By Amy S. Choi

From the Trenches

Military veterans who are looking to start a company could do worse than to start with the Veterans Affairs Dept. and the Small Business Administration. But sometimes you need to hear it from someone who's walked a mile in your shoes--and it still going. We spoke to 11 veterans about life after the military and what it took for them to launch their own company. Managing a battalion, it turns out, is good practice for managing a company.