Police.

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune yesterday:

The Chicago police are looking to hire a few good men. And preference is being given to military veterans.

"A diverse 8,600 test for police"

"City's recruiting drive nets applicants for 1,100 positions in department"

Persons showing up to take the WRITTEN EXAM, the first step in the laborious, painstaking, and mandated hiring process to become a Chicago police officer.

"About 8,600 people showed up Saturday to take the exam. The recruiting drive in 2006 brought about 8,000 to the initial test, Weis [police chief] said. There are about 1,100 vacant positions in the department, Weis said, thought he does not expect to be able to hire that many officers.

. . . .

"City officials have said there were hoping to recruit more mature and technically skilled officers, and the minimum, age for nonmilitary applicants was raised from 21 to 25"

With the exception of military veterans:

"Military veterans can be hired at 21."

According to Weis:

"The city will make sure at least 20 percent of the candidates chosen from the pool each time are military veterans"

I would strongly suspect that many of those veterans applying to become a Chicago police officer already have experience as a military policeman, AND too have see combat experience in either Iraq or Afghan. Persons, even below the age of 25, who have a proven track record, able to control themselves in a dangerous environment, familiar with weapons, able to perform at some level ALREADY the tasks of the policeman.

Veterans, the transition from military to the quasi-military status of the police officer being very easy, even trivial. The learning curve is far easier and much less time needed for the veteran to become a valuable asset to the force.

coolbert.