Employers Continue to Support the Army Reserve

Bill Crumlett, (left) executive director Human Resources, Ron Bouldin, Employer Partnership Program Support Manager, Seagoville, Texas and Rusti Clemens, assistant director, Human Resources.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Employers continue to join the Employer Partnership and demonstrate their commitment to Citizen-Soldiers.

The Southwest Research Institute signed a partnership agreement with the Employer Partnership Office in San Antonio, Texas on 24 July 2009.

Southwest Research Institute mission is to benefit government, industry, and the public through innovative science and technology.

The staff of more than 3,300 specializes in the creation and transfer of technology in engineering and the physical sciences. The Institute occupies more than 1,200 acres in San Antonio, Texas, and provides nearly two million square feet of laboratories, test facilities, workshops and offices.

SwRI, a independent, nonprofit applied research and development organization, and a total revenue for fiscal year 2008 was $563 million.

Craig Anderson, a Reserve Soldier with the 807th Medical Deployment Support Command and owner of The Anderson Group and Sonic Drive-In #5079 signed a partnership agreement in Seagoville, Texas with 10 fellow Reserve Soldiers from the 807th MDSC, Lt. Col. Ed McFadden and Lt. Col. Francesaca McFadden attending.

Craig Anderson, owner of The Anderson Group and Sonic Drive-In #5079 and Ron Bouldin, an Employer Partnership Program Support Manager, signed the agreement.

Dozens of Chicago and Illinois State employers will sign a partnership agreement Aug. 5.

Among the partners who joined the Employer Partnership are: the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Chicago 2016, Cook County, Teamsters Joint Council 25, The Chicago & Cook County Building Trades Council, Chicago Federation of Labor, and Service Employer International Union (SEIU).

This initiative facilitates strategic and mutually beneficial relationships between employers and associations to recruit and train soldiers who are interested in securing a position with Employer Partners, while they continue to provide service to our country. These soldiers will be training to fill needs in various fields like law enforcement, healthcare, construction, and transportation.

Employer join partnership to hire reservists

From AUSA News, May 2009

At a time when the American economy is stressed and the nation’s security challenges demand a responsive, operational reserve force, the chief of the Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, has reached out to employers asking them to partner with the Army Reserve on employment strategies dealing with deployments and the challenges they face in supporting the deployments of their employees serving in the reserve.

The Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative has created an opportunity for employers who want to hire Army Reserve soldier to sign on as employer partners.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, military associations, professional associations and unions, are now contributing to this effort.

The Army Reserve – from its roots in 1908 as a small medical corps of 160 doctors to today’s fully operational force of over 202,000 highly-skilled men and women from diverse fields – has worked to keep our nation safe for over 100 years. From defending our borders to protecting our communities, Army Reserve soldiers have served in every major conflict since its inception, while contributing to our nation’s economy. Americans have supported these brave warrior-citizens – both in their military and civilian lives – as they continue to keep our nation strong as we fight the global war on terrorism.

The job opportunities American employers are providing through the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI) support the reserve’s mission in a concrete and substantive way.The Employer Partnership Initiative, launched in April 2008, helps drive employment opportunities for soldiers by enhancing the relationship between the Army Reserve and employers who share common goals of strengthening the local community, supporting Army Reserve soldiers and growing a stronger economy.

EPI offers soldiers two careers – one as a citizen-soldier in the Army Reserve who brings his or her civilian job skills to the battlefield, and the other as a highly skilled employee, working for an employer partner whose civilian skills have been fine-tuned by military training and experience.

EPI gives a competitive edge to a soldier over his peers in both his civilian and military careers.

Stultz said the initiative also provides a way for the Army Reserve to provide tangible benefits to soldiers and their families. “The initiative gives our soldiers the opportunity to advance their private sector careers and provides their families the stability they often lack while the soldier continues to defend and protect our country,” he said.

The Army Reserve is adapting to meet new challenges. In the 20th century, Army Reserve soldiers trained one weekend a month and two weeks every summer. To meet the demands of the 21st century and the global battle against terrorist networks, the Army Reserve has transformed from a strategic reserve to an operational force that is an integral part of the Army. This has often meant longer deployments, increasing the burden on the civilian lives of reserve soldiers.

Stultz said, “This truly is an operational force, and if you join the Army Reserve today, you are going to deploy. We owe you help with your employer to make sure that you can maintain a civilian job while you’re serving your country.”

The Army Reserve’s first employer partner was the Inova Health System, the Northern Virginia-based healthcare system that offers opportunities for soldiers in areas of critical clinical support, such as radiology, respiratory therapy and surgical occupations.

The mutually beneficial agreement allows the Army Reserve and Inova to recruit personnel and then share the talents of trained medical professionals. The early link with Inova has given rise to partnerships with other healthcare organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic, Northeast Ohio Health Science & Innovation Coalition (NOHSIC) and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, among others.

The Army Reserve provides two-thirds of the Army’s medical capabilities, making healthcare partnerships – like those with Inova or NOHSIC – viable long-term opportunities for returning reserve soldiers or new enlistees looking for a career.

But it is not only the soldiers who benefit from these partnerships; our partners get some of the best trained medical practitioners available to anyone in the industry. “This is a win-win situation,” Maj. Gen. Robert Kasulke, deputy surgeon general for mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs, U.S. Army Reserve, said. “The hospital can get a decent employee, fully skilled, drug free and morally clean.”

As the healthcare industry expands and the demand for medical workers increases, the Army Reserve is a natural place to look.

The Summa Health System CEO, Tom Strauss, said, “This is a skilled workforce that has already been trained to come in and help us fill those needs so it’s a marriage made in heaven.”

The Employer Partnership Initiative, however, is not limited to the healthcare field. Meeting today’s economic needs, the program spans several industries from transportation and logistics to telecommunications, healthcare, law enforcement, and information technology. The initiative continues to gain tremendous support from many of America’s leading companies because partners are integrating highly skilled and talented soldiers into their work force.

General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said, “This partnership matches with GE’s commitment to hire talented people with uncompromising integrity.”

Close to 300 public and private employers – in nearly every state – have joined the initiative. Soldier employment opportunities now exist with Fortune 500 companies such as Wal-Mart, General Electric and Boeing; municipal organizations such as the New York Police Department and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department; and state placement agencies in states including Oregon, Vermont, Missouri, and Florida, among others.

The Employer Partnership Initiative provides soldiers with the tools for professional development and advancement in their civilian career. As the partner list grows, job prospects widen as well. To see the various open positions, visit the Army Reserve Web site at www.ArmyReserve.Army.mil.

“I was impressed at the variety of jobs available and the diversity of occupations,” Arnel Albano, an Army Reserve captain, said.. “The Web site is a great service to soldiers who are looking for meaningful long-term careers. I hope this project continues on and continues to grow with more business partners.”The Army Reserve also has career counselors for soldiers as they explore the variety of job opportunities presented by Employer Partners.

Through the Employer Partnership, the Army Reserve assists its soldiers in maximizing their unique skills, training and advancement in both their military and civilian careers. Soldier employees undergo training to meet both Army and industry standards so that they will be more than qualified to fill multiple industry shortfalls and continue to strengthen our nation militarily – and economically.

For more information about joining the Employer Partnership Initiative, including a complete list of Employer Partners and job openings, visit the Army Reserve Web site at www.ArmyReserve.Army.mil.

(Editor’s note: This story is based on an article by Col. Dianna Cleven, chief operating officer, Employer Partnership Initiative).

EPI mitigates vet reemployment issues

The news media regularly runs stories on the issues Reserve members have, especially since Reserve members are being used in increasing numbers since 9/11. The recent online article "Returning reservists find military duty clashes with job protection" is one example.

The Employer Partnership Initiative mitigates potential reemployment issues when Army Reserve Soldiers return from a deployment to their civilian workplace.

The Employer Partnership Initiative is predicated on military-friendly employers hiring and supporting their Employee-Soldiers so they can more easily perform their military duties. EPI provides an open communication conduit between the Employer Partner and the Army Reserve so any problems can be handled at the lowest levels, eliminating the need to go to the Department of Labor.

Employer Partners make an impact for disabled veterans

By Olivia Cobiskey
Director of Marketing - Media

Employer Partnership Initiative

QUANTICO, Va. - The buzz of hopeful and excited voices permeated the air at the Clubs at Quantico Tuesday. Nearly 250 people filled the room two hours into the five-hour career fair sponsored by Marine For Life, Wounded Warrior Regiment, and Marine Corps Community Services.

The first hour was dedicated to wounded warriors and Purple Heart recipients.

Denyse S. Gordon, Diversity and Disabled Veteran Recruiter for CACI/Recruiting Operations said CACI International, is committed to empowering disabled veterans.

"In 2007, the CEO said we really need to start giving back," said Gordon, who was a information manager = AFSC 3A071 in the Air Force. "He understood how talented veterans are - hardworking, adaptive, and highly skilled – he know that veterans would be an ideal resource."

As part of that commitment the company launched its Deploying Talent, Creating Careers program in August to recruit more qualified and provide meaningful careers for talented veterans with disabilities. A year later, it partnered with the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative to expand that goal.

More than 40,000 wounded and disabled U.S. veterans have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a report by Department of Veterans' Affairs in October 2008.

As a member of the Air Force Reserves Gordon understands personally what a rich resource wounded warriors can be.

"Disabled veterans can take everything they’ve learned and build a new and meaningful career with CACI," said Gordon.

Another Employer Partner, CSC, focused on military spouses.

“The reason our company does this is to show support for the department of defense,” said Andrea Hall, the CSC/ASEP liaison.

Hall said CSC has a network of 33 companies that share resumes to help find military spouses employment. The Department of Defense is CSC’s largest clients and it also is partnered with Employment Readiness Program Managers (ERPM) on Army bases across the United States. Together these programs offer resume and interview coaching, job alerts, and career events to help spouses find jobs when the service member is relocated, Hall said.

Who’s hiring

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the economy lost 63,000 jobs in February. However, there was none of that doom and gloom at the career fair, employers had positions to fill. In fact, half a dozen employers, who wanted to attend the job fair were turned down because there just want enough room at the club, Michael Brinkley, employment coordinator for the Wounded Warrior Regiment, one of the event's sponsors.

EG&G Division was looking for a broad range of experience.

“We do everything from operations to maintenance to engineers who develop weapons systems,” said Tonia Burton-Bouchard, Recruiter for Engineering and Technology Services with EG&G. “There are a broad range of jobs but not everything is locally.”

Burton-Bouchard said candidates would have more options if they are willing to relocate.

“That’s always a challenge trying to find something they want in a location that they want,” she added.

Lockheed Martin, another Employer Partner, was looking for subcontract administrators and information technology professionals, said Damian Herring, the subcontract program manager.

Like CACI, Martin launched the Seamless Transition Apprenticeship Program for veterans in 2006. The apprenticeship program provides a combination of mentoring, on-the-job learning, and classroom instruction in areas such as financial management, project management, and business law.

Like many of the Employer Partners Lockheed Martin has more than 30,000 employees with prior military service. Veterans possess key knowledge of Department of Defense systems and the required skills to meet the critical needs of Lockheed Martin’s customers, said Herring a STAP participant.

“I retired on a Friday and started work on a Monday,” said Herring, who helped stand up the Wounded Warrior Program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2007. “Being a Soldier myself, I can relate to the challenge and help them translate it into a positive, skill set and job.”

Measuring success

Members of the Wounded Warrior Regiment, one of the event’s sponsors, was excited by the companies eagerness to hire disabled veterans.

"Many of our employers have initiatives of their own to hire disabled veterans," Michael Brinkley, employment coordinator for the Wounded Warrior Regiment.

The Regiment plans to maximize on those initiatives.

"That’s important to us and our mission at the Wounded Warrior Regiment, to take care of these Marines at each stage of their recovery," said Marine Capt. Leticia Reyes, spokesperson for the regiment. "This is our chance to take care of our Marines and capitalize on what these organizations offer our wounded, ill, and injured."

However, ultimately the success of the event will be determined by how many attendees find jobs, said Brinkley. He’d like to see five to 10 percent of Tuesday’s job seekers employed by the 65 companies that attend the career fair.

Career Fair

By Olivia Cobiskey
Director of Marketing - Media
Employer Partnership Initiative

Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. - Hoping to help service members in this foundering economy, Marine For Life and the Employer Partnership Initiative are joining forces at a Career Fair in Quantico, Va.

More than 65 companies, including seven Employer Partners, will attend the Quantico Career Fair at 3017 Russell Rd., Tue., March 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The event is sponsored by Marine For Life.

Kenneth Reese, a staffing manager for EG&G Division, a division of URS Corporation and Employer Partner, said his company hires veterans for a lot of reasons.

“Leadership – during their enlistment 17 to 24 year old Soldiers are given a lot of responsibility. They are team players, they know how to work on a team,” said Reese, a retired 1st Sgt. “They’ve lived the Army motto, ‘Work to standard not to time.’”

Another employer Steve Folan, vice president of Temple Inland, Inc., agreed military experience and training produces workers that posses integrity, a strong work ethic with the ability to think and perform under pressure.

"Marines readily accept responsibility and understand the importance of team work, of attention to detail, of training and to trust but verify. Marines are trained to lead and coach," said Folan, a retired Marine. "Many of the Marines we have hired have earned assignments of greater responsibility because of their ability to develop their crews so as to consistently achieve exceptional results."

It's also about trust, added Reese.

Of URS Corporation’s three divisions, the EG&G Division as a contractor for the U.S. federal government, including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, hires the most veterans.

Reese said hiring individuals who already have security clearances help comply with the departments security needs.

Currently EG&G has several hundred jobs to fill in the engineering, administration, logistics and aviation and ground maintenance field.

All transitioning active duty members, veterans, Reserve Soldiers, National Guard, spouses, and Department of Defense employees are invited to attend Tuesday’s career fair.

Possible Military Occupational Skills that match EG&G needs:

Electrical-Electronic Engineering Assistant = 01B (Army – Enlisted)
General Engineering Supervisor = 21X (Army – Enlisted)
Administrative Specialist = 71L (Army – Enlisted)
Aviation Logistics = 15D (Army Commissioned Officer)
Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (AlandT) Contracting NCO = 51C (Army – Enlisted)
Ground Surveillance Systems Operator = 96H (Army – Enlisted)

Tips for the Career Fair

When you arrive, stop at the registration desk and pick up a copy of the exhibitor’s list.

Be sure to visit every employer’ booth. You never know what positions might be available. Plus, networking is key when conducting a career search. You may meet someone who could lead you to a new opportunity you may not have considered.

Show up at the door with at least 12 copies of your resume, but if a recruiter asks you to e-mail your resume to his/her company, don’t feel you are being brushed off. Some companies require their recruiters to direct job seekers to their sites to obtain HR information as required by law and to direct desirable job seekers to different departments -- a good reason for you to network for unlisted open jobs!

Don’t stand in a long line for one of your “A list” companies if the recruiters at a “B list” booth don’t look busy – - even if the event is in its last hour. Take advantage of the opportunity to tell your complete story to the “B” recruiters. It might be the practice you need to really “Wow” one of your “A list” companies and get the career you’ve always wanted.

Employer Partners attending:

CACI International, Inc.
CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation)
CSX Transportation
EG&G Division of URS
Kelly Services
L-3 Communication
Lockheed Martin

For more information contact ARCareers@usar.army.mil or visit the Quantico Web site http://www.quantico.usmc-mccs.org/

The State of Colorado and 11 Employers Launch Public-Private Partnerships

Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative Builds Careers, Economy

Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder, deputy chief, U.S. Army Reserve and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter sign an agreement that solidifies the state and Army Reserve Employer Partnership at an official ceremony in Denver, Colo. photo by Jack Dempsey

DENVER - Today the U.S. Army Reserve launched a groundbreaking public-private partnership with the state of Colorado. The first state partnership, both parties agree the union will allow each to mutually recruit, train and employ individuals interested in serving the nation and pursuing a career in the state of Colorado.

"It is my pleasure to add Colorado to the list of employers who will proactively seek to hire and retain Army Reserve Soldiers when they return home," said Gov. Bill Ritter. "This partnership with the Army Reserve expands the opportunities for the men and women who have made great sacrifices on our behalf. It is one more step towards attempting to repay the debt we owe our brave troops and veterans."

There are 110 Army Reserve units in Colorado that employ 408 Soldiers and civilians full-time and 2,813 Reserve Soldiers. Nearly 610 Colorado Reserve Soldiers are currently deployed.

The Army Reserve also signed agreements with 11 Denver employers including Adecco, BC Services, City of Denver, CICSCO, Front Range Airport, Loomis, NorthGlenn Dodge, Pennica Financial Group, Pepsi Bottling Group and Western Freightways, to work collaboratively to enhance job opportunities for America's Soldiers and veterans. The alliances, launched under the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI) will help strengthen the community, support Army Reserve Soldiers and their Families, and maintain a strong economy.

"I am pleased to officially begin an enduring strategic partnership with so many of Denver's leading employers and the State of Colorado," said Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder, deputy chief, U.S. Army Reserve. "I look forward to collaborating with our newest valued partners to achieve mutual goals to attract, develop and retain a quality workforce."

The EPI establishes a process whereby employers and the Army Reserve secure and share the talents of trained professionals. Partners Employers will benefit from the employment of the roughly 204,000 trained men and women with Army values, experience and proven leadership skills.

Since its inception in April 2008, more than 225 public and private employers have joined the initiative, including Fortune 500 corporations, hospitals, industry associations, state agencies and local police departments.

Watch CBS 4 Denver news clip.

For additional information please visit http://www.armyreserve.army.mil/.

Army Reserve Employer Partnership Unfazed by Flagging Economy

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2009 – A program that links Army reservists with civilian employers is going strong -- despite record unemployment and gloomy hiring predictions -- as more employers sign on every month so they can hire qualified reservists.

The American Trucking Association and INOVA Health Systems of Northern Virginia broke new ground in April 2008 as the first formal members of the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative. Within six months, 65 employers had joined, and the program hit a milestone in February with its 200th employer partner.

Now Army Reserve officials are laying plans for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to sign on in mid-April at the program’s first anniversary. That ceremony will bring the partnership to almost 300 employers.

“We have a huge success here,” Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz said of the program he introduced to help the Army Reserve and civilian employers share the same talent pool. “We’ve got more than 200 companies that have signed up, and another 200 that want to talk to us,” he said.

The partners run the gamut, Stultz told about 200 reservists during a recent Pentagon town hall meeting. They include Fortune 500 companies like Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and General Electric Company, the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., mom-and-pop companies and everything in between.

Stultz called the partnership a win-win for everyone involved. Reservists get a leg up in a competitive job market. Employers who understand their military obligations guarantee interviews for qualified reservists, as well as priority placement for openings.

Meanwhile, the employers have a way to tap into a pool of trained, motivated workers. “With the skill sets we have in our force -- medical, law enforcement, transportation, engineering to name a few -- there’s a good demand out there,” Stultz said.

Even in a tight labor market, employers are clamoring for workers trained in these skills. One of the program’s big selling points is that employers can piggyback on training the military already provides.

INOVA Health System, for example, agreed to hire reservists the Army trains in radiology, respiratory therapy and surgical specialties. The arrangement is helping the company fill critical job shortages, while offering career opportunity to Pfc. Jason Black and other Army reservists.

Black, the first reservist INOVA hired through the partnership, is attending the yearlong Army radiology course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. After he graduates this fall, he’ll start working as a radiology specialist at INOVA. At the same time, he’ll be assigned to the Army Reserve’s 48th Combat Support Hospital at Fort Meade, Md.

Enthusiasm for the employer partnership extends even to industries that have been particularly hard-hit by the financial crisis.

Kenneth Crowley, president and CEO of the Crowley Auto Group in Bristol, Conn., said he’s so impressed with the mechanics, accountants, information technology specialists and administrative staff he’s hired through the program that he’d like to expand it beyond his nine dealerships.

“We’re still involved with the program and will hire good, qualified people, absolutely,” he said. “This downturn in the economy isn’t going to last forever, and before you know it, we will be needing people and we won’t be able to find them.”

Fewer people may be buying new cars, but Crowley said that means they’re maintaining the ones they already have. That, in turn, drives up the demand for qualified mechanics he’s able to hire through the partnership program. “So it’s been a lifesaver to us, actually, because what we are lacking in sales, we are making up in maintenance,” he said.

Crowley’s such a fan of the partnership that he hopes to build on it to benefit the industry as a whole. He’s set up a meeting for early next month so representatives of the Army Reserve and a major auto maker can explore ways to award manufacturer-level diesel-technician certification to qualified Army Reserve mechanics.

This, Crowley said, would short-cut what’s typically a two-year process before mechanics can work on warranty claims and other specialized tasks.

Reservists would benefit from the arrangement, too. “My thought was, if I got the Army to work with the manufacturer, now these guys get trained while they are serving,” Crowley said. “I can hire them right away and start them at a much higher level of pay because they’re already certified.”

Like other partnership members, Crowley said he knows what he’s getting when he hires a reservist. “What makes me like hiring them so much is that they are serious, and they are there to do the job and do it properly and in a spirit of team effort,” he said.

Army Sgt. Maj. Nelson Ildefonso, noncommissioned officer in charge of the partnership program, said reservists have characteristics that make them particularly good employees.“They’re skill-rich, but they’re also good leaders,” Ildefonso said.

“They’re good followers. They’re drug-tested, and a lot of them have security clearances. They’re disciplined. They accept leadership and want to move ahead.“In a nutshell, they’ve got the characteristics that an employer looks for in an employee,” he said. “And that’s why the Army Reserve Employer Partnership Initiative has been such a success.”

But echoing sentiments of many fellow partners, Crowley said another big attraction of the program boils down to good, old-fashioned patriotism.

“Being an employer partner is more than just having access to great employees,” he said. “It is also a way for me to give back and say thank you to individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving our nation.”

Stultz got an indication of the demand for his soldiers, and the partnership’s reach, during a recent visit to Camp Bonsteel, Kosovo. A reservist who used the Employer Partnership Initiative Web site to seek out and apply for jobs told Stultz he’d hit pay dirt -- even while deployed thousands of miles from home.

“He went on the site and got three different job offers,” Stultz told the Pentagon town hall session.

“So his big challenge was deciding which of those offers to accept.”“So it’s working,” Stultz said of the program. “There’s no question about it. We get anecdotal evidence every day.”

Center for Energy Workforce Development Partners with U.S. Army Reserve

Brig. Gen. William Waff, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Human Resources Command and Ralph Izzo, head of CEWD and Chairman, President and CEO of New Jersey based PSEG paused for a moment after signing an agreement in Washington, D.C.


WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Center for Energy Workforce Development and the U.S. Army Reserve have agreed to work together to help Reserve Soldiers and returning military personnel pursue careers within the energy industry. The collaboration was made official last week with the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the leaders of the two organizations.

Ralph Izzo, head of CEWD and Chairman, President and CEO of New Jersey-based PSEG, says that the timing of the collaboration is good.

"With older workers retiring and utility work demands multiplying exponentially, opportunities for careers within the energy industry are expanding," Izzo said.

Izzo said coming retirements among high-impact utility positions – including engineers, line workers, plant operators and technicians – are going to place a premium on skilled workers like those in the reserves and those returning from military service overseas.

"We must have skilled workers for those jobs, and we know that military careers produce those workers," he said.

Skilled workers is something the Army Reserve has and can offer employers, said Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, Chief, Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command.

"Even in the current economic situation we still have a lot of employers out there that are calling us every day. What employers are telling us is when they hire a Reserve Soldier, they don't just get an employee, they get somebody that has a great work ethic, that has integrity, that has loyalty, that has dedication, and the productivity goes up," Stultz said. "So it's a win-win situation for both of us now."

Through its Employer Partnership Initiative, the Army Reserve has been working to facilitate strategic and mutually beneficial relationships with employers and associations. Reserve members are well trained in a variety of skills critical to maintaining not only the strength and agility of the United States Army, but also the many industries and public agencies that form the backbone of the American economy.

Here is a list of jobs in the Energy Industry and how each translates into the Military Occupational Skills code.

Lineworkers

Cable Systems Installer-Maintainer = 31L
Prime Power Production Specialist = 21P

Power Plant Operators

Power Generation Equipment Repairer = 52D
Prime Power Production Specialist = 52E
Aircraft Power Plant Repairer = 15B, 15D, 68B, 68D

Technicians

Metal Workers = 44B
Senior Electronics Maintenance Chief = 35Z, 25W
Maintenance Supervisor = 63Z
Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor = 63Z
Maintenance Management = 91 B

Electricians

Electrical-Electronic Engineering Assistant = 01B
Armament/Electrical/Avionics System Repairer = 15X

Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse

Power Generation Equipment Repairer = 52D
Electronic Maintenance Chief = 94W

Nuclear Engineering Technician

Chemical Engineering Assistant = 01G
Combat Engineering Senior Sergeant = 12Z

Pipefitters/Pipelayers

Valve and Regulator Repairers

Engineers

Prime Power Production Specialist = 21P
Power Generation Equipment Repairer = 52D
Fuel and Electrical System Repairer = 63G
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science = 47D
Environmental Engineer = 72E

Dress for Success for Women

You're preparing for an interview with one of the Army Reserve Employer Partners. Consider your attire for the meeting.

The standard job interviewing attire for women is a conservative dark navy or gray skirted wool blend suit. Job experts and employers seem split on the notion of pants suits, so a skirted suit is a safer choice.

Other conservative colors -- such as beige or brown -- are also acceptable. Red is a power color. A blazer with blouse and skirt is a possible second choice to a suit. You should always wear a jacket.

Skirt length should be a little below the knee and never shorter than above the knee -- no night club attire here. Avoid wearing a dress (unless accented with a jacket). Blouses should be cotton or silk and should be white, or some other light color. Shoes should be low-heeled.

Make-up should be minimal, with lipstick and nail polish conservative tones. Pantyhose should be flawless (no runs) and conservative in color. Do not have excessive body odor or cologne.

You should opt for a briefcase rather than a purse.

Dress for Success for Men

You've landed an interview with one of the Army Reserve Employer Partners.

What's next? Consider your attire.

The standard job interviewing attire for men is a conservative dark navy or gray two-piece business suit (of natural fibers, such as wool, if possible), a white long-sleeved button-down dress shirt, a conservative silk tie (that matches the colors in your suit), and nicely polished dress shoes.

If you do not own a suit, or the company is a bit more informal, then you should wear a conservative sports coat (no plaids or wild patterns and preferably a dark color), nicely pressed dress slacks, a white long-sleeved button-down shirt, a conservative silk tie, and nicely polished dress shoes.

Your belt should always match your shoes.

If you have a beard or mustache, your facial hair should be neatly trimmed. If you have any visible body parts pierced, most experts recommend removing all jewelry, including earrings. Do not have excessive body odor or cologne.

From QuintCareers.com