The Military Post, End of 2024

Welcome to our final edition of The Military Post for 2024! It has been quite the year and we couldn’t think of a more apt quote for our final edition of the year than:

This monthly newsletter is your one-stop shop as a member of the military community to stay up to date on free upskilling and employment opportunities, ranging from scholarships to hiring fairs to open roles, great advice, as well as the latest news that matters to you!

At the end of the newsletter, you will find open roles from great companies looking to hire military, upcoming events, and scholarships!

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Monthly Job-Seeker Advice

If you are transitioning out of the service and considering changing industries, you very well may have to conduct some upskilling, whether through higher education or certifications, to bridge the skills gap and land your dream role. However, far too many individuals are taking a misguided approach to their upskilling and spending time inefficiently when chasing their goals.

So, here is an easy step-by-step guide to make sure you have the best upskilling plan possible.

1. Determine your ideal role (the hardest part, can’t be “cybersecurity” be more specific, an actual job title)

2. Look at 5-10 job descriptions for that role that you would actually apply to

3. Find the commonly occurring requirements and technical skills mentioned.

4. If you are considering a degree or certification, check it against those commonly recurring requirements from the job description.

5. If you are pursuing a training that is not mentioned in any of the JDs, it is worth considering if you are using your time wisely, or if your stated dream role is actually your goal.

While certain things, like a degree, are almost universally beneficial, the major you choose, the length of program you take, and more are important considerations. By reviewing the job descriptions and backward planning from there, you can make yourself the ideal candidate for the job.

Speculation Grows over Dept. of Government Efficiency Cuts to VA Services

The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), composed of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, wrote an op-ed to the Wall Street Journal recently providing some insight into their proposed spending cuts to achieve a sustainable budget.

The op-ed targeted what the duo described as “unauthorized” government spending, a category that includes VA medical care. While there has been no confirmation yet, VA healthcare composes ~$120B of the $500B in targeted spending. Additionally, following a recent article in The Economist titled “American veterans now receive absurdly generous benefits”, speculation is growing about potential cuts or alterations to VA disability payments. I want to caution you that this is entirely speculation at this point and no confirmation of VA disability changes has happened and this is an issue that is raised every few years without effect as of yet. However, numerous commentators view the article as an opportunity to smooth public perception prior to making changes to benefits, sparking outrage about both the article and the potential for changes online.

The unauthorized nature of spending discussed by the DOGE is the result of legislative formalism more than a true unauthorized use of funds. For an agency to operate, Congress passes a bill to authorize the funding and then a bill to actually allocate those funds. However, Congress has not completed authorization bills in years for many federal agencies as they believe the bills to be self-authorizing.

While it is unclear what change to expect as of now, especially as DOGE has no legitimate governmental power, aside from the incoming president’s ear, but advocates have taken to the capital in support of veterans.

Junior Enlisted Troops Receive Significant Pay Bump

Members of the House and Senate have negotiated a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted soldiers and a 4.5% raise for all others in an effort to counter recruiting and retention issues faced by the armed forces.

In addition to the pay bump, the plan provides billions in funding for new housing, both for families and barracks, increases the availability of childcare on post, and increases signing incentives.

While the defense authorization bill will need to pass the entirety of Congress before the changes take effect, initial indications suggest it is likely to pass in the coming weeks.

VA Plans to Expand Caregiver Support

The VA unveiled plans, now public for comment on the Federal Register, to expand eligibility for the services and make taking part in them less strenuous for individuals using them.

Among the changes, the VA plans to reduce the frequency with which individuals have to have their eligibility reassessed, not more than once every other year. Additionally, the program extends legacy recipients’ access to the program until late 2026 at the soonest, as well as changes the standard for access from a “serious injury” to “individual unemployability”, a lower standard.

While the changes do not have an expected date yet, the bill is expected to advance out of the Senate by the end of the year.

Anduril and OpenAI Partner on Drone Defense

Anduril, a leading defense technology company, announced that it is partnering with OpenAI, the creator of the famed ChatGPT, to leverage the OpenAI models to enhance drone defense for bases and personnel.

Anduril has a unique library of data on UAS threats and operations and will leverage that extensive library to train OpenAI’s model and provide the ability to quickly synthesize data and react to complex threats.

Artificial intelligence enabled companies are increasingly in close proximity with the government, from Anthropic and Palantir selling AI models to intelligence agencies to Anduril’s plethora of contract wins, the government is making a concerted effort to field the most innovative, effective technology quickly.

Government Considering Adding Creatine to MREs

The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act has an interesting, new provision. . .

The provision calls for the addition of creatine, a compound that has been proven to build muscle and increase athletic performance to MREs. However, creatine can also cause weight gain which could be detrimental to athletes who have long, steady-state activities like running to contend with.

While the provision and suggestion is only in the early stages, there is an increasing likelihood that creatine will be added to MREs, though it is currently unclear what the method of delivery would be and how service members could “opt out” of taking the supplement.

Open Roles for the Military Community

Check out the amazing open roles we have to share with you this month! Take a look at the below roles and if you spot one that interests you and want us to send your resume directly to the employer, shoot an email to [email protected]!

Customer Success Specialist, $60-80k and requires:

1. Hybrid (4 days in person) in Chicago

2. Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

3. 2+ years in consulting services or software implementation

Senior Backend Developer, $115-155k and requires:

1. Hybrid (4 days in person) in Chicago

2. Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Mathematics, Engineering, or related field

3. A minimum of 6+ years of experience in software development on large-scale SaaS enterprise projects in N-tier configurations

4. A minimum of 3+ years in leading software development teams of 3+ members or more

5. Extensive demonstrated experience with C# / .NET Framework 4.5+, Entity Framework 6+, REST APIs, Web Sockets, IIS 8.0+ web applications, Windows Services, code analysis, and automatic build tools

Senior Frontend Developer, $115-155k and requires:

1. Hybrid (4 days in person) in Chicago

2. Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Mathematics, Engineering, or related field

3. A minimum of 6+ years of experience in software development on large-scale SaaS enterprise projects in N-tier configurations

4. Extensive demonstrated experience with Angular 15+, TypeScript, JavaScript ECMA 6+, CSS 3, HTML 5, code analysis, and UI component libraries such as Kendo UI, etc.

Program Security Officer - Journeyman - RAPID HIRING!

1. Onsite in Washington, DC

2. TS/SCI Clearance

3. Has 3-10 years of experience as a Program Security Officer (PSO) with at least 3 cumulative years in acquisition SAPs. The last SAP-related position must be within the last nine months.

4. The PSO–Journeyman is capable of developing and implementing a multi-disciplined security program for complex, major acquisition Special Access Programs (SAPs). Knowledgeable of personnel, industrial, physical, IT/IA, and information security disciplines.

Summer Intern or Full-Time Associate at Fortune 500 Advertising Company

1. Ability to work in person in Chicago, New York, LA, Atlanta, Birmingham (MI), or Philadelphia

2. Interest in advertising - you will receive full-time paid training!

3. Familiarity with MS Office

Category Analyst (Data Analytics) CPG

1. Hybrid with locations across the East Coast

2. Bachelor's degree

3. 1-3 years of relevant experience

Analyst, Business Intelligence

1. Hybrid with locations across the East Coast

2. Bachelor's degree

3. 1-3 years of relevant experience

SAP Billing Analyst - 100% Remote

1. General Excel familiarity and an analytical mindset

Marketing Project Manager - $55-65/hr - 100% Remote

1. Experience with Monday.com and task management

2. Bachelor's degree

Project Manager - $50-55/hr

1. On-site in Anaheim, CA

2. PMP certification

3. 7 years of technical project management experience

Security Control Assessor - $145-155k/yr

1. On-site in Las Cruces, NM

2. TS/SCI w/ Poly

3. 10 years of information technology security experience

System Administrator

1. On-site at Hurlburt Field, FL

2. TS/SCI

3. Bachelor's degree

4. 9 years of relevant experience

Information Technology / Assurance Specialist

1. On-site at Hurlburt Field, FL

2. TS/SCI, Bachelor's degree

3. 5+ years experience

COMSEC Logistics Manager

1. On-site at Lackland AFB, TX

2. TS/SCI

3. Bachelor's degree or relevant experience

4. 5+ years experience

Reminder! If you see a role that interests you, shoot an email to [email protected].

Free Upskilling Opportunities and Resources

While we are on the topic of companies looking at your education and being a qualified candidate - Boots to Books offers numerous scholarships to military-connected students and job-seekers! The current scholarship offers include:

1. Google Certification Scholarships - Receive a Google Career Certification taught by Google volunteers at no cost, at your own pace. The trainings include IT, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, and more! Boots to Books provides ten Google Scholarships monthly, apply for the next class here.

2. Textbook Scholarships - Have your benefits been exhausted or are they being exceeded by the cost of your textbooks? Every semester since Boots to Books was founded the organization has provided scholarships to military-connected students whose benefits are being exceeded. Applications are now open here and recipients will have their covered books shipped directly to them!

3. Free Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Training - Oracle has long been committed to supporting and advocating for the military community, both through hiring from the community and offering free upskilling. They offer a great Oracle Cloud Infrastructure training completely cost-free to the military community. Check it out here!

4. ACT Now Education - ACT Now is an amazing organization that provides a plethora of free training opportunities! Check out their website and learn more about how to get free project management, cybersecurity, and more trainings! Check them out here!

Thanks for reading this edition of The Military Post!

Be sure to forward this edition to your friends and colleagues, let’s help the Post reach more individuals who’d be interested! Plus, if you want to become a volunteer contributor for the Post, send an email to [email protected]!

We will see you next month!