As the United States withdraws all remaining troops from Iraq this month, thousands of veterans are entering the job market, and many are finding opportunities in the green industry -- from manufacturing to leadership to service.

Despite the 8.6 percent unemployment rate, the U.S. has a labor shortage in skilled technical manufacturing, said Kate Gordon, vice president for energy policy at the Center for American Progress, "and it's exciting that there are people coming back who may have some of those skills who can help fill that void." Businesses like Coleman's, which retrofit houses for better energy efficiency and lower utility bills, are an area of opportunity because they use many American-manufactured materials, she said.

Manufacturing comprises 26 percent of the green economy, compared with just nine percent of the broader economy, according to a recent study by the Brookings Institution, the non-profit Washington think tank. And Jobs in manufacturing can be perfect for military personnel because of the technical skills they develop, which aren't widely available in the U.S. today.

The military is "the strongest force in the U.S. government right now working on renewable energy and energy efficiency," according to Rona Fried, president of sustainablebusiness.com. "They've reduced their energy demand on the bases by implementing pretty standard -- and some innovative -- energy efficient changes," she said, "like converting your basic barrack, which has absolutely no insulation."

Job growth in the so-called green economy has moved faster than in any other sector during the recession. Military personnel have the right skills for a wide variety of positions. But nobody's saying the jobs are plentiful -- the U.S. still has a jobs crisis in many areas of the economy.

This is a field of great potential, but without more public and private support the potential won't be realized, said Sarah White, a senior associate at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy who focuses on sustainable workforce strategies. "The promise of the renewable economy is there, but the jobs have not been created yet," White said. "There is not a full bucket of green jobs just waiting for them (veterans) to transition into."

Since veterans often have applicable skills, and access to services like the St. Louis-based St. Patrick Center that helped Harold Coleman, the jobs that do exist are within reach. Also, President Barack Obama last month signed into law a bill that provides tax credits to companies hiring veterans.

Bradley-Morris, Inc., which claims to be the largest military placement firm in the U.S., has helped veterans find jobs across the spectrum of the green industry. The Georgia-based firm has seen high levels of interest in positions related to manufacturing, management, and service within the clean energy industry -- on the side of the veteran job seekers as well as employers, according to company spokesman Bill Scott.