Top enlisted leader says businesses undervalue enlisted veterans' skills
The military's top enlisted leader says corporate America is leaving talent on the table by overlooking enlisted troops, who make up more than 80 percent of the joint force.
Snapshot
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman David Isom, a career Navy SEAL, told Military.com that while employers readily recognize the value of military officers, they often fail to see comparable leadership, education and technical skill among enlisted service members. He argues the enlisted force today looks very different from past generations, with advanced degrees, independent decision-making authority and specialized expertise now common rather than rare.
Key points
- Overlooked majority: Isom said enlisted troops make up over 80% of the joint force, yet businesses tend to focus recruiting efforts on officers.
- Education has shifted: He cited enlisted instructors at the Air Force Academy, including one with a doctorate in physics, and a senior enlisted sailor qualified as a test pilot on 22 aircraft platforms.
- BUD/S applicants with degrees: Isom said some SEAL training classes now have more than half the candidates arriving with a bachelor's degree already in hand.
- Mission command builds leaders: He pointed to the military's practice of giving junior enlisted members authority to make consequential decisions without constant supervision.
- A direct appeal: Isom said he tells business leaders not to miss the chance to recruit from the enlisted ranks, saying "you won't regret it."
Quick take
Isom's comments amount to a plain argument: military rank doesn't tell the whole story of what a veteran can do. For employers sorting resumes, the lesson he's offering is to ask what a candidate actually led, operated or decided, rather than stopping at whether they wore officer or enlisted insignia.
Read the full story: military.com