On Veterans Day (and throughout the week), we honor all veterans and talk about how veterans make a lasting difference in their communities. Drawing on their experiences of service, leadership, and resilience, many step into roles that strengthen local organizations, support fellow veterans, and create opportunities for others. Their impact extends well beyond their time in uniform, helping to build stronger, more connected communities nationwide.
Often, veterans' experiences shape how they lead in communities. Military.com spoke with Daniel Avegalio, Dean of Students at Missouri Western State University, and Kevin Schmeigel, current co-founder of ZeroMils, who continues to elevate others through their dedication. Both veterans share how they’ve redefined their own sense of purpose and what it means to give back.
Kim O’Brien: How has your veteran experience shaped how you lead today?
Daniel Avegalio: Such a great question, there are various things that I learned from my time in the Military. Some key areas for me are being disciplined and mission-focused. Being able to be decisive under pressure. There were challenging times on deployment where I had to make quick and good decisions. The importance of teamwork and trust are two other areas, and my leadership style of being a servant leader of putting the needs of the team first, regardless of their position. Lastly, adaptability and problem-solving. These are all things I learned from the Military and use effectively today!
Kevin Schmeigel: After retiring from the Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel following 20 years of service, I founded and led Hiring Our Heroes, a U.S.-based veteran employment-focused nonprofit. After leaving the organization to take care of my own health and well-being, I lost my sense of purpose and felt disconnected from the military community. Despite landing a job several months later with good pay and an impressive title, I spiraled into depression — until I found purpose again. That’s when I returned to nonprofit work, during which I led two other national military nonprofits that impacted more than 3 million service members, veterans, and their families over the course of a decade. In both reconnecting with veterans and giving back to those who served the nation, I was thriving again. This eventually led to my co-founding ZeroMils, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business with a mission to create Military Thriving® cultures and communities that go beyond being “military friendly” and help change the “broken veteran” narrative.
Kim: What initiatives or events have you found to be most effective in strengthening connections among veterans?
Daniel: I feel that joining the Military gave us a sense of belonging and purpose, but also the feeling that we were always helping people. So, I think as Veterans, finding those connections in the community as a civilian is just as important, but finding ways to still continue to give back with purpose. So participating in events that give back to the community always gives us back that camaraderie or feelings we had in the Military. Volunteering for Team RWB, The Mission Continues, is another one. Even your local VFW, American Legion, and United Way all offer opportunities. I am grateful that I work at a University and we do activities like these with our Center for Service program. I have a saying that our uniform never comes off, depending on how we support our community in life!
Kevin: In October 2024, ZeroMils hosted its inaugural Military Thriving Change Forum at Georgetown University with the goal of strengthening our community by giving Veterans opportunities to connect, serve, and find continued purpose together. By empowering hundreds of Veterans from dozens of corporations’ employee resource groups to serve shoulder to shoulder with young people in collaboration with best-in-class nonprofits, our Uniting In Service events are not only strengthening connections, they are helping to change misperceptions about Veterans and inspiring the next generation to serve, both in and out of uniform. Since March 2025, we’ve seen our Uniting In Service events in Dallas, Washington, DC, and Minneapolis impact more than 7,500 underserved families while helping Veterans find purpose through continued service. Our 4th and final community-wide service event will be in Charlotte on November 6th, where we will assemble 5,000 food kits for hungry children in NC. Our hope is to demonstrate that Veterans Day is not about serving Veterans, it’s about Veterans serving America.
Kim: What motivates you to stay involved?
Daniel: I joined the Military to not only serve but also the help others. I feel like in my job today as Dean of Students, I can honestly say, I have the opportunity to wake up every day, knowing I can help change the lives of students. It is the same feeling I get in helping our Military and Veteran Community. When I got out of the Marine Corps back in 2010, I found we did not have the resources or support systems that we have now. It is sad to say, but we still have similar issues almost 15 years later, although they are better. So I told myself back at that time, that I would do my best to help advocate and support where I can, so no other service member or Veteran had to go through what I went through when I transitioned out of the Military. So I try to help where I can!
Kevin: My own struggles and experiences going from barely surviving to thriving motivate me to stay involved. In discovering that meaningful employment isn’t the only thing we need in our lives post-military transition, I want to help Veterans reach their full potential and thrive.
Veterans are no strangers to discipline, teamwork, and commitment. Many veterans transform American communities by uplifting others. Among them are Daniel and Kevin, whose volunteerism, mentorship, and leadership are changing lives for the better. Their work not only reminds us of selfless service, but also how veterans show up in American communities in everyday life.
