16.5 million. That is the estimated number of military veterans in the United States today, according to Statista Research Department (2022). This Veterans Day, we wanted to take a moment to say “thank you” to all 16.5 million veterans who honorably wore the uniform in defense of our country. We are grateful for your service and indebted to your sacrifice.   

At Trident, we are proud of our military heritage and affiliation. We are a service-disabled veteran owned small business, and it is not an accident that more than 80% of our team is either a veteran, military spouse, parent of someone in the military, or a combination of these. We know that veterans have phenomenal life experiences, unique perspectives, and great qualities that give them an edge in the workforce. As an employer, we aim to give veterans a place where they can continue to grow personally and professionally while remaining part of a team that values accountability, responsibility, and balance (this is at the heart of our Core Values!). We also strive to take care of military spouses by offering portable and flexible careers so that they can accompany their service members to duty stations around the world. 

We know that something awaiting every service member is transition. Making the change from military life to civilian life– whether retiring or separating – can be tough. That’s why this Veterans Day we have a challenge for our fellow industry partners. The next time you need to find talent, look beyond Glassdoor, Indeed, and Monster – all of which are great tools – to the veteran community around you.  

For veterans 18 to 34 years old, more than 78,000 are currently unemployed with 249,000 not in the labor force. Among the 4 million 35- to 54-year-old veterans, 151,000 are unemployed and 647,000 are not on in the labor force. Taken overall, 4.4% of today’s military veterans are unemployed. This number may seem small, but in September 2022, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.5%. Veterans make up a higher-than average unemployment rate when compared to their civilian counterparts.  

Transition and Employment Assistance 

If you’re an employer looking to help or a transitioning veteran looking for a place to start, there are several federally run programs aimed at bridging the gap between military and civilian life. Many of these programs support not only transitioning service members but also Reservists and some military spouses as well.  

• The Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program is a transition assistance program that allows transitioning service members the opportunity to gain work experience through training, apprenticeships, and internships within the last 180 days of service. Launched in 2019, the unique program not only connects service members with industry partners but also provides industry leaders with a valuable cache of skilled employees. What makes this program unique is service members can apply for the program while still on active duty status, meaning they continue to receive military compensation and benefits, while the industry partner provides the training.  
• The Department of Labor’s Veterans.GOV resources are designed to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find employment. This program not only provides access to American Job Centers located around the country, but transitioning service members can access resources and training opportunities. They also offer training for entrepreneurs. For employers, they receive the benefit of access to veteran-specific hiring boards and the unique opportunity to hire talented military veterans.  
• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) runs the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) program along with the other career assistance programs. The VA’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is part of the DoD’s mandatory transition out program, which provides valuable tools like resume writing, translating military skills to civilian life, and interviewing techniques. The VA also maintains the Veteran Readiness and Employment program for veterans seeking work or training.  

In addition to these federal programs, there are more than 7,000 non-profit organizations helping veterans and military families with transition and employment challenges. One organization Trident has used is Hiring our Heroes. Hiring our Heroes is a non-profit organization that partners industry with the military all over the world using local and virtual career fairs to help bridge not only the transition gap, but the military spouse unemployment gap.  

Other Ways to Give Back 

If you’re not looking to grow your team and hire new talent right now, there are several other ways you can help veterans and the military community at large. For example, you can donate your time or resources to a non-profit organization in your area for your next corporate social responsibility (CSR) or community service event. Trident recently had a great experience partnering with zero8hundred through an Onyx-led CSR Program in San Diego for a 2-in-1 community service and team building event. The team at zero8hundred works to help ease the transition from military to civilian life by connecting veterans and their families with resources in the Southern California workforce. They offer support for up to one year prior to military separation to help transitioning service members map out their post-military journey. Their support includes not only active duty service members, Reservists, and veterans, but spouses and Gold Star spouses as well.  

As we head into the holiday season, we encourage you to actively seek out ways connect with and support the veteran community. With nearly 230,000 military veterans 18 to 54 years old currently unemployed, there is a wealth of talent, skill, and dedicated veterans waiting for an opportunity to contribute. We hope that you will consider partnering with organizations like Hiring our Heroes, your local military support center (Fleet and Family Service Center / Military and Family Support Centers) or one of the above-mentioned programs to bring a veteran or military spouse onto your team. Our Trident team is stronger because of our veteran and military spouses, and we know your team will be stronger, too. 

Written By Morgan Over and Rebecca Wayland

Morgan is our marketing manager and a proposal support specialist. When she isn’t handling marketing for Trident, she is tech editing documents and building orals decks for our clients. As a military spouse based in South Korea, she supports clients around the world as part of our globally dispersed team.   

Rebecca is our HR and development manager. While Rebecca may primarily wear the HR hat, she offers comprehensive proposal management, capture support, market research and training. She is also our GWAC lead so if you’re exploring Polaris, OASIS+, or Alliant 3, she is definitely your SME. As a U.S. Navy veteran and military spouse based in Honolulu, she supports clients around the world as part of our globally dispersed team.