Veterans Day is a time to celebrate and honor the brave men and women who have served our country in the armed forces.There are roughly 18.5 million veterans in the U.S., and VirTra has its share of veterans helping military and law enforcement personnel train more effectively. Fifteen percent of VirTra employees have served in the military, and as we salute their service to our nation, we’d also like to highlight the incredible traits that these individuals bring to our company.

Military service and its accompanying training provides a solid foundation of teamwork, technical training and leadership skills that are ideal for careers in law enforcement — and at VirTra. While these skills can be useful for any employer, they’re especially valuable for a company like VirTra that develops technology for military and law enforcement customers. In addition to the hard and soft skills that military service provides, much of the language and terminology used in everyday military life carries over seamlessly into designing and selling the most advanced judgmental use of force simulators in the world.

Nearly one in five police officers in the U.S. are veterans. VirTra is helping to bring even more veterans into the ranks of the law enforcement, as agencies use our simulators to appeal to potential job-seekers. Taking a turn in VirTra’s V-300 simulator allows potential recruits to showcase the military skills, discipline and training that translate so well into civilian law enforcement.

This past August in Washington, DC, the Department of Homeland Security asked VirTra to feature a VirTra V-300 judgmental use of force simulator in their booth during a two-day hiring event aimed at hiring military veterans.  Dozens of potential hires tried the system, and VirTra General Manager Jason Mulcahy said “We had many veterans try the simulator and the feedback was excellent.  The statement we continued to hear was, they wished they could have had this training during their military careers. It was a great feeling helping military veterans find their next careers.”

Mulcahy himself is one of VirTra’s many veterans, having served 13 years as an officer in the United States Army. “As a military veteran I am proud to have served.  Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors are awe-inspiring, and only another service member or veteran knows the sacrifices made.  That is also why I am very proud to work at VirTra, and I still feel like I am serving.  We talk about ‘The Why’ at VirTra every day. ‘The Why’ guides our actions and decisions and helps provide better outcomes.  ‘The Why’ at VirTra is simple: get people home to their families, and we do that by striving to provide the best training systems we can for those who put themselves in harms way to protect others.”

Along with honoring all the men and women who have served our country, VirTra would like to thank the veterans who work at our company. Their incredible attributes and dedication to colleagues, and our mission to provide the best use of force simulators in the world, truly make VirTra a great place to work.