With a young daughter and wife at home, the mechanic is desperately trying to find work.
"We're treading water, right now. Due to my military pension and my wife has a great job fortunately, so we've been able to survive," Palumbo said.
Palumbo served his country for 21 years in the Air Force and he's hoping that commitment will pay off.
He and hundreds of other veterans gathered at Lincoln Financial Field Thursday for the job fair Recruit Military.
"We are here to help military veterans and their families get connected to various employment opportunities," John Lundberg of Recruit Military said.
Veterans like Charlie Palumbo say their military service has provided them with an attractive skill set for employers. They're disciplined, detail oriented and they understand teamwork.
But in Center City today, Mayor Michael Nutter said some progress is being made.
In Philadelphia, 2,700 people have been put to work over the past 3 months under the Way to Work Philadelphia Initiative, a federal stimulus program that reimburses employers for wages.
This program has been an absolute winner for Philadelphians, people who are looking for work, employers who are looking for employees, and it helped the overall economy of the city," Mayor Nutter said.
But these jobs may be short-lived. Federal funding ends in September meaning many of more people could soon find themselves joining Charlie Palumbo.
"It's been very, very difficult, frustrating to say the least," Palumbo said.
