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When Seeking Jobs for Veterans or Military Spouses, What Should You Wear to the Interview?

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By Debbie Gregory.

When looking for jobs for veterans or military spouses, there is one question that always comes up: what do I wear to the interview?

A good rule of thumb is wearing a suit or an outfit that is a higher level than the job that you’re applying for. By dressing a notch or two above what’s standard apparel for the position you’re interviewing for, you’re demonstrating that you care about getting the job.

Additionally, dressing on the conservative side is always the safest bet. The last thing you want to do is stand out for something other than your personality and qualifications.

While a suit isn’t always required, it’s usually alright to inquire about the dress code when you set up the interview.

Even if the dress is casual, make sure your footwear is not. Closed toed, closed back shoes are the best choice for both men and women.

If you’re on a budget, make sure to take a second look at what is already hanging in your closet. While you may think what you have is outdated, often times your look  can be updated by accessorizing with a nice handbag, earrings or necklace for the ladies, and a nice briefcase, cuff links or tie for the men.

If you must purchase something to wear, stick to basic colors such as blue and gray so that your pieces will be timeless. Although black and brown can be worn, they are not as good of a choice.

Don’t rule out consignment shops that specialize in higher end clothing, as well as outlet stores.

The most important take away is make sure that whatever you buy fits properly. You don’t want to look unprofessional is a suit that hangs on you, and you don’t want to distract your interviewer with buttons that are pulling because the shirt or blouse is too tight.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Like Father, Like Son- A Military Tradition

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By Debbie Gregory.

In some families, military service is much more than an echo of history. It’s a tradition threaded through generation after generation, as alive and thriving as ever. The Travis family is one of those.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Thomas Travis joined the Army in 1984. He is a jumpmaster and rotary wing advisor for U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command Now, his son Josh has followed in his footsteps.

“Our family’s military history goes all the way back to a Norman chief named Travers who crossed the channel with William the Conqueror,” Tom Travis said. “In the U.S., our family fought in the Revolution, the war for Texas independence, both sides of the Civil War; and my father and uncle fought in WWII in the Pacific.”

Pvt. Joshua Travis joined the Army in 2015

“My dad was my inspiration to join the Army, and go to Airborne School, and while I was at Airborne School, he got to jump with me on my second jump,” Josh Travis said. “I feel a lot of pride in being able to jump with my dad, and in him basically passing on the torch to me, so to speak.”

Although Tom Travis’s 30-year military career is winding down, he has had “a lot of fun” doing what he loves.

His words of wisdom for his son?

“Always do the right thing even when no one is watching and learn from both good and bad leadership experiences,” he said. “Remember that all jobs are important, so give those troops the respect they deserve. Be able to lead and follow.”

“I am very proud of my son for choosing this path. I have always tried to guide and advise him, but the decision to join the military should always rest with the individual. A parent should never push their son or daughter into serving,” Tom Travis said.

Josh Travis said that he looks forward to the possibility of one day sharing with his own son or daughter the same experiences he’s had with his father.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Should VA Medical Facilities Be a Non-Profit?

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By Debbie Gregory.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., unveiled a legislative proposal in an attempt to reform the Veterans Health Administration.

McMorris Rodgers’ plan would turn the VA into a government-chartered nonprofit corporation, much like the hospital networks already operating in the private sector today.

The “Caring for our Heroes in the 21st Century Act” would launch a “Veterans Accountable Care Organization” to run the VA’s health care facilities. It would help create a new voucher system whereby soldiers could use VA funding to get care from the private sector.

Veterans who are currently enrolled would be able to choose where they get care, while new veterans would be automatically enrolled in the new VetsCare Choice, giving them access to private health care.

McMorris Rodgers said the proposal would serve as the starting point for putting veterans in charge of their health care. A longtime advocate for members of the military and their families, McMorris Rodgers co-founded the bipartisan Military Family Caucus to provide military spouses and children a voice in Congress.

For a number of years, the VA system has been under attack, with allegations of mismanagement, inefficiency, claim backlogs and long wait times for medical care. The scandal came to a head when it was discovered that VA workers were getting millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bonuses even as injured vets waited to get their claims approved, and veterans were dying due to lack of medical care as VA office workers faked records.

The bill would strengthen the power of VA’s management in the hiring and firing of the VA’s 330,000 workers, many of whom are in a government union. It would give management the flexibility to rewarding good workers and to get rid of the bad workers.

The VA already allows some veterans to receive care at non-VA health providers as a result of changes in the law resulting from the secret wait list scandals of 2014.

Under this $10 billion program, veterans waiting over 30 days for VA appointments and veterans who live more than 40 miles from VA medical facilities can get care outside the VA. But this program has is also fraught with problems, as the number of approved participating providers is limited.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Tech Companies Set High Veteran Hiring Expectations

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By Debbie Gregory.

Matching up veterans and transitioning service members with tech jobs makes sense, since many of those who have served have already utilized tech-related skills.

To that end, tech giants like Dell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and EMC pledged to hire 1,000 to 3,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years. Additionally, GoDaddy and Seagate Technology have pledged to hire 200 to 500 veterans.

Joining Forces, the national employment and career development initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden now has five years of success. The program has resulted in 1.2 million veterans and military spouses receiving jobs and training.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, whose company pledged to make 25,000 veteran and military spouse hires said, “”We’re constantly looking for leaders who can invent, think big, have a bias for action, and who want to deliver for customers.” Bezos added, “Well, those principles look very familiar to the men and women who served our country in the armed forces. And also their spouses. These guys work hard and have lots of skills.”

SpaceX has a solid reputation when it comes to employing members of the military, and has been named one of the 10 best companies for veterans in the country. The company boasts a high percentage of recent hires who were veterans, as well as a 95% retention rate among hired former service members.

This talent pool has also worked in the most challenging and stressful environments imaginable.

At MilitaryConnection.com, we offer a multitude of resources for veterans and military spouses who are seeking employment, including our Virtual Job Fair and our Job Board.  We also spread the word to employers about the tax credits available to employers who hire veterans.

We salute and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

The Lowdown on Navy SEAL Leadership

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By Debbie Gregory.

Rear Adm. Tim Szymanski, named to assume command of the Naval Special Warfare headquarters in Coronado this summer, was confirmed for promotion to a second star by the U.S. Senate.

But questions have been raised by Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Marine Corps veteran who asked for an investigation of contracts that Szymanski played a role in earlier in his career.

The congressman, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, asked Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to investigate Navy SEAL training contracts for evidence of insider dealings by Szymanski. Hunter said he would stick to his demand for investigative scrutiny and continue to speak out against Szymanski’s rise to the top SEAL job in Coronado until he was satisfied.

A retired SEAL, Eric Deming of Virginia, wrote to Hunter saying that a 2008 formal complaint Deming filed alleging nepotism and misconduct led to reprisals that destroyed his career.

Bill Wilson, who retired as a Navy SEAL captain in 2014 and who served with Szymanski said, “Right when we need a good Naval Special Warfare leader, for Duncan Hunter to do this is baffling. I know all of these guys, and Tim is the best leader of all of his peer group.”

Wilson noted that Szymanski was co-author of the SEAL “Ethos,” a set of personal and professional codes that Naval Special Warfare adopted in 2005.

Meanwhile, Rear Adm. Brian Losey, the SEAL commander slated for retirement this summer after political pressure sunk his promotion to a second star, has broken his silence about what his camp calls a deeply flawed process for investigating military wrongdoing.

“I remain fully accountable for my actions in command. The highest priority of any line commander is in ensuring that our service members have the resources, guidance and empowerment to succeed,” Losey said.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Marine Veteran’s Heroic Actions Saved Lives in Orlando Attack

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By Debbie Gregory.

Hero is a word that gets tossed around a lot. By definition, a hero is a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for brave deeds and noble qualities.

As the first shots of the mass shooting in Orlando were fired, Pulse bouncer Imran Yousuf’s first instinct was to escape. But he wasn’t just thinking of himself; he wanted to get as many people out of harm’s way as he could. He knew that on the other side of a group of panicked people was a door that would lead them to safety. But someone had to unlatch it.

“I’m screaming ‘Open the door! Open the door!’” Yousuf said. “And no one is moving because they are scared.”

“There was only one choice — either we all stay there and we all die, or I could take the chance, and I jumped over to open that latch and we got everyone that we could out of there.”

Yousuf managed to open the backdoor that led out into the street, evacuating more than 60 people. After he got them out, he began carrying the injured to ambulances outside.

In total, the former Marine of Indian descent saved between 60 and 70 of the clubs patrons.

Imran’s brother, Ameer, had recently moved down to Orlando from Schenectady to be with his brother and other family members.

“This was so unexpected but because of my brother’s training in the Marine Corps, he was prepared and used strategies from that to do everything he did,” said Ameer Yousuf.

Imran Yousuf joined the Marine Corps right after graduating from Niskayuna High School in 2010. He served as an engineer equipment electrical systems technician in the Marine Corps from June 2010 to May 2016, according to service officials. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. He was last assigned to 3rd Marine Logistics Group.

“Because of his training, he knew to remove his security shirt and how to think as quickly as he did,” said Ameer Yousuf.

According to Ameer, his brother only regrets that he couldn’t save more people.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Should Women be Required to Register for Selective Service?

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By Debbie Gregory.

Selective Service law, as it’s written now, refers specifically to “male persons” in stating who must register and who would be drafted. For women to be required to register with Selective Service, Congress would have to amend the law.And that may happen sooner rather than later.

Now, for the first time in American history, a provision that would require women to register for the military draft was included as part of the massive 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that passed the Senate with an 85-13 vote.

The new requirement would apply to any woman who turns 18 on or after January 1, 2018.

The United States first conscripted soldiers during the Civil War, and did so again for both World Wars I and II. All three times, the draft ended when the wars ended. It wasn’t until the Cold War that the draft became a peacetime fixture, remaining in effect until the U.S. military became an all-volunteer force in 1973.

Registration returned in 1980 when Russia invaded Afghanistan, and President Carter felt it prudent to do so.

Men who are 18-25 that fail to register with the Selective Service could lose eligibility for student financial aid, job training and government jobs. Immigrant men could lose their eligibility for U.S. citizenship.

The language requiring the draft for women has created quite a bit of controversy.

It comes as the military services welcome women into previously closed ground combat units in keeping with a mandate from Defense Secretary Ash Carter given late last year.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced an amendment that would have removed the draft language from the bill, but it was unsuccessful.

The House and Senate must now reconcile their versions of the NDAA in conference before final passage.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

 

Nation’s Oldest Veteran Celebrates Number 110

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By Debbie Gregory.

Happy birthday to the oldest verified surviving American World War II veteran. On May 11th, 2016, Richard Arvine Overton celebrated his 110th birthday

Overton was born May 11, 1906, and like most Americans, he answered his country’s call to service during World War II. He served in the South Pacific from 1942 through 1945, including stops in Hawaii, Guam, Palau and Iwo Jima.  Sergeant Overton left the U.S. Army in October 1945.

Following his military service, Overton worked at local furniture stores before taking a position with the Texas Department of the Treasury in Austin. He was married twice, but never had children.

Over the last few months, Overton has had to give up a few things, such as driving his truck, and he has cut down on drinking whiskey. But he is still chomping on cigars.

In 2013, Overton was invited to the White House, where he met President Obama during an honor flight trip. He told the President “I smoke at least 12 Tampa Sweet cigars a day.”

The spry centenarian celebrates his birthday every year in his yard, and this year was no exception, as Overton was surrounded by family, friends and admirers

With the exception of a bad bout of pneumonia late last year, he has been relatively healthy.

Overton doesn’t really have an explanation as to why he has been blessed with such a long life.

“You have to ask God about that. He brought me here and he’s taking care of me, and nothing I can do about it. I can talk about what he’s doing for me.”

Needless to say, this Veteran is well loved by his friends, family and neighbors. When asked how it felt to be 110, Overton said he felt like he was 50.

“He considers himself our neighborhood watchdog, and he knows everything that’s going on,” neighbor Helen Elliott said. “I don’t think the neighborhood would be what it is without him. He’s our legend, our icon.”

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard,Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families.

Should Iraqi Who Saved US Servicemember’s Life Receive Asylum?

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By Debbie Gregory.

Chase Millsap is on a mission. The former Marine and Green Beret, a veteran of three military combat tours in Iraq, wants to save the man  who saved his life.

“The Captain,” a former Iraqi military officer who had worked with the Americans, is currently living in Turkey, and is trying to seek permanent asylum in the United States.

For the past two years, Millsap has been trying to help the 37-old married father of two

expedite his refugee application.

Millsap formed the Ronin Refugee Project with a few other military veterans, a non-profit dedicated to helping those who fought alongside Americans find safe harbor here or in other Western countries.

First on the list is the Captain.

“He’s one of millions that’s stuck in a system that is broken and he’s just gonna continue to wait,” Millsap said. “And so we decided to step up, me and a few other veterans.”

Millsap is looking to repay a debt. After a sniper tried to take Millsap’s head off during a routine patrol, the Captain pushed him down and ran towards the gunfire and saved Millsap’s life.

The sniper, seeing an angry Iraqi soldier charging at him, chose to run rather than shoot again.

“And that,” Millsap added with a laugh, “is when I truly realized that this guy’s OK.”

Millsap left the Marines after his second tour to join the Army’s Green Berets, rising to the rank of captain. The two captains didn’t cross paths but kept in touch by phone and email until the Captain almost died when an improved explosive device blew up his Jeep.

Although he recovered, when the Captain and his family began to receive death threats, they fled to Turkey.

He and Millsap Skype once a week. During a recent call, he praised Ronin Refugee Project for not forgetting him.

“I feel like you are my family. You are my brother. You and the other group of Marines are really gentlemen,” he said before his voice began to break.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Army Reserve Captain Among the Orlando Shooting Casualties

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By Debbie Gregory.

U.S. Army Reserve officer Antonio Davon Brown was among those killed in Orlando terrorist attack, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Brown, 29, was a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 383rd Regiment, 4th Cavalry Brigade, 85th Support Command, based in St. Louis.

By all accounts, Brown was a down to earth guy and had been a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) while a student at Florida A&M University.

“We are especially saddened by the news that one of the victims was part of the FAMU family,” the university said in a statement.

Brown joined the U.S. Army in 2008, just after graduating from FAMU with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He was deployed to Kuwait from April 2010 until March 2011, according to U.S. Army Media Relations.

Brown continued his education while in the military, earning an MBA from the Gary Tharaldson School of Business at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 2010.

He was promoted to captain in March 2012 and was most recently working as a human resources officer for Lowe’s Home Improvement Center.

Brown’s  awards and decorations include a Meritorious Service Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Overseas Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M-Device and the Army Service Ribbon.

Brown was expected to be conferred with a doctorate of management in organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix in the fall.

Funeral services will be held Saturday in Melbourne, FL.

Our hearts and thoughts are with the family of Antonio Davon Brown, and all of the grief stricken families who are struggling to cope with the overwhelming loss of their loved ones.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.


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