A veterans view on hiring

This is my closing statement of the day. I've been very very apprehensive about starting a business, running a business and everything in between since my return to Wisconsin in 2013. The facts are pretty simple when you think about it from my position. I came home in 2013 because at the time I was living in Louisiana and had been suffering from an unknown lower GI condition since 2011. it deteriorated at such a rate I had two systemic infections in 11 months, the second I had lost consciousness for four days. Prior to that I worked for Procter and Gamble since leaving the service in 2009. I had been operating a computer scrapping business on the side since 2010 and quit in 2012 when the illness took a rapid turn for the worse.

When I returned to WI I sought treatment from VA for the first time having run out of money. Now I get VA compensation for what amounts to a bad shoulder, knees and PTSD...among getting stabbed and so on. I am a fortunate case, it took two years to get compensation which my understanding is 18 months earlier than most...and I don't even have any missing limbs. It makes me feel like an imposter every time I'm able to simply walk in to the VA while my brothers have wheels. This has been weighing on me. I brought it up to Ken(Mudlucky) that I think we should hire veterans, particularly disabled or maybe just guys in a bad way. It's hard to explain. I don't have a desire to get rich, be wealthy or anything like that. My successes are OUR successes, in that I mean everyone from the customers to the employees. I'm not known for beating around bushes or hiding from problems. Frankly speaking there are entities out there trying to do exactly what I do now and thats fine, it's capitalism right? But I should say my personal measurement of success isn't how well I did on ebay or how many pound of scrap we sent out. It's in who we helped, how we helped. It's college tuitions and charitable donations. It's a veteran who sleeps in an apartment and not on the street or in his mother's basement.

I've personally poured every dime I have into this...thing. I think if I can help a brother in arms...show him that it really is another battle, another war and you must have patience and adapt to it. It's a dream to have Ken as a partner with a mind as focused or more so than mine. I want success as much as the next guy. I want to eat better food, drive a nicer truck and live in a nice house but I don't want to do that on someone else's back. I've been a lead from the front kind of guy since the Army decided I could be a leader to begin with.


So with that off my chest, let me take a moment to explain my goals. Obviously we want to hire someone to help us maximize our incoming scrap so we can pay top tier prices to everyone thus earning us even MORE incoming scrap. I also have the unique position where I can hire a disabled vet because lots of the work we have can be done from a wheel chair or the seated position if necessary. Truth be told cpu testing and even memory testing can be done one handed. Adapt and overcome is what I was taught anyways

I have first hand knowledge of the plights and effects of war on the mind and soul. I want to mentor a vet more than be his or her boss. Not that scrapping electronics takes skill but some of the computer related refurbishing I do DOES take quite a bit of skill. I just want to give back...guess that's all it is, the service mentality never ends and I'd like to give back for my recent successes in life.

I guess for those of you larger in business than me...have any of you hired vets before? Were there any difficulties, did you overcome them? I fully understand it can be a rocky road and at times like babysitting.

I have three employees: All of them are veterans. The first two were just a coincidence, the third I sought out from the Veterans Outreach Project.

Yea, something I didn't really think on too much. I honestly served with some seriously awesome people. Our worst was still a great dude with a rifle in his hand.

I guess in the end like you guys said maybe it's enough to see the resume and give them tips to polish it up if they aren't for me.

That's whats wonderful about what we do. No large groups, you get to work by yourself or with one or two others if you like. I wouldn't pressure anyone into dealing with customers when it's not even necessary for them.

I'm not a veteran but another group that gets a bad name is ex-cons........Upon release from prison I could not find a job anywhere..........Thanks to my family (they paid about two months rent at a halfway house) I was able to make it...........This in my opinion is why alot of people released from prison turn back to a life of crime........I made up my mind to stay sober and no matter what I was not going back (hanging with dudes 24hrs a day was just not for me)........However many are weak or not ready to change..........Unfortunately the same happens with ex-military.........They get home and there are no jobs and many may turn to drugs and alcohol..........We all know what that leads to..............I support all my veterans and wish in a way I would have served (to old now)..........It is unfortunate especially for guys handling high tech gadgets during service and forced to flip a hamburger here in America...........I wish all you guys luck and as a former restaurant manager we would usually weed out the weak ones as fast as possible (this was a corporate job so not my dime)...........Continue all the good work and wish all the best!!!

Mike you bring up a valid point and I too have had brushes with the law post army career. Drugs got me bad... I don't hide that but I don't advertise it either. I've been to prison, and jail. I was already having bad GI problems and PTSD issues which I tried to bury in self medication coming and going. VA wouldnt acknowledge the Gastro-Intestinal issues as anything but side effects of my drug use, but my drug use was a side effect of the pain...so where do you go with that? What does a guy do when he cant sleep because of pain?

So I feel for the ex cons, I truly do because very few pick crime first...if there are still other options available. You can look at a con, one con to another and know in 20 seconds if the guy will make it outside if he had a hand up. You can just see he doesn't want this anymore. So Mike, my hat is off to you too, service and sacrifice have different meanings but often the same effect no matter who's fence your behind. It's not fair at all that we criminalize the ex con who wants to make it. Not fair at all. And you sir, having dealt with you selling things to me I would probably hire you in an instant.

I do advertise what I have been thru because it reminds me where I was and eventually I would like to help people who have similar issues....I like scrap and all the freedom it brings me but my goals are beyond taking apart dirty electronics.....e waste provides hopefully a means to an end....

This thread is dear to me as a vet , I have had many friends who have had and some still have PTS , all the years I was in 9 years 6 months and 27 active duty AND the rest NG and Reserve I was lucky not one day in harms way but my fellow GI's were not so lucky and I pray for the living and the families of the fallen every day. God Bless them all.

Ex Cons, Vets, Aliens... All are welcome at my shop.

This is going to be one of those especially difficult things for me I think. I'm going to update this when we get a serious hire.

So essentially without those tax breaks most businesses would still have the same viewpoint...meaning in reality nothing has changed and ignorance is beaten by greed. Not surprised.

Thanks man, I am glad I had a fellow vet to help me up when I needed it.