Boots2Roots

10/19/2026

Planning your transition from military service? Looking to make Maine part of your next chapter?

Every other month, Boots2Roots hosts our Teammate Employment & Transition Call—a virtual opportunity for transitioning servicemembers, Veterans, and military spouses to gain valuable insights, connect with Maine employers, and explore strategies for career success and relocation to Maine.

⚓ THIS SESSION: EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHT – BATH IRON WORKS

We're excited to welcome Nicole Benson, Military Recruiter and SkillBridge Program Manager at General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works (BIW)!

Nicole is passionate about helping servicemembers and their families build successful, meaningful careers. She'll share insights into what's happening at BIW, career opportunities, SkillBridge pathways, apprenticeship programs, and more!

🎯 What can you expect from this session?

🔹 Explore Career Opportunities – Learn about BIW, its workforce, and the wide range of available career paths.

🔹 Understand SkillBridge – Get an inside look at BIW's SkillBridge opportunities, application process, and transition pathways.

🔹 Build Your Network – Connect directly with Nicole and learn more about opportunities at one of Maine's leading employers.

🔹 Ask Questions, Get Answers – Engage in open discussion and walk away with practical information to support your next steps.

📅 THIS THURSDAY | 6:30 PM ET

Current Boots2Roots Teammates: We hope to see you there! Check your Teammate communications for meeting details.

Not a Teammate yet? Connect with us today and discover how the Boots2Roots community can support your transition, career goals, and next chapter in Maine.

➡️ Learn more: Boots2Roots.org

📩 Contact us: [email protected]

Boots2Roots assists active-duty military, Veterans and military spouses find meaningful work in Maine

10/15/2026

⭐ Recognizing Our 5-Star Partners – 10 Years of Boots2Roots! ⭐

As part of our recent 10-Year Anniversary Celebration, Boots2Roots had the privilege of recognizing nine organizations whose exceptional and sustained commitment has helped our mission grow and thrive over the past decade.

At Boots2Roots, partnership means so much more than financial support.

It means investing in our mission, creating meaningful career opportunities for our Teammates, sharing valuable connections and expertise, providing guidance and advocacy, and leveraging networks to help us reach and support more transitioning servicemembers, Veterans, and military spouses.

What makes these partnerships especially meaningful is their commitment to doing these things consistently, year after year.

We were proud to recognize our nine 5-Star Partners and present each with a plaque as a small token of our appreciation:

⭐ General Dynamics: Bath Iron Works
⭐ Dead River Company
⭐ TD
⭐ Unum
⭐ Nichols Portland Inc.
⭐ Central Maine Power (CMP)
⭐ MEMIC
⭐ Systems Engineering
⭐ Standby to Fly Initiative

To each of these organizations: THANK YOU! Your generosity, partnership, and belief in our mission have helped create opportunities, change lives, and strengthen communities throughout Maine.

We are grateful for the entire Boots2Roots network of employers, volunteers, donors, and community partners who have contributed to our success over the past 10 years. Together, you've made this impact possible—and together, we're building an even stronger future.

10 Years of Impact. Made Possible by Partnership.

Boots2Roots assists active-duty military, Veterans and military spouses find meaningful work in Maine

10/14/2026

Two great networks. One strong Maine community!

Join Boots2Roots and Live and Work in Maine as we come together for our next Community Connection Event!

Whether you're a transitioning servicemember, Veteran, military spouse, employer, volunteer, or community supporter, this is a great opportunity to make new connections, strengthen relationships, and grow the network that helps people live, work, and thrive in Maine.

📅 Thursday, October 15th
⏰ 4:30 – 6:30 PM
📍 Flight Deck Brewing | Brunswick, Maine

Come enjoy a relaxed evening of networking, conversation, and community. Bring a friend or colleague—new faces are always welcome!

We hope to see you there! RSVP using the link in our event graphic.

Boots2Roots assists active-duty military, Veterans and military spouses find meaningful work in Maine

10/08/2026

What an incredible evening celebrating 10 YEARS of Boots2Roots!

On Tuesday evening, we gathered in Portland to celebrate a decade of helping transitioning servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses build meaningful careers, establish roots, and begin their next chapters in Maine.

It was a special evening bringing together Boots2Roots Alumni, volunteers, employer and community partners, supporters, and friends who have all played a critical part in making this mission possible.

While we celebrated 10 years of Boots2Roots, what we were really celebrating was the incredible community of people and organizations who have made those 10 years possible.

To everyone who joined us Tuesday evening, THANK YOU! And to the countless individuals, employers, volunteers, and supporters who have contributed to our mission over the past decade, your generosity, commitment, and partnership have helped change lives and strengthen communities across Maine.

We are incredibly proud of what we've accomplished together over the past 10 years—and even more excited about what lies ahead.

Here's to 10 years of impact, and to the next chapter of Boots2Roots!

10/06/2026

Thank you, Bangor Savings Bank Foundation!

We were proud to recently welcome members of the Bangor Savings Bank team to the Boots2Roots office as they presented their generous donation and continued their support of our mission as a Victory Partner.

Bangor Savings Bank has a long-standing commitment to strengthening the communities where Mainers live and work, and we’re grateful that commitment extends to Maine’s military community. Their support helps Boots2Roots connect transitioning servicemembers, Veterans, and military spouses with the careers, resources, and community connections they need to successfully build their next chapter here in Maine.

Partnerships like this make an impact far beyond our organization. By helping military-connected families establish roots in Maine, we’re also bringing valuable talent to Maine employers, strengthening our communities, and investing in the future of our state.

Thank you, Bangor Savings Bank, for your continued generosity, partnership, and commitment to building a stronger Maine. We’re proud to have you as a Boots2Roots Victory Partner!

Boots2Roots assists active-duty military, Veterans and military spouses find meaningful work in Maine

09/30/2026

Ten years of impact—and a meaningful recognition of the Boots2Roots community.🌲

We were honored to welcome Gail Kezer and Teague Morris, Ph.D. from the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King to the Boots2Roots office in Freeport.

As Boots2Roots celebrates our 10th anniversary this year, the visit provided a great opportunity to share an update on our mission and the impact made possible by an incredible network of Teammates, alumni, volunteers, employers, community partners, and supporters across Maine.

Gail and Teague also presented Boots2Roots with a letter of appreciation from Senator King, recognizing a decade of dedicated work supporting transitioning servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses as they pursue meaningful careers and put down roots in Maine.

We are incredibly grateful for this recognition—and for the continued support and advocacy of Senator King and his team for Maine’s military and Veteran community.

Ten years in, we’re proud of the roots we’ve built together—and excited for the impact still ahead!

Boots2Roots assists active-duty military, Veterans and military spouses find meaningful work in Maine

09/29/2026

Small organization. National network. Big impact for Maine!🌲

Boots2Roots was proud to be represented at the Bob Woodruff Foundation National Got Your 6 Summit in San Francisco—the largest gathering yet of veteran-serving organizations from across the country within the Got Your 6 Network.

As a Maine-based nonprofit and one of the smallest organizations in this national network, we were especially proud to represent our state and bring Maine’s voice, opportunities, and commitment to the military-connected community to the conversation.

Boots2Roots may be small, but our impact—and the network behind our mission—is mighty.

Thank you to the Bob Woodruff Foundation for bringing this incredible community together and for your continued support, partnership, and advocacy for Veterans, servicemembers, and military families nationwide.

We’re proud to have Maine at the table!

Boots2Roots assists active-duty military, Veterans and military spouses find meaningful work in Maine

09/28/2026

A new career opportunity—and a stronger understanding of what he brings to the table.

Congratulations to Boots2Roots Teammate Nicholas Miller on being hired as a Security Associate at Marden’s!

Referred to us through the Boots2Roots community, Nicholas already had an interview lined up. Boots2Roots provided interview preparation feedback and helped him better understand how his experience could translate into value for a civilian employer. Nicholas credits that support with helping him secure the position with higher pay than he initially expected!

Understanding your transferable skills and communicating how they apply to a civilian role can make an incredible difference during the interview process.

Every transition looks different. Whether we connect early or when an opportunity is already taking shape, we’re proud to help Teammates take their next step.

Congratulations, Nicholas!

09/22/2026

30 years of service. A new career. A new home. A new chapter for the entire family.

Congratulations to James “Jim” Kelley, Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army, Retired, on his successful transition from military service to his next career in Maine!

Jim’s story is a powerful reminder that military transition is rarely about just one person—or simply finding the next job. It’s about helping an entire family navigate change, build connections, find opportunity, and confidently establish roots in a new community.

We’re proud to have supported Jim and his family along that journey, and we’re excited to celebrate this next chapter with them.

Congratulations, Jim—and welcome HOME to Maine!

Boots2Roots assists active-duty military, Veterans and military spouses find meaningful work in Maine

09/21/2026

YOUR NEXT MISSION COULD START IN MAINE.

1. ‎Your military experience has value.

2. Maine has opportunities.

3. And you don't have to navigate the transition alone.

Across Maine's defense industry, meaningful careers are available in fields like advanced manufacturing, engineering & design, cybersecurity & IT, logistics & supply chain, project management & operations, quality & safety, facilities & maintenance, skilled trades, and more.

These are careers where the skills developed through military service—leadership, technical expertise, problem solving, adaptability, teamwork, accountability, and a mission-focused mindset—can continue to make an impact.

But your next chapter is about more than a job.

It's about finding meaningful work, choosing where you want to build your life, and making the transition from military service with confidence.

That's why Boots2Roots and the Maine Defense Industry Alliance (MDIA) are working together.

MDIA showcases the opportunities.

Boots2Roots helps make the transition successful.

If you're approaching military transition, already a veteran considering your next move, or a military spouse exploring new opportunities, you don't need to know exactly what job you want—or have your entire move to Maine figured out.

Start with a conversation. We'll help with what comes next.

YOUR SKILLS. YOUR FUTURE. YOUR NEXT MISSION.

IT COULD ALL START HERE IN MAINE.

➡️ Connect with Boots2Roots: boots2roots.org

🌐 Explore Maine's defense industry: mainedefenseindustryalliance.com