Do "hire a veteran" programs treat pre-9/11 veterans unfairly?

2015-01-06T21:34:44-05:00

I recently had a discussion with some Veterans around the same age group as my self. The topic was companies that claim to hire veterans. One of them brought a good point. I had to do some research but his comment was correct. He stated "yes, all these companies claiming to hire veterans will hire a veteran; if they are post 9/11 ONLY." He mentioned one company that he tried with. I will not mention company names. After attempting just to see if it was true I found that they not interested in Pre 9/11 Veterans. Has anyone else encountered this issue and how did you handle it?

Response by SSgt David Gunter made Jan 7 at 2015 12:32 PM

2015-01-07T12:32:34-05:00

Randy,

I work with a lot of companies looking to hire. I am seeing that most are wanting to hire what is considered a protected veteran. They tend to get tax breaks for such hires. As for the pre/post 9/11 I have not seen a huge difference in the split, except i work with more post 9/11 simply because there are more of them seeking employment right now.

Response by CPL Carl Buck made Jan 7 at 2015 12:55 PM

2015-01-07T12:55:52-05:00

This is in line with my experience. I exited the Army in 2002, but did not serve in Iraq or Afghanistan...this is a common question I get.

They want "combat" experience. My time with IFOR/SFOR in the Balkans apparently isn't enough.