Eric Greitens. Photo: Vivid Marketing.

Eric Greitens, founder of an organization that reintegrates post-9/11 veterans into society, on Tuesday was named as the winner of the 2012 Charles Bronfman Prize.

The $100,000 award goes to “a young humanitarian whose work is informed and fueled by Jewish values and has broad, global impact that can change lives,” according to The Charles Bronfman Prize Foundation.

Greitens, a 38-year-old former Navy SEAL, in 2007 launched St. Louis-based “The Mission Continues,” which offers six-month community service fellowship to veterans, placing them at local non-profits based on their personal interests. The veterans often transition to full employment or high education after their fellowships.

“Eric Greitens views those who have sacrificed on the battlefield as national assets. As history proves, this has not always been the case,” said James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank, on behalf of the Bronfman prize judges. “By teaching us to respect and value this generation of warriors, he is not only a humanitarian, but also a leader guided by the light of just and noble ends.”