Post-9/11 veterans include a diverse and qualified pool of future talent for the nation’s engineering and science employers. Ushering them into technical fields as work-force ready engineers and scientists will require a community of partnerships among the veterans themselves, the nation’s educational institutions, technology firms, the government’s technical and scientific organizations, and others.

The vast majority of those who serve in the enlisted ranks of the nation’s armed services are high school graduates with strong cognitive aptitudes. Most members of the officer corps hold four-year or advanced college degrees. Many of those who serve today are interested in technical careers and equipped to succeed in them. They have experience managing technical systems and solving complex problems. They know how to work in teams and how to lead.

The veterans using the new benefit will offer substantial technical talent. The allvolunteer military attracts individuals with strong aptitude and good levels of education. Entrants to the enlisted force take a battery of tests, including the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT), a test of cognitive aptitude. Sixty-seven percent of activeduty enlisted recruits in 2007 scored at or above the median on that test. In 2007, more than 93 percent of active-duty enlisted members were high school diploma graduates. Another six percent held GEDs.11 Many enlisted members already have a year or more of college.12 They may also have experience in the military that qualifies them for additional college credits. Many post-9/11 veterans of the enlisted force will want to start at two year colleges. Others will choose to go directly to four-year degree programs.