From Combat to Code the Veterans Quietly Reshaping Tech

When people picture the next great tech CEO, they think Ivy League, hoodie, maybe a Tesla parked out front. What they don’t picture is a former Ranger platoon sergeant or a Marine recon officer who once led a patrol through Sangin with comms down and no QRF on standby.

They should.

Veterans aren’t just finding places in the tech world—they’re shaping it. From Palantir to Anduril to the next wave of dual-use startups, former service members are trading camo for code and platoon briefs for pitch decks. And they’re not just surviving—they’re leading.

Here’s why.

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1. Decision-Making Under Chaos

Veterans don’t just manage chaos—they operate in it. In combat, ambiguity is constant. You don’t wait for perfect information; you move with what you have. The same applies in a startup, where data is incomplete, markets shift fast, and indecision is death.

Veterans understand how to make high-stakes decisions under pressure, and more importantly, how to own those decisions. In tech, that’s gold.

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2. Mission-First, Ego-Last

Military service hardwires you to prioritize mission and team over self. In Silicon Valley, where egos often clash and turf wars erupt in boardrooms, veterans bring a refreshing clarity of purpose.

They build companies like they built fire teams—based on trust, shared hardship, and the relentless pursuit of a common goal. They lead with service, not flash. And in an industry where hype often outpaces delivery, substance wins.

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3. Adaptation Is a Way of Life

Veterans are professional adapters. One day you’re clearing houses, the next you’re running supply convoys, the next you’re advising foreign forces with no interpreter. Flexibility isn’t a bonus—it’s survival.

Tech moves fast. Tools evolve, markets shift, competitors pivot. Veterans thrive in that turbulence. They’re used to the unknown. They expect it. They don’t just react—they lean into it.

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4. Leadership That’s Been Forged, Not Taught

Leadership programs at B-schools are great. But they don’t compare to leading a mixed bag of 19-year-olds through a combat deployment, or getting a platoon home in one piece after a mission goes south.

Veterans lead with empathy, edge, and earned authority. They know how to motivate under fire and how to read a room without saying a word. In the tech world—where leadership too often means perks and ping-pong tables—that kind of presence is rare. And priceless.

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5. The New National Security Tech Frontier

Veterans aren’t just joining tech companies. They’re building them—especially in defense tech, where startups are finally solving real problems for warfighters instead of churning out slick slides for the Pentagon.

Anduril. Rebellion Defense. Shield AI. These aren’t led by career bureaucrats. They’re led by people who’ve worn the uniform and know what’s at stake. People who are rewriting how America builds the tools of war.

Veterans know the mission. They are the end users. That’s the ultimate unfair advantage.

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From Squad to Startup

There’s something deeply powerful about watching someone who once cleared rooms now build platforms, lead teams, or close eight-figure rounds. It’s not a “transition”—it’s a transformation.

The next time you hear about a founder who scaled fast, made decisive calls, and built a team that would follow them into hell and back—don’t be surprised if they once wore stripes or tabs.

Because the skills that win on the battlefield are the same ones that win in business.

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Scott is a veteran of a half-dozen combat deployments and has served in several different Special Operations units over the course of his Army career. Scott’s writing focuses largely on veterans’ issues, but he is also a big proponent of Constitutional rights and has a deep interest in politics. He often allows other veterans who request anonymity to publish their work under his byline. Scott welcomes story ideas and feedback on his articles and can be reached at havokjournal@havokmedia.com. 

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.