Invisible Armor: What We Forget About Veterans in the Workplace
- Presidential Consultants
- Oct 30
- 5 min read
You know the type. First to arrive. Last to leave. Quiet under pressure. Unshakable in the middle of a crisis. The kind of person every supervisor hopes for and every team depends on. You don’t always know their story at first glance, but the signs are there. They lead without seeking attention. They follow through without fanfare. They adapt, adjust, and absorb what others might avoid.
Often, they’re veterans.
As leaders, we’ve come to value the strengths veterans bring to the workplace. We know they are dependable. We expect discipline. We anticipate leadership, loyalty, and grit. In many ways, hiring a veteran feels like a decision we don’t need to second guess. And often, we’re right.
But strength, especially when it’s worn like a uniform, can hide what’s happening underneath.
Many veterans walk into our workplaces wearing invisible armor. Armor that helps them function, but also keeps others at a distance. Armor that was necessary for survival, but no longer serves them in a conference room, a counseling session, or a customer-facing role. And unless we know what to look for, we miss it completely.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 5 million veterans are employed in the civilian workforce. Many transition well. But nearly 1 in 4 report mental health challenges, including post-traumatic stress and depression, during that transition. Even those who are not service-connected (meaning they don’t have a recognized disability or injury linked to their service) may still carry the weight of combat, separation, trauma, or reintegration. And for those who are service-connected, the stressors are often intensified.
The workplace can become a minefield of misunderstandings. A crowded room may trigger anxiety. A loud tone may activate old memories. An unclear protocol may feel like chaos. What looks like disengagement might actually be hypervigilance. What looks like resistance might be a quiet plea for safety.
And yet, they show up. They perform. They endure.
As colleagues, as leaders, and as fellow humans, we have a responsibility to listen differently. To notice when someone is holding more than they’re saying. To ask better questions. To lead with deeper care.
What We Forget in the Workplace
We forget that wounds don’t always show up in records or resumes.
We forget that veterans often minimize their pain to make others comfortable.
We forget that many are navigating systems that weren’t built with them in mind.
We forget that healing doesn’t happen on a clock.
Even the best-intentioned leaders can overlook what veterans truly need to thrive at work. It’s not because we don’t care. It’s often because we haven’t had the opportunity to slow down, reflect, and learn.
That’s why we’re encouraging you to pause for a moment of insight.
Listening with a Different Ear
When you start to really listen, things shift.
You begin to understand why a veteran may react strongly to a change in protocol.
You start to notice the quiet effort behind their calm exterior.
You become more attuned to what support actually looks like, and what it does not.
Sometimes, listening means holding space.
Sometimes, it means adjusting expectations.
And sometimes, it simply means asking, “Is there anything you need that we haven’t thought to offer?”
What You Can Do Today
If you’re in a leadership position, you don’t have to redesign your organization to start making a difference. Change begins with awareness and grows through consistent care. Here are four ways to begin today:
1. Make space for stories.
Take time to listen. Ask open-ended questions about experiences, strengths, and needs. When you make room for personal stories, you build trust and remind people they are seen.
2. Check your policies for quiet barriers.
Review your leave, feedback, and communication policies. Do they support people navigating trauma, disability claims, or caregiving for fellow veterans?
3. Create visible reminders of belonging.
Representation matters. Include veteran voices in decision-making spaces, highlight their contributions not just during Veterans Day but throughout the year, and ensure your workplace materials reflect their presence. Supporting veterans is most meaningful when it’s not a seasonal gesture but a natural expression of your values. When people see themselves in the culture, they feel valued by it.
4. Normalize wellness and rest.
Veterans are often praised for pushing through. Model and promote wellness by encouraging time off, peer support, and open dialogue about mental health. Remind your team that strength is not measured by endurance alone but by the courage to care for oneself and others.
Support doesn’t always begin with big initiatives. It begins with empathy, curiosity, and the choice to make work a place where veterans can lead, heal, and thrive.
If you’re in a leadership role, or simply someone who wants to lead with more humanity, this is your invitation to learn more. Consider joining us for Voices of Veterans: What Providers Need to Hear, a virtual training offered at no-cost from our friends at MACC. Led by Dr. Rachel Mitchum Elahee, Senior Consultant with Presidential Consultants and Founder of Veterans Psychological Group, this session was created to help us better understand what veterans need and what we often overlook.
Through her work, Dr. Rachel reminds us that supporting veterans is not about saying the perfect thing. It’s about showing up. Listening. Creating space. And learning how to remove the barriers that keep so many veterans masked and misunderstood.
What Happens When We Take Off The Mask
When we take off the mask of certainty, something shifts. We begin to see with new eyes and lead with a different kind of clarity.
But something even more powerful happens when veterans feel safe enough to take off their own armor.
The workplace becomes more than a job. It becomes a space where healing is possible.
It becomes a space where leadership doesn’t require silence, and strength can include softness.
It becomes a space where veterans don’t have to hide what they carry in order to be seen for who they are.
Let’s do more than appreciate our veterans. Let’s understand them.
Master Trainer, International Speaker and author of the book “Invincible Social Worker”, Anthony President has empowered and inspired more than 100,000 professionals to perform, produce and partner better at their places of work. Thousands of companies and organizations have been transformed as a result of Anthony’s work.
As Founder and CEO of Presidential Consultants, LLC, Anthony leads a team of more than two dozen experienced learning development and coaching professionals who together serve more than 16,000 helping professionals each year in the areas of leadership, inclusion, and workplace wellness. As a thought leader in the field, Anthony continues to research, innovate, and drive positive change in the realm of professional development and organizational transformation.
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