As both a veteran and former secretary of Defense, I believe it is important to give back to those who give so much to this country by putting their lives on the line. Our veterans are the heart and soul of what service to our nation is all about. The least we can do is give them and their families the support they need in order to achieve the American Dream they fought to protect.

The Department of Defense was able to do just that by supporting veteran-owned small businesses that contributed to national security. These businesses were not just agile agents of innovation. Veterans brought knowledge and experience from years of military training to their work.

The veterans who own these small businesses understood the needs of the defense customer and were totally devoted to achieving the mission of making sure the U.S had the strongest military force on Earth. Quietly serving from........

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