Veteran's Story 4 - Steve Robinson, Prudential, R.I.P.

Stephen Robinson, Prudential - died
on Thursday, June 12.

Stephen Robinson, himself a veteran of 20 years of army service, became a formidable advocate for Veterans.

From 2010 to his death on June 12, 2014 he was vice president for External Veteran Affairs at Prudential Financial, where he focused on Veteran employment. His role was to advise the Prudential leadership on policies toward Veterans, expand programs, create partnerships and liaise with relevant agencies to improve access of Veterans to job opportunities.

He expanded Prudential's external network for Veteran initiatives by meeting with industry leaders in both the public and private sector, such as Veteran service organizations and legislators. He maintained Prudential as a leader in promoting education, training and employment for returning Veterans, in the tradition of Franklin D'Olier.

From 2001 to 2010, he was a retired Army officer and an independent advocate for Veterans and their families, working with several nonprofits to support service members and families. He served on the Department of Veterans Affairs Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses and was a special advisor on chemical and biological weapons exposures to Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans. Robinson was regularly called before Congressional committees to speak about military suicide, the mental health of Veterans, PTSD and the resiliency of the Armed Forces.

Previous to 2001, he had 20 years of service in conventional and Special Operations assignments including the 1/75th Ranger Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, 1/10th Special Forces, 8th Infantry Division, Ranger Instructor, 6th Ranger Training Brigade, Long Range Surveillance Detachment Team Leader in Korea, ROTC Instructor, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as briefer and analyst on health effects that arose out of the 1991 Persian Gulf war.  


From 1995 to 1998 he was at the University of West Florida. He prepared for college at Milton High School in Milton, Florida. Robinson also served on the board of directors for USO Metro Washington and as a military and veteran advisor for the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, and as a member of the board of advisers for the Call of Duty Endowment.