William Orr ⋅ Greenwood , IN Edward Jones Investments ⋅ 4 years experience

David:

These programs are only for for those whose specialties are IT-based. There are some apprenticeship programs available to those who don't fall into one of the IT fields, but they certainly leave out a large swath of the "warfighters" who might have a desire to pursue other opportunities.

The tough part is that the military doesn't necessarily exist so that people can gain civilian competencies; it exists to fight and win the nation's battles. In a four-year enlistment, a Tank Crewman, Infantryman, or other combat-arms specialist will spend a great deal of time learning his or her craft. The hours dedicated to training are long, arduous, and absolutely necessary for success and survival. While these warfighters develop a great deal of intangible leadership competencies, the scope of their employment doesn’t really do them any favors in terms of gaining certifications for their eventual transition to civilian life.

Meanwhile, the support forces (IT, logistics, communications, and maintenance) have parallel civilian competencies, and by virtue of supporting the warfighter, they are concurrently earning valuable experiential hours toward mastering a transferable trade. Inversely, the warfighter must find another niche, aside from his or her primary duty and during the limited time available to do so.

I don't advocate fairness here, as there really isn't a whole lot of fairness for the guy or gal who serves on the 'pointy end of the spear' while others serve honorably in relative safety to support them; that is just the way it is. However, I do advocate for a bit of understanding that not everyone has the same opportunity to get certified, despite any program that an administration supports. As you said, these personnel just need an opportunity to "break into the field."

Regards,

William

David Limato ⋅ Fremont , CA Hewlett Packard ⋅ 15 years experience

William, Thank you for your dedication and commitment. Do they seek only certain types in this program? I hope to see more programs like this in the future. Military Vets have a very high aptitude for technical details. They are well suited for this type of work, they just need an opportunity to break into the field.

William Orr ⋅ Greenwood , IN Edward Jones Investments ⋅ 4 years experience

While this is step in the right direction, this program does little for the "trigger puller" who isn't in a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) which trains in IT competencies. The man or woman who dedicates many years to the profession of combat arms still must seek alternative forms of certification or find ways to highlight the intangibles of his or her leadership experience.