Veterans Day spotlight: Finding careers and camaraderie through code

Veterans Day: From Service to Software

Veterans Day offers a moment to recognize those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces—and to consider the challenges they face when transitioning back to civilian life. Finding meaningful work is often at the top of that list. Yet many veterans are carving out new careers in tech, and just as importantly, they're building support networks to help each other get there.

Several veteran-founded organizations are leading that effort. Vets Who Code, founded by Jerome Hardaway, runs a free coding boot camp that trains veterans to become professional developers. Code Platoon offers similar training alongside resources, connections, and community support. For those at any stage of a tech career, Operation Code serves as an online hub covering everything from finding mentors to interview preparation.

The common thread across these groups is a familiarity that comes from shared service—a camaraderie that proves hard to replicate elsewhere. That sense of community extends beyond training programs. GitHub's dedicated Octovets group, part of the company's Community of Belonging, works to support veterans and others affected by military service. Their efforts include raising awareness of service-related disabilities, helping with the transition to civilian life, and aiding nonprofits focused on veteran careers in tech.

For this year's Veterans Day, GitHub is also partnering with Vets Who Code to offer veterans free access to all GitHub Universe Workshops and inviting the Vets Who Code community to participate in its micro-mentoring event.

The ReadME Project is spotlighting veteran stories in tech this week, including:

• Feature story: Veterans mobilize to help each other break into tech
• Jerome Hardaway: The modern veteran—a coding superhero
• Andrea Griffiths: Part of something bigger, from the Army to open source

For veterans looking to get involved or for those who want to support them, opportunities exist to volunteer with Code Platoon, mentor a veteran through Vets Who Code, or participate in Operation Code.