Today Governor Josh Stein joined the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at the Unlock the Veteran & MilSpouse Advantage Roadshow in Wilmington to encourage employers to support veterans and military spouses.
“North Carolina servicemembers and veterans have answered the call to serve and defend us, and we owe them a deep debt of gratitude for defending our freedom and safety here and abroad,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Hiring veterans and military spouses is a win-win for employers and for military families building successful futures in our state.”
“With more than 600,000 veterans calling North Carolina home — and thousands of service members transitioning out of the military each year — they are an incredible asset to our workforce and a strength to our economy,” said North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette, a United States Air Force Veteran. “This roadshow has shown employers across the state the untapped potential of our military-connected community — their leadership, adaptability, and resilience.”
The Unlock the Veteran & MilSpouse Advantage Roadshow is a statewide series connecting employers, workforce leaders, and community partners to explore how hiring from the military community strengthens North Carolina’s workforce, businesses, and economy. With more than 600,000 veterans calling North Carolina home and thousands of servicemembers transitioning each year, this initiative highlights the importance of hiring veterans and military spouses.
North Carolina has the fourth-largest military presence in the nation, including the most populated Army base in the world and the primary East Coast base of the Marine Corps. The state is home to more than 90,000 active-duty military personnel, more than 40,000 National Guard and Reserve servicemembers, more than 600,000 military veterans, and nearly 150,000 military family members. Governor Stein’s administration is committed to supporting North Carolina’s military families and veterans. In May, the Governor signed an executive order that directs all cabinet agencies to designate a Military Affairs Coordinator to coordinate shared efforts supporting servicemembers and recommend strategies for addressing opportunities and challenges in supporting military communities.
Last year, Governor Stein signed into law four bills that support servicemembers and their families, helping military spouses transfer their professional licenses from out of state, making it easier to remotely renew driver licenses, aiding parents enrolling their children in public schools, and helping military students afford tuition in the University of North Carolina System. In August 2025, Governor Stein announced North Carolina became a Do Your Part State – a joint initiative between Blue Star Families and the National Governors Association that supports military families.
On November 17, Governor Stein will present six distinguished North Carolinians with the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest civilian honor, including Lt. General Kevin Vereen (Ret.), who closed his career as the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff. Proceeds from ticket sales for the awards ceremony at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh will go to two charities that benefit veterans and military families: Blue Star Families and Camp Corral. Blue Star Families is a national nonprofit organization that supports military families through the challenges of military life by better connecting them with the communities they live in during their servicemembers’ military service and deployments. Camp Corral serves children of this nation’s wounded, ill, and fallen military heroes.