Halfaker & Associates

News

January 2010

Halfaker and Associates’ Wounded Warrior Employment Program Featured in Reserve Officers Association Magazine

Washington, DC – Halfaker and Associates’ CEO, Dawn Halfaker, and Halfaker employee, Mike Bradley were featured in the September 2009 Reserve Officers Association magazine, The Officer. The Halfaker Wounded Warrior Transition Program was showcased in the article titled, Heroes at Work, named after a Department of Labor Program aimed to help wounded warriors find jobs and dispel myths about TBI and PTSD in the workplace.

A 2008 Rand Corporation study found that one in five veterans returning from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from PTSD or depression. These statistics are alarming, as thousands of Active, Reserve, and National Guard veterans with these conditions are actively searching for jobs in the private sector. Dawn Halfaker is familiar with the difficulties disabled veterans face when transitioning into the workforce and is committed to helping wounded warriors transition from military to civilian service. As a retired disabled veteran, she spent a year recovering at Walter Reed Medical center from serious injuries suffered in Iraq. During her transition into the civilian workforce, Halfaker struggled to find a job where she felt she could utilize her combat experiences and continue to serve the country until she landed on the opportunity to do consulting work for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. She used her combat experience to further leverage business opportunities and in 2006, founded Halfaker and Associates, a strategic staffing and consulting firm.

Mike Bradley spent three years in Iraq and three years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering from severe TBI received when his vehicle was hit by an IED. After medical retirement from the Army, Mike sent out hundreds of resumes and only received two responses, both negative. In the face of these rejections, he resigned to live on his disability payments. Luckily, a friend sent Mike’s resume to the director of the Warriors to Work Program and he quickly earned an interview with Halfaker and Associates. Mike’s combat experience qualified him for a position conducting emergency management with a Navy Regional Operations Center providing 24/7/365 situational awareness for Navy Operations in the National Capital Region. Mike loves working at Halfaker and Associates, calling his employer, "very understanding." "So many employers are nervous to hire wounded vets with PTSD because people think they’re crazy. I think it’s improved over time, but employers still need to become knowledgeable about what TBI and PTSD are and understand that hiring vets is probably the best thing they can do. We’re loyal, we work hard. It really helped with my process because I had an employer who understood and was willing to work with me."

Halfaker is not surprised that Mike is doing a fantastic job and is one of Halfaker’s best performers. She believes, "That any company that brings veterans or wounded warriors into their organization is building a strong team, building a cohesive team, building a team of people committed to the organization and mission. They are building a team of people who know how to get things done and live by a certain set of values."

Halfaker is committed to reaching out to disabled veterans and recognizes that stigmas surrounding TBI and PTSD create obstacles for wounded veterans to find job opportunities. Halfaker and Associates realizes the difficulty of transitioning from the Armed Forces into civilian life after a tenure of selfless military service and sacrifice and understands the importance of empowering veterans through a career that provides discipline, leadership, teamwork and a sense of purpose. In addition to gainful employment, the Halfaker Wounded Warrior Transition Program provides mentorship opportunities and sponsors various Veterans Employment Programs. Halfaker and Associates continues to utilize placement organizations, build relationships, and sell the company to wounded warriors to effectively and successfully place warriors within the organization.

To learn more about the America’s Heroes at Work program please visit: http://www.AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov

To read the full article please visit: http://www.roa.org/site/DocServer/0909_dolheroes.pdf?docID=20762