Going Private

Back to basics

In his early 20s, John discovered a passion for leadership in the National Guard during a competition in which he was given less than 24 hours to completely reorganize his platoon — a challenge at which he proved to excel.

“Being successful at that made me say to myself, ‘I really enjoyed the challenge, and I seem to be very good at it, so let’s make it a career,’” John remembers. “There is nothing better than being in command of combat soldiers. I would say that is what I truly enjoy the most.”

Today, as Military Relations Manager at Koch, he’s found his next mission — one that uses his skills to their maximum. The man once responsible for helping train 2,500 new warfighters a year is now at, as he calls it, the “tip-of-the-spear” in helping veterans make the transition back — one at a time.

Here are the facts: nine out of ten veterans surveyed identify the opportunity to use their skills and abilities as the most important aspect of civilian employment.1 Yet, two-thirds of military employees feel that hiring managers don’t understand their skills and experience.2

This fundamental disconnect can lead to unemployment or underemployment for our nation’s heroes — creating a huge national challenge.

Yet, in John’s eyes, the exodus from the military of men and women with military skills, experiences, principles and values can also represent an enormous opportunity. And so, his sights are set on helping achieve an even more audacious mission: ushering in the next great American generation.

The Greatest Generation, 2.0

Today, the longest wars in American history are coming to an end. More than 2.9 million service members have returned to civilian life — with another million troops returning to the private sector over the next five years.3

“The greatest generation, after World War II, were the ones who survived and came home,” John explains. “Based on the things they learned in combat — the energy, the focus, the discipline and the integrity they came away with — they were motivated to create real and meaningful progress in our society.”

“Today, history is repeating itself. We now have professionalized a force with exemplary work ethic and focus on values.”

Among the major things that attracted John to Koch were the clear values and guiding principles shared by both the military and his new employer — helping make that fit as seamless as possible. In fact, today Koch successfully employs thousands of veterans of all ages, who have found a home in a place that shares their values.

“The first two guiding principles at Koch are Integrity and Compliance,” John said. “The service member is raised in an environment where they have to be compliant. The folks who succeed and do the most good for the service and the nation are the ones who have integrity. So, people in uniform already have the advantage of understanding and embracing those principles.”

“As the privates I once commanded left basic training, I used to tell them this: ‘If you really embrace and live these values now, they will stay with you for the rest of your life,” John recalls. “And whether you leave the service in three years or in 33 years, you will be creating the foundation for a future ‘greatest generation.’”

And with that, you can add Motivational Speaker to John Buckley’s long and storied list of professional titles.

If you are a veteran who wishes to explore career opportunities at Koch, visit KochCareers.com/veterans.

Sources:
1 Veteran Job Retention Survey – Syracuse University and Institute for Veterans and Military Families, October 2014.
2 Veterans TALENT INDEX by Monster/Military.com, 7th Edition, November 2014.
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor; Dec 2014 (Released Jan 9, 2015).