I was recently watching the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams and ran into a story about Command Sergeant Major Martin Barreras, who died in a Texas hospital over the weekend from injuries sustained in an attack while serving in the Afghan province of Herat. He held one of the most coveted enlisted ranks in the Army.
Similar to the Centurion in the Roman Army, Command Sergeant Majors are highly experienced enlisted men charged with leading large units of troops into battle. There are only 3,700 soldiers who hold the rank, and Barreras was among the best. His long list of accomplishments includes leading a successful mission to rescue Jessica Lynch in the Iraq War.
Very true: Barreras was a bona fide war hero to all who served with him.
But it was something else that Brian Williams said during the piece that got me thinking:
It’s always been such valuable advice for employers in this country: If you have a job opening and need to get the job done, hire Command Sergeant Majors from the military because that’s what they do.”
However successful they are on the front lines, veterans do not always hit the ground running upon returning home, and it’s something that’s painfully obvious. As of 2013, the unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is 9 percent, and has been consistently higher than the national rate since 2008.
There are several reasons for this.
One is that veterans are simply not used to job-hunting in the traditional sense — resume writing skills are not needed in the military. Another is negative stereotypes — assuming a tour of duty means dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anger issues.
There is also the worry of acclimation — when employers fear a clash between the military and business cultures. Sadly, returning from war carries a powerful stigma with it.
In the spirit of Memorial Day, we’ve compiled some links to the most useful resources that will help both employers and veterans get over this slump:
This Memorial Day when we honor the ultimate sacrifice of veterans like Command Sgt. Maj. Barreras, let’s also extend a hand to those who are unemployed and struggling back home, and let them know that they are not forgotten.
