When the Employer is faced with 2 equally qualified candidates, one a veteran and the other not, how do they determine whom to hire?

Well said.

I would add how the candidate will fit into the culture of the organization.

I hear a few comments about attitude and I think its a must , but at interview I dont think its as much of a job lander as it is keeping you in a job !!! IMO !!!

Some jobs require skills that employers are not willing to pay you to learn on their time. For example, Avionics can be a 16 month training track in the military, studying 40 hours per week. That's alot of specialized education. Few people get that training outside the military because it is very expensive education. As an employer, I would prefer they arrive with that training done, so all I have to do is acclimate them to our way of doing things. I know managers who think we can just OJT people into our job. They are always managers who have no freakin' clue themselves. Those people end up being a glorified assistant for 20 years getting paid just as much as the real techs. Can-do attitude is great, but if they are only qualified to get me a cup of coffee with a smile, don't need them. But, I also admit I have really qualified people I would love to get rid of because they are unbearable jackasses that drag down an entire team just by showing up for work. Just had that guy retire last Friday as a matter of fact, and our team thew a retirement celebration, but it happened Monday...true story.

I am with you on that. Who wants to work with someone they don't like.

And self prepared resumes are woefully weak!

A1C Doug Towsley - You have a valid point, although if where attached to a PRT, any Civil Affair team would have invited you out, hell some times we borrowed people from the admin in order to meet the ever increasing requirements of enough weapons in order to go out. The funniest one were the NG guys from New York that wanted to search the donkey carrying hashish caused it smell too good. Great guys I still laugh, those guys would always come around asking to join a mission out the wire.

SA Jim Arnold - I think it depends. No question I would hire a decorated veteran over a non-server. I wouldn't hire a veteran for a technical job unless they had the requisite training qualifications just because they had a medal for valor, but I would definitely express my respect. I never had to shoot anyone or get shot at. I am 50 years old now, and when a 22 year old Marine returns from combat I give them my respect, though I realize some people get a CIB without direct engagement with the enemy because in Desert Storm we lost the most people in the rear with the gear when a Scud hit a barracks in Ryadh. The young Marines I know personally served in artillery and crewed an LAV and both served in forward areas in deplorable and dangerous conditions as is so typical for Marines (sometimes wonder how the sea troops end up being the farthest from the ocean). But I will always do whatever I can to assist younger veterans returning to civilian life because I have been there, trying to transition to civilian career and make a life for themselves and their families.

Well when I came out the places I went to. Go and try and work for they where not military friendly and like I said before it was before the military itself was doing much to help in transition, so I can not help with this, but I would say from just what I have. Learned from the time I have in would bea great rusaume and try and figure out what it is you are going to we'll ahead of time and start putting them out there before you leave, if you can and in the. Same field you are working in