Government entities meet to reaffirm their shared commitment to supporting America’s military veterans and their families

In observance of Veterans Day and National Veterans and Military Families Appreciation Month, leadership from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Small Business Administration gathered at USDA headquarters to reaffirm their shared commitment to supporting America’s military veterans and their families.

During the event, USDA celebrated exceeding its ambitious “100 Hires in 100 Days” initiative. Designed to recruit veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses into mission-critical agricultural and security roles, the effort has successfully brought more than 240 individuals into the department to date.

In addition to recruitment achievements, USDA announced a new partnership with the Department of War and the U.S. Forest Service to establish The Gold Star Trails Program. This joint initiative establishes a formal framework for designating select public forest trails in honor of fallen service members, offering Gold Star Families and the public dedicated natural spaces for reflection and remembrance.

The department also highlighted its expanded involvement in the Department of War’s SkillBridge Program and the SpouseWorks Program, expanding career training and recruitment in specialized fields such as cybersecurity, data intelligence, and contracting. To guide these ongoing initiatives, Richard Lopez, an Army veteran and experienced agricultural advocate, was named as USDA’s new Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison.