Compensation is not the only factor that keeps employees at HX5. According to CEO Margarita Howard, the nature of the work itself plays an equally large role in retention, particularly among veterans who join the company after military service.
“The work we do is very exciting. Some of it is not being done anywhere else in the world,” Howard says. HX5’s contract portfolio includes advanced weapons research, production readiness reviews for sensor systems, and modeling and simulation supporting defense and space programs, projects that often mirror the priorities service members pursued while in uniform.
WHY MISSION MATTERS TO VETERANS
Veterans accustomed to purpose driven military service frequently look for that same sense of mission once they enter civilian employment. HX5‘s federal contract work, spanning research, engineering, and mission operations for the Department of Defense and NASA, gives transitioning service members a chance to continue contributing to work with direct national relevance.
Margarita Howard’s own background as a service-disabled Air Force veteran informs how she frames this connection for prospective hires. She has said that experience gained supporting government agencies differs meaningfully from commercial sector work, and that veterans often recognize this distinction faster than civilian candidates without prior government exposure.
HX5 reinforces that pipeline through its involvement with the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, hosting two fellows annually since 2021. The twelve week fellowship lets transitioning troops apply specialized skills to live government contracting projects before deciding whether to pursue that career path permanently.
For a company of roughly 1,000 employees operating across more than 20 states, sustaining that level of engagement with transitioning service members reflects a deliberate choice rather than a byproduct of routine hiring, one rooted directly in Howard’s own military service and career path.
HX5’s contract locations number more than 70 across the country, giving fellows a range of settings in which to apply their military training. Whether the assignment involves sensor systems, simulation work, or broader engineering support, Margarita Howard maintains that the sense of national purpose behind the work is what ultimately keeps veterans engaged well past their fellowship period. Visit this page to learn more.
Learn more about Howard on https://www.finsmes.com/2026/01/margarita-howard-on-how-hx5s-defense-origins-launched-its-expansion-into-nasa-contracting.html