On this episode of the Dog Tag, our host Matt Elledge talks with Col. (ret.) Chuck Hodges, Senior Director of Events and Programs at Hiring Our Heroes. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched this program in March 2011, as a nationwide initiative to help Veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses find meaningful employment opportunities. Over 500,000 Veterans and military spouses have been hired thus far. Chuck Hodges is a 26 year Army Veteran and was Garrison Commander at Joint Base Lewis-McChord from 2012 to 2015. He always encourages everyone to prepare for an HOH Hiring Event, and visit each and every table during the event. "You've done military operations your entire career and you never went on an objective without doing proper reconnaissance ahead of time. If you're interested in a certain company, or certain area of the country, do your research—get on their website, LinkedIn and Facebook pages," Hodges says. “Don’t rule out a company. They need people from across the spectrum.” The Dog Tag® is brought to you by the Texas Veterans Land Board and the Texas Veterans Commission. Find more episodes at medium.com/the-dog-tag. If you have questions about this topic, or suggestions for other podcast topics, call 1–800–252-VETS or email vlbinfo@glo.texas.gov. Visit TexasVeterans.com to find out more about your benefits!