Soldiers face neglect, frustration, at army's top medical facility.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Where do most former military officers get jobs?

Defense contractors. Especially for those who earned senior ranks.

A reduction in grade carries with it an instantaneous revocation of a clearance, no clearance, no job in defense industries. (One of the more obnoxious things about the way Pentagon procurement works........ Retire from the Pentagon, get a job with the contractor you just assisted in getting the multi-million XYZ contract, and get your replacement to shift contracts your way)

While I have known of the interest of defense contractors in retiring officers for their contact....in my career I have done alot of recruiting at military fairs, junior officer fairrs, and even on-base events. Many, many non-defense contractors recruit military personnel...

Don't sell the veterans so short! There are lots of ways their skills can be applied in the civilan world.

In fact my husband just attended and military fair and hired a captain to run one of his operations.

[Lady's Human]

Most of the REALLY senior officials retiring don't go to job fairs, they have their post-military career lined up for them for the most part before they leave. (If they want it)

There's a reason the military can't keep mid-career officers around, however, you guys out on the civilian side keep hiring 'em. That's what I hate about Captains.........you get one trained, and they leave for a civilian job then you have to start all over again.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Most of the REALLY senior officials retiring don't go to job fairs, they have their post-military career lined up for them for the most part before they leave. (If they want it)

There's a reason the military can't keep mid-career officers around, however, you guys out on the civilian side keep hiring 'em. That's what I hate about Captains.........you get one trained, and they leave for a civilian job then you have to start all over again.

Truth is...you can have this one back....

[Puckstop31]

In attempt to cheer up this thread a little...

An amazing story about an amazing young man.

http://www.esquire.com/features/what...7bryananderson

What I've Learned: Bryan Anderson
Soldier, 25, Rolling Meadows, Illinois

By Brian Mockenhaupt

When I don't have help, it'll take me ten minutes to put my legs on. The first time I ever did it, it took me an hour.

I think I have the record for falling in physical therapy, because I try to push myself to the max on these things, and if you're not falling, you're not trying. That's my motto. I don't fall as much anymore, but for a while I pretty much fell a couple times a day.

I've been wakeboarding, water-skiing, jet-skiing, tubing, rock climbing, snow skiing, playing catch with my brother. I try to do the same things. I'm not going to let it stop me. We did a 110-mile bike ride from Gettysburg to Washington, D. C. Sixty miles the first day, fifty miles the second day. Hand cycle, three wheels. I ended up ripping the glove, breaking the hand, breaking the whole socket. I might do it a little differently, but I'm still going to do it. I didn't actually get up water-skiing. I was up for a second, then my arm ripped off and I fell.

I used to be a gymnast. I started my freshman year and went to state all three years. Parallel bars, floor, rings, vault, then pommel horse. I hated the pommel horse. I may not be able to do gymnastics like I used to, but I still do little stuff. When I fall out of my chair, I do a handstand to get back in. I lift up my body, push off, and snap up.

Hello? I won a trial gym membership? How did you get my name? You pulled it out of a fishbowl? Do you have any idea who I am? I don't have any legs. And I have only one hand. I lost them over in Iraq. No, don't worry about it. I'm fine now. But I probably won't use it, so you might want to give it to someone else.

You have two options once this happens: Roll over and die or move on. I chose to move on. I'm still me. I'm just 75 percent off. Get a great deal on Bryan Andersons this week. You know who actually told me that the first time? My mom. We were in Vegas, talking about T-shirts we should make, and she said 75 percent off. She said, You should get a shirt showing off your personality.

I believe in God, but I wasn't brought up on going to church. I'm not going to say your whole life is planned out for you, but I think there are certain things that are supposed to happen to you, and however you handle that defines you. So this happened to me. I'm not like, "God saved my life" or "Why did God do this to me?" God did this to me for a reason, and I'm still alive, so God knew I was going to be alive.

From every decision you make, you learn something, whether it was the right decision or the wrong decision. I believe everything happens to you for a reason, and it's going to happen to you regardless. So whether I was in Iraq fighting or I was walking across the street and got hit by a bus, it was going to happen to me regardless.

I don't regret anything.