An asset for a retiree that is going to stay in the local area
Sgt Maj. Chris Fletcher was a teenager the last time he had a civilian job.
The Peachtree City, Ga., native, now 40, flipped burgers at McDonald’s. He worked as a busboy at a convention center. And he was a clerk at a convenience store.
In 1993, Fletcher joined the U.S. Army. Since then he has been deployed to Bosnia and Macedonia, twice to Afghanistan and numerous times to Kuwait, rising to the highest non-commissioned rank. Now, 20 years later, with a wife and 18- and 15-year-old daughters, he is retiring from U.S. Army Central in Sumter. He’s entering the civilian job market with a little trepidation.
“It’s stepping out into the unknown,” said Fletcher. “The Army is all I know.”
He is not alone.
With the military set to be radically reduced after the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines will have to step out of a uniform and into a business suit during a tough, post-recession job climate. They face challenges translating their military skills to civilian jobs – from writing a civilian resume, to just speaking English instead of using prolific military acronyms.
In South Carolina, an estimated 300 to 400 active duty service members from the state’s bases are expected to look for civilian jobs here annually over the next few years. In addition, 200 to 300 service members a year are expected to come here from posts outside the Palmetto State.
Also, with all U.S. combat troops expected to come home from Afghanistan by the end of this year, hundreds of S.C. Guard and reserve troops will have to find civilian employment while still serving part time.