Navy offers veterans career opportunities at Hiring Heroes Career Fair

SEATTLE -- Nearly 70 organizations offered veterans and transitioning active-duty service members interviews and career information during the Hiring Heroes Career Fair at the 7th Annual Veteran and Wounded Warrior Hiring Summit.

Rear Adm. Christian Becker, commander, Space and Naval Warfare System Command (SPAWAR), opened the fair, welcoming employers with a message of encouragement.

"Why are you here?" Becker asked. "As employers, you know the quality of the talent pool that is here today. You know the value they will bring and how that will help grow your business. You know that it's a good and right thing to do: To honor the commitment that these Americans and their families have made to this nation."

Becker also offered insight from the viewpoint of attending job seekers.

"Why are they here? They're here to get a job. That's the easy answer," said Becker. "The real answer, I think, is not what are they going to do, but who will they be? They know they can learn and adapt to any situation. They know they are going to do whatever they can to make that team a winning team. Go out and find that today. Build your winning team."

SPAWAR joined two of the Navy's other system commands, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), on the career fair, forming the largest block of Navy employers offering Department of the Navy civilian career opportunities.

The opening day of the two-day summit offered local Pacific Northwest employers information and resources on how to bring veterans and wounded warriors into their respective workforces, and yesterday's career fair offered face-to-face networking opportunities to put those concepts into action.

The fair was hosted and manned primarily by Navy organizations and local employers. The intent was to attract veterans from all of the armed services.

Human Resource Director for the Army's I Corps, Col. Michael McGregor, attended from Joint Base McChord. McGregor serves as the Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance program manager and gave much of the credit for local veteran support to the state of Washington.

"We have a flagship program for the Army here in Washington," said McGregor, "And the reason that it is the flagship program is that the state of Washington invests heavily in our veterans, and that's why our program is such a success."

The career fair closed at 3 p.m., but NAVSEA's program manager for NAVSEA's Veteran and Wounded Warrior Office, Capt. Will Sullivan, encouraged veterans and wounded warriors unable to attend the summit to use the resources available at www.hireavet.navy.mil.

"The briefings offered during the summit will be posted to this site," said Sullivan. "Also, job-seekers can use the contact information there to ask questions as we continue to help support their career transition efforts."

According to Sullivan, NAVSEA alone will hire more than 800 new employees in the Pacific Northwest this year, and with 46 percent of new hires in 2016 going to veterans, the opportunities this year in many career fields are numerous.

For those interested in specific job opportunities at NAVSEA for veterans and wounded warriors, visit:
http://www.navsea.navy.mil/Career-Opportunities/Veteran-and-Wounded-Warrior-Program-Office/.