Despite copious research discussing student veterans, minimal literature addresses military veteran faculty members. To address the gap, this study used qualitative interviews to describe the perceptions and experiences of military veterans (N = 12) who successfully transitioned into faculty roles within U.S. postsecondary institutions. A comprehensive review of the literature surrounding intergroup contact theory (Allport, 1979), second-career academics' support structures, and intergroup contact opportunities between military veterans and academia combined with the data to develop a conceptual framework. This conceptual framework illustrates opportunities for pre-transition contact, identifies paths and support structures used by military veterans to transition to academia, and describes how military veteran faculty members engaged in contact with colleagues, students, and student veterans. From the lived experiences of the sample emerged six themes: multiple pathways to the professoriate, typicality in their transition, cultural chameleons and kungas, bridges between dialectical tensions, doing well while doing good, and the contextual applicability of intergroup contact theory. This study details four recommendations for praxis centered on increasing military veteran faculty member visibility, integrating into academic committees, educating hiring committees, and encouraging veterans to transition to academia. Lastly, the study concludes with three recommendations for further research focused on identifying transition barriers, investigating the effects of intergroup contact within academic communities, and expanding this study to additional genders, races, and postsecondary institutions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]