Military service is a key differentiator in the workforce, said retired Army general William "Kip" Ward on Thursday's webinar, Increasing the Pipeline: Veteran's Transition Initiative.
A veteran is an employee with a "factor of mission accomplished," the general said. "Be it four years or 40 as in my case, a veteran reflects a sense of accomplishment." Gen. Ward, a 2010 Black Engineer of the Year Lifetime Achievement award winner, recognized military service as a key differentiator.
The BEYA Veterans Transition Initiative aims to provide seamless transition from the military to jobs in industry, and will be presenting professional seminars at the upcoming BEYA STEM Conference February.
Ward, who retired as commander of the United States Africa Command, is currently president of Sentel Corporation, a global information technology, intelligence, integrated logistics and engineering services company based in Virginia.
"You only have to listen to the barrage of information on radio, television, and social media to get a sense of the complexity and interconnectivity of today's world, trade and commerce, and how security and stability impacts each of us and presents a landscape for those who will come behind," Ward said.
One of the advantages that veterans have post career is a unique composition of technological savvy and an exposure to many environments, peoples and cultures.
"They bring a diversity of thought, experience, and approach to solving problems, addressing and understanding problems - a substantial advantage," he said.
Clearly, veterans by nature of what they have been exposed to gives them a broadness of experience and perspective, he said.
"From the standpoint of skill sets, veterans are reinforced by having served. A veteran brings accountability and punctuality. Responsibility is being responsible for the life of your buddy, and the oath we take means dedication to something greater than yourself," the general said.
Other avenues and professions are purveyors of the same values and ethics, but in aggregate coupled with technical expertise, the American veteran has the most powerful combination of job skills and attributes, he added.
Gen Ward, a Morgan State University alumnus, joined the ROTC during the Vietnam era. Back then, he said, global positioning systems were not as ubiquitous in military activity or civilian life.
"Now you can plug in your systems and voila, there you are. Men and women in the military are exposed to equipment and methods that better capitalize on efforts humans bring to any scenario. They are taking advantage of those things in measurable ways, using advances in technology to the benefit of national security, and promoting stability makes them more effective in their jobs."
Veterans scheduled to attend Veteran's Transition Initiative events at the 2015 BEYA STEM Conference will take part in the headline "Vets Career Transition: Mapping your experience to STEM Careers" seminar. Panels will highlight what you need to know to market your talents to employers, application of military skills to industry and business, and coaching from veterans like Gen Ward who have made the successful transition. Panelists will also discuss innovative programs and competitive organizations that create opportunities for veteran entrepreneurs, including access to money to start and build a business.