This is an article by Mathew Perrill, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, June 11, 2025.
For many service members, the transition from the military to a civilian workforce can be challenging. They have been trained in a specialized skill set and now must determine how to effectively apply those skills in civilian employment.
Learn how veterans can find the vocational purpose they are used to in the emergency management field.
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Mathew Perrill
Mathew Perrill is a recovery coordinator at Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Region 6. He has also served in the U.S. Army since 2011. While on active-duty status, Mathew was deployed to Afghanistan for a year. He transitioned into the U.S Army Reserves, where he has held the position of drill sergeant since 2020. Prior to TDEM, he worked as a private security contractor. In August 2022, he joined the inaugural TDEM academy class and graduated in March 2023. Mathew holds a bachelor’s in fire and emergency services/homeland security from Texas A&M – San Antonio. Mathew continues to expand his knowledge by attending Texas A&M University – College Station to complete his master’s in public administration.
