America’s Best Hiring Decision is Standing at Attention

This piece was co-authored by Amber Smith, Senior Advisor for America First Warfighters.

Business owners dream of an employee who shows up on time, thrives under pressure, adapts when plans change, works well on a team, and takes ownership of their role. The U.S. military has been generating this kind of employee for over 250 years. And when our warfighters complete their service to our country, they re-enter the civilian workforce with all these skills, and more.

Every year, thousands of military members enter the civilian job market. America is home to more than 17 million military veterans, and over 8 million have been deployed into the workforce. Unfortunately, employers in the private sector often struggle to recognize the qualities they want in an employee exist in our servicemembers. Leadership is mistaken for a job title. Logistics experience is reduced to a line on a resume. Years of managing people, solving problems, and making high-stakes decisions are overlooked or misunderstood simply because this skill was developed on a battlefield instead of in a boardroom.

This is not just a loss for veterans; it’s a loss for American businesses and our economy.

National Hire a Veteran Day, observed each year on July 25, is more than a symbolic gesture. It is a reminder that hiring veterans isn’t about checking a box or doing someone a favor. It is about recognizing talent, rewarding service with opportunity, and strengthening the American workforce with men and women who have demonstrated discipline, resilience, and a commitment to something greater than themselves.

At a time when employers continue searching for reliable, skilled workers, one of the nation’s deepest talent pools is hiding in plain sight. The question isn’t whether veterans are ready to lead in the civilian workforce. The question is whether employers are ready to recognize what they’ve already earned.

This message is increasingly being echoed in Washington. U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins has challenged employers to rethink how they recruit and retain veterans, urging businesses to look beyond traditional resumes and recognize the leadership, resilience and mission-first mindset veterans bring to the workplace. President Trump has likewise emphasized expanding employment opportunities for veterans, including initiatives to connect former service members with high-demand industries where their skills can continue serving the country. Together, those efforts reflect a simple truth: hiring veterans isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a business advantage.

Employers that hire veterans make a smart investment. Veterans stay with their first civilian employer more than 8% longer than nonveterans and are 39% more likely to advance into leadership positions within their first three years. Veterans also have lower turnover rates and consistently receive higher performance ratings than their civilian peers. In today’s competitive labor market, those aren’t just impressive labor statistics; they’re exactly the qualities employers are searching for.

The success warfighters achieve in the workplace isn’t accidental; it’s the result of the skills they spent years developing in uniform. They enter the civilian workforce with nearly three times more prior work experience than their nonveteran peers, and those with college degrees are 160% more likely to hold a graduate degree. More than 5,100 veterans surveyed in a recent study also outperformed the average civilian worker in technical skills such as installation, maintenance, repair, troubleshooting, and service orientation. Employers often say they’re looking for leaders who can adapt, communicate, and perform under pressure.

Veterans have already spent their careers doing exactly that.

The benefits of hiring veterans don’t end when an offer letter is signed. A meaningful career provides something every service member understands: the value of purpose. For many veterans, the transition out of the military means leaving not just a job, but a mission, a team, and a daily sense of direction. The right employer can help provide that next chapter.

That’s why employment means more than a paycheck. Research shows that unemployment and financial hardship lead to veteran homelessness. Although it has been reduced by half since 2009, 32,495 veterans are currently living without a roof over their head. Stable, meaningful employment can be the catalyst for one less veteran falling through the cracks and being able to succeed once hanging up their uniform.

Fully taking advantage of this battle-tested workforce could add nearly $15 billion to the U.S. economy over the next decade.

Less than 1% of Americans have taken the oath to defend their Nation with their life, yet we all benefit from their willingness to serve. When that chapter of their lives ends, they shouldn’t have to fight another battle just to find a job. The leadership, discipline, and resilience they developed in service do not disappear when they retire; they become assets that strengthen our businesses, our communities, and our economy.

This National Hire a Veteran Day, let’s give our heroes the opportunity to keep building, leading, and strengthening the country they fought to protect.

To learn more about AFPI Warfighters and our work to support veterans and service members, click here.