The Boot

06/15/2026

There's nothing like getting the whole team in one room. Last week we hit pause to celebrate a year of real progress and look ahead to Year 3 with bigger goals, all in service of our mission: bringing transitioning service members home to careers in Louisiana.

A special thank you to Governor Jeff Landry for stopping by to share his encouragement and pride in the work we're doing for the state.

"Your life, our mission." It's more than a tagline for our team. It's how we show up every single day.

06/04/2026

🇺🇸 The Boot is a proud Louisiana NOW partner at The Great American State Fair, a celebration of American independence and Louisiana's role in shaping America's future.

The Louisiana NOW pavilion will showcase innovation, culture, industry and talent from across the state on the national stage in Washington, D.C., highlighting the people and businesses shaping America's future.

We're honored to be part of this effort to showcase the next 250 years of opportunity for Louisiana. 👏👏👏👏

Mark your calendars! We'll be at the fair on June 28th and we want to see YOU. Stop by, say hello, and grab some Boot swag!

Learn more: https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/freedom250

05/28/2026

The BOOT Took NOLA! 🎉

Earlier this month, we hit the streets of New Orleans for another unforgettable Louisiana Community Experience. The impact speaks for itself. Hear directly from our candidates, employer partners, and org partners on why working with The BOOT is unlike anything else.

Don't just take our word for it, hear what a candidate had to say:
"New Orleans was amazing, but the BOOT was more amazing than the trip itself. The way the staff took care of each individual attendee with meaningful interactions was amazing to me overall. The city is great, but I believe the heart of the city is the people and if the city breeds the personalities we experienced with the BOOT, there is no question of relocating if an opportunity presented itself."

This is what The BOOT is all about: real connections, real opportunities, real Louisiana.

Ready to experience it yourself? Sign up today!

👉https://theboot.la/get-started

05/25/2026

Many people don't know this:
In 1996, schoolchildren touring Washington, D.C. were asked what Memorial Day meant to them. Their answer: "That's the day the pools open."
That moment sparked something. In December 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, designating 3:00 PM local time on Memorial Day as a national minute of silence for those who died in service.
3 PM was chosen on purpose... it's when most of us are mid-cookout, mid-road trip, mid-pool day. The whole point was to reach people right where they are.
Wherever you are at 3:00 today, stop. One minute of silence. For the ones who never made it home.
They gave everything. We can give 60 seconds on Memorial Day in their honor.

05/23/2026

🎖️ Proud to have stood alongside LDVA and Secretary Meginley as we accepted this recognition together on behalf of Louisiana.

At The Boot, we focus on the whole family because transition doesn’t happen in isolation. When military spouses find meaningful careers and community, it directly strengthens the service member’s transition too. Strong families build strong veterans.

Congratulations, Louisiana. This one belongs to all of us. 🌟🇺🇸

Presented to a community and its leaders for their efforts to creat...

05/20/2026

Shreveport-Bossier has officially been named a 2026 Great American Defense Community — one of only THREE communities in the entire country to receive this honor!

This recognition belongs to every neighbor, business, volunteer, and civic leader who has shown up for the Airmen of Barksdale Air Force Base and their families. Nearly a century of partnership, and it shows.

Watch the announcement and read what makes our region so special:

Louisiana gives veterans modern VA facilities, a clinic network that actually covers the state, and telehealth that cuts the long-drive burden. Add in strong community partners—LDVA, Vet Centers, DAV—and you get smoother hand-offs and real support for families. Stack that with Louisiana’s vete...

05/14/2026

"Louisiana is a place with strong communities, deep values, and a culture that makes me proud to call it home." — Robert Galey, Army Airborne Infantry, PLACED

Robert's story is one of 71 from this season. Between February and April, we placed 71 service members across Louisiana, hosted 4 MilVet Connect events with 60+ attendees, and sponsored 3 crawfish boils at Fort Polk and Barksdale AFB that fed more than 1,000 service members.

This is 'Your Life, Our Mission' in action.

05/13/2026

The Boot would like to make the official announcement that Jason F. Emert is joining our Board of Directors. 👏👏👏

Jason F. Emert is Special Counsel at Jones Walker LLP and a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force currently serving as the State Defense Counsel in the Louisiana Air National Guard.

Additionally, he is a co-founder of the Alliance for Global Security, non-profit focused on strengthening state and local governments from security malign global threats. Early in his career he led a global organization advocating free tree trade, the rule of law, and democracy. As such, Jason has served as a legal specialist for the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in Bosnia; as an arbitrator for the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo’s Arbitration Center; and as chair of the International Law Committee of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.

Well versed in domestic and international election law, Jason has served on multiple election-observation teams in countries across Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Jason has been recognized by regional, national, and international organizations for his strong leadership and commitment to public service. Locally, Jason has been recognized as 20 under 40 in Acadiana (2015) and is currently a member of Leadership Lafayette Class ###IX.

Additionally, Jason has been named a “Future Leader in Foreign Policy” by the Foreign Policy Initiative; awarded a Warsaw Security Forum New Security Leader fellowship; selected to participate in the American Swiss Foundation Young Leaders Conference; selected for two prestigious American Council of Young Political Leaders international exchange programs to Russia and Mexico; and was a part of the Atlantic Council’s Millennium Leadership Intensive Program in Israel.

Welcome Jason!!

05/07/2026

Jambalaya Girl’s on-the-go packs make the perfect event giveaway for our service members!
Partnerships with local brands help us spread a little cajun love everywhere we go ❤️⚜️ 🍲

(Supporting Louisiana brands one undercover jambalaya taste tester operation at a time.)

04/29/2026

We love when we not only get support and praise for our work from the social media post, but ALSO in the comments!! ❤️

Thank you to Charles “Nick” Sibus and Jeremy Hilton for the kind words and for championing the excellent work from Boot team members like Hannah Carey in North Louisiana. 👏👏👏

Onward and upward, Louisiana is on the move! 🫡🇺🇸💪

Governor Jeff Landry | Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs | Louisiana Economic Development | Louisiana Association of Business and Industry - LABI | Louisiana Travel Association | Charlton J. Meginley