Earl Stout spent 12 active-duty years in the U.S. Army and 16 in the Reserves ("I was known as the fighting finance officer" he jokes). Now retired from the Reserves with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he lives in Texas, working with the CACI consulting division of the Technology Solutions Integration Group, and travels to help with clients or communicates with them electronically.

Disabled while on active duty as a reservist with the 75th Division in Texas, he spent nine months healing before returning to his Reserve duties. Earl comments on working with CACI, "I'd like to thank the company for the opportunity to work with the organization. It's been very, very exciting to work for a company that is very people and employee oriented ...but also very client focused, with the goal of quality as an integral part of the CACI philosophy."

With clients ranging from the U.S. Coast Guard to a federal law enforcement agency, Earl points out that his entire group is composed of veterans. "It's good to work with a group of real professionals who are always willing to exchange ideas," he says. "We have enough shared experiences, so that if one person is unsure of something, a colleague will say, 'You know, there's another way of approaching this.'"

He doesn't think that's a coincidence. "CACI is the first big company I've worked with that focuses on the qualities that come from a military background - whether you're an enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer or an officer. There's a lot of structure and organizational skills that they can bring to a company.

"I think people are concerned with getting the job done well for the client, doing it efficiently and cost effectively for CACI, of course, but making sure the client gets more than they really expected."

And Earl likes the emphasis from top management to hire and utilize disabled vets. "It's very positive and very important," he says. "And I'd like to see even more of this."