I knew I wanted to be in law enforcement from an early age. I graduated high school at 17 and was too young to even apply for a job in law enforcement, so I had to consider some alternatives. My parents were both blue-collar workers and couldn’t afford to pay for college. The Florida pre-paid college plan didn’t exist, and I certainly couldn’t afford to pay for it myself, and since neither of my parents completed college, the encouragement wasn’t there.

As I approached my high school graduation, someone I respected beyond words came to me and suggested that I enlist in the military for a couple of years and gain some life skills until I was old enough to apply. That person was my Uncle John, at that time, a captain with the Hollywood Police Department in Florida. Enlisting was a big deal; I had never been away from home for any length of time, and the truth is, it scared me. Here I am, nearly 30 years later, realizing its impact on my life, character, and work ethic.

In 1996, I enlisted in the United States Army as a Military Police Correctional Specialist. I attended boot camp at Fort McClellan, Alabama. I was then stationed at the Regional Correctional Facility in Fort Knox, Kentucky, where I spent the next two-plus years until my discharge in 1998. I attended a local community college while in the Army but upon my discharge, I completed my undergraduate degree from Florida International University thanks to the Montgomery G.I. Bill.

Besides providing the opportunity for an education, the Army gave me many other intangible skills that have proved useful in this field. So now I ask the most important question…what is the true value of veterans in the workforce and, more importantly, the corrections industry? Before I get into the meat and potatoes, I want first to share some things that I put in my toolbox from my service in the military.

Basic training was no joke! I spent four months getting yelled at, learning military customs and traditions, and putting my body through a fitness transformation. I learned how much abuse the body is capable of handling. I was in great shape and discovered that the only thing that could get in my way was myself. Soldiers never quit! We adapt and overcome obstacles and adversities. It’s called fortitude! The Army wasn’t free from issues, the same ones we face in today’s corrections industry. I learned I could put up with plenty of BS and still make it. Maintain composure in the face of adversaries and understand that enemies will attack even without provocation. So, my tolerance for BS is pretty high.

I had to show up! There was no calling in sick or banging off. If you were ill, you went to work and then went to sick call. If a doctor deemed that you needed days off, they would give them, but you weren’t allowed to take a sick or mental health day because you were stressed out. It’s been nearly ten years since I have called in sick, and in my 24-year career, I have never had an attendance problem. It’s embedded into a soldier that you MUST show up! My current agency has a severe attendance problem, so could you imagine if the workforce had more veterans with a show-up attitude? They are dependable, have a good work ethic, and are committed to getting the job done. They carry the can-do attitude…veterans don’t know how to fail. They don’t know how not to achieve their mission (Kimberly Curry Hall, 2014).

The military is the pioneer of leadership. They have been practicing leadership and succession planning since inception. The military is full of young soldiers fresh out of high school looking for leadership and ways to advance their military service and become a leader for the next generation of soldiers. Every soldier must train their replacement in the event they are killed on the battlefield. The principles of leadership are simple and apply to the correctional industry.

The 11 Principles of Leadership

1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement.

2. Be technically and tactically proficient.

3. Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates.

4. Make sound and timely decisions.

5. Set an example.

6. Know your people and look out for their welfare.

7. Keep your people informed.

8. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

9. Ensure assigned tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.

10. Train your people as a team.

11. Employ your team in accordance with its capabilities. (The 11 Principles of Leadership, n.d.)

Military success is based on drive. Do you have the drive to study, work on fitness, and excel to levels beyond your peers in order to get promoted? Drive is an intrinsic quality, but once you have it, the military encourages self-driven individuals to excel. It provides educational and training opportunities, job opportunities and other projects to showcase a soldier’s skills. Training is ongoing, but senior soldiers impart their knowledge to new soldiers. Isn’t this relevant to corrections as well? Good leaders take their knowledge and teach; they coach, they mentor other soldiers to form the best team possible. That leads to another critical element of the military, and that’s teamwork. Teamwork is one of the most vital parts of success for any correctional agency. Learning to play well with others in the sandbox doesn’t come easy for everyone. We all know people on our team who don’t pull their share of the workload or leaders who micromanage every aspect of every operation. The great leadership speaker Simon Senik has said, “Being a leader is not being in charge; it’s taking care of those in your charge.” Leaders should provide direction and oversight, not delegate their work or micromanage the work of others.

There are so many attributes that I could continue this article for pages and pages, but I will close with one of the most important attributes: integrity—doing the right thing even when no one is looking even though someone probably is. The military instills this attribute in everyone. It means we must accept responsibility when we make mistakes but always do what’s right.

Military veterans are an asset to any organization. They provide many qualities that produce an effective and efficient operation for any correctional agency. “Effective leadership, decision-making, and communication are all part of a veteran’s past military work, and these skills should be utilized to benefit the organization at all levels. Employers who make use of these skills will support the veterans’ effective transition (Boutelle, 2016).”

In summary, the Army set a foundation with these and many more qualities to ensure I have a successful career and be an asset to any organization, whether public or private. Some correctional agencies are doing well, but if you are one that doesn’t have enough veterans in your ranks, you are indirectly hurting your agency and workforce. There are plenty of resources available for partnering opportunities during recruiting drives. HIRE MORE VETERANS; they have earned it!

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Captain Yeber served in the US Army in 1996 at Fort Knox, Kentucky and then began working for the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Department in 1999 where he oversees the Special Operations Bureau. He is currently the 2nd vice president for the AJA and holds a dual Masters Degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from Florida International University. He has been a CJM since 2014 and is a graduate of the NJLCA Class #15.