Hiring Our Heroes Connects Veterans with Career Opportunities Published April 27, 2026 By Alyssa Janeway 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The 2026 Hiring Our Heroes event, hosted by the Military and Family Readiness Center, recently brought together veterans, retirees, military spouses and potential employers in an effort to support the transition from military to civilian careers. Held on April 23, the event featured a career fair with employers from industries like defense, healthcare, and technology, all actively seeking skilled attendees to fill open positions. Stacia Wren has been the Military and Family Readiness Center project officer for Hiring our Heroes for two years now, continuing the collaborative effort since 2019. “What makes this event impactful is bringing those partners together with employers who are committed to supporting our military community,” Wren said. “To me it’s important because it creates a direct pathway for service members, veterans and military spouses to connect with opportunities and start their next chapter after service.” In addition to the career fair, the event offered valuable resources such as interview workshops, job search strategies, and transition coaching. These sessions aimed to help attendees translate their military experience into civilian job qualifications, a key aspect of successful job searches for those unfamiliar with the civilian workforce. Col Marrietta Sanders, 88th Mission Support Group commander, expressed the benefit of this event for veterans, retirees, and military spouses. “An organization like Hiring our Heroes is going to do that work to show why your breadth of experience is such a unique asset to that industry that you’re applying to,” Sanders said. “Now is the time to invest in yourself and advocate for yourself and ask for the help that you need.” Among the attendees was soon-to-be retired Lt. Colonel Amy Justus, seeking new opportunities after her transition. “I am retiring after 20 years, and am here looking for a job,” Justus shared. “Today, I learned a lot of great information of things I can do to help market myself to increase my chances of getting a job that I am interested in and that will fulfill me.” The Hiring Our Heroes event underscored the ongoing commitment of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to help attendees transition smoothly into civilian careers and support their continued success after military service. For additional information on Hiring our Heroes, visit https://www.hiringourheroes.org/.