July 4th is about fireworks, cookouts, and a day off work for most Americans. But for those of us with military backgrounds, it hits a little differently.
Independence isn’t abstract. It’s something people fought for, continue to fight for, and build their lives around. And for veteran-owned businesses like ours, it’s also something we get to practice every day.
This year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on something that doesn’t get talked about much: the connection between military service and the technology we all use every day.
Military Innovation Built the Modern Web
The internet exists because of the military.
ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, was a Department of Defense project in the late 1960s. The goal was to create a communication network that could survive a nuclear attack. Decentralized, resilient, impossible to take down by hitting a single point. That architecture became the foundation for everything we do online today.
GPS started as a military navigation system. Satellites launched by the Air Force now guide everything from your phone’s map app to delivery trucks to farming equipment.
The computer in your pocket exists in part because of military investment in microprocessor research. Encryption standards that protect your online purchases were developed for secure military communications.
This isn’t flag-waving. It’s just history. The technology we build websites with, run e-commerce stores on, and use to connect with customers around the world has military DNA.
Service Members Make Good Technologists
There’s a reason so many veterans end up in tech careers.
Military service teaches skills that translate directly: problem-solving under pressure, attention to detail, following processes while adapting to changing conditions, working as part of a team toward a mission. The military runs on logistics, communication systems, and increasingly sophisticated technology. Service members learn to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot complex systems as part of the job.
Beyond the technical skills, there’s something else. Military service teaches you to get things done. To figure it out. To take responsibility and follow through. Those aren’t skills you can teach in a bootcamp.
At YellowWebMonkey, we’ve built our team around veterans and military spouses. Not as a marketing angle, but because we know what that background brings to the table. When a client has a problem, we fix it. When something breaks, we figure it out. That’s not unique to veterans, but it’s a mindset we recognize.
What Independence Means for Business Owners
There’s another side to this.
For a lot of veterans, starting a business is its own form of independence. After years of service, structure, and following orders, building something of your own is a different kind of freedom. You set the mission. You make the calls. You live with the results.
It’s not easy. Veteran entrepreneurship rates are high, but so are the challenges. Transitioning from military life to business ownership is a steep learning curve. Finding capital, building a network, learning to market yourself, all of it takes time.
We work with a lot of veteran-owned businesses. Take Grill Your Ass Off, founded by Army veteran Jason Murff, who turned a hobby into a brand in over 1,400 retail locations. Then there’s Bonefrog Coffee, started by retired Navy SEAL Tim Cruickshank to honor fallen teammates. And Hearing the Light, where blind Air Force veteran Cheri Owen creates tactile ceramics. These aren’t just clients. They’re people who took their service, their skills, and their independence and built something with it.
That’s worth celebrating.
July 4th, What it’s about
July 4th is a day to appreciate what we have. The freedom to build businesses, to serve customers, to work with people we respect. The technology that makes it possible. The service members, past and present, who protect it.
If you’re a veteran thinking about starting a business, or a veteran-owned business looking for support, we’re here. Not because of a holiday, but because that’s who we are.
Happy Independence Day
