Knowing how a military operation runs is different from knowing how a government contract works. Transitioning service members who join HX5 through a national fellowship program get a chance to learn the second while drawing on the first. A Ritz Herald profile of CEO Margarita Howard explains why that education matters.

The Business Behind the Mission

Military members generally understand operations well. What many lack is insight into procurement processes, contract structures, and the administrative requirements that shape how contractors and agencies interact. The 12-week Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program gives them that exposure before they decide on a contracting career.

HX5 has hosted eight fellows since 2021, holding steady at two per year. The program, operated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, lets active-duty members spend part of their last 180 days of service at a civilian employer while keeping their military pay and benefits.

Margarita Howard brings her own contracting education to the effort. After serving in the Air Force, Margarita Howard earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and worked on the defense industry team that implemented Tricare, the Defense Department’s health insurance system. That role showed her how contractors and federal agencies collaborate in practice.

Projects With Real Stakes

Fellows at HX5 encounter demanding work. The company supports advanced weapons research, conducts production readiness reviews for sensor systems, and performs modeling and simulation for defense and space programs. It serves Department of Defense and NASA missions at more than 70 government locations.

Howard says that work keeps people engaged. “The work we do is very exciting. Some of it is not being done anywhere else in the world,” she told the publication.

Documentation, clearance upkeep, and performance standards all carry consequences in this field. Veterans arrive with habits of accountability and operational security that suit those demands. The fellowship then fills in the business knowledge. For a firm of about 1,000 employees, the arrangement gives HX5 a manageable way to grow a workforce prepared for federal contracting, and it gives Margarita Howard a means of passing along lessons from her own transition. Refer to this article for more information.

Find more information about Howard on https://www.finsmes.com/2026/01/margarita-howard-on-how-hx5s-defense-origins-launched-its-expansion-into-nasa-contracting.html