Posted on Jan 12, 2015
Career Sacrifice: The Things We Give Up To Avoid Mediocrity
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Greetings fellow warriors! I hope I will be able to impart some knowledge and initiate some meaningful and rewarding conversations around our profession of arms. Although I have some joint experience, most of my commentary will center on the Army Reserves. The subject of this article came to mind with the receipt of an email from LG Talley, USARC CG, regarding the recovery of unsatisfactory participants (unsats) from troop program units. This missive doesn’t really have much to do with unsats, but more about the conversation regarding the memo from the Chief of the Army Reserves (CAR).
I have spoken with many active duty and retired military personnel regarding their overall experiences of service. Among them, I have heard many stories of how a person’s civilian career has suffered because of their involvement with the Army Reserves. I have personally experienced it in some form or another, probably not as severely as others, but an impact nonetheless. It affects people differently. You may think that your company supports your service, and they may even think they do, until you start to get promoted in the Reserves or are mobilized.
In my case, when my first deployment came, my company said all the right things. They gave me the company policies, they told me that my job would be waiting when I got back, they even paid me during the first two months I was gone. The issues only surfaced upon my return. When I got back, my peers had all been promoted and been given offices, yet I was an afterthought. Later when my company was acquired, I was no longer thought of as the Director who had led production support for 10 years and had enacted good and meaningful change, but was simply the guy who had recently returned from deployment, completing “odd” jobs until a place was found for him. I was not even on the list of employees to be transitioned to the new organization. I did eventually, through networking, find a position within the new company. However, it had not been acquired through the sanctioned transition process, therefore I was bypassed for an advancement. Eventually, a year deployment had turned into a three-year stagnation of my civilian career.
This is not an anecdotal story. I once talked with an officer who worked for a law firm, and while his military career was stellar, achieving the rank of Colonel, he could not advance within his firm. They even told him he needed to make a choice — he could achieve success in his civilian career or in his military career, but not both.
I know what you’re thinking: “We have the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act! We have ESGR! They can’t do that.” I beg to differ, because they still do it. In fact, they do it every day, and they do it creatively. It makes people think long and hard about their continuation in the military. In the example of the Colonel who was given a choice, he had already gotten past the point of no return, so he stayed. Usually, it is at the O3 level when an officer decides, and at the E6 level where an NCO decides whether they have had enough. Coincidentally, these are also the grades for which the Army Reserve is most in need. It is also at this point in a Soldier’s career when the Reserve system asks much more than one weekend a month and two weeks a year - most of which is unpaid, unscheduled, and falls at some of the most inopportune times. Imagine, you have worked your way up only to work your tail off for less than minimum wage once all the hours are factored in. If you question this rationale, ask any Battalion Commander or Command Sergeant Major to show you the hours he/she puts in.
This is my experience and that of those I have worked with. Now, I’d like to hear from you. What are your experiences? What does your employer think of you not being able to work over the weekend on a big system implementation, because you have battle assembly? What if your company has scheduled an important town hall meeting, but you can’t go because annual training is scheduled, or you have to leave a meeting because your Brigade Commander is at a conference and needs to know the latest influenza inoculation statistics? What can be done to make it better on both ends of the spectrum? Or do we need to settle for a mediocre civilian career in order to serve our country?
I have spoken with many active duty and retired military personnel regarding their overall experiences of service. Among them, I have heard many stories of how a person’s civilian career has suffered because of their involvement with the Army Reserves. I have personally experienced it in some form or another, probably not as severely as others, but an impact nonetheless. It affects people differently. You may think that your company supports your service, and they may even think they do, until you start to get promoted in the Reserves or are mobilized.
In my case, when my first deployment came, my company said all the right things. They gave me the company policies, they told me that my job would be waiting when I got back, they even paid me during the first two months I was gone. The issues only surfaced upon my return. When I got back, my peers had all been promoted and been given offices, yet I was an afterthought. Later when my company was acquired, I was no longer thought of as the Director who had led production support for 10 years and had enacted good and meaningful change, but was simply the guy who had recently returned from deployment, completing “odd” jobs until a place was found for him. I was not even on the list of employees to be transitioned to the new organization. I did eventually, through networking, find a position within the new company. However, it had not been acquired through the sanctioned transition process, therefore I was bypassed for an advancement. Eventually, a year deployment had turned into a three-year stagnation of my civilian career.
This is not an anecdotal story. I once talked with an officer who worked for a law firm, and while his military career was stellar, achieving the rank of Colonel, he could not advance within his firm. They even told him he needed to make a choice — he could achieve success in his civilian career or in his military career, but not both.
I know what you’re thinking: “We have the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act! We have ESGR! They can’t do that.” I beg to differ, because they still do it. In fact, they do it every day, and they do it creatively. It makes people think long and hard about their continuation in the military. In the example of the Colonel who was given a choice, he had already gotten past the point of no return, so he stayed. Usually, it is at the O3 level when an officer decides, and at the E6 level where an NCO decides whether they have had enough. Coincidentally, these are also the grades for which the Army Reserve is most in need. It is also at this point in a Soldier’s career when the Reserve system asks much more than one weekend a month and two weeks a year - most of which is unpaid, unscheduled, and falls at some of the most inopportune times. Imagine, you have worked your way up only to work your tail off for less than minimum wage once all the hours are factored in. If you question this rationale, ask any Battalion Commander or Command Sergeant Major to show you the hours he/she puts in.
This is my experience and that of those I have worked with. Now, I’d like to hear from you. What are your experiences? What does your employer think of you not being able to work over the weekend on a big system implementation, because you have battle assembly? What if your company has scheduled an important town hall meeting, but you can’t go because annual training is scheduled, or you have to leave a meeting because your Brigade Commander is at a conference and needs to know the latest influenza inoculation statistics? What can be done to make it better on both ends of the spectrum? Or do we need to settle for a mediocre civilian career in order to serve our country?
Army Reserve
Civilian Career
Military Career
Command Post
Edited 10 y ago
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 24
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CSM, you are absolutely on point here.
My civilian job was working in the banking industry.
I also had a one manager early on that we inherited through a merger was not at all military friendly so I had to changed departments to get away from her.
In another position all my peer supervisors got raises when I was deployed and there was a restructuring of the department and of course the choice positions were filled before I returned. Even the personnel were redistributed in my absence and most of the "challenging" employees mysteriously ended up be assigned to me.
Then my last manager thought I was getting preferential treatment and recognition due to my deployment. Our department director had served as an Army Intel officer and would stop by to see how I was doing.
You can never really explain to a civilian without any military connection the difference between being in the military and working in the corporate world where it's all about the numbers and the bottom line. Where the employees are just another line on the accounting sheet to be considered with about as much compassion as any other office supply.
My boss in Iraq was an active duty brigadier general that retired as a LTG. We made two complete trips around Iraq in the year I was there under various conditions, in a multitude of transportation assets both ground and air and slept in conditions ranging from a blanket on the ground to a king size bed in one of Saddam's old palaces.
We once flipped a coin to see who would get the cot or the mattress on the floor. Together we traveled in the scorching summer heat in Nasiriyah to the winter snow covered mountains outside Dahuk.
I got to see the many of the ancient places of Iraq, some unfortunately no longer standing due to Isis.
We were fortunate enough not to ever be in a firefight but once our helicopter took hits once and we were targeted in several rocket attacks where our forces took casualties. The unit before us took losses in a convoy by IED and the unit that replaced us suffered losses in a rocket attack.
I was fortunate enough to work with some of the most senior leaders of our time; Generals Casey, Petraeus, Dempsey and Odierno. Because of the Reserves I had a private tour of the White House, got to travel all over the United States and many places around the world, all in part time job.
I spent 40 years in uniform, most of it doing a better job at my civilian job than my counterparts all while juggling two careers. Near the end of my career I would go weeks, sometimes even months without a weekend off. I used most of my vacation time for reserve duty. Once my department started a weekend rotation for the supervisors at work and my peers didn't think it was fair for me to be 'off' on weekends due to reserve duty.
My manager once told me that he thought I didn't love my civilian job like my Reserve job. He was of course correct. I am from a military family; father career Navy 1937 - 1967, oldest brother served in the Marines, another brother in the Navy, niece in the Air Force and I have a nephew getting ready to ship to Paris Island. I believe the military family is the best in the world and loved being around Soldiers.
I even put him in for a "Boss Award" from ESGR to recognize his "support" of my military obligations and had his next two level managers there for the presentation. He threw the plaque in his desk drawer and that was the last I saw of it.
My civilian job fed my family, but my job in the Army Reserve fed my soul. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. No regrets.
My civilian job was working in the banking industry.
I also had a one manager early on that we inherited through a merger was not at all military friendly so I had to changed departments to get away from her.
In another position all my peer supervisors got raises when I was deployed and there was a restructuring of the department and of course the choice positions were filled before I returned. Even the personnel were redistributed in my absence and most of the "challenging" employees mysteriously ended up be assigned to me.
Then my last manager thought I was getting preferential treatment and recognition due to my deployment. Our department director had served as an Army Intel officer and would stop by to see how I was doing.
You can never really explain to a civilian without any military connection the difference between being in the military and working in the corporate world where it's all about the numbers and the bottom line. Where the employees are just another line on the accounting sheet to be considered with about as much compassion as any other office supply.
My boss in Iraq was an active duty brigadier general that retired as a LTG. We made two complete trips around Iraq in the year I was there under various conditions, in a multitude of transportation assets both ground and air and slept in conditions ranging from a blanket on the ground to a king size bed in one of Saddam's old palaces.
We once flipped a coin to see who would get the cot or the mattress on the floor. Together we traveled in the scorching summer heat in Nasiriyah to the winter snow covered mountains outside Dahuk.
I got to see the many of the ancient places of Iraq, some unfortunately no longer standing due to Isis.
We were fortunate enough not to ever be in a firefight but once our helicopter took hits once and we were targeted in several rocket attacks where our forces took casualties. The unit before us took losses in a convoy by IED and the unit that replaced us suffered losses in a rocket attack.
I was fortunate enough to work with some of the most senior leaders of our time; Generals Casey, Petraeus, Dempsey and Odierno. Because of the Reserves I had a private tour of the White House, got to travel all over the United States and many places around the world, all in part time job.
I spent 40 years in uniform, most of it doing a better job at my civilian job than my counterparts all while juggling two careers. Near the end of my career I would go weeks, sometimes even months without a weekend off. I used most of my vacation time for reserve duty. Once my department started a weekend rotation for the supervisors at work and my peers didn't think it was fair for me to be 'off' on weekends due to reserve duty.
My manager once told me that he thought I didn't love my civilian job like my Reserve job. He was of course correct. I am from a military family; father career Navy 1937 - 1967, oldest brother served in the Marines, another brother in the Navy, niece in the Air Force and I have a nephew getting ready to ship to Paris Island. I believe the military family is the best in the world and loved being around Soldiers.
I even put him in for a "Boss Award" from ESGR to recognize his "support" of my military obligations and had his next two level managers there for the presentation. He threw the plaque in his desk drawer and that was the last I saw of it.
My civilian job fed my family, but my job in the Army Reserve fed my soul. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. No regrets.
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CSM David Heidke
This is an awesome post CSM. I wish I could spend 40 years in uniform. I will duly steal the phrase "My civilian job fed my family, my military job fed my soul."
Thank you for the time to reply.
Thank you for the time to reply.
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We have to look at this from the business point of our employer who has to make a business decision of what to do with at absentee employee, when the employer has a business to run and profits to make. One can not have two wives because it is impossible to 50/50 both.
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CPT Pedro Meza
CSM David Heidke - This employer can also be the Bn commander. Crazy to say that we are stuck in the middle between two employers.
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With one company I worked for it was greatly encourage to use vacation time the same time as your two week reserve duty. Although they always said they support the Guard and reserve. Things where much better after I started employment with a city municipality.
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Wow, that sucks! I've been active my whole career, but I've known both reservists and guardsmen. I've heard several stories about employer discrimination (subtle and passive-aggressive, yet unmistakable).
It's very myopic and selfish of them, but I can conceive of how an employer could see support of RC employees as a burden. Maybe if more employers realized that their ability to flourish in our society depends on the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform, they'd be a little more accommodating.
It's very myopic and selfish of them, but I can conceive of how an employer could see support of RC employees as a burden. Maybe if more employers realized that their ability to flourish in our society depends on the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform, they'd be a little more accommodating.
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SPC Donald Moore
A big part of the problem is the way that some media coverage works to make the activity of the military appear unnecessary. They talk about why we are even there or that we shouldn't be there.
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Well, CSM Heidke,
I am one who is a product of what you have described. I have lost 2 civilian jobs now because I have been mobilized twice and had to leave for training that is needed within my MOS. In both jobs I was told that I was being hired specifically because I am in the military and they needed my skill sets and as soon as the orders came in, they were already settled on me staying out. My career in the Army has definitely been a good one thus far but my civilian career has gone nowhere. I have gone back to school and completed my MS and still, nothing. The first question that is normally asked is about my military obligations and I am up front and honest with them so no one will be blindsided. At this point, I am kicking myself for just not going RA because it seems to me that this just isn't worth it. Frustration.com!!!
I am one who is a product of what you have described. I have lost 2 civilian jobs now because I have been mobilized twice and had to leave for training that is needed within my MOS. In both jobs I was told that I was being hired specifically because I am in the military and they needed my skill sets and as soon as the orders came in, they were already settled on me staying out. My career in the Army has definitely been a good one thus far but my civilian career has gone nowhere. I have gone back to school and completed my MS and still, nothing. The first question that is normally asked is about my military obligations and I am up front and honest with them so no one will be blindsided. At this point, I am kicking myself for just not going RA because it seems to me that this just isn't worth it. Frustration.com!!!
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CSM David Heidke
Some companies get tax deductions for hiring Vets, but I doubt they have to pay it back when they let them go.
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SFC (Join to see)
I have heard that as well. I just haven't been able to get into those kinds of companies. I have been to several job fair for vets and current military and have gotten nothing out of any of them. Even with making connections. One job literally told me that they were firing me because of my obligations to the military so they had to pay me once I went through the proper channels. The other came up with some clever reason that lined up well with me being mobilized.
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CSM David Heidke
SFC (Join to see) - When I went to career fairs, it was kind of a joke. You would go early to see what kind of squishy toy you could get or appetizer they were serving that day. All it was was a line of people waiting to hand their resume to someone so it could be tossed in a box. Absolutely useless.
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My deployments came while I lived and worked in Denmark. I owned my own business, just me. So when I was gone there was no one to take over. When I came back from OJE I almost lost the farm. I ended up taking on some extra AD time to get through. Finally after about 3 years I got back to where I was. Deploying the second time wasn't as long, 6 months, but it took a little time to get back in line. My last deployment took me about 3-4 years to recover. I also realized my job wouldn't last for another deployment.
I was a member of the 7th ARCOM in Germany and many of the soldiers were employed by civilian companies of different countries in Europe. Many had problems. I was lucky I some very loyal customers and came back to me when I got back. European Reservists if working for civilian employers were completely at their mercies. Yes we had it tough, but we were always there and I served with many great Reservists in Europe.
I was a member of the 7th ARCOM in Germany and many of the soldiers were employed by civilian companies of different countries in Europe. Many had problems. I was lucky I some very loyal customers and came back to me when I got back. European Reservists if working for civilian employers were completely at their mercies. Yes we had it tough, but we were always there and I served with many great Reservists in Europe.
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i returned from iraq 2009, given my senority as well as all leave, sick time and everything else the company i work for suppoted me as well as others in my position, i was luckey, i remrmber those people that returned from desert storm and found out they had no jobs
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I have experienced nothing but positivity from my civilian employer. I am a Latin teacher at a Catholic school. We are very relational, and the Head of School is a nun so it's not a typical corporate experience. I have been a teacher here since graduating college in 2006. I joined the USAR and commissioned in 2008. I have gone to BOLC, Captains Career Course, Commanders' and First Sergeants' Course, and I deployed. All told I've been gone from my job about 25 months. That's a lot of time of the roughly 100 months that I've been an employee. They have supported me; I have always had my teaching position waiting for me.
However, I understand why this is difficult for companies and their other employees. When you have to leave for a 9 month deployment (+45 days Mob Station and numerous days for schools and SRPs) to Kosovo or Liberia, how are you defending the freedoms of your boss? What's the benefit to him? He may intellectually or spiritually agree with your decision, but that doesn't help the extra hours and lost revenue. I think that this is going to really test the civil/military divide as the USAR tries to maintain an operational footprint. I don't blame civilian employers for looking out for themselves. Unfortunately, they will always be pinned as the bad guys, and not the policy makers who want shadow empire on the cheap, predicated largely on an abuse of the RC.
Just the humble opinion of a somewhat closet liberalish person!
However, I understand why this is difficult for companies and their other employees. When you have to leave for a 9 month deployment (+45 days Mob Station and numerous days for schools and SRPs) to Kosovo or Liberia, how are you defending the freedoms of your boss? What's the benefit to him? He may intellectually or spiritually agree with your decision, but that doesn't help the extra hours and lost revenue. I think that this is going to really test the civil/military divide as the USAR tries to maintain an operational footprint. I don't blame civilian employers for looking out for themselves. Unfortunately, they will always be pinned as the bad guys, and not the policy makers who want shadow empire on the cheap, predicated largely on an abuse of the RC.
Just the humble opinion of a somewhat closet liberalish person!
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Interesting for me as I'm at that decision point with nobody really saying stay or go.....
I've got a crappy keyboard so please pardon the lack of punctuation.
Why is all of the onus on the employer anyway- all they get is a little tax credit in exchange for a big pain in the ass
the Army's inability to plan leaves them frustrated- as hell every time..- why is it that I never get orders until the freaking day before when we know about things 60 or 90 days out.. we owe it to soldiers and we owe it to employers to give them information when we have it as they are just as much a part of the team as our families
we have been at war for going on 15 years, Reserve component soldiers have been the backbone of these operations and have proven they can do the job cheaper and will answer the nations call... so if that is the new reality-- where the reserve is truely operational... why dont they restructure the whole damn thing and start acting like it.
comparison between AC/RC
ARFORGEN
same cycle- same frequency of mobilizations
HEALTH CARE
AC - FREE RC subsidized roughly 80 percent tricare
Commissary
DoD subsidizes DeCA 1.3 Billion a year so AC and their family can eat cheaper food
Effective days worked
AC
365- 104 weekends- 10 fed holidays - 8 long weekends due to holidays - 30 leave = 213
and I get it, they go to the field sometimes so lets make that 225
RC
365 -104 weekends - 8 holidays - 14 paid time off - 7 sick time off +28 drill days and then maybe pull that 14 PTO back off because you probably burned it up on AT
= 260 - Roughly 47 more days worked per year vs AC
Schools
AC- resident NCOES/OES off at 1600, weekends off
RC 2 week compressed courses, 14 hour days, only essential info covered
BAH
AC CHECK RC NOPE ... and its tax free
BAS
same as above
base pay
AC- standard RC 2x- meant to offset known difference for not recieving BAH/BAS and to cover some commuting costs
Retirement
AC- 50 percent at 20 YOS paid immediately plus tricare for life for a ver small cost
RC- points x YOS x rank plus you still need to pay your health care
in-kind benefIts
RC none
AC; family housing, free gym membership, childcare, dependant healthcare, MWR facilities
Unemployment insurance
AC- covered if you separate-plus sep pay
RC - none
VA home loans
AC cheaper closing costs
RC- higher closing costs- apparently they are more risk
the list goes on but you get the point- I'm not advocating that RC gets more like AC, I'm actually in favor of the reverse as the active duty military program is the biggest welfare program in the country/
Back to the original statement- the RC needs a fundamental overhaul and integration with AC- we need to give solders more options for fulfilling their duty days - 1 week per quarter, 2 weeks twice a year- expand IMA- get the schools aligned AC/RC and only do one school, synoh the retirement systems so they are all points based so AC and RC can transition back and forth easier, stop encouraging mediocrity with 20 year vesting. GET RID OF THE AGR PROGRAM and make it an active duty rotation.
If the new reality is that AC and RC need to play along more often then we need to start acting like it and we need to make it worthwhile for soldiers in the RC or in a few years there wont be many left - except for all the ghost soldiers who are UNSAT.
congrats if you read all the way through this- the post was long but the issue is complex.
I've got a crappy keyboard so please pardon the lack of punctuation.
Why is all of the onus on the employer anyway- all they get is a little tax credit in exchange for a big pain in the ass
the Army's inability to plan leaves them frustrated- as hell every time..- why is it that I never get orders until the freaking day before when we know about things 60 or 90 days out.. we owe it to soldiers and we owe it to employers to give them information when we have it as they are just as much a part of the team as our families
we have been at war for going on 15 years, Reserve component soldiers have been the backbone of these operations and have proven they can do the job cheaper and will answer the nations call... so if that is the new reality-- where the reserve is truely operational... why dont they restructure the whole damn thing and start acting like it.
comparison between AC/RC
ARFORGEN
same cycle- same frequency of mobilizations
HEALTH CARE
AC - FREE RC subsidized roughly 80 percent tricare
Commissary
DoD subsidizes DeCA 1.3 Billion a year so AC and their family can eat cheaper food
Effective days worked
AC
365- 104 weekends- 10 fed holidays - 8 long weekends due to holidays - 30 leave = 213
and I get it, they go to the field sometimes so lets make that 225
RC
365 -104 weekends - 8 holidays - 14 paid time off - 7 sick time off +28 drill days and then maybe pull that 14 PTO back off because you probably burned it up on AT
= 260 - Roughly 47 more days worked per year vs AC
Schools
AC- resident NCOES/OES off at 1600, weekends off
RC 2 week compressed courses, 14 hour days, only essential info covered
BAH
AC CHECK RC NOPE ... and its tax free
BAS
same as above
base pay
AC- standard RC 2x- meant to offset known difference for not recieving BAH/BAS and to cover some commuting costs
Retirement
AC- 50 percent at 20 YOS paid immediately plus tricare for life for a ver small cost
RC- points x YOS x rank plus you still need to pay your health care
in-kind benefIts
RC none
AC; family housing, free gym membership, childcare, dependant healthcare, MWR facilities
Unemployment insurance
AC- covered if you separate-plus sep pay
RC - none
VA home loans
AC cheaper closing costs
RC- higher closing costs- apparently they are more risk
the list goes on but you get the point- I'm not advocating that RC gets more like AC, I'm actually in favor of the reverse as the active duty military program is the biggest welfare program in the country/
Back to the original statement- the RC needs a fundamental overhaul and integration with AC- we need to give solders more options for fulfilling their duty days - 1 week per quarter, 2 weeks twice a year- expand IMA- get the schools aligned AC/RC and only do one school, synoh the retirement systems so they are all points based so AC and RC can transition back and forth easier, stop encouraging mediocrity with 20 year vesting. GET RID OF THE AGR PROGRAM and make it an active duty rotation.
If the new reality is that AC and RC need to play along more often then we need to start acting like it and we need to make it worthwhile for soldiers in the RC or in a few years there wont be many left - except for all the ghost soldiers who are UNSAT.
congrats if you read all the way through this- the post was long but the issue is complex.
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CSM David Heidke
You hit some very accurate points CPT (Join to see) and unemployment as a Reservist is amazingly complicated. It's almost not worth it to collect. One weekend a month of Reserve duty spans two unemployment weeks, and you have to report the wages for them on two separate weeks, which screws up pay for both those weeks. And you might not get paid by the Reserves for three weeks.
Another pet peeve from the AC to RC... AC, paid on the 1st and the 15th religiously, RC paid whenever the UA decides they want to submit for pay. For instance, UA submits pay on the first day of AT (which they are supposed to), you get paid in a week. Submit pay after you know who is going to stay at AT (5, 8 days in after initial injuries, people sent home etc), you may get paid the next month. Lazy UAs have put people in financial hardship more than once in my military career.
Another pet peeve from the AC to RC... AC, paid on the 1st and the 15th religiously, RC paid whenever the UA decides they want to submit for pay. For instance, UA submits pay on the first day of AT (which they are supposed to), you get paid in a week. Submit pay after you know who is going to stay at AT (5, 8 days in after initial injuries, people sent home etc), you may get paid the next month. Lazy UAs have put people in financial hardship more than once in my military career.
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CPT (Join to see)
CSM David Heidke - it's definitely a pain when the UA is lazy about submitting pay. What's even worse is when the RC decides to take forever to replace a units UA once they leave, retire or are transferred to another unit. My first unit spent over a year without a UA or a UAT and the unit I'm in now is just now getting a new UA after exactly a year without one. It definitely makes it hard on pay and even harder to upload documents into soldiers personnel files.
In regards to the topic of this post, I've experienced the hardship of finding a job willing to work with me and my Reserve schedule. I just interviewed for a job that says they support military and veterans but didn't select me for a second interview even though I was more than qualified. They didn't say it directly but I got the strong sense that it was because of my Reserve service and my desire to continue serving for as long as the Army will allow me to stay in
In regards to the topic of this post, I've experienced the hardship of finding a job willing to work with me and my Reserve schedule. I just interviewed for a job that says they support military and veterans but didn't select me for a second interview even though I was more than qualified. They didn't say it directly but I got the strong sense that it was because of my Reserve service and my desire to continue serving for as long as the Army will allow me to stay in
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LTC Charles T Dalbec
CSM. ---
I only know as I worked for the CAR at DA. Also it is Army 'reserve' not 'reserves' as some call it. LIL
I only know as I worked for the CAR at DA. Also it is Army 'reserve' not 'reserves' as some call it. LIL
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