A
Anonymous
Guest
Paul Harvey spoke of this today-- the fact that many returning Guardsmen and Reservists say they are not being given their jobs back ( I think Paul said surveys showed 28% couldn't get their job back)-or offered comparable jobs- and as long as they still have a possible military committment- are not given or hired for many jobs or the higher paying jobs with responsibilities....
This is exactly what some of the returning local Guardsmen I've talked with have said...And that our government (the King and the Lord in D.C.)is offering little to no assistance for these folks.....
Seems our business and corporate worlds 'Patriotism" ends after they stick their war profits in their pockets-- and can't be bothered by hiring folks that might inconvenience their profiteering by being recalled to be cannon fodder... :roll:
The same neocon elititests and businessmen that scream nonpatriot or traitor to someone that questions the war-- are now forcing those that are actually fighting the wars to lie about their military service and duty status to be able to put food on their tables....
This is exactly what some of the returning local Guardsmen I've talked with have said...And that our government (the King and the Lord in D.C.)is offering little to no assistance for these folks.....
Seems our business and corporate worlds 'Patriotism" ends after they stick their war profits in their pockets-- and can't be bothered by hiring folks that might inconvenience their profiteering by being recalled to be cannon fodder... :roll:
The same neocon elititests and businessmen that scream nonpatriot or traitor to someone that questions the war-- are now forcing those that are actually fighting the wars to lie about their military service and duty status to be able to put food on their tables....
When Service Limits Options
As Deployments Continue, Some Reservists Rejected for Jobs
By Christian Davenport
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 14, 2007; Page A14
Angela Rooker was proud of her military service and it showed: On her r¿sum¿ she listed her membership in the Air National Guard prominently, highlighting her rise through the ranks and her position as the executive officer of a maintenance group.
But the more job interviews she went to in the civilian world, the more she was asked whether she was going to be deployed to Iraq -- and the more she came to believe her membership in the Guard was a hindrance, not an asset.
Finally, after a year of searching unsuccessfully for a position in the high-tech industry, she reduced her 22 years of military service to a single line on Page 2 of her r¿sum¿: "Military Service: United States Air Force."
"As soon as they figured out I was still very much obligated to the military, it changed the tone of the interview quite a bit," said Rooker, a captain in the California Air National Guard. "Nobody wants to hire a key person that may get deployed."
As the war in Iraq stretches into its fifth year and Guard and Reserve units continue to be called in large numbers -- many for multiple tours -- some service members say their military ties are getting in the way of landing civilian jobs. Despite widespread support for troops, there is a "military service penalty" in the workforce, said Dan Caulfield, executive director of HireAHero.org, a California-based nonprofit agency that helps veterans find jobs.
"There is a huge stigma" attached to reservists and service members in general, he said. One of the mantras passed from soldier to soldier is: "Don't mention you're in the Guard and Reserve," he said. "That is becoming fairly common."
Federal law requires employers, even small companies, to keep jobs open for workers called to active duty. And after some initial confusion, employers have largely honored these rules. Reservists say the problems now arise when they are seeking new jobs.
After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, many employers sent their reservists off to war "with flags waving," said retired Marine Corps Col. Al Smith, who volunteers for the Defense Department's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve and helps returning reservists get their jobs back.
"There is less flag-waving with the second and third deployment," Smith said. "Even though the employers are supportive as a general rule, there is a disruption in the business environment."
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Geoff Mann of the Virginia Army National Guard said he understands the concern. "I guess it's understandable that they would want to know how much time you're going to be away," he said.
That wariness was evident, he said, during an interview he had in 2005, shortly before he was called up for duty in Iraq for more than a year. The employer wanted to know how often he had to report for duty, and whether he could be called away to war.
He's not sure whether his Guard membership cost him that job. But having to admit he could be called away at any time "makes it more challenging," said Mann, who has been raising his 2-year-old son in Richmond since returning from Iraq in February. "It's a shame because you want to serve your country, but at the same time you have to put food on the table."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/13/AR2007101301208.html