Alexander and Benjamin McCann, of Methuen, Massachusetts returned home after serving in Iraq, expecting the transition to civilian life to be somewhat smooth, especially in respect to finding jobs. Alex, having driven Humvees in Iraq and Benjamin, who served as a Combat Life Saver (similar to a first responder medic), assumed they had the skills to land a decent job in Methuen. "I figured, oh I'm a former marine, a veteran, [I'll] just write it on an application, all my credentials, everything I'm qualified to do... There's got to be something out there. So far, it's been nothing but dead ends," admitted Benjamin.
Ben went on to explain his first experience trying to get a job. "When I went to apply for the firefighter job and told them that I was combat lifesaver qualified, they kind of looked at me like, 'What's that?'" The plethora of military licenses and skills that they had acquired were not sufficient for landing a simple job in the northeast corner of Massachusetts.
There is no doubt that right now is a tough time to be a young person. The economy is frighteningly unstable, colleges are canceling scholarships in order to pay their own debt, and companies across the nation are undergoing hiring freezes and massive layoffs so that they can keep afloat. Young veterans are returning to this country having, in a sense, put their lives on pause, and so find themselves at even more of a disadvantage than the average young person. Ironically, the same men and women who have been sent by our country and government to fight a war, come back to find that even city governments won't hire them as they lack the basic US certifications for the jobs that they are, according to them, already qualified for.
The city of Methuen has recently passed a resolution that would give veterans preferential treatment for city jobs. The hope is that this resolution will spread to other towns and cities, and even states, so that the transition to civilian life can be easier for young veterans. Perhaps with the kind of positivity and determination exhibited by Benjamin and Alex McCann paired with a greater effort by city governments across the country, this step will be taken. For now, young veterans like Benjamin and Alex are patient, waiting for such steps to be taken. As Benjamin said, "It would be a perfect world if I could come right out of the military and say 'Hey I'm combat lifesaver qualified' and have 50 states just jump at it... that would be a perfect world, but it's not a perfect world."
Both Benjamin and Alex McCann will be attending the Young Veterans Concert this Thursday night.... You can watch my interview with them, as well as other young veterans pieces Friday night at 8pm on MTV.
To watch our coverage of Benjamin and Alex, copy and paste the following link to your browser:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1597520/20081020/story.jhtml
Follow Kim Stolz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kimmystolz
Many of them sacrifice some years to improve their economic status.
Then they're back from the most horrendous experience and what's left is disappointment.
It's sad.
It took six months before I was able to find even a low paying job as a contract laborer.
A lot of National Guard & Reserve soldiers of all ages returning from deployment are finding out their jobs are gone. There's a Federal law that says companies have to hold a citizen soldier's job while he or she's mobilized, and the Guard & Reserve do a good job of making it stick.
But if the company goes out of business, or eliminates ALL of the jobs, you ain't gonna' get yours back. You're just months behind all your former co-workers who are already out there looking for work.
A lot of small companies are also going out of business. If "Joe the plumber" is in the National Guard, when he gets mobilized there's all too often no one to carry on his business and keep it going until he can get home. He's going to have to start all over again when he gets back.
And if he stays in, he's likely to have to do it again, and again, and again, ...
The experience of being in the military is life altering and one of profound responsibility. Unfortunately, many civilian employers fail to recognize the many positive attributes of those who have served in the military and they are not able to translate military responsibilities to the civilian sector.
I served in the Vietnam Conflict as an Army officer and helicopter pilot. I would have liked to have gone on to become an airline pilot, as many of my associates were able to do, but achieving that goal was sidelined upon being seriouly wounded. Thereafter, I went back to college, completed graduate school and became a CPA and have had a successful career. Bottom line, I used the then G.I. Bill to gain the educational credentials the civilian workplace understands.
This country needs a damn good G.I. Bill so that the McCann's and other veterans like them can go to school and get the educations that position them for the future. Educating our veterans is good Public Policy and we should all be hounding our representatives in Washington to do better.
I challenge you during the upcoming Young Veterans Concert to make a responsible petition in your interviews for an improved G.I. Bill.