Celebrating 15 Years of Impact for the Military Community

Written by

Hiring Our Heroes

Fifteen years ago, veteran unemployment hit crisis levels. For too many transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses, the path to a meaningful civilian career felt uncertain and isolating. In that moment, Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) began as a grassroots effort to help the military community translate service into opportunity — one conversation, one interview, one offer at a time.

Since then, the mission has stayed the same, but the way we deliver it has evolved dramatically. What started as a series of hiring fairs has grown into a comprehensive workforce solution that convenes nearly 2,000 American businesses and connects with tens of thousands of military‑connected job seekers each year, on military installations and online, wherever support is needed most.

And the most important measure of all: over the last 15 years, Hiring Our Heroes has served more than 1 million veterans and military spouses, each with a different starting point, a different set of challenges, and a different definition of what “meaningful” work looks like.

Because numbers tell only part of the story. Behind each statistic is a person taking a brave next step. A service member preparing for transition months, or even years, before separation. A military spouse rebuilding momentum after a PCS move. A veteran pivoting into a new industry. A caregiver returning to the workforce. An employer learning how to recognize leadership that doesn’t always show up in a traditional résumé.

Today, as we mark HOH’s 15th anniversary, we are celebrating not only milestones, but the community of job seekers, employers, partners, and advocates who have shaped what this work can be.

A Timeline of Transformation

Click the arrows below to take a look back at our transformation over the last 15 years.

2011 | A Mission Born from Urgency

In 2011, Hiring Our Heroes set out to close the gap between military service and civilian opportunity, one handshake at a time.

When veteran unemployment reached crisis levels, with rates for young veterans climbing to 30 percent, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS) to launch Hiring Our Heroes. What began with hiring fairs in select cities quickly expanded into a commitment to host 100 events nationwide. This first chapter established a powerful truth that still drives HOH today: when employers and communities show up with intention, military talent rises.

From the Archives:

2012–2013 | Rapid Expansion and a Bold Commitment

A marching band plays in front of a Hiring 500,000 Heroes banner. — HOH’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes initiative, in partnership with Capital One, launches aboard the USS Intrepid in New York.

In HOH’s early years, growth was fueled by urgency and by an expanding network of employers ready to take action. By 2013, HOH hosted more than 650 hiring events and began building the connective tissue that would enable long‑term impact. That included employer training, a stronger national network, and tools that made military experience legible in the civilian job market.

This era also marked HOH’s first major employer mobilization. In March 2012, HOH and Capital One launched the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign, challenging American businesses to collectively hire half a million veterans and military spouses. More than 2,000 companies answered the call — a defining proof point that the private sector was ready to act at scale.

Key investments also centered the job seeker experience: an early version of Resume Engine, a digital tool powered by Toyota, helped veterans translate military skills into civilian terms, and the launch of the Military Spouse Program began addressing the unique career barriers military spouses face.

2014–2016 | Moving Left of Transition

HOH’s second Veteran Jobs Summit—an early precursor to today’s HOH Career Summits—was hosted at Fort Campbell in April 2014.

As veteran unemployment improved nationally, HOH evolved from a moment‑of‑transition model to a “prepare earlier, connect smarter” approach. The organization invested in building trusted, on‑base relationships across the military ecosystem and expanded partnerships with military installations to create more consistent access to employers and career support.

In 2015, the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign reached its goal, with Amazon, Capital One, HCA Healthcare, Verizon, Walmart, Wells Fargo, and more than 2,000 other participating companies confirming 500,000 veteran and military spouse hires. The milestone validated HOH’s coalition model and proved that sustained employer engagement — from local small businesses to Fortune 500 partners — could move the needle at a national level.

This chapter also saw the launch of the Corporate Fellowship Program, a Department of Defense SkillBridge opportunity, opening a new door for transitioning service members to gain real‑world corporate experience during their final months of service. The program gave fellows the chance to build professional networks, apply their leadership in a civilian context, and step into careers with confidence and momentum.

From the Archives:

Success Story | Jayson & Keysha Salgado

As U.S. Army veterans, Jayson and Keysha Salgado faced an uncertain transition from military service while raising a family. Through the HOH Corporate Fellowship Program, they learned how to translate their leadership and service into civilian careers at Lockheed Martin and Amazon. The result was more than employment; it was stability, purpose, and the ability to build a future for their family. Watch their story.

2017–2019 | Deepening the Commitment to Military Spouses

Employers have been essential to the mission, proving that meaningful change happens when companies commit to hiring military spouses — not just thanking them.

Even as veteran employment improved, military spouse unemployment remained stubbornly high, hovering around 22 percent. HOH and a coalition of committed employers responded with targeted action.

In 2018, HOH partnered with Starbucks and a founding coalition of employers to launch the Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign, challenging businesses to collectively hire 100,000 military spouses. The campaign galvanized corporate commitment and put a national spotlight on the systemic barriers — licensing gaps, PCS‑driven career disruptions, employer bias — that military spouses face.

During this period, HOH also launched Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zones (MSEEZs) to concentrate resources in communities with high military spouse populations, and piloted the Military Spouse Fellowship Program at six installations in 2019, extending the fellowship model that had proven so effective for transitioning service members.

From the Archives:

Success Story | Kimi Ferrara

For years, Kimi Ferrara felt like her identity as a military spouse was a burden, something she had to explain away in job interviews. Then she began an HOH Military Spouse Fellowship at Booz Allen Hamilton, and everything changed. “The fellowship was the first time where the military spouse identity I’ve been carrying felt like a shiny gold cape,” she says. “It was, on its own, a value add.” Through the fellowship, Kimi channeled the planning, management, and resilience she’d built through military life into a meaningful career — and unlocked a new sense of security and possibility for her entire family. Watch her story.

2020–2021 | Pandemic Revolution

Transition didn’t pause for the pandemic.

When the COVID‑19 pandemic disrupted in‑person events and hiring, HOH adapted rapidly, because the military community could not afford to pause. Within weeks, HOH expanded virtual hiring events, upskilling opportunities, and one‑on‑one career support. Investments in digital tools and programs like Career Forward helped protect access and continuity, ensuring that geography, duty station, or public health restrictions did not determine someone’s next opportunity.

In the midst of the pandemic, the Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign hit its mark, surpassing 108,000 employer commitments eight months ahead of schedule. The achievement, reached during one of the most challenging hiring environments in a generation, underscored both the resilience of military spouses and the depth of employer commitment to hiring military-connected talent.

When it became safe to do so with enhanced safety measures, HOH resumed in‑person hiring events, meeting job seekers where they were — in every sense of the phrase.

From the Archives:

Success Story | Shyane Maestre

Shyane Maestre, a U.S. Air Force military spouse, turned to Hiring Our Heroes’ Career Forward program after years of underemployment and repeated pay cuts following PCS moves. Through Career Forward and the Google Data Analytics Certificate, she gained the confidence, skills, and support to change careers, ultimately securing a fully remote data analyst role with General Dynamics Information Technology at a competitive salary. The transition brought financial stability, career fulfillment, and the flexibility her family needed for the future. Read her story.

2022–2024 | Growth and Evolution

More than a handshake — every employer connection represents a step toward closing the 21 percent military spouse unemployment gap.

As the workforce landscape shifted again, HOH strengthened and expanded its mix of in‑person connection and digital scale, relaunching on‑base hiring events and extending fellowships and upskilling programs to better serve junior enlisted service members and military spouses. HOH also continued to build a stronger ecosystem of support through referral relationships, recognizing that job seekers often need coordinated help across the full arc of career transition and growth.

Program participation surged, with HOH serving more than 50,000 veterans and military spouses in 2022 alone. The Career Forward program, built in partnership with Google, continued to scale, ultimately helping more than 3,500 learners earn industry‑recognized Google Career Certificates in fields like data analytics, project management, and IT support. Meanwhile, the fellowship portfolio expanded with the launch of the Skills‑Based Fellowship, creating a pathway for service members without four‑year degrees to access the same high‑quality corporate placements that had made the Corporate Fellowship a flagship program.

In December 2023, HOH and Blue Star Families launched the 4+1 Commitment: The Formula for Military Spouse Success, a first‑of‑its‑kind initiative challenging employers to adopt at least one military‑spouse‑friendly policy, from remote work and flexible hours to PCS leave and job transferability. Twelve founding signatories — including Booz Allen Hamilton, Comcast NBCUniversal, Navy Federal Credit Union, and USAA — signed on at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with a goal of reaching 1,000 employer commitments by the end of 2024. The initiative marked a shift from asking employers to simply hire military spouses to asking them to change how they work so military spouses can build lasting careers.

In 2024, HOH also launched the Small Business Grant Program, backed by founding sponsor FedEx Founder’s Fund, awarding grants of up to $25,000 to veteran- and military spouse-owned small businesses in economically vulnerable communities — recognizing that employment isn’t just about hiring, but about empowering entrepreneurs.

By the end of 2024, the Corporate and Military Spouse Fellowship programs had posted hire rates consistently above 90 percent, and HOH’s employer coalition had grown to nearly 2,000 companies — a sign that the private sector’s commitment to military talent was deepening, not fading.

From the Archives:

Success Story | Lagarian Smith

Master Gunnery Sergeant Lagarian Smith, a career U.S. Marine, struggled to translate decades of military leadership into language civilian employers could understand. Through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, he learned to bridge that gap, building a professional network and gaining the confidence to see his value beyond the uniform. The fellowship connected him with his dream company, Google, where he was hosted as a fellow. For Lagarian, the program didn’t just open a door — it helped him realize who he was beyond the rank. Watch his story.

2025–2026 | A One‑Stop Shop for the Military Community

With a decade and a half of momentum behind it, HOH entered its most ambitious chapter yet, moving from a collection of strong programs to an integrated, end‑to‑end career ecosystem for the military community.

In 2025, HOH joined five other nonprofit organizations in launching the Collective, turning years of referral‑partner groundwork into a structured network that ensures no veteran or military spouse has to navigate the transition alone. The organization also unveiled a reimagined, AI‑powered Resume Engine, helping job seekers craft personalized, competitive resumes in minutes, reflecting HOH’s commitment to meeting the modern hiring environment head‑on.

On‑installation programming hit a milestone of its own: HOH celebrated 275 Career Summits hosted on military bases nationwide and on U.S. military installations around the world. New upskilling and credentialing platforms — like the HOH Skilled Trades Academy, powered by Lowe’s Foundation, and IBM SkillsBuild — gave job seekers access to industry‑recognized training in high‑demand fields like skilled trades, cybersecurity, and AI, ensuring the military community isn’t just keeping pace with the changing economy, but leading it.

From the Archives:

Success Story | Turhan & Brandy Coleman

When Navy veteran Turhan Coleman struggled to land interviews despite years of military experience, Hiring Our Heroes helped him earn a Google project management certificate and placed him in a fellowship that led to a full-time role at Salesforce. Months later, his wife Brandy — a military spouse who didn’t even know she was eligible for HOH programs — followed the same path through HOH’s Career Forward and military spouse fellowship programs, also landing at Salesforce. For the Colemans, Hiring Our Heroes didn’t just transform one career; it transformed their entire household. Watch their story.

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate 15 years of impact, Hiring Our Heroes stands firm in its mission to connect the military community with meaningful career opportunities, while building for what comes next.

The economy is changing fast. AI is reshaping how companies hire and how workers compete. Credentialing, upskilling, and career agility matter more than ever. And the military community — with its adaptability, discipline, and leadership — is uniquely positioned to lead in this environment, not just participate in it.

In the years ahead, HOH will continue expanding access to modern workforce tools, deepening partnerships with employers who are committed to skills‑based hiring, and strengthening the Collective to ensure that no veteran or military spouse has to navigate the transition alone. The goal isn’t just employment — it’s long‑term career success.

“At Hiring Our Heroes, we believe the military community isn’t just ready for the future of work; they’re built to lead it.”

–Eric Eversole, President, Hiring Our Heroes

HOH’s story has always been written by the people at the center of it. Job seekers who take the leap. Employers who open doors. Partners who keep showing up. If you have been part of this mission, we would love to hear your story. Use #HOHTurns15 on your public social media posts and tag @HiringOurHeroes.

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