About Us
Veteran-Owned Recruiting Firm Built to Serve Private Industry.
Two veterans. One conviction. Stop watching great military talent get overlooked by companies that don't know how to read a DD-214.
Why We Exist
Veteran hiring is broken. We're fixing it.
After decades inside corporate talent acquisition — Amazon, Hilton, Capital One, Bradley-Morris — we kept seeing the same thing: companies that genuinely wanted to hire veterans but had no idea how to evaluate them. Resumes that didn't translate. Interviews that missed the point. Offers that never came.
Meanwhile, the talent was extraordinary. Leaders who had managed multi-million dollar assets at 24. Operators who had made life-or-death calls under fire. Professionals with clearances, technical depth, and a work ethic most civilian candidates can't match — sitting on the sidelines because nobody knew how to see them.
We built Military Talent Solutions to close that gap. For good.
"Helping those who've served is our greatest reward. It fuels our passion every single day."
— Abie Chong, Founder
37,000+
Veterans Supported
30+ Yrs
Combined Experience
Fortune 500
Clients Served
5,000+
SkillBridge Employers
The Team
Chief Client Engagement Officer · Managing Partner
Rick McManigal
"Honored to be named a 2024 Veteran Champion of the Year — but this award belongs to the hundreds of talented veterans I've had the privilege to support."
Rick is the heartbeat of Military Talent Solutions. A Marine veteran who went on to lead talent acquisition at Amazon, Hilton, Solvay, Capital One, Lucas Group, and Bradley-Morris — he's seen every side of the hiring equation. He knows what a great military candidate looks like, and he knows exactly why so many companies miss them.
Organizations call Rick when they want their hiring strategy aligned with their performance goals — not just their headcount targets. He brings calm judgment, high standards, and a practical understanding of what real leadership looks like when the pressure is on.
His philosophy is simple: "When you hire right, the mission succeeds." Everything else follows from that.
Founder · Chief of Talent Acquisition · Managing Partner
Abie Chong
Abie retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Chief Master Sergeant — the highest enlisted rank, earned by fewer than 1% of airmen. He spent his career leading people through complexity, ambiguity, and high-stakes operations. Then he brought that same standard to corporate America.
After leading military talent acquisition at Hilton, Capital One, and Bradley-Morris — and supporting more than 37,000 veterans in finding meaningful civilian careers — Abie founded Military Talent Solutions with a conviction that hadn't changed since his first day in uniform: the right people, in the right roles, change everything.
He built this company because he was tired of watching great veterans get passed over by hiring managers who couldn't decode a military resume. And he was tired of watching companies settle for mediocre hires when elite talent was right in front of them.
"Stop chasing mythical perfect resumes. Start hiring proven professionals who know how to lead, execute, and deliver."
— Abie Chong, USAF Retired · CMSgt
How We Operate
The principles we don't negotiate on.
Mission First
Every placement is a mission. We don't close a search — we complete an objective. The standard doesn't drop because the deadline moved.
No Unicorn Hunting
We stopped chasing mythical perfect resumes a long time ago. Proven professionals who lead, execute, and deliver under pressure — that's the real deal.
Veteran-Led, Veteran-Trusted
We've lived the transition. We know what it costs to leave the service and what it takes to land right. That's not empathy — it's experience.
Straight Talk
We tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. If a hire is wrong, we say so. That's how trust gets built.
Strengthening companies, one veteran hire at a time
Ready to hire like it matters?
Let's talk about your critical hire — or just get to know each other. Either way, we're glad you're here.