OJRV was founded in 2007 as the Crane Learning and Employment Center for Veterans with Disabilities—with a focus on helping veterans find employment at Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, located in Southwest Indiana.

As the organization grew to serve veterans in Central Indiana, the group changed its name to the Career Learning and Employment Center for Veterans (CLEC). CLEC is a 501(c)(3) organization. In 2012, the organization opened the program to all veterans and moved its headquarters to Indianapolis. In 2013, CLEC adopted the d/b/a Operation: Job Ready Veterans to communicate our mission more clearly.

In 2017, OJRV began a deliberate expansion into Midwestern states and opened its first office outside of Indiana in Chicago, Illinois.