Humana and VFW ‘Salute the Troops’ at the Grand Ole Opry

Humana has a longstanding commitment to the health and well-being of veterans, service members and their families both in our workforce and our membership. We recognize the unparalleled sacrifices made by those who have served in the armed forces and their families, and we stand by their side.

One way that we support our veterans is to work with Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to ensure veterans understand their benefits, as it can be challenging to navigate the ways that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), TRICARE and Medicare work together for individual situations.

On May 21, Humana teamed up with USAA, the VFW and the Grand Ole Opry to host a special Salute the Troops performance in Nashville, Tennessee, to honor military veterans and current service members. The 313th U.S. Army Band entertained the crowd on the Opry Plaza while local Veterans Service Officers were available onsite to assist veterans with questions about their benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs and to help them file paperwork appropriately.

“Our veterans should be celebrated. The Salute the Troops event is just one way for us to honor their service and sacrifice while also ensuring they have access to the resources they have earned,” said Cara Brown, Humana Director of Key Relationships, who oversees the company’s relationship with multiple Veterans Service Organizations. “At Humana, we take our longstanding relationship with veterans seriously and are pledged to connect them to the organizations and people who can help them navigate their veteran benefits.”

The VIPs were not the usual celebrities for this special event. Active and veteran service members and their families walked the red carpet into the Opry House, led by Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, Chief of the U.S. Army Reserve and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command; Carol Whitmore, Jr., Vice Commander-in-Chief of the VFW; Brian Walker, Acting VFW Foundation Director; and retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, Founder of the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center.

“The VFW is honored to be a part of the Grand Ole Opry’s Salute the Troops event along with our great friends at Humana,” said VFW National Commander Duane Sarmiento. “We’re honored to be included in a historic night dedicated to celebrating the brave service and continued sacrifices of America’s best and brightest.”

Country music star and chief warrant officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, Craig Morgan, performed during the show and shared the stage with Trace Atkins, Lauren Alaina, Lee Brice, HunterGirl, Austin Snell and more. 

“What a pleasure, what a privilege it was tonight to be in the presence of our veterans, our World War II, Vietnam, and on forward. I got to shake the hands of these World War II veterans, and we are here today because of what they went through, and we must never forget that,” Morgan said. “There is no other place, no other occupation in the world where [young people] will gain experience, resources and opportunities like they can serving in our military. I promise you that.”

The Salute the Troops performance will air as a special “Opry Live” during Memorial Day weekend on May 25 on Humana’s Facebook page.

Learn more about how we continue to invest in the health of veterans, service members and our military community in our latest Humana Impact Report.