The roaring engines, the clear strip of tarmac in the dawn, a cockpit lit with dawn’s first rays—or maintenance hangars humming with the echo of tools and purpose. For many service members, flying isn’t just what they do; it’s who they are. But when the uniform comes off, that identity doesn’t neatly shift into the civilian world. The skies are still waiting—but the runway may feel uncharted.
This is where HigherVets steps in.
A Veteran’s Mission, Born from Experience
Picture Joe Peebles. He’s not a boardroom outsider. He’s a U.S. Army veteran. He’s seen the order, the rigor, the skill, the sacrifice. And he’s seen what happens when those skills are hard to translate into civilian life. The discipline of military service, technical expertise, leadership—but also the sudden loss of structure, purpose, and community. He founded HigherVets because he believed that the transition from military service to civilian careers, especially in business aviation, should not feel like a leap into the unknown without support.
What HigherVets Does: Tools, Paths, and Community
HigherVets sees that veterans bring something special: leadership under pressure, commitment, technical discipline, ability to work in teams, and in some cases direct aviation experience. Yet too often, those same veterans struggle to bridge gaps: resumes that don’t “say it in civilian terms,” job postings that don’t understand what “flight hours” or “aircraft maintenance tech” represent in military work, or networks that don’t include the aviation sector.
So HigherVets builds a scaffolding:
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Training & Certification: For example the “Six-Months to CAM Program” (Certified Aviation Manager) which helps veterans learn industry knowledge and credentials.
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Mentoring & Peer Support: One-on-one mentoring, group-cohort programs, peer networking. Not just “find a job” but “learn how you fit here, what you bring, who can guide you.”
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Career Counseling: Resume work, interview prep, translating military experience for civilian employers.
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Mental Health & Financial Stability Support: Recognizing the non-technical barriers—emotional transition, creating stability.
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Network & Sponsorship by Aviation Companies: Connecting veterans with real jobs in business aviation, not just theory.
Their goal is bold: to place 10,000 veterans into business aviation.
Why It Matters: The Stakes and the Opportunity
Let’s step back and see why what HigherVets is doing isn’t just “nice,” but necessary.
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Scale of Transition: After decades of military engagements, large numbers of service members transition out of the armed forces every year. Many want a mission; many have skills; many face uncertainty. The civilian world often doesn’t mirror the structure, values, or language veterans are used to.
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Lost Potential: Skills from military aviation (maintenance, operations, leadership, safety protocols, technical discipline) are directly applicable to business aviation. Yet without a bridge, many veterans are underemployed or work in fields that don’t use their full experience. That’s a loss—for them, and for industries that could benefit.
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Community & Identity: One of the hardest things after service is losing the sense of “team.” Camaraderie, mission, structure—all fade. Feeling “on your own” during job hunts, navigating systems, needing to silence the noise of “what’s next?” can be heavy. HigherVets fosters group programs and peer support to carry that sense of shared journey.
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National Impact: Business aviation isn’t just “private jets.” It includes charter services, medical flights, logistics, emergency response, support for remote communities, etc. Having skilled, disciplined, mission-minded employees strengthens safety, reliability, and capacity in those sectors. Building pathways for veterans only enhances that.
Faces of the Climb: Advisory Voices & Leadership
HigherVets isn’t built in isolation. There are people who’ve climbed before, guiding those who climb now. Veterans who have worn different uniforms, now part of its Advisory Board, bring ported insights. Chuck Stroman—a veteran of both Army and Air Force—believes “the real climb begins after the uniform comes off.” Jennifer Pickerel, with decades in HR in business aviation and as military spouse, saw how we must build the ladder for translation of experience, not just hand-wringing about “transition problems.”
As of September 2024, HigherVets also added a Chief People Officer, Aasiya Shaikh, bringing experience from global aviation HR. Her presence underscores that this is a serious, scalable organization—not small aid or guidance; real infrastructure to carry a mission.
A Story: From Military Runway to Civilian Flight Deck
Let’s imagine Alex—a maintenance technician in the Air Force. For 8 years, Alex maintained engines, diagnosed serious mechanical issues, managed teams, had to think on their feet. Then the service term ends. Alex has all this experience—but civilian job postings say “aircraft technician” with different licensing, safety standards, terminology. Alex’s resume says “avionics troubleshooting,” “airframe maintenance,” etc., but recruiters aren’t always sure how to parse it.
With HigherVets, Alex joins a cohort, gets help translating military job language into civilian job language, connects with mentors in business aviation, works through mock interviews, sees which certifications are helpful, builds connections to companies who want someone with Alex’s exact skills. Maybe Alex becomes part of a charter company’s maintenance leadership team, leading crews, ensuring safety, using discipline, decision-making experience—all while feeling part of a team again.
Challenges & What’s Needed
Of course, no journey like this is without turbulence.
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Recognition & Licensing: Not all military certifications map neatly into civil aviation norms. There can be regulatory, insurance, or licensing hurdles.
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Cultural Fit & Soft Skills: Even with excellent technical skills, there’s sometimes a “translation” needed—for civilian business structure, stakeholder expectations, softer communicative styles.
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Mental & Financial Strain: Transition isn’t just a job; it’s identity, finances, family, location. Veterans may need support for financial planning, counseling, and more.
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Awareness & Access: Some veterans may not know about organizations like HigherVets. Or they may believe that their service doesn’t match what’s needed, or that the “gap is too big.”
HigherVets meets these by providing non-discriminatory access, ensuring group support, and emphasizing that every veteran has something of value to bring.
Why “Climb Higher” Isn’t Just a Motto
For veterans, climbing higher means more than reaching a new job. It means:
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reclaiming purpose,
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translating service into meaningful civilian impact,
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ensuring that years of sacrifice are not lost,
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that dignity, ability, and capacity are recognized.
And for the wider society, this is an investment. Veterans who are employed, fulfilled, supported, connected, are less likely to face unemployment, mental health crises, financial instability. They become contributors, leaders, caregivers, innovators.
Call to Action: How You Can Help
If you’re reading this and wondering what you can do—even if you’re not a veteran, even if aviation isn’t your field—there are real ways to help:
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Spread the word: many veterans simply don’t know these pathways exist.
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Sponsor or partner: aviation companies can build pipelines, offer internships or fellowships for veterans.
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Mentor: someone who has worked in business aviation could guide a transitioning vet.
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Support financially or through resources: training, licensing, technology, access—these often need funding.
The uniform comes off, but the mission continues. The cockpit waits. The runway is still there. What HigherVets shows us is that with intention, support, training, and community, veterans can soar—to new heights. They can bring into the civilian skies everything they’ve learned in the military sky: precision, discipline, service.
Because serving doesn’t end. It just takes on a new form. And for many veterans, the next mission is just taking flight—one job, one mentor, one community at a time.
