Veterans of the U.S. military may come out of active duty with a list of technical skills that can widen the eyes of just about any hiring manager in IT, but it's the soft skills of discipline, problem-solving and work ethic that make them even more valuable, according to executives with two solution providers.

"Our veteran employees demonstrate every day how much they bring to our company with proven discipline, teamwork, integrity, leadership, work ethic, and the ability to work under pressure, solve problems and adapt to change," said Gary Patton, vice president of veterans outreach at federal government solutions provider giant CACI International, in an emailed response to a question from IT Best Of Breed.

Patton, himself a retired major general with the U.S. Army, said CACI – No. 17 on the 2016 CRN Solution Provider 500 list – said 31 percent of the company's workforce of more than 5,700 are veterans, with nearly one-third of the veterans disabled.

And the overall job market for veterans – whom the nation honors today - is improving, according to the results of a survey conducted and released this week by Military.com and Monster Worldwide, the parent of job search site Monster.com.

The survey found that more veterans who left active duty after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are looking for work this year compared with last year.

"Both veterans and employers feel that men and women are leaving the military well-prepared to hold civilian jobs," said Steve Cooker, executive vice president for global government solutions for Monster Worldwide, in a statement. "Veterans are indicating a strong sense of self and a more positive outlook about the possibility of finding a job."

Many also come with security clearance levels, which comes in handy for CSRA, another federal government solution provider giant, according to Tina Owens, a talent acquisition manager for the company.

Owens said the "majority" of CSRA's positions require clearance, "and it's … easy to position [veterans] to upgrade their clearance."

CSRA, based in Fairfax, Va., employs more than 18,000, slightly more than one-quarter of them -- about 4,700 – veterans, Owens said.

And CSRA wants to do more. "We are working very hard now to do more outreach and do more development of that community," she added. Part of that effort includes free training offered to veterans through customer relationship management software vendor Salesforce. The program, VetForce, helps prepare veterans for work in IT, consulting and sales. Owens said CSRA also relies on VetForce to find qualified candidates.

"They have already learned how to interact and work in the government space," she told IT Best Of Breed. And "they usually have that real-world experience with some of the systems and technology that we're working with."

Owens said some of the roles veterans jump into at CSRA include systems administrators, systems testers, help desk and logistics.

Here are links to two blog posts and a web resource that focus on the skills that military veterans can bring to solution providers:

TREEHOUSE: Key skills that veterans take with them

Anayat Durrani addresses the skills "vetrepreneurs" gain while in the service – organization, discipline and problem-solving – and how they can use them in the technology sector.

MILITARY.COM: Veteran employer resource center

Here, you can find links to a range of topics focusing on hiring veterans, including tax credits.

HIREMILITARY: Hire a military-experienced IT or cyber professional

With the increased awareness and vigilance surrounding cybersecurity, Jake Hutchings writes of the value transitioning military candidates can bring to the table.