Do veterans lack social-emotional skills? A major study finds that many civilian employers...

I don't believe that it is so much lack of interpersonal skills so much other than our interpersonal skills are different. Having worked in civilian industry for a short period I found that most civilian companies view their positions as a job and not a personal calling. When you make it a personal calling you are passionate about getting the job (mission) done. That means being direct and to the point with co workers, subordinates, suppliers, and logistics personnel. Being direct in the military is what we understand and it gets things done...being direct in the civilian world means you are a bully and can't get along with anyone else when it could be nothing further from the truth. Military folks don't sit around the water cooler and jaw jack all day and then get a little bit of work done. We are focused on the mission at hand for that day and how it impacts the ultimate mission. Civilian companies are only concerned with the bottom line...if you get the minimum done and they still meet the bottom line you are good. That isn't good enough for us military folks we are just wired different. You want something done, tell us and we will find a way to get there. We won't trample on folks and stab folks in the back but we will be direct and on point until we reach what the task at hand requires and them we don't stip...we look for the next one. I don't think we lack emotional and social skills ours are just different.

Maj Marty Hogan Lt Col Charlie Brown 1stSgt Glenn Brackin
Cpl Craig Morton SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth COL Mikel J. Burroughs
LTC Stephen C. CPL Dave Hoover PO3 Bob McCord
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Sgt Wayne Wood PVT James Strait
SFC Jack Champion MSgt David Hoffman MSgt Stephen Council
SGT Elizabeth Scheck PO1 H Gene Lawrence TSgt Joe C. 1SG Steven Imerman Cpl Jeff N.

Employers need to better understand veterans before being judgemental.

I went through a steep learning curve when I got my teaching certificate. The blunt honesty, just the facts, tell it like it is style that is the operational culture in the Army did not meld well with the touchy, feely, much more personal interaction and support based culture among teachers in a high school type setting.

It was not just with the teachers. In my first week, a male student raised his hand during class and said he was bleeding. He'd been chewing on his cuticles, and if you looked real close there was a tiny speck of red, literally about the size of a chigger. I told him, "Don't worry, it's a long ways from your heart," and went on talking. He looked at me in shock and my classroom para rushed over and began clucking in dismay over the finger and got him a band-aid.

And then I knew, you aren't in Ft Hood anymore, baby.