Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Valentine | Lt. Col. David Wollman assigned to the 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command,...... read more read more
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — For active duty units returning home after a deployment the transition can be difficult, but they have one thing going for them, they have a job with steady pay and good benefits. Many reserve soldiers going home no longer have the job security they enjoyed while deployed.
The 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command’s Jobs Working Group is a collection of soldiers, both officer and enlisted, that have come together to help fellow soldiers, through mentoring and providing information that may guide them into a new or a better job.
“There is still an alarming percentage of citizen-soldiers who are unemployed,” said 1st Lt. Alex Longo, knowledge management officer, 311th ESC. “The vast amount of experience many reserve soldiers have in the civilian workforce, we figured why wouldn’t we want to tap into that vast knowledge base and spread the wealth around, so that all soldiers could benefit.”
With this combined knowledge and experience, the 311th ESC is trying to ease some of the stresses involved with finding employment.
“The working group can collectively educate and ensure that soldiers have all the resources they need.” said Maj. Casey Miner, command inspector general. “That there is a lot of experience here within the command and that they are not alone. As a unit, we should be looking out for and assisting other soldiers as needed,” said Miner.
Miner said employment issues can directly impact the performance of soldiers, which can lead to poor unit performance and disciplinary actions. But this is only one concern when it comes to employment struggles.
“The biggest concerns are soldiers will return home with no job and no idea where to start job hunting, or even worse, they return home without any prior planning,” said Longo. “As the 311th ESC winds down into the home stretch of 100 days until returning home, soldiers need to be proactive and passionate about finding work and not waiting.”
A big part of the employment assistance program is partnering Soldiers with knowledgeable people who can help with building a resume. The resume, according to several soldiers attending the meetings, seemed to be the biggest obstacle. Translating military occupations and jargon into an understandable resume format is daunting.
The working group is committed to guiding soldiers as much as possible and remains present to answer any questions they may have. Even though this program is available to all Soldiers, Longo believes it starts with the individual soldier.
“Take your job search serious and know what benefits are available to you,” said Longo. “As a veteran you truly have a distinct advantage, but if you don’t know what’s out there for you for free, you’re behind the power curve and in a sense, leaving a lot of free money on the table. Start applying for schools now. Apply for jobs now. No one else will do it for you.”
| Date Taken: | 06.03.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2013 02:46 |
| Story ID: | 108220 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 135 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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