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Nearly 100 veterans visited a job fair on Thursday, hosted by the National Veterans Outreach Program (NVOP) at its office on North Main downtown.
Boeing, as well as staffing agencies, and companies representing the engineering, security, builder supply, and restaurant industries were among those on hand with representatives behind small tables to speak to job seekers.
One busy table that seemed to attract a lot of interest from job seekers was the one manned by a pair of Border Patrol agents.
Former Army Reserves Pfc. Santos Camacho was among those to visit with the Border Patrol agents.
He said he was impressed by how easily his military skills, including two tours of duty in Iraq, could transition into Border Patrol duties. He said that's important to veterans who can experience a loss of identity after leaving military service. He also liked the potential of a six-figure salary and yearly raises.
Camacho said public protests against migrant arrests by the Border Patrol and ICE in recent years did nothing to deter him from applying, far from it.
"Seeing all that, for me personally, this is just my experience, it makes me want to join the fight," he said.
Camacho explained the Border Patrol appeals to his patriotic sense of duty, honor, and commitment instilled in him during his military service, which followed 9-11.
Sergio Dickerson, the president and CEO of the American G.I. Forum and the NVOP said while the Border Patrol may appeal to veterans looking for jobs, he said just as many prefer to leave behind work that feels like a Department of Defense job.
"They want to drive trucks," he said. "They want to get into the medical field. They want to cook for a living. That's why an organization like us is important because we ask them first, 'What do you want to do?'"
Dickerson also said the NVOP helps veterans translate their military skills into resumes that can match openings offered by employers.
