specialreport
BY TOBY GOOLEY, SENIOR EDITOR
the right way
Military veterans are highly qualified for jobs in logistics and
warehousing, but the transition from the armed forces to private
industry isn’t always easy. Understanding the differences will
help ensure a successful experience for everyone.
WITH THE U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN ON THE WANE
and the war in Iraq over, thousands of soldiers have been coming home, and
thousands more are expected to return over the next two years. Some choose to
stay in the armed forces, while others seek jobs in the private sector.
According to government statistics, military vets—many of whom have experience in logistics, material handling, and warehousing—have a higher unemployment rate than the population at large. Meanwhile, employers are having a
hard time finding qualified people to fill positions in those same areas. Clearly,
this is a first-class opportunity to match talent supply with employer demand.
Yet a successful match is not guaranteed. There are enough differences
between the armed forces and private industry that the transition isn’t always
easy. Understanding those differences can help both veterans and employers
make that transition a successful one.
DICK LUCAS (TOP, AS A NEW RECRUIT IN
1978) WAS ABLE TO APPLY THE SKILLS HE
LEARNED AS AN AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT
HYDRAULICS AND ELEC TRONICS TECHNICIAN
TO HIS NEW JOB WORKING ON HIGH-TECH
FORKLIFTS AT PENNWEST TOYOTA LIFT.
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT STUFF
Employers seeking to hire for warehousing and logistics jobs may be surprised
at how many military veterans are knowledgeable about those activities.
Overseas-deployed personnel, for instance, have extensive experience managing
the accountability of equipment and assets across several locations, says Jason
Dozier, veteran transition specialist at the nonprofit Hire Heroes USA and a former U.S. Army officer who served in Iraq.
“Even veterans who may not have an extensive background in logistics have
broad experience with freight management and distribution while overseas,”
Dozier notes. For example, a typical experience for an infantryman in Iraq
would include the inventorying, containerization, and loading of assets at a forward operating base, and then securing and escorting those assets to a distribu-
