Twelve weeks stand between an active-duty service member and their next career, at least under the framework HX5 and CEO Margarita Howard use to bring transitioning troops into civilian defense work. The structure comes from the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, a Department of Defense SkillBridge initiative that lets service members spend their final 180 days in uniform working at a host company instead.
Four days a week, fellows perform hands-on work inside their host organization. The fifth day is set aside for professional development, covering topics such as project management and workplace communication. Fellows keep their military pay and benefits throughout, removing much of the financial pressure that often complicates a transition out of service.
Why HX5 Keeps Two Slots Open
Margarita Howard’s company has hosted two fellows annually since 2021, bringing the total to eight. That pace is smaller than what defense giants like Lockheed Martin or Booz Allen Hamilton can absorb through dedicated recruiting teams, but Howard treats the limited scale as a feature rather than a constraint.
A company with about 1,000 employees, HX5 balances fellowship hosting against its operational capacity, choosing steady participation over occasional bursts tied to hiring surges. That approach lets each fellow receive more individual attention during the transition window.
Bridging Two Different Worlds
The fellowship’s structure also addresses a gap many service members do not anticipate familiarity with the business side of government contracting. Military training rarely covers procurement processes or contract administration, even for troops with deep technical expertise.
By pairing hands-on project work with structured coursework, the program gives fellows exposure to both sides of contracting before they commit to it as a career. For HX5, that mix fits naturally with work supporting Department of Defense and NASA missions across more than 20 states, where clearance requirements and mission focus mirror much of what fellows already know from service. Read this article for related information.
Find more information about Howard on https://www.f6s.com/member/margarita-howard
Leave a Reply