<\/p>\n
Diamondback Energy representative Aron Nunez, left, speaks with Navy veteran Terry Peck during a military community hiring event hosted by DAV and RecruitMilitary on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Michael Cuviello\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
ARLINGTON \u2014 Samat\u00e9 Landor had already decided he was not right for the job.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As Landor prepared to leave an oil company\u2019s booth at a veterans hiring fair <\/a>Thursday, a recruiter pulled him back. Landor\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 did not look like an obvious match to him. The recruiter saw a project manager, college graduate and communicator.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said, \u2018Yes, it is. We need a communicator. You\u2019ve got a degree,\u2019\u201d Landor recalled.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Landor completed an application on the spot.<\/p>\n The exchange captured a persistent problem in the transition from military service to civilian work: Veterans can spend years leading people, managing equipment and completing complex missions, then enter a hiring system that does not always understand their job titles or responsibilities.<\/p>\n Schntae Graham, left, poses with Army veteran Samat\u00e9 Landor during a military community hiring event Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.\u00a0<\/p>\n Michael Cuviello\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n That disconnect brought veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses to AT&T Stadium for a hiring event organized by DAV<\/a>, a veterans service organization, and RecruitMilitary<\/a>. Organizers said more than 900 job seekers preregistered and 79 employers participated. Preregistration does not represent final attendance.<\/p>\n A recruiter, right, speaks with an attendee during a military community hiring event Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.<\/p>\n Michael Cuviello\/Dallas Morning News Cook Children\u2019s representatives RaSheila Rhodes, left, and Bianca Richardson pose at the organization\u2019s booth during a military community hiring event Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.<\/p>\n Michael Cuviello\/Dallas Morning News A PNC representative speaks with an attendee during a military community hiring event Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Recruiters offered information about available positions and potential career paths.<\/p>\n Michael Cuviello\/Dallas Morning News Representatives and attendees talk at the Wells Fargo booth during a military community hiring event Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.<\/p>\n Michael Cuviello\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n The event came at a complicated moment for veterans and the broader labor market.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The national unemployment rate among veterans was estimated at 4.2% in July, up from 3% a year earlier, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The monthly estimates are not seasonally adjusted and can fluctuate, but July marked the second consecutive month in which the rate exceeded 4%.<\/p>\n D-FW, meanwhile, added 54,600 nonfarm payroll jobs from June 2025 to June 2026, the largest numerical increase among U.S. metropolitan areas, according to preliminary BLS<\/a> estimates. The region\u2019s unemployment rate increased to 4.7% from 4% during the same period.<\/p>\n Those figures do not show whether veterans who find work obtain positions that fully use their training, education and leadership experience.<\/p>\n Attendees walk through a military community hiring event hosted by DAV and RecruitMilitary on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.<\/p>\n Michael Cuviello\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Marine veteran, Purple Heart recipient receives mortgage-free home in Denton<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Translating military experience<\/p>\n \u201cThe challenge comes when we\u2019re unable to take our military skills, experience and knowledge and transfer it over to civilian terminology,\u201d said Carol Hymes, a program outreach coordinator and event director for RecruitMilitary.<\/p>\n Hymes understands that challenge personally. She served 32 years in the Army before retiring as a sergeant major whose work included information technology and cybersecurity with III Corps at Fort Hood<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before Thursday\u2019s event, organizers coached applicants who needed help developing a 30-second introductory pitch. RecruitMilitary also provides assistance with creating and tailoring r\u00e9sum\u00e9s, Hymes said.<\/p>\n She said the organization considers interviews, job offers and professional connections signs of success. She did not provide a placement rate or hiring total from previous Arlington events.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Carol Hymes, right, RecruitMilitary\u2019s program outreach coordinator and event director, shows information on her cellphone to an attendee during a military community hiring event Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.\u00a0<\/p>\n Michael Cuviello\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n The problem extends beyond any single hiring fair. About 200,000 service members transition to civilian life annually, according to a 2022 Government Accountability Office report.<\/p>\n A 2024 RAND Corp. analysis found that the federal government spends more than $13 billion annually on military-to-civilian employment transition programs. Researchers found that 95% of the spending supported education, training or certification, while comparatively few programs directly connected veterans with employers. RAND also found limited evidence showing how often the programs produce lasting employment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n