Transition

Even though they’re almost universally heralded as heroes, U.S. military veterans entering the civilian workforce may encounter a downside to the positive reputation they earn for their service.

New research from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business suggests veteran job candidates can be typecast as agentic and unemotional, and are likely to be overlooked for jobs that leverage emotional intelligence and interpersonal and leadership skills.

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is rolling out a new program that provides military spouses resources to prepare them and their family for the time when their husband or wife transitions out of the military.

The Military Spouse Transition Program, or MySTeP, is an initiative that launched in early August through the Pentagon’s Military Community and Family Policy office and provides military spouses information to help prepare them for the inevitability of their family leaving the military.

In Valerie Pallotta’s eyes, her son, Josh, was always determined to do what he liked, including fighting for his country.

When Josh came home one day in 2009 and told her he was joining the Vermont National Guard, she asked if he realized he would be deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

“He said ‘I know. That’s why I’m joining’,” Valerie said.

New research has identified a barrier that military veterans may face when returning to the civilian workforce. According to the study, which was recently published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, veterans are viewed as having a strong ability to plan and act but less of a “mind” when it comes to their ability to feel.