Helping Military Retirees Transitioning Into Civilian Jobs

Helping Military Retirees Transitioning Into Civilian Jobs
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Introduction
After many years serving the country as a soldier or in various capacities within the military, it is always a much-needed respite, when one calls time to military service. Military veterans are usually much respected by the society and the nation at large, for their valiant efforts and commitment to the military. These are people who have sacrificed a large part of their lives, if not all of it, to serve their nations and protect the people. The fact that they need a hero’s treatment is well acknowledged by the military itself, which has its way of designing the perfect send-off packages for these veterans. The problem, however, comes in when the veterans come back home and need to integrate back into the society. They realize that it is not easy to seamlessly integrate. Their lives spent away fighting in the bushes of Africa or the jungles of Asia for example, has made them entirely different and very isolated from even their families. Getting civilian jobs, just like any other ordinary individual, becomes something that these military retirees need help in.
Reasons for The Challenges in Transition
There are two main reasons why retirees face challenges in securing civilian jobs; their personalities, and the job market. When starting with the first one, it has been a daunting task over the years, for military retirees to secure civilian jobs. According to Klappholz (2016), the challenge is even greater within the private sector, since most of the firms there still have the traditional anti-military perspective. The number of opportunities for military veterans is, however, on the rise due to the increased need for some firms of the military skills possessed by these veterans. The federal government, for example, has preferences for individuals with military experience and gives them priority over the rest, when recruiting their manpower.
The second reason, which was personality, comes in to analyze the reasons why it is difficult for military retirees to get back into the society, based on their character. It is indeed well documented, the impacts that military experience can have on the mind and overall being of a military veteran, the main one being post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to Krippner et.al. (2012), 75% of all war veterans are usually diagnosed with PTSD. The symptoms or manifestations of PTSD are what raise concern over the employability of these retirees. The symptoms include anxiety, anger, or drug addiction. Sometimes, they just prefer isolation. There are also other factors that play a role in the challenges of transition. Since the advent of the United States’ war on terrorism, there is likely to be an increase in the number of military retirees scarred by their experiences on most countries where they’ve been sent to.
The levels of study of these retirees also affect their transition and employability in civilian jobs. For example, those who joined the military with higher educational qualifications have a relatively smooth transitioning into civilian jobs than those who joined while they were high school graduates (Morin, 2011). Th...