GoDaddy has announced that it will hire 500 military veterans or military spouses over the next five years. The announcement was made public by First Lady Michelle Obama during a ceremony in Washington as part of the Joining Forces initiative she launched back in 2011.

GoDaddy’s founder Bob Parsons is a decorated Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1969, he served as a rifleman in the Delta Company of the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, during a tour of duty in Vietnam, in the Quảng Nam Province. Unfortunately, during his service, he was wounded while on duty and was medically evacuated, spending two months at a naval hospital recovering. Bob Parsons earned the Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the Purple Heart.

In addition to hiring veterans, GoDaddy has donated more than $1.4 million to the Semper Fi Fund, which helps injured servicemen and women (qualifying post-9/11 Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen), including their families. The Semper Fi Fund was created by a group of Marine Corps spouses in early 2004, who help by providing the following financial, emotional, and other tiered support:

Family Support
Adaptive Housing, Adaptive Transportation
Specialized Equipment
Education and Career Transitioning
Rehabilitative Sports programs
and more.