re: Calling BTHog to the flight deck.

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Most employers that prefer Veterans do so because of leadership experience, and military personel work well in group settings.

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I agree that being in the military can help build leadership qualities, but I don't see this being any different than, say, being a supervisor or manager at a previous job. The simple fact of the matter is that, within the private sector, the employer should hire the person that is most qualified for the job. Being bias towards vets could potentially open up all sorts of legal issues via preferential treatment. And as Hog fans we definitely know what happens when that gets out of the bag.

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With that said, I've never known an employer to hire a Vet simply because he was a Vet, but it can be the deciding factor when all else is equal.

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When it comes to government jobs, by law, they HAVE to be preferential towards vets. The Veterans' Preference Act is Federal Law, and whether or not you agree with it, it is there.

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Vets that have trouble landing a job after their military service have trouble not because of their education or skill set, but because of other factors, such as having to work autonomously, working in an unstructured environment, or because of combat stress. Getting the job is easy for the most part, it's keeping it that poses the problem.

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I disagree. I think it has all to do with education and skill set. When it comes to technical positions and even in other sectors, having a degree that supports that is almost mandatory now. For example, I work in engineering and we won't even look at someone who doesn't have an engineering degree. It doesn't matter if they were a fricking 5-star general - if they don't have at least a bachelors in engineering from an accredited school then we won't even entertain the idea.

I'm not saying that experience acquired in the military isn't valuable for building a person, but beyond whatever leadership experience and teamwork abilities acquired, it really can't be applied to a lot of other areas.

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I don't know who your friends are, but part of what they say is correct, a large % of soldiers never see combat, or when they do they aren't in harms way (relatively speaking). The problem is you can't just look at a soldier and know if he's seen combat or not, that's why most people view soldiers as heroes (although, we aren't).Understand that it doesn't matter why they served, the fact of the matter is they did knowing the potential risk.

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There is potential risk in a lot of things. I work in the oil field. Ever been on a rig up on the North Shore? What those guys go through is just as, if not more dangerous than what your average solider sees. Are those guys heroes? I don't think so - they are just doing the job they signed up for. I just don't know if potential risk entails being a hero.

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I've served on 3 combat tours, I've been at risk. Other than education benefits, I've never used my Veteran status for anything pertaining to a job. I don't even ask for military discounts anywhere.

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That's basically what I am saying. You said you are in IT, right? Do you think you would have gotten your current position just based off of your military experience? I doubt it. I agree that the military can be a good way to build your leadership and teamwork skills, but after you get out you really need to acquire additional education to be marketable in technical jobs.