California is home to more than 1.7 million military veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
For many, finding a job in the private sector can be tough.
Our KNX Hero of the Week has created a program that provides military heroes with employment, and provides them a sense of purpose, along the way.
Tucked away in the hillsides of Moorpark, on a road named Patriot Drive, sits a brand-new tactical training facility with Covered 6. Inside, veterans get full-service reality-based, security training.
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"We actually have programs specifically designed to provide a higher level of more-sophisticated security," says Chris Dunn, CEO and Founder of Covered 6. "And that also includes cyber-security and executive protection."
Chris Dunn is a retired, decorated Military Police Investigator with the U.S. Army. He has also worked with the Los Angeles and Burbank Police forces. After retiring, he discovered there was a deficiency when it comes to security training for places like schools, churches, and corporations. So, he started Covered 6.
"I realized, as we peeled back this onion, there's a huge gap between law enforcement and the private sector," says Dunn.
"And as we have more challenges, such as active shooter... we have these things that we need these professionals [for]. And there was really no vocational model or training to provide that type resource for these people. And what better than to use a veteran. "
Over the years, Covered 6 has placed thousand of vets with security jobs. In fact, Chris says five-hundred men and women have gone through Covered 6 in the last five months.
"We've partnered with some strategic employers, very large national and global employers, who now are calling us every day, saying 'more, more, more'," remarks Dunn. "Because they love the trained, dedicated, invested veteran that comes out and is ready to work."
For many, Covered 6 is a new home.
Jonathan Peto recently became a Covered 6 Security Officer after working with the Marine Corps.
"We are really, one big family here," says Peto. "And that is what's so important, coming from a veteran like me. Because we have that family. "
"Transitioning out, a lot of veterans lose that, unfortunately. And they can't connect with their friends like they do with their buddies in the Marines or any other branch of military service. But you come in here, and we're all just one big family, ready to help each other out when anybody needs it.
Walking around the training facility in Moorpark, it was clear to me - the programs are not just about getting a job. For the veterans, it's about finding a purpose.
Covered 6 has also evolved into a place that provides a support system, along with vocational training.
"We have just started the non-profit C6 Foundation, in order to completely support the veterans," says Dunn. "It's really become a support mission."
The C6 Foundation helps provide housing, food, suits, and even mental health services to trainees. Its mission is to assist with job placement as the veterans transition into the civilian sector.
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