Preface

Introduction

In the 15 years that America has been at war in the Middle East, more than 2.5 million American service members have deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) in addition to associated and ongoing conflicts in the Global War on Terror. The time they spent in military service has changed their lives and challenged these veterans in ways they likely had not expected. One of the most significant challenges the veterans face is in finding and securing careers in the civilian employment sector after their military service has ended or between deployments with the National Guard or military reserves. Civilian hiring managers most often have little to no knowledge about the variety of roles and range of skills that military veterans bring with them following military service. Likewise, veterans are often stymied by the experiences and expectations they experience in the civilian workforce. Misunderstandings and misconceptions plague both military veterans and civilian employers in the hiring and employment processes leaving each side wondering how to effectively bridge the cultural divide. Particularly with unemployment levels for18- to 25-year-old veterans continuing to sit at or below the level of their civilian counterparts, it is imperative that the gulf between military veterans and civilian employers be filled to meet the employment needs for both sides (U.S. Department of Labor, 2015).

The work of military service members and skills needed to succeed in military work environments is largely unknown by most civilians. Some, but not all, of the military positions in which service members work have similar corresponding positions in the civilian employment sector. For other military jobs, there is no comparable position within civilian organizations (Dillon, 2007). Service members have opportunities to learn skills and technical knowledge in military training that may be useful outside the military. For many military service members, however, the need and desire to acquire new employment skills and knowledge for civilian employment is a must. Successful transition out of the military and into the civilian workforce can have a significant impact on veterans’ civilian employment potential and viability as candidates in their job searches. Human resource development (HRD) professionals can provide career development, organizational education, and hiring support to create broader understanding about veterans in the civilian workplace in addition to easing the career transition process for veterans. It is, therefore, prudent for HRD scholars to better understand veterans’ career transition experiences and identify strategies for HRD professionals to impact military veterans’ career transition needs.

Increased volume of current HRD research into transitioning veterans’ experiences is greatly needed to fill the knowledge gap in better understanding what happens to those exiting military service and entering the civilian employment landscape. Further research can also serve to inform HRD practitioners’ development of new models of support for career transitioning veterans within civilian organizations. In addition, increased knowledge is needed to understand how unique veteran populations, such as women veterans and veterans with disabilities, are faring in obtaining gainful employment. Military service members preparing to transition, or those who have already transitioned out of the service, can provide critical insight into their preparation resources and needs for assistance along with their mental and emotional concerns about leaving military service. Veterans already in the workplace can inform researchers about their experiences engaging in the job search process as well as their feelings about moving into civilian employment and leaving the military behind.

To that end, the authors in this issue present research addressing an array of topics related to military service members’ transition to civilian employment including military and veteran transition experiences, job seeking challenges, and career development needs of unique veteran populations. Also addressed are potential HRD solutions and support strategies that practitioners can utilize to help organizations assisting veterans’ employment transitions. Authors with diverse backgrounds and experiences as scholars and practitioners will approach the topic of veterans’ career transition to civilian employment from a variety of HRD perspectives. In doing so, their research and recommendations will offer insights to inform scholars and practitioners about veterans’ transition experiences as well as generate new questions about the population’s needs to push the research agenda forward.

Although the current military actions around the world, particularly in the Middle East, have been undertaken by a broad coalition of nations, thus leading to military veterans returning to those countries, the authors in this issue have focused the research herein on veterans of the U.S. military only. This decision is not to minimize the impacts of military service on veterans of other nations but, rather, to address the veteran population most accessible to the researchers. We certainly recommend further research on all topics and unique veteran populations presented in this issue, particularly from international perspectives.