Johnson’s first job after leaving active duty was as a project manager for Duke Energy in North Carolina, a job he landed through a DAV job fair. Johnson said Duke Energy was the perfect landing spot post-service and ultimately opened doors to a fulfilling life as an entrepreneur.

After Sam Johnson served 10 years in the Marine Corps, his body and mind were taxed. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in field artillery a month before 9/11 and deployed to Iraq, Kuwait and North Africa. Over the course of a decade on active duty, he lost six Marines and one soldier. Among other physical sacrifices, he experienced permanent hearing loss.

Approaching his 10-year mark, Johnson also had a young family to consider. For the majority of his two sons’ lives, he had been away from home.

“And then, unfortunately, my dad was also diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I knew I didn’t have a lot of time left with him,” Johnson said.

It was time to transition. Johnson and his wife knew they wanted to make North Carolina their home. The next step for Johnson was finding a job that would support the family during such a pivotal time.

So, in 2014, Johnson entered the civilian job market. After researching opportunities, he learned about a DAV job fair happening in Charlotte and signed up. It was the same year DAV launched its National Employment Program.

In a follow-up survey about his job fair experience, Johnson wrote, “I couldn’t be happier with my experience. … Because of this event, I was recruited by several companies leading to follow-on interviews. As a result, I was given two separate offers with two amazing companies.”

Johnson accepted one of those offers—a project management position with Duke Energy. It was a role Johnson could be challenged by and proud of.

Marine veteran Sam Johnson was commissioned a month before 9/11 and served 10 years on active duty.

Within his first year, Johnson was asked to lead Duke’s employee resource group for veterans. That opportunity allowed him to serve his fellow veterans, something Johnson remains passionate about.

“I would do anything for my fellow veterans, anything to make sure that they receive what they needed to receive,” he said.

Through the employee resource group, Johnson learned more about local and national organizations serving veterans.

“And during that time [I] got to see DAV in just another light of what they do at the national level, with especially their lobbying on Capitol Hill,” he said. “And see the impact that DAV had on things like the burn pit registry, Caregiver Act, you know, so many things at that level. And then other things like the adaptive sports clinic.”

Johnson said he spent more than three fulfilling years at Duke Energy before moving on to the next opportunity, which ultimately led him to where he is today.

“As LeBron James said, ‘I’m going to take my talents to South Beach,’” Johnson joked. “Well, I wanted to take my talents to being a small business owner.”

Johnson now owns and runs a construction business focused primarily on residential construction and remodeling.

“There’s a saying, ‘You eat what you kill,’ and that is definitely the case when you’re a small business owner. You don’t know what your next paycheck is gonna look like, because it’s based upon how hard you work,” Johnson said. “It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but it’s something that we succeed at, I feel like, as veterans, because we know what it takes to make it happen.”

Johnson’s decision to leave active duty—he remains in the reserves—is validated every time he gets to sit down and have dinner with his family. His father, who was terminally ill, died about a year after he left active duty. That’s precious time Johnson never would have been able to get back.

As Johnson’s post-service career grew, so too did the DAV National Employment Program. Since 2014, the program has held over 1,000 job fairs resulting in more than 180,000 job offers.

DAV has also become a go-to resource for employers interested in hiring veterans and military spouses. The DAV Patriot Employer Program recognizes those employers dedicated to hiring, retaining and supporting veterans in the workplace.

Johnson’s civilian and entrepreneurial careers have allowed him to spend invaluable time with his wife and two sons.

As an extension of its mission to empower veterans to lead fulfilling lives after service, DAV also introduced DAV Patriot Boot Camp, an entrepreneurship program for founders in the veteran and military community.

“Like Sam, DAV has grown in meaningful ways over the past 10 years. Helping veterans and their families find their next career remains a top priority, and our organization only continues to build upon that mission,” said DAV National Employment Director Ryan Burgos. “By offering comprehensive support and opportunities, DAV is able to set veterans up for success for many years to come.”

That was the case for Johnson, who said DAV has been there for him since he transitioned out of active duty. “I had a pretty interesting track from my first corporate job to where I’m at now,” he said, “but it wouldn’t have been possible without the support that I received from DAV.”