Employment Resources
Watch Video: Learn About the Three Key Obstacles Veterans Face in Finding a Job
When servicemembers become wounded, ill, or injured, they often face a change in their career trajectory. While approximately 50% return to their military careers, many separate from service and begin a new career in the civilian workforce. These Veterans are well-trained, highly-skilled professionals who can strengthen any organization, increasing diversity and the bottom line. There is no standard definition of a “wounded warrior”—today’s military personnel experience a wide range of injuries, from amputations and burns to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). What is most important is that these injuries do not prevent them from contributing to society, but often make them more resilient, determined, and ready to serve.
Press Conference Launching Hire a Veteran Campaign
Research Shows Three Misperceptions Prevent Employment of "Wounded Warriors". Army collaborates with Society of Human Resource Management and launches "Hire a Veteran" campaign aimed at informing HR professionals and debunking the myths about hiring Veterans. Click here to watch video
Read the Following Press Conference Video Transcripts:
- Brig. Gen. David J. Bishop, Commander, Warrior Transition Command and Assistant Surgeon General for Warrior Care and Transition
- Jeff Pon, Ph.D., Chief Human Resources and Strategy Officer, Society for Human Resource Management
- Tim Isacco, Chief Operating Officer, Orion International
- Paul "Rob" Roberts, Retired Staff Sergeant
Reasons to Hire Wounded, Ill, and Injured Soldiers and Veterans
By hiring a wounded warrior, employers are not just giving back to someone who has sacrificed for our country, they are gaining a talented, trained professional with a strong background in leadership, technology, and resilience. There are a number of different sources that promote the benefits of hiring a wounded Veteran. These lists often include a number of soft skills employers value, such as the ability to learn new skills, strong leadership qualities, flexibility to work in teams or independently, and respect for procedures and accountability.
The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University provided research context to support these often touted, but difficult to translate, "reasons to hire." The value of a Veteran, as described in The Business Case for Hiring a Veteran: Beyond the Clichés 
in a competitive business environment includes:
- Veterans are entrepreneurial
- Veterans assume high levels of trust
- Veterans are adept at transferring skills across contexts/tasks
- Veterans have advanced technical training
- Veterans can adapt to discontinuous environments
- Veterans exhibit high levels of resilience
- Veterans exhibit advanced team-building skills
- Veterans exhibit strong organizational commitment
- Veterans leverage cross-cultural experiences
- Veterans have experience in diverse work-settings
Next Steps for Hiring
Wanting to hire wounded warriors is only half the battle—the other half is figuring out how to find these professionals. The Warrior Transition Command (WTC) and Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) are here to help as employers consider hiring wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, and spouses who can contribute to the organization.
Connect with Local Wounded, Ill, and Injured Soldiers, Veterans, and Spouses
Most HR officials who contact WTC are looking for wounded warriors they can hire in their local areas. WTC's team of dynamic professionals are available to support a wide variety of HR requests, including:
Transition Coordinators: Located at 29 Warrior Transition Units (WTUs) and nine Community-Based WTUs (CBWTUs) throughout the country, Transition Coordinators can help employers connect with wounded, ill, and injured Veterans who recently transitioned out of the military and are looking for employment and Soldiers who anticipate transitioning soon and ready to start their employment search. Each Soldier who recovered in a WTU developed career goals through his/her personalized Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP).
WTC Community Support Network: Connects wounded ill, and injured Soldiers, Veterans, their Families, and Caregivers with local providers of services and is a valuable tool for AW2 Advocates to gain information about available organizations and activities. For more information visit Community Support Network.
AW2 Advocates: More than 200 AW2 Advocates located throughout the country currently support the Army's most severely wounded, ill, and injured—and more than 80% of this population are Veterans. These non-medical case managers are plugged into their local communities and familiar with each local Veteran's situation and aspirations.
AW2 Career and Education Section: AW2 Career and Education Section can help larger organization with a larger number of open positions on a regional or national scale set up a preferred hiring process.
Set Up Internships
Many wounded, ill and injured Soldiers welcome the opportunity to complete internships during their recovery or shortly after their transition to bolster their résumé and ease their transition to civilian life.
Transitioning Soldiers: Local Transition Coordinators at WTUs can help federal agencies set up internships through Operation Warfighter , a federal program specifically for recovering servicemembers. Soldiers gain work experience during their recovery and contribute to the federal organization's mission while remaining on active duty.
Veterans: Private sector organizations can use a variety of federal programs to set up internships for Veterans who have transitioned out of the military. The WTC Career and Employment Readiness Branch can educate the employer on the options that may work best for the organization.
Enhance Retention Once the Veteran Starts Work
The wounded warrior hire isn't a successful hire unless they stay employed and meet the objectives of their position. If challenges arise once the internship or job begins, WTC may be able to help facilitate a resolution at no cost to the employer.
Educate the Team
WTC can help employers better understand the value and benefits of hiring a wounded warrior. Through one-on-one briefings and presentations for the organization, we can help by:
Video Resources
Vice Chief of Staff of the Army on Transition (2013)
Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, General Lloyd J. Austin III, video on Army Transition has been distributed to Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) centers Army wide, and shared via ACAP social media and web sites. This video will be shown at ACAP Centers during the "Transition Overview" as the Soldier begins their transition process. The videos are 508 compliant, allowing Closed Captioning for the hearing impaired or to take into account someone who does not have sound on their computer or is not in a position to allow the sound function to be played.
Sergeant Major of the Army on Transition (2013)
Sergeant Major of the Army, Ray Chandler, video on Army Transition has been distributed to Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) centers Army wide, and shared via ACAP social media and web sites. This video will be shown at ACAP Centers during the "Transition Overview" as the Soldier begins their transition process. The videos are 508 compliant, allowing Closed Captioning for the hearing impaired or to take into account someone who does not have sound on their computer or is not in a position to allow the sound function to be played.
Contact Us
The first step to increasing an organization's hiring of disabled Veterans is to contact the Warrior Transition Command. Contact us—we're here to help make this process easier.
Phone: (703) 325-8999
Email: usarmy.pentagon.medcom-WTC.mbx.career-education-readiness-br@mail.mil