Department of Labor honors 888 employers with 2025 Hire Vets Medallion Awards

The U.S. Department of Labor on Jan. 31 presented the 2025 Hire Vets Medallion Award to 888 employers that the department says demonstrated exceptional commitment to recruiting, hiring and retaining military veterans.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Jesse Jane Duff opened the ceremony at the department's Hall of Honor, calling the award a recognition of employers that move beyond short-term hires to integrate veterans into “meaningful long-term careers.” The ceremony included a color guard presentation and a recitation of the pledge of allegiance.

Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling said the awards stem from the Hire Vets Act of 2017 and praised employers who make retention part of their workforce strategy. “If you want to thank a veteran for their service, hire them,” he said, urging employers to invest in networking, tuition assistance and local partnerships that support veterans’ long-term careers.

Officials at the ceremony highlighted program metrics and recent funding the department has announced. Since the Hire Vets program was established in 2017, employers in every state and territory have reported hiring more than 289,000 veterans, the department said at the event. The Department of Labor also noted recent funding allocations cited during the ceremony: $23,000,000 in grants for organizations providing training and support to homeless and at‑risk veterans and $145,000,000 for registered apprenticeship pay‑for‑performance models.

The ceremony showcased three recipient representatives from large, medium and small employer categories. Major General (ret.) Gary Patton accepted the award on behalf of large employers and described his company’s long-standing support for the military community. “Today, nearly 40% of our company's workforce consists of veterans, military spouses, and serving members of the National Guard or Reserve,” Patton said, framing veteran hiring as both a business and national security priority.

Corey Ritchie accepted the medallion on behalf of 406 medium employers, saying Noesis re-applies to the program to ensure deliberate support for veterans’ long-term transition and growth. “This award challenges us to be deliberate, not just in hiring veterans, but in supporting their long term growth, transition and success,” Ritchie said.

Caitlin Cashwell of America’s Warrior Partnership accepted the award for small employers and described the group’s corporate veteran initiative, which the transcript cites as working with more than 130 companies to connect veterans and military‑connected employees with resources. “This award honors organizations that don't just open doors, but keep them open for veterans,” Cashwell said.

Department leaders asked awardees to serve as models for other employers and announced that applications for the 2026 Hire Vets Medallion Awards open on Jan. 31. The ceremony concluded with a group photo and an invitation for attendees to continue conversations and take commemorative photos in the Hall of Honor.

What to know: The Hire Vets Medallion Award recognizes employer practices in recruiting, hiring and retaining veterans; participation requires meeting strict program standards, and recipients are flagged publicly on hirevets.gov. The department encouraged employers interested in applying to review program guidance and reach out to past awardees for implementation examples.