tion hub, he says. Other personnel would manage and
supervise the distribution operations of unimproved
airstrips, field logistics terminals, shipping docks, warehouses, and other facilities.
Similar processes apply at military installations here at
home, so domestically deployed veterans also have an
understanding of operations, logistics, and the allocation
and maintenance of military assets, Dozier says. Vets often
are certified as forklift operators, and many are trained in
the maintenance and operation of rough-terrain forklifts
that can handle loads weighing up to 10,000 pounds.
Furthermore, some military personnel know how to use
tools like the Army’s Logistics Support Activity (LOGSA)
system, which analyzes logistics data and information, and
are schooled in Lean Six Sigma. (To read an essay by Dozier
on why military veterans make great warehousing and
logistics employees, go to http://bit.ly/dcvets.)
But military veterans have a lot more to offer than hands-on experience. “They have skills we’re all interested in: good
team leadership, a strong work ethic, adaptability, and the
ability to solve a problem on the spot, often under time
pressure or duress,” says Jeff Rufener, president of Toyota
Material Handling U.S.A. Inc. (TMHU). TMHU offers veterans a discount on its forklift operator safety training, and
through its “Giving Veterans a Lift” program is working
with its dealers and Hire Heroes USA to train ex-military
personnel as lift truck service technicians. After three
months on the job, the dealer and TMHU make matching
donations in the vet’s honor to the nonprofit.
The military develops officers’ skills in planning, setting
objectives, evaluating results, and training subordinates.
Every member is trained in leadership, and many veterans
have been put in leadership positions early in their careers,
says Aaron Bowman, a senior vice president at the economic development agency JAXUSA Partnership of Northeast
Florida. “Veterans know how to give and how to receive
orders,” says Bowman, a retired Navy officer who began his
career as an aircraft carrier pilot and capped it with a stint
as commanding officer of a naval station.
Personnel who stayed in the military beyond their initial
contract probably have led a team, a platoon, or a functional group—something outside of an individual-contribution
role, says Ed Tobon, director of staffing for Ryder System
Inc. As a result, “compared with their civilian counterparts
of a similar age, they bring a lot more ‘soft’ skills,” says
Tobon, a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve who served
for more than 20 years in the Navy, including active duty as
a pilot and a recruiter. Since 2010, Ryder has participated in
Reach out and recruit someone
Interested in recruiting military veterans for warehousing and logistics positions? Here are a few suggestions on how to reach out to them and let them
know of your interest:
▪ Work with local and state veterans agencies,
which have databases of unemployed vets and can
help to set up open houses and collect applications.
▪ Advertise in military publications or on any of the
dozen or so Internet job boards that are aimed at military personnel (check that they are affiliated with or
approved by military support organizations), as well
as on general logistics job boards like
JobsInLogistics.com and JobsIn Trucks.com.
▪ Develop relationships with organizations like Hire
Heroes USA ( www.hireheroesusa.org) and the
Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces
( www.employerpartnership.org), as well as with academic institutions that serve veterans, like Bellevue
University and American Public University.
▪ Attend career fairs and participate in programs like
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes
initiative ( www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes),
which helps to bring veterans and employers together.
▪ Work with economic development agencies in
areas that have a heavy military presence, particularly logistics and supply facilities. One example is the
greater Jacksonville, Fla., area, which hosts four military installations, including major logistics hubs for
the Marine Corps and the Navy. The city of
Jacksonville’s Military Affairs, Veterans, and Disabled
Services Department; the Veteran’s Coalition, a group
of local employers; and the Jacksonville Chamber of
Commerce’s Military Issues Committee (MIC) all offer
support for employers who want to hire veterans.
Another helpful resource is “Ready to Serve: How
and Why You Should Recruit Veterans,” a report from
the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler
School of Business. The report can be downloaded at
www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/executive-development/
about/~/media/A3BFF16958584ACEAE4EE958714AB0
B5.pdf .
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Hiring Our Heroes” initiative and has pledged to hire 1,000 military veterans by the
end of 2013.
Here’s another reason why vets are a good fit for logistics
and warehousing: Because military operations focus on
achieving specific, definable objectives, military personnel
will look for resources to accomplish a logistics mission and
are driven by outcomes. “The team-based, mission-driven
logistics operations in our civilian society, with their focus
