No vendors, no contractors, no press, no suppliers and no third party will be in attendance. No fees are being charged. 2 observers: A representative from the DOL responsible for initiatives helping veterans in transition and a representative from SHRM will be the flies on the wall.

This unprecedented 1-day invitation only meeting is a [rapid response] outgrowth of a conversation at SHRM's national conference in San Diego last month when it became clear that a series of new initiatives to support returning troops in transition were in the pipeline for Fall deployment and that the government was reaching out to corporations to better understand the priorities.

In that conversation, Susan Schieren, GE's Manager of Military and Sales Leadership Programs, noted that  firms with substantial interest and existing programs had never seriously benchmarked with one another in a private setting. A few quick calls and emails, an agreement to have an Administration observer, and GE's willingness to host in DC resulted in an invitation sent to top firms that produced an immediate "we're in" response.

As evidenced by this Fortune article, there are 100s of thousands of transitioning soldiers- a unique pool that many feel is inadequately managed from the military as well as the private sector side. Some who make the transition will become extraordinary private sector leaders. Some will become just great employees. Many will be overlooked or simply fail because of a lack of information or support. The challenges faced by employers willing to engage them, consider them and hire them are not as obvious as one might think.

Here's hoping this next conversation, an extension of the one we witnessed in California will add to the growing initiatives by lots of groups to change the game for returning veterans.

Military transition is a special focus for SHRM in NJ and at the SHRM National Conference in June.

I've no doubt it is becoming a special focus for many other firms as they recognize what an untapped source of talent veterans can be.

175,000 military troops will leave the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard this year. 25,000 will be looking for work. 12,000 are disabled.

These numbers (just 1 year) do not include the Reserves and National Guard troops returning from overseas only to find they have no job. Specific units according to some sources have jobless rates as high as 50%.

The numbers above were provided to me by a Regional Veterans Affairs official (who also had fewer than 40 employees to provide counseling for troops in 20 states.)

One of my panelists at RecruitDC this past week, Carl Savino, President of Corporate Gray, offered data from another source suggesting the numbers were much larger.

Many of the firms in the audience last week were exceptional employers of returning vets but the discussion focused on what more we could do even beyond our own companies.

Returning veterans basic needs to better understand how to find and use the various job resources that are available is hindered by a lack of effective government counseling. Recruiters, career counselors and others who are knowledgeable about the best tools out there are stepping up do more to fill the gap.

In addition to some great initiatives (feel free to describe your volunteer or free initiatives in the comment section below i.e.@stevelevy, @sherrillcurtis, etc.), there is a call to action in New Jersey at Ft. Dix for early June by the NJ State Council affiliated with SHRM.

They are still seeking counselors/recruiters to participate in assisting several hundred transitioning troops learn more about how to compete effectively. Details can be found here and feel free to email Sherrill Curtis at sherrill@tipofthearrow.net

The SHRM Annual conference in San Diego will also feature pre-conference workshops for employers and military personnel about transition issues and challenges.

The discussions about the need to support transitioning troops have taken on a new urgency this year as resources are stretched and customized onboarding efforts by employers who are hiring returning vets become more evident.

There is also a dark side as we hear more about the concern some employers express about lost productivity due to multiple deployments. This is increasing and may be affecting the ability of candidates to successfully compete.

In some cases I've even been hearing that a few coaches are suggesting that reservists and national guard troops seeking new jobs NOT include their service as part of their resumes.

I've one response for any person considering this idea. Don't do it. Fight for who you are. You not only hurt your own image of yourself but damage those who will apply after you. Firms discriminating need to be addressed- whatever the cost. And, If you counsel troops to hide what they should be most proud of, find another line of work.

I would like to give a shout out and thank

- all who have served and are serving.

- all the folks who participated in my two recent panels on Military Recruiting at RecruitDC and the Career Management Alliance conferences.

All these folks are engaged in numerous efforts beyond their day-to-day work and are making a difference to those who have served. Several panelists served themselves, some were deployed, some academy grads or married to a vet and at least one is a kick-butt marine:

Sherril Curtis, Curtis Consulting Group
Chris Galy, Intuit
Angela Guidroz, Geaux Veterans (formerly w Sodexo)
Carl Savino, Corporate Gray
Kathleen Smith, Clearedjobs.net
Chad Sowash, Direct Employers
Donald Watson, DOL

(I've one more military panel to moderate at Onrec in September and I challenge other Fall conferences to include military recruiting panels to discuss issues relevant to their conference theme i.e. sourcing, social media, etc.)

- and, finally to my son 2nd Lt Gerald R. Crispin, training in Georgia for deployment and, to my fasther, Lt Col. W. T. Crispin,  whose service in WWII and Korea is remembered with pride by his family on Memorial Day.

Thank you.