Introduction
Military personnel play an important role in defending countries against external aggression. Their training curriculum is usually detailed and socially demanding (Clemens & Milsom, 2008). The nature of their work also forces them to work in extreme conditions that isolate them from the civilian population (Military Family Network, 2007). Indeed, many of them live for long periods away from their families and loved ones. Others live in constant fear of death (Moore & Penk, 2011). This is why many people say that military work is a form of self-sacrifice (Committee on the Initial Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Military Personnel, 2010). Based on the strict training that military personnel undergo, dismissals are common (Committee on the Initial Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Military Personnel, 2010). When they occur, the affected individuals have to leave the army and enter the civilian population. This transition is often difficult for many former military officers (Committee on the Initial Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Military Personnel, 2010; Frantz, 2008). More so, the transition is harder for former military personnel who involuntarily left the service. This paper shows that, few researchers have investigated the difficulty involved with transitions that involve involuntary dismissals. Therefore, contemporary research needs to focus on this area.
What is out there on this Topic?
Researchers who have investigated the transition of military personnel into civilian workforce have focused on veterans, or retired military personnel. For example, many studies investigated the difficulty that former Vietnamese fighters underwent as they transitioned into the civilian workforce, after the Vietnamese war (Margolis, 2008; Hoge et al., 2004; Phillips, Braud, Andrews, & Bullock, 2007). Such studies emphasized the need for a welfare fund to support retired officers and highlighted the need for more government involvement in veteran services (Hoge et al., 2004). Studies that have investigated this issue in more detail have highlighted important issues that prevent former military officers from leading successful careers in the civilian world.
For example, they say the gap between employer-employee expectations affect the re-entry of former military officers into the civilian workforce (Schmidt, 2009; Military Family Network, 2007). In line with this issue, Kelly (2011) says about 61% of employers do not understand the qualifications of military personnel. Comparatively, about 64% of former military officers believe they cannot complete a job application without external help (Kelly, 2011). Another concern highlighted by researchers who have investigated this matter is the difficulty experienced by former military officers in translating their military skills into useful skills for the civilian world. Stated differently, most of them are unsure about how to network their skills in a professional manner. These challenges highlight the main findings of existing studies that have investigated military-civilian transitions.
What is the Research Gap?
Based on the above analogy, studies that have investigated military-civilian transitions have focused only on voluntary exits from the army. Therefore, few researchers have studied the effect of involuntary discharge on military-civilian transitions (US Department of Labor, 2002). In this regard, there is a need to focus on the experiences of military officers who left the service involuntarily because unlike voluntary exits, dismissals often result in punitive actions, such as the loss of monetary benefits, imprisonment, or the lack of recommendation (Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz, 2004). These issues are bound to complicate the transition into the civilian workforce.
Conclusion
This paper sought to understand existing literatures surrounding military-civilian transitions. It shows that although many researchers have acknowledged the difficulties experienced by military personnel in transitioning into a civilian workforce, most of their findings have focused on veterans and former employees who exited the profession voluntarily. Few literatures have investigated involuntary exits from the military. In this regard, contemporary studies need to focus on this topic area.
References
Clemens, E. V., & Milsom, A. S. (2008). Enlisted service members’ transition into the civilian world of work: A cognitive information processing approach. The Career Development Quarterly, 56(3), 246-257.
Committee on the Initial Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Military Personnel. (2010). Returning Home from Iraq and Afghanistan: Preliminary Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Veterans, Service Members, and Their Families. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Frantz, J. (2008). Who will help our 75,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans already diagnosed with PTSD? Web.
Hoge, C. W., Castro, C. A., Messer, S. C., McGurk, D., Cotting, D. I., & Koffman, R. L. (2004). Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care. New England Journal of Medicine, 251, 13-22.
Kelly, D. (2011). Treating Young Veterans: Promoting Resilience through Practice and Advocacy. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Margolis, E. (2008). Memorial Day editorial column by VCS member: Hushing up suicide crisis among veterans. Web.
Military Family Network. (2007). Your Military Family Network: Your Connection to Military Friendly Resources, Benefits, Information, Businesses and Advice. New York, NY: Capital Books.
Moore, B., & Penk, W. (2011). Treating PTSD in Military Personnel: A Clinical Handbook. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Phillips, J., Braud, J., Andrews, L., & Bullock, E. (2007). Bridging the Gap from Job to Career for U.S. Veterans.
Sampson, J. P., Reardon, R. C., Peterson, G. W., & Lenz J. G. (2004). Career counseling & services: A cognitive information processing approach. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole-Thomson Learning.
Schmidt, V. (2009). Marching to a Successful Civilian Career. New York, NY: Lulu.com.
US Department of Labor (2002). Transition Assistance Program (TAP) participant manual. Web.