Do you think Soldiers are fully prepared to be competitive in real life?

2015-05-06T04:37:23-04:00

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 6 at 2015 4:40 AM

2015-05-06T04:40:18-04:00

Response by SPC Marwan Sweedan made May 6 at 2015 5:33 AM

2015-05-06T05:33:30-04:00

I would like to respond to my question and perhaps start a serious discussion that can lead to presenting this matter to the decision makers.
When start joining any division of the service, the level and the quality of the training the soldier gets concise to a particular mission decided by the SOP of his/her MOS. That sort of training limited to a specific role and/or a task. Most of the time, this type of training and its application aside of many years of military experience does not mean anything when trying to advance and compete with civilians academically or in the job market. Simply, because companies and academia have a pre-requisite and qualifications for a position of desire that most of the soldiers do not have and can not get while in the Army.
As the soldiers perform PMCS or doing field training, for example, the civilians use equivalent time building a firm resume for the job market and keeping abreast of times. And let's all face it, the transition process for soldiers is just another bureaucratic step in our archaic governmental system. Most of the units if not all does not pay attention to that critical level in soldiers' life. Technically they are setting their troops for failure in the upcoming mission.
to be frank, "most" companies and university programs will thank you for your service when they send you the letter of rejection.

Response by MSG Morgan Fiszel, CPCM, CFCM made May 6 at 2015 6:00 AM

2015-05-06T06:00:27-04:00

If you are referring to Soldiers coming off active duty that have been there since high school: NO.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2015 7:29 AM

2015-05-06T07:29:02-04:00

Depending on what the Soldier does while in the service they can be highly competitive. I have over 84 SH of College credit free of charge via TA and a national certification for my job to use on the outside. I will have my Associate and Bachelor degrees before I hit my 9 year mark in service to combine with 20+ years of experience when I retire.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2015 8:15 AM

2015-05-06T08:15:12-04:00

... Were they competitive during their time in the military?

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2015 8:29 AM

2015-05-06T08:29:27-04:00

This is specious at best. Sounds like a civilian with an agenda and has yet to qualify himself or his experiences.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2015 8:33 AM

2015-05-06T08:33:09-04:00

You mean I haven't been living in a real life? Man I am f*cked!!!

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made May 6 at 2015 8:35 AM

2015-05-06T08:35:24-04:00

Yes and no. Yes in that they have real world technical experience that can be translated into a multitude of civilian jobs. No in that (not the military's fault) the civilian world isn't as prepared to accept military experience as easily as you think they would. There are certain companies out there ready and willing to hire SMs based on their experience but even they will admit they are looking in the E-3 to E-5 range. Doesn't seem to be a lot readily available for the senior NCO - MAJ range, unless you find a good placement on your own and/or are willing to relocate where the jobs are as opposed to where you want to settle. There are a lot of companies out there trying to better understand the differences in civilian and military leadership and what a SM brings to the table in that area but we're not there yet. The military IMHO has made great strides in the transition area and is doing a great job supporting its transitioning and retiring SMs, but for some reason there still seems to be that schism between the two worlds that hasn't fully been bridged yet.

Response by PO1 Jason Taylor made May 6 at 2015 8:59 AM

2015-05-06T08:59:05-04:00

It's all based on the person, and what they did! Any job in the mitary has ups and downs. It depends on also what they did to further them selves during there time in!

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made May 6 at 2015 9:06 AM

2015-05-06T09:06:36-04:00

we need one of these bad boys to bridge the gap.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2015 9:52 AM

2015-05-06T09:52:06-04:00

I thought people chose the path of there life and if being a Soldier is thier path how is that not real life? This is real to me and I love what I do.

Response by SrA Daniel Hunter made May 6 at 2015 9:58 AM

2015-05-06T09:58:05-04:00

I think service members tend to look at their military er service and their experience there and limit how that applies to civilian life. I have been working since I was 14 years old, served for 4 years and the experience I gained in the service is by far my greatest asset. The majority of my service was spent as a mechanic. What skills did I get in that role?
1). Management
2). Supervision
3). Scheduling
4). Production Forecasting
5). Communications
6). Report writing
7). Regulatory compliance
8). Physical security
9). Information security
10). Quality control/assurance

Think about what you do or did, not what it was called but what was actually done.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made May 6 at 2015 10:49 AM

2015-05-06T10:49:24-04:00

You can't really look at troops in general, but rather the individual. A transitional program is provided before a troop is separating, what they take from that is up to them.

Response by SGM William McNeal made May 6 at 2015 4:04 PM

2015-05-06T16:04:07-04:00

SPC Sweedan,
Thank you for your service.

What the military is good at is preparing our service members to protect our country; we are second to no one in this task. But preparing them to transition is not our primary function. Therefore, candidly, I would tell you no. It's not that the military has not put some effort into transitioning our members, its just a fact that that's not our primary mission.

I do believe that they are competitive in the civilian life, but I think a few big problems are: translating military skills and experience into an understandable civilian "speak"; getting over the stigma that a service member may "snap"; and whether or not a service member can adjust to the organizational fit of the organization without being disruptive to the current environment. I know the answer is that our service members are competitive and have proven that they can adapt to any environment. The issue will be wither the civilian agency is willing to give them that opportunity.

The cold truth. Overt treatment of our veterans have improved vastly from the times of Vietnam. Covert treatment has not necessarily translated into providing employment. They're grateful for selfless service and sacrifice or our service members and families, but it doesn't translate to trusting us with employment commensurate with our experience and education.

SGM McNeal

Response by SFC Stephen King made May 6 at 2015 4:48 PM

2015-05-06T16:48:41-04:00

It depends on the individual and there drive.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made May 6 at 2015 8:48 PM

2015-05-06T20:48:26-04:00

I know exactly what you mean. I am not going to pass you off as you were one of those civilians that say ignorant things like, "military members are uneducated and stupid" as if everyone who doesn't join the military suddenly become college grads. The military is not an institution like a prison. Your question is more suited for prisoners who will soon see freedom. You are insinuating that service members are institutionalized. Well I don't feel that way. I have bills to pay. I can go to the store when every I want. I can consume adult beverages like wine and beer. I don't have anyone telling me when to go to bed and when to get up so I should be lost and confused when you ask about living the real life, but I have dealt with this very same question with civilians who were less than educated on the military. Will you please elaborate?

Response by SGT Kevin Gardner made May 8 at 2015 1:36 AM

2015-05-08T01:36:43-04:00

Personally I don't think it is the veteran who would be unprepared for life in the civilian sector, in the five years I have been out of uniform, I find it's the employers who are not prepared for those of us who served.

I can't count how many times I have gone to a potential employer and been told they don't see how my skills or my service will benefit their company, I even tried going through a head hunter company and they completely cocked it up, the job posting was for a large trucking company that I will not mention, so I handed them my resume that every professional job councilor told me was great and I should have no problem landing a first look. I was told that my skills don't translate. Funny you need a truck loaded at point A with eight stops to drop off and pick up before it got to point J, and it all had to happen in a certain time frame to keep the customer happy.

Don't know about you but when you had eight units needing food to feed the troops, medical supplies to help keep your brothers and sisters alive, and bullets so they could fight back, you moved the damn freight. The only difference I see is that in the civilian world you probably weren't going to get blown up in the process.

and yes just about every job I have applied to wanted me shuffled lower in the deck. At almost 40 years of age and with physical limitations my days of being able to scrub toilets is over, just like changing my own oil in my truck.