Its 0430 in the morning at a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Afghanistan. A 30-year old Platoon Sergeant performs a Pre-Combat Inspection (PCI) with her team. Helmets and ballistic eye protection are in place and canteens are filled. Weapons are cleaned, zeroed, and a function check has been performed. As she briefs her platoon on the current mission, it’s cold and windy, but the team is motivated and ready to get to work. Surprisingly, this well-oiled machine is made up entirely of millennials, the cohort of Americans born between 1980 and the mid-2000s.

For these Soldiers, their generation is known for being lazy, yet they are up while the rest of the word sleeps. The generation labeled as pampered has been sleeping on cots and eating Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) for months. They don’t make excuses. They and are held accountable for their actions and the actions of their team. Not everyone gets a trophy for being there. Only the best are called Corporal or Sergeant.

The global war on terror has largely been fought on the backs of this generation of outstanding and dedicated young people.  In fact, nearly 70% of the Medals of Honor awarded in both Iraq and Afghanistan were earned by millennials. The remaining 30% were earned by Gen Xers.

Here are the top ten reasons to hire millennial veterans:

1. Military veterans have a global perspective that most can only imagine. They have been stationed around the world and adapt easily to their environment. They are aware of, and have a respect for cultural differences.
2. Millennial veterans are calm under pressure. They have operated in the most chaotic of situations and got the job done.
3. Veterans are known for being team oriented and veteran millennials are no different. Soldiers, Sailor, Airmen, Guardians, and Marines rely on each other to accomplish the mission in life or death situations. Now that’s teamwork!
4. Millennial veterans are excellent leaders forged in over thirteen years of global conflict. They are loyal, dedicated, and highly motivated.
5. Millennials generally are viewed as over-confident. Millennial veterans, on the other hand, are professionals with a high degree of integrity. They have an air of respect and a sense of honor.
6. Veterans are responsible. These millennials know how to make decisions and they take responsibility for their successes and failures.
7. In an age of sedimentary life-styles spending all day behind a video game, millennial veterans are physically fit, generally drug free, and take fewer sick days than their contemporaries.
8. Millennial veterans have thousands of dollars in training and educational benefits that often times go unused. If they need additional training, it will be paid for. There are tax incentives, as well, just for hiring them.
9. Veterans are highly trained and well-educated with the skills the civilian workforce is looking for and millennial veterans are no different.
10. Millennials are looking for meaningful work and they found it in the military. As they leave the service, they will join and stay with your company If you engage them and make them part of the team.

Attracting military talent can be an overwhelming task, especially for those organizations that do not understand military culture. Forward March’s (FMI) team has over 110 years of combined military experience with over 35 years dedicated specifically to hiring veterans. FMI can train your staff to attract, hire, and retain top military talent. We have a comprehensive Military Talent Hiring Guide and outstanding training that can get your department staffing positions very quickly. We can also help you to develop a pipeline and hiring strategy for success and train your human resource department on all the best ways to recruit military talent. If your company is committed to hiring military veterans, let FMI show you how.

~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services