Today is the big day. Come out and join us! Need a map and directions? Go here…
Stay tuned for event highlights and pics.
Today is the big day. Come out and join us! Need a map and directions? Go here…
Stay tuned for event highlights and pics.
For the most part we see “military/veteran friendly” employers as being employers who give the perception that they have a veteran hiring strategy which they actively employ. Sadly, as we have highlighted in previous posts, many employers prefer to use their veteran/military friendly strategy more for marketing than actually hiring veterans or concerning themselves with giving veterans real careers. It is refreshing to find companies who are actively engaging veterans through a veteran hiring strategy. Those companies, no matter their size, we see as moving American industry forward and truly honoring our national treasure… our nation’s veterans.
For larger companies who want to set the bar even higher there are ratings institutions such as Military Friendly who use survey-driven methods to determine just how effective a company’s veteran hiring strategy is.
Military Friendly is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business founded by veterans and leads the industry as a ratings entity for companies who hire veterans. They produce survey-driven lists each year and have been doing so for more than a decade. These lists highlight schools and employers who represent the “top tier of institutions with leading opportunities for military service members and spouses.”
The 2015 Military Friendly Employers list has been released. The pool of about 5,000 employers produces less than 5% which earn the designation of Military Friendly within the context of Military Friendly’s rating process.
The top 100 employers, according to Military Friendly are published in their GI Jobs publication. Becoming one of these employers is a highly coveted achievement, which requires a tremendous amount of effort and dedication to veterans by the companies on this list. The list for 2015 includes companies such as Union Pacific, AT&T, CSC, Intel, Merck, CDW, J.B. Hunt, BNSF Railway, Brinks, HP, Deloitte and many others. You can see the list here…
For a more detailed list of Military Friendly employers you can go here…
Forward March Inc. is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business founded by veterans who have a passion for helping veterans. Forward March Inc. is dedicated to moving American Industry forward by helping employers develop successful military hiring strategies. If your company or institution does not have a veteran hiring strategy we can help! If your company or institution wants a proven plan to become a company that is known for hiring veterans like those highlighted in the links above, then give us a call. Forward March Inc. has over 30 years of collective experience connecting employers and veterans. Come over to our website here… and learn more.

Military Hiring 101 Workshops
Our Military Hiring 101 Workshops will give you the information and tools you need to succeed in hiring the very best military candidates. Our highly successful solutions are based on the proven military leadership models and a systematic approach to organizational growth.
We now offer the opportunity to come and conduct our Military Hiring 101 events at your company!
Another way that FMI can help you with your Military Talent Acquisition & Transition goals is with our Military Talent Hiring Guide which we can customize to fit your solution for your company or organization. This Hiring Guide can help you through each step of your hiring process to find the right veteran talent for your mission.

Today’s businesses recognize the value of having veteran employees in their workforce. Finding, attracting, hiring, and retaining veterans is a skill that companies looking for the highest caliber employees simply must have. FMI has created a Military Talent Hiring Guide that teaches companies the basics of just how to do this. Contact FMI today to get your copy of our Military Talent Hiring Guide.
• Learn how to find and attract military talent to your business
• Discover the methods and benefits to hiring veterans
• Learn how to approach all branches of military service
• Learn how to translate rank, pay-scale, and military job skills
Contact us today for information on how to schedule an event at your company or to learn more about our Military Talent Hiring Guide. 1-888-723-6223
The Forward March Inc. Year in Review
This is just a small part of what we have done during 2014. Make sure to check our blog as we post regularly news and events.
Forward March, Inc. (FMI) is a Service Disabled Veteran-owned small business based in San Antonio, Texas. FMI was formed in 2013 by retired US Military Members and successful business professionals with offices in San Antonio and Houston, Texas. We are Veterans serving our military members and corporate America. FMI is an industry leader in client partner relationships offering second-to-none consultative expertise at an effective cost, making us a premier choice. We provide our clients with highly qualified Veteran employees who know their business! FMI offers flexible solutions for your business needs, specializing in:
Forward March Inc. (FMI) opened the doors to our new offices in July and hit the ground running. We are a small company of men and women who are likeminded in our desire to help veterans find meaningful careers while helping industry move America forward with the highest caliber military talent. We don’t just stop there as we offer Leadership Training, Strategic Business Services, and the very best workshops and conferences that your company or organization can attend.
Below are some highlights of our year.

We started off our year with a trip to Washington D.C. and a meeting with the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Joint Chief of Staff.


Forward March Inc. held our Camouflage to Corporate Conference in Houston, Texas. This was an outstanding conference giving businesses and organizations an in-depth understanding of how to find, attract, hire and retain high quality military talent.

New offices were opened in July. Forward March Inc. has hosted training sessions, AUSA breakfast meetings, and much more since then.

A few of Team FMI at the USAA/Disney Veteran’s Institute conference. We make friends everywhere we go!

The FMI Operation Outreach program Maui Warrior Appreciation Vacation was started by Farzad Azad working with local businesses around Lahaina, Maui. The mission of the Maui Warrior Appreciation Vacation is to thank veterans for their sacrifice and service to our nation by providing them a one week all expenses paid vacation. Farzad (pictured below) is arguably the most patriotic man on Maui and has made it his mission to give back to those who have given so much for our freedom. Farzad is also the owner of Java Jazz and provides all the food and dining for the vacations. Forward March Inc. and Farzad have formed a partnership to grow the Maui Warrior Appreciation Vacation program and increase its outreach.

FMI continued our work with the Fred Astaire Dance Studios through Dancing with our Heroes raising well over $300,000 for The Fisher House Foundation helping wounded veterans and their families.

FMI hosted our Military Hiring 101 workshop in the fall which gave businesses concentrated training to achieve their military hiring goals.

ACAP to job fairs, FMI could be seen around the town working hard to connect veterans with meaningful careers.

Through the Forward March Inc. Operation Outreach program we are reaching out to help veterans in our community. Through our Professional Women’s Veterans Coalition we hosted a number of very successful events including a job fair for veterans highlighting the importance of employment for women veterans.

FMI is a company of veterans helping veterans. November saw our first Veteran Employment Transition Networking event which was a great success.

Forward Marc Inc. can train your organization in leadership, hiring, and sales. Here we are with the outstanding folks at Design Materials Inc. at the completion of their sales force training.
Its 0430 in the morning at a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Afghanistan. A 30-year old Platoon Sergeant performs a Pre-Combat Inspection (PCI) with her team. Helmets and ballistic eye protection are in place and canteens are filled. Weapons are cleaned, zeroed, and a function check has been performed. As she briefs her platoon on the current mission, it’s cold and windy, but the team is motivated and ready to get to work. Surprisingly, this well-oiled machine is made up entirely of millennials, the cohort of Americans born between 1980 and the mid-2000s.
For these Soldiers, their generation is known for being lazy, yet they are up while the rest of the word sleeps. The generation labeled as pampered has been sleeping on cots and eating Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) for months. They don’t make excuses. They and are held accountable for their actions and the actions of their team. Not everyone gets a trophy for being there. Only the best are called Corporal or Sergeant.
The global war on terror has largely been fought on the backs of this generation of outstanding and dedicated young people. In fact, nearly 70% of the Medals of Honor awarded in both Iraq and Afghanistan were earned by millennials. The remaining 30% were earned by Gen Xers.
Here are the top ten reasons to hire millennial veterans:
Attracting military talent can be an overwhelming task, especially for those organizations that do not understand military culture. Forward March’s (FMI) team has over 110 years of combined military experience with over 35 years dedicated specifically to hiring veterans. FMI can train your staff to attract, hire, and retain top military talent. We have a comprehensive Military Talent Hiring Guide and outstanding training that can get your department staffing positions very quickly. We can also help you to develop a pipeline and hiring strategy for success and train your human resource department on all the best ways to recruit military talent. If your company is committed to hiring military veterans, let FMI show you how.
~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services
America’s military is the most educated, best trained, and highly motivated fighting force the world has ever seen. Those men and women transitioning from the military are a great national resource who can make a huge difference to any organization that has dedicated itself to hiring outstanding military veterans.
At Forward March Incorporated, we understand the true value of those who have served and we are dedicated to teaching companies how to attract, hire, and retain high quality veteran employees. While we are not a staffing company, one of the many ways we accomplish this is through military pipeline development.
So what’s the difference between staffing and a talent pipeline?
Staffing is the process of recruiting and hiring personnel with a specific set of skill sets, for a specific position within an organization. Doing this requires a dedicated team of recruiters and hiring managers who understand the exact and immediate hiring needs of the company.
For the most part, organizations do a good job of filling positions as new requirements open up, but forecasting staffing requirements proves far more difficult. It’s not always clear what future staffing requirements will be down the road. Predicting future staffing requirements requires forward thinking on behalf of hiring managers. They must account for turnover, promotions, expansions, reductions, and a myriad of other factors that impact staffing needs.
Talent pipeline, on the other hand, provides companies with a pool of qualified candidates ready to fill critical positions as they become available. A robust talent pipeline ensures the right person is placed in the right position at the right time.
Utilizing a talent pipeline is a great way for organizations to adapt to changing staff needs. A talent pipeline allows recruiters to focus on the here and now, while giving hiring managers the peace of mind knowing that the candidate pool can be turned off and on as personnel needs evolve.
FMI’s unique approach to a military talent pipeline allows us to continuously sell your organization as a great place for veterans to work. Most important of all, FMI is committed to providing our talent services free of charge to the veteran work force. Regardless of your manpower needs, let FMI fill your organization with hard working, loyal, and well trained American veterans.
To learn more visit our website and contact us today! www.forwardmarchinc.com
~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services
The Camouflage to Corporate Conference is two weeks away and space is quickly filling up. We still have some space so if your company wants a more productive, motivated and focused staff we have a solution for you. If you want to hire highly motivated employees to increase your mission success look no further than today’s veteran. Veterans today are highly educated, as well as trained and certified in a wide variety of skills and industries. From trucking and engineering to information technology, cyber security and healthcare, today’s veterans are looking for careers with veteran-friendly companies. If your company is looking to hire veterans but does not know where to begin, or if you are looking to take your veteran hiring to the next level, then you need to sign up for the Camouflage to Corporate Conference TODAY.
Many companies have benefited from our previous Camouflage to Corporate Conference held in Houston, Texas earlier this year. Forward March Inc. has been working with companies to achieve great things with military talent and with high quality training.
Get started on your veteran hiring strategy and start hiring high quality veteran talent right away. Sign up Today for the Camouflage to Corporate Conference On November 17th. This conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas and is an outstanding opportunity for companies and organizations to learn how to get started hiring high quality military talent. Click here to learn more…
Don’t forget, that if you are a veteran or transitioning military and you are looking for employment or a career change make sure you check out our FREE Veteran Employment Transition Networking Event on November 17th. Details can be found here.
If you represent a company, organization, or educational institution this VET Networking Event is free for you as well. Forward March Inc. is committed to continuing our 35+ year history of bringing veterans and companies together to make careers happen! Details can be found here. Make sure you check out or Corporate to Camouflage Conference where we teach businesses and organizations the art of finding, attracting, hiring and retaining veteran talent.
High quality military talent… It’s what your company or organization needs!
Did you know that approximately three quarters of the age eligible population of the United States couldn’t qualify for military service?
Did you know that, according to the DOL, less than ten percent of the U.S. population are veterans?
Did you know that almost thirty percent of veterans over the age of twenty-five have a bachelor’s degree or higher?
Did you know that veterans frequently leave military service with valuable certifications and training that is highly sought after by companies?
Did you know that the average military veteran brings a wealth of experience, leadership and management skills, communication skills, and experience working in a variety of environments and situations?
Today’s veterans are among the most educated, technically savvy, and diverse group of veterans in our nation’s history. Today’s veterans even, at their lowest levels of rank, have experience in working in diverse environments, putting leadership training to use in the workplace, working in trusted environments, and communicating clearly and directly. Veterans transitioning out of the military today have certifications and training in a wide variety of fields including, but not limited to, truck driving, mechanics, engineering, IT and computer networking, IT security, and much more.

Forward March Inc. (FMI) has experience working with companies to build a highly successful military talent pipeline. We have helped companies learn how to find, attract, hire and retain high quality military talent for energy related jobs from truck drivers to managers and engineers. We take all the guesswork out of the process of attaining a powerful veteran workforce.
The Camouflage to Corporate Conference will be held on November 17th, in San Antonio, Texas. This powerful conference has a reputation for helping companies and organizations learn about the process of finding and hiring veterans. Attendees will come away with valuable knowledge to get them started with hiring high quality veteran talent. FMI will also give a detailed overview of how we can bring our customized and scalable solutions to your organization to help you achieve mission success.

Veterans, Transitioning Military Personnel, and their families are encouraged to meet with employers at this free event.
This conference will be very special as FMI will be rolling out our Veteran Employment Transition Networking Event. This event will be from 1pm to 4pm on November 17th and will focus on connecting veterans and transitioning military with companies, organizations, and educational institutions. FMI has over 35 years of collective experience bringing veterans and companies together and is very proud to be able to facilitate this very special opportunity. FMI is a company of veterans committed to helping veterans. This is why there will be no charge to veterans and transitioning military or to companies, organizations and educational institutions who want to attend.
To learn more about the Veteran Employment Transition Networking Event and how to register for free on our website, click here.
While this outstanding event is in conjunction with our Camouflage to Corporate Conference, admission to the Conference is separate. To learn more about Camouflage to Corporate and how to register on our website, click here.
Part 3of a special 3 part series:
Finding the right veteran talent requires a solid military talent recruiting strategy with an executable and measurable plan. Interviewing veteran and military talent requires a certain level of expertise in military skills translations, understanding military lingo, and even interpreting the DD 214. The bottom line is this; finding the right military talent for the right position requires hundreds of man-hours in the recruiting, screening, interviewing, and hiring process. Unfortunately, all that time and energy is lost when retention rates are low.
Here are some key takeaways for an effective veteran retention strategy.
Onboarding:
Effective onboarding allows new hires to get adjusted to the culture of the company and understand performance aspects of their job quickly and easily. It allows them to learn the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to function effectively within your organization. Effective onboarding includes:
A great way to support your veteran employees is to create a veteran employee resource group. The purpose of the veteran employee resource group is to share knowledge across the organization in every aspect of recruiting, hiring, retaining and recognizing the veteran population. Here are ways the veteran resource group can help:
Support Guard and Reserve Members:
First and foremost, being a member of the National Guard or Reserve should not be a hiring deterrent. Second, the best way your organization can support your country is by supporting your National Guard and Reserve employees. It’s important to foster a culture in which your company supports and values the employment and military service of members of the Reserve Component.
It is not only the right thing to do to support guard and reserve military personnel, it’s also the law! Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), employers have specific obligations to support their Reserve Component members.
Communication is the key to a lasting partnership between the service member, your company, and the military unit. Here are others ways to help your current guard and reserve employees:
Military veterans are a loyal, hard-working, and well trained group of individuals that will enhance an organization’s ability to accomplish its mission. But loyalty only goes so far and veterans will stay with your company if you give them a reason to stay by keeping them busy, giving them focus, and above all, purpose.
Employees turn-over is expensive, but Forward March Inc., has the solution for keeping veteran employees engaged. Companies with strong veteran cultures enjoy many benefits to include greater productivity and professionalism as well as higher referral rates. We can help your organization develop a very strong veteran culture with both new and existing veteran employees. If your organization is up to the challenge, FMI has your back!
~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services
Part 1 of a special 3 part series:
So you’re looking for the perfect candidate to fill critical positions within your organization. You’re looking for someone who is hardworking, well-educated and an expert planner. You’re looking for someone who has a “mission first” attitude and has a proven ability to face adversity with positive outcomes. You have in mind a candidate that understands and practices diversity in the workplace and who has a respect for policies, procedures, and regulations. You ask yourself, does this perfect candidate even exist? The answer is a resounding YES! The perfect candidate is the American military veteran.
So now that you have identified who the perfect candidate is, the next question is how to find them? Drawing military and veteran talent starts with developing a military hiring strategy. Here are five practices to help your organization attract veterans.
Attracting military talent can be an overwhelming task, especially for those organizations that do not understand military culture. Forward March’s team has over 110 years of combined military experience with over 35 years dedicated specifically to hiring veterans. FMI can train your staff to attract, hire, and retain top military talent. We have a comprehensive Military Talent Hiring Guide and outstanding training that can get your department staffing positions very quickly. We can also help you to develop a pipeline and hiring strategy for success and train your human resource department on all the best ways to recruit military talent. If your company is committed to hiring military veterans, let FMI show you how.
~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services
Camouflage to Corporate Conference Series –
Growing Your Military Talent Pipeline
November 17th in San Antonio, Texas!
If you want a more productive, motivated and focused staff then get ready! Forward March Inc. will be hosting our Camouflage to Corporate Conference in November!
We have spoken a lot on our news page recently about the benefits to companies who hire veteran talent. Make sure you check out some of our recent articles on this subject.
Also make sure to check out the outstanding document from Syracuse University on a Business Case to Hire a Veteran.
Our Camouflage to Corporate conference, will give you the information and tools you need to succeed in hiring the very best military candidates. Forward March Inc is uniquely qualified to bring you successful solutions based on the proven military leadership model and a systematic approach to organizational growth. With over thirty five years of collective experience our professional team will help you to understand how to find, attract, hire, and retain high quality veteran talent.

This outstanding conference is consistently met with great success for those who attend as our team brings a unique and proven solution set to your organization with training that is unparalleled in the industry.
– Develop a military hiring strategy that wins
– Learn a tactical and practical approach to attract, hire, and retain the best
– Get results with military leadership in your workforce
– Learn from and network with military hiring experts and organizations, with over 40 years of military hiring experience
– Learn the latest techniques, tactics and procedures for building a winning team
– Learn to improve Workspace to Workplace – reception and integration
– Learn more about the Forward March Inc Customized Military Hiring Guide and solutions that can benefit your company or organization by making the process of finding, attracting, hiring and retaining veteran talent much easier

Our mission at Forward March, Inc. is to educate and engage employers, educators, and organizations about the development of a successful military and veteran hiring and retention strategy. We can assist you in networking and partnerships with veteran-friendly agencies so you can develop operational strategies for 2014 and beyond.
Our unwavering commitment is always for our veterans. We are a company of veterans helping veterans. Our commitment likewise extends to:
– Supporting our transitioning military members
– Supporting our civilian partners
– Providing outstanding customer service
If your company is serious about hiring veterans and enjoying the benefits of a strong veteran talent pipeline then you owe it to yourself to sign up for this exciting Camouflage to Corporate conference TODAY.
Date: Monday – November 17th
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Learn more and register today here… Camouflage to Corporate conference. Space is limited!