(COLORADO SPRINGS) — According to a report by Apartment Finds, Colorado Springs is considered one of the best places to live after military service. In fact, more than 15 percent of the city’s population is made up of veterans.

While they might know to come to the Pikes Peak region to live, veterans also say it is hard to transition from active military life to civilian life, which U.S. Army veteran, Jonathan Mooney, can atest to.

Mooney said he grew up in Ohio, and in 1985, he walked into a recruitment center and signed up for the Army, because he wanted direction in his life.

“Didn’t expect to stay in the Army more than three years,” said Mooney. “So, I went ahead and I said another three, I said another four and six, you know, and then 20 years really went fast.”

He joined as a Unit Supply Specialist and went on to serve in the Airborne Division and Special Forces with 176 total jumps.

He devoted 20 years of his life to the service, and was deployed across the world — to Bosnia, Kosovo, the Republic of Georgia, Iraq, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Italy.

He retired in 2005 and wanted to plant roots in Colorado Springs, so that was when he decided to join on with United Water Restoration Group and open his own franchise in the Olympic City.

“I’ve always been business oriented,” Mooney said. “Even before I got out of the Army, I was painting houses on the side to make extra money for the family.”

Mooney said it helps to have a company like the United Water Restoration Group who not only hires veterans, but also serves as a family a phone call away.

“[I’m] former Army, just like Jonathan, and it was funny when he came through training we swapped old war stories, you know, as old Army guys will,” said Bob Moore, president of United Water Restoration Group.

Beyond that, Mooney said the company aligned with his desire to work with people and help after any disaster strikes.

“Our franchisees and their teams, they really, you know, have the opportunity to help people at their worst,” Moore said.

Mooney opened his franchise in 2020, and he said the company helped him every step of the way, which Moore said is unique to franchises.

“The beauty of a franchise business model is that you also have support,” he said. “You have people who can coach, who’ve run this business before, who are specialists in their respective area, whether it’s marketing or operations, and they can support our owners in the specific areas.”

Now, Mooney said he is encouraging other veterans to pursue opening a franchise, and continue to give back to their communities.

“You’ve been helping people for your whole career,” he said. “So go ahead and keep going, helping people, helping your community, helping, you know, solve problems like you did in the military.”