DAYTON — For military members preparing to transition to civilian life, finding the next career move can be a challenge.

Over recent months there has also been a lot of anxiety and questions about job security for federal employees across the country.

However, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is working to make sure service members, their spouses, and veterans can lock-in new opportunities.

What You Need To Know

  • WPAFB hosted the 4th Hiring Our Heroes Career Summit

  • This year's event attracted 350 job seekers and 55 employers from a wide range of industries

  • The summit was free and open to active-duty service members, National Guard, veterans and military spouses

Air Force spouse Kaili Smith is looking to put her business background to work.

“I’m looking for something on the administrative side, data entry, management, that type of thing,” Smith said.

Her family just moved to Wright-Patt three weeks ago.

Like many spouses, she had to part ways with her career and she’s not wasting any time.

“My Dad was in the Air Force and my mom worked on base as well as a civilian. That’s where they met. I’m from the area. We’ve lived in Georgia the last six years and now we’re back,” she said.

For four years, this career summit hosted by the base has helped unlock new potential, and it just keeps growing.

“We have a record number this year. There’s over 300 I think, right now we have about 350,” said WPAFB Employment Assistance Program Manager Stacia Wren.

Fifty-five employers from a wide range of industries showcased what they offer.

Some government contractors can even help keep candidates closer to home.

“We’re here to support the DOD and intelligence communities, especially around the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base area,” said Chenega MIOS talent acquisition operations manager Joshua Keller.

Companies say that many times a service member’s skill set already matches what they’re looking for.

“Military folks are absolutely best suited for the type of work that Chenega does because the work that we do is almost always in support of their missions in the government,” Keller said.

“It is important because we want to make sure that our transitioning military have a career after they get out and done serving their country,” said Wren.

For spouses like Smith, getting back to business is important.

“I have my degree, I still have student loans, I graduated just three years ago. Of course I want to have a career as well, so it’s extremely important to me to carry that on,” she said.

Along with visiting with employers, candidates also had opportunities to attend job seeker workshops, learn about negotiation strategies, and fine tune resume building and interview preparation.