On Tuesday, Nov. 18, former U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus spoke at a job fair in Nashville, encouraging Tennessee businesses to focus on hiring military veterans.
According to The Tennessean, Petraeus commanded the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell from July 2002 to May 2004, in addition to being the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He also oversaw military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan post-9/11.
In a speech to over 70 employers in the Southern state, he urged them to hire former servicemembers as positive additions to their companies. He touched upon the fact that all soldiers have exceptional leadership experience, understand the importance of working in teams and know the significance of loyalty and hard work. Petraeus also noted that while many veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder in their life after service, having a steady, rewarding career can be a crucial part of the healing process and employers should not be afraid to work with soldiers for this reason.
"We need to give them that opportunity. That's all they want. The businesses will … capitalize on and take advantage of all their capabilities if they truly invest in them," said Petraeus, according to the Nashville Business Journal.