Twenty-three-year-old Marine Caleb Wood was focused, ready to do the right thing for his country and his family, until his recent deployment from southern California's Camp Pendleton to Iraq turned his four-year military career into a label: wounded soldier.
His injury brought him back to the U.S. to recuperate, only to find that he had a dim future ahead of him. "I'm ready to work and have experience in radio communication," Wood said. "Yet the resources to find a civilian job haven't been available."
With the help of his wife's family, his quest led him to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, where over 130 job seekers, including more than two dozen other wounded soldiers, attended a career summit for the defense and security fields.
Kimberly Hessler, CEO of Homeland Security Careers, said, "This event is the combined efforts of the National Homeland Defense Foundation and our Colorado Springs-based Homeland Security Careers. Our goal is to bring together industry and public-sector employers with this next generation of homeland security career professionals, like Wood, who are often just left hanging without any real career direction."
The sixth-annual Homeland Defense and Security Symposium and Career Summit kicked off Oct. 28 and continued through Oct. 30. At the Broadmoor, Colorado Hall's versatile 15,000-sf exhibit center and the International Center's 18,000 sf of column-free seating provided the perfect setting for both intense breakout meetings and exhibits.
Wood and other job seekers listened to leading experts in emergency management and homeland security and defense talk about current and projected career requirements. Topics ranged from "The Growing Cyber Threat" to "The Future of Terrorism" to "Enhancing Cooperation with the U.S. Intelligence Community and Building International Cooperation."
A few steps away, booths of government and industry leaders looking for the next generation of homeland security professionals lined Colorado Hall. Companies such as Boeing, IBM, and Sandia National Laboratories mingled with the local firms, like Rivada Networks and Norad. The exhibit included collaborative efforts from Canada, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
This year's theme, "Securing our Homelands through International Collaboration; Neighbors Helping Neighbors," inspired Wood. "Before this week, I felt like I was in a rut due to my injuries," said the serviceman. "The moment I arrived at the Broadmoor, I felt at home. Through my contacts at this three-day career symposium, I finally feel like someone threw me a career lifeline."
Originally published Dec. 15, 2008