How to Get Back to Command as a Civilian

Happy Saturday Weekly Sitrep Readers!

Quick housekeeping before we get into it: we’re coming to Texas. On Saturday, August 22, we’re taking over Patriots’ Hall in Dripping Springs (just outside Austin) from 9 AM to 1 PM for a morning meetup — veterans, companies that are actually hiring, real conversations, and — yes — an actual flight simulator on site. Families welcome, bring the kids. Grab your free spot here before we hit capacity.

And while you’re marking calendars — something jumped out at me this week while reviewing our open roles. Of the 38 positions we’re actively recruiting for right now, twelve of them are General Manager seats. Not defense tech. Not consulting. General Manager roles at private-equity-backed companies. That’s not an accident, and it’s what this week’s essay is about. But first:

A sampling from our open roles. As always — you apply through us, we get you in front of the hiring team. No black holes.

Defense Tech & National Security

• Forward Deployed Engineer — defense software platform — Washington DC / Ketchum, ID / Orlando, FL — Apply here

• Deployment Strategist, Ground Force Operations — defense technology company — Arlington, VA — Apply here

• Deployment Strategist, Naval Strategic Programs — defense technology company — Arlington, VA — Apply here

• Data Science Lead, Defense Accounts — defense analytics & AI platform — Arlington, VA / Pittsburgh, PA / Remote — Apply here

• Electrical Engineer (RF / Embedded Systems) — defense hardware company — Herndon, VA — Apply here

• VP of Strategic Accounts, Aerospace & Defense — advanced manufacturing company — Denver / Los Angeles / Atlanta — Apply here

Still on Active Duty? SkillBridge Openings

• SkillBridge — Deployment Rep — defense systems company — Clarksburg, MD — Apply here

• SkillBridge — Engineering Tech — defense systems company — Clarksburg, MD — Apply here

The GM Wave (read the essay, then come back)

• General Manager, Residential Home Services — PE-backed home services platform — openings in Marietta, GA · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Tacoma, WA · Baton Rouge, LA · Kansas City metro — Start with Marietta or browse them all

• General Manager, Home Healthcare — PE-backed healthcare services platform — openings in Las Vegas, NV · Austin, TX · Houston, TX — Start with Las Vegas

• General Manager, Home Services (non-HVAC) — PE-backed home services company — Boise, ID — Apply here

Every open role, updated constantly: sitreps.com/current-openings

• Austin Meetup at Patriots’ Hall — Saturday, August 22, 2026, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM CDT — Patriots’ Hall, Dripping Springs, TX. Come talk shop, grab a coffee, fly the sim, and meet companies that actually want to hire you. Families welcome. Sign up free

More events posting soon at sitreps.com/events.

Here’s how most transition conversations go. A separating O-3 or E-7 sits down, and within ninety seconds they’re asking about one of three things: defense tech, consulting, or an MBA. Those are fine answers. We place people into all three constantly. But they’re the visible answers — the ones with the conference booths, the LinkedIn hype, and the recruiting pipelines everyone already knows about.

Meanwhile, the single biggest cluster of roles we’re recruiting for right now — twelve open seats — is a track most veterans have never seriously considered: General Manager of a private-equity-backed operating company. Home services. Home healthcare. Residential trades. The businesses that fix your AC, staff your grandmother’s in-home care, and reroof your neighborhood.

I know. Nobody joined the military dreaming about drain cleaning. Stay with me.