To Everyone Who Served: Thank You
Every year on Veterans Day, I think about the people who raised me. I think about the students I've had in my classrooms over the years, the ones who showed up early, called me "sir" no matter how many times I told them not to, and worked harder than anyone else in the room. And I think about how much this country asks of the people who volunteer to protect it, and how little we sometimes give back when they come home. This post is my thank you. It's personal, because for me, it always has been.
Where this comes fromI grew up in a family that served
I didn't learn what service means from a recruiting poster or a movie. I learned it at the dinner table.
My fatherGraham Smith
My dad spent decades as an F-4 Phantom pilot. The Phantom was loud, heavy and unforgiving, and it asked everything of the crews who flew it. He gave it his career. What I remember most isn't the aircraft. It's the time he spent away from home, the standard he held himself to every single day, and the quiet way he carried all of it without ever asking for credit.
My uncleGeneral Frank Gorenc, USAF (Ret.)
My uncle came to this country as a young boy, when his family emigrated from what was then Yugoslavia. This country gave his family a chance, and he spent 37 years paying it back. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1979, flew more than 4,800 hours as a command pilot, led the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing in Iraq, and retired as a four-star general commanding U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa and NATO's Allied Air Command.
Two very different careers, one shared belief: you show up, you do the job right, and you take care of the people next to you. And behind both of them were families who waited, moved, worried and held everything together at home. Service is never just one person's sacrifice. I saw that up close.
What I believeWhy supporting veterans matters so much to me
People ask me why thinQtank has always put so much into the military community. The honest answer is that I don't see it as charity, or as marketing. I see it as a debt. Here's why.
They said yes when it counted
Every person who served signed up to put the country ahead of themselves, not knowing where they'd be sent or what it would cost them. Most of us will never be asked to make that promise. The least we can do is keep ours to them.
Coming home is its own mission
Leaving the service means leaving the structure, the purpose and the people you trusted with your life, often all at once. Then you're asked to start over in a civilian world that doesn't always understand what you did or what you're capable of. Nobody should have to make that transition alone.
Their skills get lost in translation
I've taught a lot of veterans. They show up with discipline, composure under pressure, real leadership and, often, a security clearance. Those are exactly the things employers say they can't find. Too often, all a veteran is missing is the civilian certification that proves it on paper. That's a gap we know how to close.
"Thank you for your service" isn't enough
Those words matter, and every veteran deserves to hear them. But a thank you that ends at a handshake doesn't help anyone pay the rent or land the next job. Real support is practical. It looks like opportunity.
It's how I was raised
My dad and my uncle took care of the people next to them. Supporting the men and women who served is how I honor them, and how I try to live up to the example they set.
Thanking a veteran takes a second. Supporting one takes years of actually showing up. That's what we've tried to do.
Our recordWe've never just said it
Anyone can put "proud supporter of the military" on a website. Words are easy. A record is something you can check. Here's ours:
25+ years of trainingThousands of IT professionals trained, including service members, veterans, DoD civilians and the contractors who support them. On base and off, around the worldWe've taught live online, on-base and off-base, stateside, in U.S. territories and overseas, wherever the mission put our students. Army Credentialing Assistance vendorOur Army CA agreement is signed by both thinQtank and the Army, and our full course catalog is loaded in the DoD vendor portal. Approved DoD SkillBridge providerOur SkillBridge agreement with the Department of Defense is approved, so transitioning service members can train with us in their last months of service. A flat military rateEvery military-funded course is one flat, published rate, with exam vouchers listed separately and never bundled or padded. Registered with the federal governmentCAGE code 72FX4. We work with military education offices the right way, through the official channels. A small thank youLet us help with what comes next
We can't repay what veterans have given. But we can do what we do best, and help you take the next step. So for every veteran, we'd like to offer one training course of your choice, free, with the books, study aids, videos and labs that come with it. No strings attached. Just our way of saying thank you, and meaning it.
For every veteranOne course of your choice, on us
The training Books Study aids Videos LabsHow to take us up on it
- Find your course. Browse our course catalog and choose the class that moves you toward your goal: Cisco, CompTIA, cybersecurity, cloud, project management or anything else we teach.
- Fill out the registration. Open that class and complete the registration information for the date you'd like to attend. That's how we reserve your seat and know exactly which course and materials to set up for you.
- Let us know you served. Email sales@thinqtanklearning.com with the class you registered for and one proof of service: your DD-214, VA ID card, Veteran Health ID card, or a driver's license with a veteran designation. Please black out your Social Security number first. We don't need it.
We'll take it from there: your access, your books, your study aids, your videos and your labs. Not sure which course fits? Book a quick call and we'll help you choose.
Still serving? Your benefits may already cover our courses. We work with Army Credentialing Assistance, DoD SkillBridge and other military funding programs. Book a call and we'll walk you through what you qualify for.
To every veteranThank you
To the ones who flew, sailed, marched, maintained, guarded and stood the watch: thank you.
To the spouses, parents and kids who waited at home, moved across the country on short notice and held everything together: thank you.
To the ones who didn't come home, and to the families who carry that loss every day: we remember.
And to every veteran reading this: whatever your next chapter looks like, we'd be honored to help you write it. Dad, Uncle Frank, this one's for you, and for everyone who served beside you.
Your next chapter starts here
Choose a course, register for your class, and let us know you served. We'll take care of the rest.
Browse the catalog Book a 10-minute call— Scott
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