Smithfield Foods Veteran Highlight: Jurmon Baker

Jurmon Baker comes from a family with a history of military service, so joining the Army straight out of high school seemed like a logical decision for this native of Lawrenceville, Georgia.

“What could be more admirable than fighting for your country?” asks Baker, now 38. “I served for five years with tours in Fort Riley, Fort Lewis, Fort Hood, and Darmstadt, Germany. Upon completing my five-year enlistment in 2001, I held the rank of E5 sergeant.”

Baker then earned an associate’s degree in philosophy from Park University in Missouri before going to work for one of the world’s largest software collaboration firms in accounts payable. He joined Smithfield in 2016 and currently works as an international documentation coordinator for the company’s export business.

“I really like the work, and it’s different from what I have done before,” he says. “There is also a lot of camaraderie, a great chain of command, and the opportunity to excel. Those are all things you appreciate in the military, where you learn to establish a rapport with people from all walks of life.”