Northrop Grumman, a global defense company headquartered in California, is opening doors for today's wounded warriors and their families. Col. Duane Hardesty, a 30-year Army veteran, works as an Outreach Manager for Northrop Grumman's Operation IMPACT (Injured Military Pursuing Assisted Career Transition).

The program provides transition support and employment to service members who have been severely injured in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hardesty says, "We wanted to put into place a program that would help our wounded warriors so they would not end up like veterans who returned from the Vietnam War - injured and lacking a support system to help them transition back into the workforce."

Hardesty emphasizes that the program is for wounded warriors and their families. In cases where the service member has died or is too severely injured to serve as the primary wage earner for his or her family, the program is made available to one alternate wage earner in the family, such as a spouse or parent. In fact, the first person hired in the program was the father of a service member who was severely injured in Iraq in June 2003. He quit his job and moved to Washington, D.C., to help his son recover from a bullet wound in the back of the neck that left him paralyzed. After meeting with an Operation IMPACT team member at a center for veterans, this dedicated father was hired for a position at Northrop Grumman.

For veterans to qualify, candidates must have been severely injured during combat operations in the GWOT on or after September 11, 2001; received a disability rating of 30% or greater from the Department of Veterans Affairs; and received one or more special category designation (SPECAT) casualty codes for the injury sustained.

Debbie Ortega, Operation IMPACT's Intake Manager, works closely with the candidates to place them in positions. She finds out their aptitudes, whether they need assistive technology in the workplace, and if they're willing to relocate.

In each of Northrop Grumman's eight business sectors, Operation IMPACT has designated an ombudsman, or Champion, who recruits and places wounded soldiers and their families into available openings. On any given day, Northrop Grumman has up to 4,700 job openings ranging from entry- to senior-level positions. The company is committed to ensuring the success of its employees with disabilities. If an opening is not available for a certain wounded veteran, the company takes a customized employment approach and creates one, utilizing such strategies as job carving.

While many of the wounded warriors lack the academic credentials of other Northrop Grumman employees-because they went straight into the military from high school-their real life experiences and dedication translate into marketable skills. According to Hardesty, what they lack in academics, they make up for in their commitment to getting the job done. Additionally, Northrop Grumman offers these job candidates the opportunity to earn a degree through its college-assistance program.

Operation IMPACT is always looking to improve its process. Recently, it hired two nurses to track all new hires in the program. Hardesty says that the candidates sometimes feel more comfortable talking to a medical professional instead of their employer if they are having problems on the job or need assistive technology.

Hardesty is a busy man who spends 80 percent of his time working on Operation IMPACT. He is on the road frequently traveling to various wounded warrior events such as the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes and others.

Hardesty is proud to be making a difference in the lives of severely wounded service members and their families. He is truly making an impact by opening doors to new opportunities through Northrop Grumman's Operation IMPACT.