pay during the first 90 days of their active military service time. This support and encouragement is a tremendous force multiplier as it allows me to focus on my military duties without being concerned about my pay and overall job security here at Samsara.    

How has your time in the military helped you in your role today at Samsara?

In essence, the military has helped me to become a more effective manager and leader of teams.  Typically, most newly commissioned military officers are thrust into a leadership role at a very young age. For me, this meant leading a tank platoon overseas when I was 22 years old. Leading troops in such an austere environment forced me to quickly mature as a leader. I remember using a sharpie to write this phrase on the inside of my helmet as a reminder of the consequences of my decisions as a leader: “Take care of your soldiers, whose parents have entrusted you with their lives.” At first glance, this quote may not directly translate into my leadership role at Samsara, but this mindset has stayed with me as I have grown as a leader and realized that my decisions as a manager affect the lives of others. Leaders must never make decisions in a silo and should always consider the impact of their decisions on the people involved. Another quote that sums this up quite effectively is from Theodore Roosevelt: “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This couldn’t be more true in a military unit as well as in the corporate teams we have at Samsara.  

How can people and organizations better support the veteran community?

I think the most impactful thing that we can do for our military veterans here at Samsara is to not make assumptions. I am sometimes asked questions about the lingering trauma from my experiences being in a combat zone. Although I personally don’t find this offensive in any way, I think most veterans would prefer to talk about what motivated them to join the military and what Veterans Day personally means to them. All in all, I couldn’t be more happy with the overwhelming support that veterans receive here at Samsara. 

Together we are Samsara

On behalf of everyone at Samsara, thank you to all veterans for your service and bravery. We are proud to have veterans join our team and grow their careers at Samsara. We are committed to diversity across our company and ensuring that Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact. Samsara is hiring, and we’re looking for people who are interested in helping us build a safer, smarter, sustainable world. Check out our open roles and apply today!