*“Behind every great leader there was an even greater logistician.”* – M. Cox

Military veterans know this well: no base or mission can operate successfully without the proper materials, equipment, and staff. In every branch of service, logistics, warehousing, and transportation are wide-reaching fields that give veterans exposure to multiple career paths and make them highly-sought after to bring order and accountability to an organization’s bottom line.

Logistics management is a critical component in the success of any company’s operations, and there is no better place to find these professionals than the United State military. Veterans are highly trained in purchasing and contracting, as well as resource allocation. They seamlessly coordinate many different variables, including the requirements for and the availability of supplies, equipment, personnel, and transportation. They also know how to factor in maintenance and scheduling considerations, as well as cost.

###The Facts###

And it seems their expertise is needed. A survey from the 27th Annual Study of Logistics and Transportation Trends found that developing a better talent model for recruiting, developing and managing ranked third among actions for improving progress toward performance goals.

Furthermore, the 2018 Hiring Needs Survey compiled by Bradley-Morris, Inc./RecruitMilitary revealed that logistics/supply chain/transportation and warehouse needs ranked third among the top five projected needs. Employment of logisticians is expected to rise 7% by the year 2026 which will lead to more than 10,000 additional logistics jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

###The Skills###

On a typical day, veterans working in logistics and supply may dedicate money to different accounts, contact vendors, set up contracts, manage office travel, and oversee whatever is needed to run facility services. Others manage financials or warehouse operations. They are accustomed to working with very large budgets and must ensure that funds are properly spent and accounted for.

Veterans deliver subject matter expertise in logistics, warehousing, and supply chain. Part of their duties likely included setting up processes, managing and training staff, overseeing inventory and ordering supplies, as well as meeting stringent deadlines and preparing statistics. Many veterans used advanced logistics software during their time in the military.

###A Great Fit###

Logistics is a high-demand, high-stress industry, well-suited for the veteran skill set. Here’s how:

• They keep operations on schedule and on time

• They continuously review processes and seek areas for improvement

• They are comfortable creating strategies to minimize costs and time

Need a great logistician? Build a pipeline of veteran talent to your organization at one of our 120+ events in 2019.