Since the United States has an all-volunteer military, many civilians are unfamiliar with military culture in general. Currently, more than two million people are serving in active-duty or selected reserve components of the United States military around the country and across the globe.
When standing up any initiative or preparing your workplace to welcome veterans, keep in mind that no two have the same experiences. That said, acquiring knowledge regarding military culture can definitely improve employers' and co-workers' abilities to understand, communicate and effectively interact with service members and their families. A basic knowledge of the values, structure, policies and expectations of the military promotes a stronger working relationship between employers and employees who are veterans or their family members.
It is also important to know what branch of the service your team member comes from. All service is good service, but a military member has a loyalty to the branch in which they served. Each is distinct.
Navy
Mission: The mission of the Navy is to maintain, train and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.
Values: Honor, courage, commitment
Army
Mission: To fight and win our nation's wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders.
Values: Loyalty, respect, honor, duty, selfless service, personal courage
Air Force
Mission: To fly, fight and win ... in air, space and cyberspace.
Values: Integrity first, service before self, excellence
Marine Corps
Mission: To be forward deployed and to respond swiftly and aggressively in times of crisis. Their unofficial mission is: "First to fight!"
Values: Honor, courage, commitment
Coast Guard
Mission: To protect the public, the environment and U.S. economic interests.
Values: Honor, respect, devotion to duty
Sometimes, it's easy to refer to your soldiers as sailors, or vice versa. If you do, it's easily forgiven. However, you shouldn't confuse a Marine with anyone else (if you know what's good for you).
The following pages give a snapshot of each branch of the service, their core values and when they came about.
Military experience varies greatly from service member to service member. For those without a military background, it is helpful to become better educated regarding the types of jobs and levels of responsibilities a veteran or transitioning service member may have had while in the military:
Enlisted personnel are the specialists of the military. They are trained to perform specific hands-on tasks in the military, as needed for any mission. As enlisted personnel progress up the ranks -- there are nine enlisted ranks -- they assume more responsibility and provide direct supervision to their subordinates.
Noncommissioned officers (NCO) are enlisted military members holding a position of some degree of authority, usually obtained by promotion for performance, knowledge and discipline. Additional testing and leadership schools are often required to achieve these ranks.
Warrant officers are highly trained specialists and subject-matter experts. They remain in their primary specialty to provide specialized knowledge, instruction and leadership to enlisted members and commissioned officers alike. With few exceptions, one must be an enlisted member with several years of experience, recommended by their commander and pass a selection board to become a warrant officer. The Air Force is the only service that does not have warrant officers.
Commissioned officers have the primary function of providing overall management, planning and leadership in their area of responsibility. Unlike enlisted members and warrant officers, commissioned officers are not as specialized (with certain exceptions, such as pilots, doctors, nurses and lawyers). Commissioned officers must have at least a four-year bachelor's degree.
To recap, commissioned officers plan, enlisted personnel do and NCOs oversee the "doing" with the spirit of the commissioned officer's plan in mind. Warrant officers serve as the subject-matter experts.
Lt. Cmdr. Chip Lutz, U.S. Navy (Ret.), works with leaders who want to lead better, get more done and leave a legacy. As commanding officer of two naval facilities, both of his teams received national recognition for setting new standards of service while maintaining high morale and high retention among team members. Lutz served as the director of security for Naval District Washington, D.C., during Sept. 11, 2001 -- where he was responsible for the safety and security of 25,000 people on six naval installations in the National Capital Region. Lutz has authored four books.
The Next Step: Find the Right Job
Whether you want to polish up your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area, or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Sign up for a free Military.com membership to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox.
