Margarita Howard’s Air Force Roots Guide HX5 Hiring

Margarita Howard spent years in the Air Force before she ever considered running a defense contracting company. That service still shapes how she leads HX5, a firm built around supporting NASA and Department of Defense missions with a workforce drawn heavily from military ranks.

Margarita Howard’s approach to veteran hiring goes beyond simply posting job openings. Since 2021, HX5 has brought on eight transitioning service members through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, welcoming two fellows every year without fail. That consistency, she says, matters more than occasional hiring bursts tied to short term staffing gaps and shifting budget cycles.

“My background was influenced by military service,” Margarita Howard explains, describing how her own transition years ago still informs company culture at HX5.

BUILDING ON MILITARY FOUNDATIONS

Her time in uniform gave her direct exposure to military organizational structures, clearance procedures, and the operational habits that carry over into government contract performance. After leaving active duty, she completed both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree while working on the Tricare health care program for the Defense Department, adding a civilian contracting perspective to her military foundation and deepening her understanding of how agencies and contractors work side by side.

HX5 now operates in more than 20 states and across over 70 government locations, handling research, engineering, and mission operations work for federal agencies. Much of it demands security clearances and comfort inside government environments, conditions many veterans already meet before they separate from service.

A PIPELINE BUILT ON EXPERIENCE

Margarita Howard emphasizes recruiting people with prior Department of Defense or NASA experience specifically because that background differs from commercial industry work. Veterans who spent years inside those systems often grasp the distinctions faster than newcomers without any government exposure.

For HX5, the fellowship program offers something practical: a pipeline of candidates who already understand mission focused work and simply need exposure to the business side of contracting before committing to a full time role with the company long term. See related link for more information.

More on: https://www.finsmes.com/2026/01/margarita-howard-on-how-hx5s-defense-origins-launched-its-expansion-into-nasa-contracting.html