{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-12/smoothstack-gold-hire-vets-medallion","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-12/smoothstack-gold-hire-vets-medallion.md","title":"Smoothstack Wins Third Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award","headline":"Smoothstack Earns 2026 Gold HIRE Vets Medallion, Its Third at Gold Level","description":"Smoothstack earned a 2026 Gold HIRE Vets Medallion from the U.S. Department of Labor, its third Gold award.","section":"Business","published_at":"2026-11-12T18:46:38+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-12T18:46:38+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Smoothstack received a 2026 Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award from the U.S. Department of Labor, its third Gold-level honor after 2022 and 2025.","The award requires employers to meet published benchmarks for veteran hiring and 12-month veteran retention.","Fedstack's Women Veterans and Military Spouses Cybersecurity Cohort, built with WiCyS and Women in Technology, placed veterans and military spouses into client security operations center roles."],"companies":[{"name":"Smoothstack","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00026h6/smoothstack","website":"https://www.smoothstack.com"},{"name":"Fedstack","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/002e9kb/fedstack","website":"https://www.fedstack.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"PR Newswire","title":"Smoothstack Earns Third Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award from the U.S. Department of Labor","url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smoothstack-earns-third-gold-hire-vets-medallion-award-from-the-us-department-of-labor-302938270.html"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Business","Smoothstack","Fedstack"],"body_markdown":"Smoothstack has earned a 2026 Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award from the U.S. Department of Labor, its third time receiving the honor at the Gold level. [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smoothstack-earns-third-gold-hire-vets-medallion-award-from-the-us-department-of-labor-302938270.html) announced the award on November 12, 2026. Smoothstack is a workforce transformation company that develops technology talent for enterprise and federal employers.\n\n## Smoothstack's Third Gold Medallion and the MEI Model\n\nThe HIRE Vets Medallion is administered by the Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service and is the only federal award program recognizing employers that recruit, hire and retain veterans. Smoothstack previously earned the Gold level in 2022 and 2025. Employers must meet published benchmarks for veteran hiring and 12-month veteran retention, offer programs that support veteran employees, and maintain a clean record under federal veterans' employment laws.\n\nSmoothstack hires on skills and aptitude and develops veterans and other high-potential talent for software engineering, cloud, automation and Super Intelligence roles with its clients. The model is anchored by the company's MEI (Mirrored Environment Immersion) framework, which mirrors each client's engineering environment so engineers build skills on the tools and workflows they will use on the job. Every engineer earns the Full Stack SI Engineer credential by proving capability across four independent measures: technical skills, leadership, Agile delivery and federal immersion.\n\n\"Too many companies thank veterans for their service and then hire for credentials instead of capability,\" said John Akkara, CEO of Smoothstack. \"We hire for what veterans have already proven and develop the rest.\"\n\nIn the federal market, [Fedstack](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/002e9kb/fedstack), a Smoothstack company, applies the same approach to government technology. Fedstack was named an OpenAI Select Partner within the OpenAI Partner Network, PR Newswire reported on October 12, 2026, an arrangement that enables it to develop software engineers using OpenAI's frontier models, including GPT-6 Astra, for government technology. Fedstack's Women Veterans and Military Spouses Cybersecurity Cohort, built with WiCyS and Women in Technology, placed veterans and military spouses into client security operations center roles.\n\n\"Agencies modernizing critical systems need engineers who understand the mission as well as the technology,\" said Christopher Coligado, Executive Vice President and Federal Business Lead at Fedstack. \"Veterans and military spouses have lived that mission.\"\n\n## Smoothstack's Federal Credentials and Career Numbers\n\n[Smoothstack](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00026h6/smoothstack) was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in McLean, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The same records list a headcount range of 101-250 and a revenue estimate of $50 million to $100 million. Smoothstack has changed the trajectory of more than 2,500 technology careers, and 72% of all Smoothstackers fall under one or more diversity groups, with tech talent just over 51% minority.\n\nThe records also show Fedstack achieved CMMC Level 2 certification in May 2026, validating implementation of all 110 NIST SP 800-171 security controls. In February 2026, Smoothstack appointed Kevin Bierschenk as Federal Delivery Leader and Rebecca Bier as Workforce Leader within Fedstack.\n\n## 2027 Medallion Applications Open January 31\n\nThe 2027 HIRE Vets Medallion Award application period will open to employers on January 31, 2027. The program separates awards for large employers with 500-plus employees, medium employers with 51-499 employees and small employers with 50 or fewer employees, across platinum and gold tiers.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}