After One Tough Job, War Veterans Face Another: Finding Employment

I respect soldiers as much as anyone but what exactly is the difference between Tom Tarantino and the 29-year old civilian laid off from a private sector job? There isn't one. What this story neglects is context, disappointing given that the writer is in what is supposed to be a pretty good grad school for journalists.

The economy is what it is and people going through dozens of interviews before landing a job is the norm for ALL job-seekers, not just those who are ex-military. If you doubt this, quit your job tomorrow and report to us periodically about your job hunt. As previous posts have shown, the net effect of this article is ginned up anger of the Don Quixote variety -liberals continuing to tilt at the George Bush windmill and faux concern over the plight of soldiers from people who can't stand the military in the first place.

To be sure, Tarantino offers a unique skill set and if, as the article states, "translating all of those qualifications to civilian employers was difficult", then private sector HR departments are staffed by the mentally weak. The idea of asking someone who has led troops in combat if he can handle 30 people whose biggest dilemma what wine to have with dinner would be comical if it were not presented with such gravity.

What happened with the captain on his job hunt is a scenario repeated by tens of thousands of regular Joes who remain in limbo. It is not unique to anything and presenting it as though it is a bit disingenuous.

Sadly. this is nothing new. It's happened to soldiers returning from military service ever since the Vietnam Conflict. Today, due to the level of destruction to our economy by our Government it is very bad indeed. Unless your M.O.S. (Military Occupational Speciality) is in a trade or skill that is actually used in civilian life you will need retraining. Been there and done that!

REAL AMERICANS dont want the government in their lives !

When a repuke is running america and the rest of his repukes have 'laid waste to the economy'; they do the same thing every time,start a war...Lets kill our sons and daughters and give trillions to the war hawks....Great economic plan repukes...now look where we are at

Alex Lekas
9:08AM Nov 19th 2009

Your post reflects a total ignorance of the realities of the current job market, and the challenges that human resources administrators have. For example, why should a company hire an outsider, with no real practical civilian skills or experience, when they can promote someone from within, for far less money? Many people leaving the miltary have unrealistic salary and benefits expectations If this guy was making $60-$70,000 a year, will he settle for $35,000, with a chance for promotions? Probably not. If he left the military voluntarily (quit), should he expect to jump in front of the line when we're facing 10.2% unemployment? My point? Things are tough all over. Translating the skills he says he has, into hard civilian skills, is almost impossible. The technical and supervisory skills he probably claims he has, are not suitable for the civilian market, and he is facing re-training/re-education.

I warned that the soldier returning home only to find that communists had destroyed there American dream would be a little more then upset. "You ain't seen nothin yet"!

Goppy
1:00PM Nov 19th 2009

I hear you Goppy. And I'm hear, to make sure nonoe of these morons go unchallenged. They somehow believe, that repeating the BS of Rush, Sean, Bill or Glenn, makes the informed and intellectual, when they can't seem to see, that all of that stuff is just an act, designed to tap into their inner fear and since of helplessness. I will continue to ram the facts up their narrow azzes if they insist on repeating BS that has no basis for the truth. Then having read the truth, and being able to research things for themselves and rejected the truth at least they will have an excuse for remaining ignorant.

GDP grew in the 3rd quarter, jobs are always lagging the numbers recovery in each recession. Those thinking about long-term recovery, know the enviroment will be a big winner in the conversion to biofuels & biopower -- saw a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth

www.savingpontiac.org....saving 40,000 jobs today! We welcome our veterans as soon as they can get there! All we need is one YES from The President or Treasury!

Visit us and sign the petition!

This is very important to employ our veterans, but unless we start producing more products here instead of countries like China. We will continue in a Job decline. Its not as easy at it seems but this one fact that people have to understand, because it is not talk about enough. If you want a job? Support local companies that build products right here in the USA.

Just another example of how THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION is Bankrupting the UNITED STATES. OBAMA's Change WE Can believe in has turned into a Disaster we can believe in. He cannot make up his mind to do the right thing in Afghanistan to support our troops and Guantanamo. Yet he speaks with forked tongue, Bailing out Wall Street does not create JOBS, it only solidifies the status quo. Any talk of bringing any troops home will also be a disaster for them because they will ALL wind up HOMELESS. Americans at home are losing their Jobs, their homes and their dignity, let alone what will happen to the returning troops and the impending doom at home? Obama's Stimulus plan should have supported the States to save Jobs and sent stimulus money to the private sector to save and create Jobs. My Wife is a School Teacher, and MANY of her CO workers have been laid off, class size is increasing and Teachers are facing Payroll cuts. This situation shows very clearly that EDUCATION FOR OUR YOUTH and OUR FUTURES doesn't matter to Obama and the Democrats. The right thing to do would be to DEMAND the return of all stimulus money given to Wall Street, Big Banks, Big Business and re-spend that money into the private sector to reverse this disaster created by the Obama Administration. I hate to say it, But WE were better off with BUSH. I am not a Bush supporter nor did I vote for him, BUT AT least he did not bare our asses to the world and create the worlds highest debt for the US. The Obama Administration cannot fix what is broken, for they are broken themselves. This is what America gets for turning blind eyes to Obama's background and his involvement with radical socialists. This is a clear signal to the PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES to vote these incumbents out of office and black list them for the future, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE do not need these types of politicians to represent US. WE need new laws to control our politicians and hold them accountable for their actions or inaction's. Our Politicians are out of control and spending our Tax Dollars like changing underwear and are killing the American Dream. We need to make ALL LOBBYING, PET PROJECTS, and PORK BARREL SPENDING a FELONY. ALL FEDERAL SPENDING should be by PUBLIC REFERENDUM, since it is 0ur money anyway. It's really sad to see what our country has become at the hands of Obama and the Democrats that our returning troops will have nothing to look forward to except Homelessness and poverty after they put their lives on the line for their country...