MIGHTY 25: Army veteran Charles Moore champions diversity with Raytheon
Charles Moore in Army uniform.
SUMMARY
Charles Moore was a military brat for the first part of his childhood and it left a deep impression. His experiences then - and after - led to a lifetime of service.
Both parents served in the Army, though his mother got out to raise him and his sister. They traveled the world together as a family until the couple divorced. His mother brought the children to Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
“Even though she wasn’t in anymore, she had a lot of friends in the area. It goes back to that aspect of community that the military provides, even after your transition. I basically grew up with a single mom because my dad served for 24 years,” Moore explained. “I watched the military service and I watched the resilience that it created in my mother. I wasn’t sure if it was the path I was going to take but after high school I didn’t think college was for me.”
One of his favorite photos is his graduation from basic training, flanked by his parents. From 2008 to 2015, Moore proudly wore the Army uniform. He intended to make a career out of it but too many injuries forced him into medical retirement.
“Compared to many veterans, my transition was really easy. During my time in the service, I spent a lot of time working with contractors employed with Raytheon. I began applying for roles with them before my retirement was complete,” Moore said.
After becoming a maintenance lead for the company, he and his family moved overseas for a bit before relocating to Alabama for a different role. It was there he was introduced to the veteran employee resource group, RAYvets, now known as RTXVETS. Then, Moore was asked to lead it alongside his other responsibilities.
“At the time, I didn’t really know what diversity, equity and inclusion was. But I was willing to learn and give it everything I could,” he shared. “This is where I think I found my passion and purpose. It wasn’t one of those planned things; it just happened.”
In the meantime, Moore earned an undergraduate degree and then a Master’s in Engineering and Industrial Management. He quickly advanced to becoming the Global Chair and Corporate Lead for the Armed Services Community Employee Resource Group as well as the Chief of Staff and eventually International Program Director.
“I am all about making things more efficient and it worked for my team. We were able to communicate, engage and grow our engagement to be the largest ERG network out there as well as have the largest number of volunteer hours across the company,” Moore said.
In 2023, he became Raytheon’s Associate Director for Enterprise Program Performance and continues to be the RTXVETS DE&I leader.
“It's about the entire military community. Go back to the story about my mom and becoming a spouse and then becoming a veteran, and then a separated spouse; even my journey as a military child, all of that was as much part of our community as the people who raised their hand,” Moore said. “Everyone is impacted by that individual who raised their hand, so we wanted to make sure we were more than inclusive enough to represent and support that broader community.”
The journey of reengineering the program took two years and it now represents over 15,000 veterans at Raytheon. Moore credits his time in the military for laying the foundation for everything he’s done since.
“There’s so much training that we go through in the military, both intentional and unintentional. The thing that had the biggest impact on me was the commitment to see things through,” he admitted.
When asked what pushed him and what he’d say to encourage others, his answer was simple.
“Family and faith is what made it a reality. I also credit some incredible mentors over the years. I'm fortunate for the opportunity right now to lead this organization through laying the foundation of where the vision is and making that impact tangible five years from now,” Moore said. “Don’t stop where you are today. We are the masters of our own destiny. Make the decision, make the checklist and then go make it happen.”
You can learn more about this trailblazing veteran here.
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