Since 2021, HX5 has brought on eight transitioning service members through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, keeping a steady pace of two fellows every year. The consistency sets HX5 apart from companies that participate only when hiring needs spike.

CEO Margarita Howard, herself a service-disabled Air Force veteran, has made fellowship participation a fixture of how HX5 approaches workforce planning. Rather than treating the program as a recruiting tool used only occasionally, Howard treats it as an ongoing commitment tied to the company’s mission and culture.

A Manageable Scale for a Growing Contractor

HX5 employs approximately 1,000 people across defense and aerospace contracts, a size that makes two fellows annually a fitting commitment. Large contractors with dedicated military recruiting teams can absorb dozens of fellows each year, but smaller firms like HX5 must weigh fellowship participation against integration capacity and day to day operational needs.

The Corporate Fellowship Program operates under the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge initiative, allowing active duty service members to spend their final 180 days in the military working with civilian employers. Fellows split their time between four days of hands on work with the host company and one day of professional development training, all while continuing to draw military pay and benefits.

A Structured Pathway, Not a Gesture

Howard’s approach reflects a belief that veteran hiring works best as a structured pathway rather than a one time gesture. Margarita Howard has said her own military background shaped this outlook, giving her insight into what transitioning service members need beyond a job offer.

HX5’s contract work in advanced weapons research, sensor system reviews, and modeling and simulation for defense and space programs gives fellows exposure to tasks that often overlap with what they did in uniform, easing the shift from service member to contractor. See related link for additional information.

More about Margarita Howard on https://about.me/margaritahoward