FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The U.S. war in Afghanistan officially ended for American forces in August. This means tens of thousands of American troops have either been reassigned or are back in the U.S. territories. Some of those soldiers are looking for jobs and trying to adjust to civilian life. 

What You Need To Know

  • L.t Gen. Kenneth Tovo is the chairman of The Green Beret Foundation

  • The non-profit helps veterans adjust to civilian life, obtain jobs and process disability claims

  • Tovo says a Green Beret can be a great hire outside of the military

Lt. Gen. Kenneth Tovo has a lot of memories of his time as a Green Beret. He spent 35 years in the U.S. Army Special Forces. This includes five tours to Iraq, two to Bosnia and one in Afghanistan.

“You don’t get rich in the Army other than experiences, friends and relationships,” Tovo said. “It was a great time.”

Tovo says Green Berets have to be extremely fit, both physically and mentally. They’re often on the front lines taking on terrorists and working with civilians. At times their missions become deadly.

“The hardest day is the day you lose a member of the team,” Tovo said. “As a commander in 2006 and 2007, I was a 10th Special Forces group commander. On each one of those rotations we lost a number of guys, so those were the hard days.”

Tovo has been married to his wife Suzanne for 36 years. They are happy with their lives, but she admits it wasn’t always easy. She recalls the day when her son was entering in the military.

“There are hard days, like when you take your child off to West Point and he signs his commitment, and your husband is in Iraq,” Suzanne Tovo said. “Or when he graduates from high school and his dad is not there.”

Eventually, Kenneth Tovo had to adjust back to civilian life. He retired from the Army in 2018 and he decided to make it his mission to help others like him.

“Our community is well taken care of by the government, but they don’t take care of everything,” he said.

He knew this would be a big task as the war on Afghanistan came to an end and many soldiers started to retire. It’s why he became chairman of the Green Beret Foundation. He connected with Frances Arias and the two of them are trying to get a message out.

“For those who have come back and are ready to retire or separate, they are looking for what is going to be their next ridge line, as we call it at the foundation,” Director of Operations for the Green Beret Foundation Frances Arias said.

Kenneth Tovo says these are top-notch men and women who have skills that can transfer to several jobs. It’s why he hopes employers think of them as they seek out their next hire.

“Green Berets at their essence are complex problem solvers,” he said. “We recruit for intelligence and the ability to work with others, particularly others from another culture. 

 The Green Beret Foundation also helps injured veterans through their disability claims. To learn more about contributing to their cause click here. The non-profit is holding an Special Forces SharpShoot touarnament in Atlanta, GA on Dec. 7.