Chesapeake Energy honors its 1,200 military veteran employees.

Despite their experience, the national unemployment rate for veterans is three times higher than that of nonveterans, said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Rita Aragon, Oklahoma Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs.

“It's very important to have companies that are really reaching out and going after our veterans,” she said.

Military veterans make up about 10 percent of Oklahoma's population, far exceeding the national average of about 1 percent.

Oklahoma employers have benefitted from the veterans' experience, Aragon said.

“Employers want employees who are able to work on their own and have initiative,” she said. “They want employees who have integrity and dependability and who know how to get to work on time. They also want people who have a love of country, which translates to a love of the business they're working for. It makes them very employee-friendly to be able to work with other people who have that same kind of value.”