Lending a helping hand: Operation Jump Start

Helping returning vets transition to new careers one suit at a time.
Returning vets face a significantly higher unemployment rate than the rest of the country. One organization is trying to combat the problem head on.

It’s called Operation Jump-Start VIII and their aim is to give returning vets suits and gift cards to prepare them for job interviews. The 9th annual event was last night at the Army-Navy club. More than 300 government employees and contractors were on hand to donate and celebrate. Here are some photos from Leslie Barry.

Earlier this year we talked with Operation Jump Start founder Ed Meagher. Meagher is also a vice president at SRA.
He told Chris Dorobek on the DorobekINSIDER program that the government technology community really banded together to make Operation Jump Start successful.

It’s not just suits, Meagher’s team give resume workshops, one-on-one career advice and weekly dinners.

“Back when I was in Vietnam people got the warrior confused with the war. When I came back we hid our uniforms grew our hair out to distance ourselves. We decided we weren’t going to do that this time around. You can have whatever opinions you want about the war. But it doesn’t change anything about the warrior. These are the men and women we should be proudest of. They stoop up and they stepped up. Most of these folks knew exactly what they were getting into and they said take me, i’ll go, you have to respect and honor that,” Meagher said.