While millennials make up about 30 percent of the general population in the U.S., they constitute nearly three quarters of the service men and women in the military. As retired military, I am now a defense contractor and I see many of these same millennials acting like spoiled brats in the commercial/DoD world, by demanding promotions after less than a year on station and demonstrating complete disrespect for experience and seniority. Millennials are sometimes considered to be naïve and not prepared for the world of work (Pinzaru et al. At the same time, they are overly self-confident. Understanding the financial capability of millennials in the military is an important step toward understanding the financial capability of the military in general. Here are 10 characteristics of military millennials that leaders need to understand as they engage and lead them: They are mostly in the rank window of E5-E6 and O2-O3. This requires the U.S. Army to adapt to meet the military's future challenges. 3. Millennials make up a large part of the military and iGen is quickly entering our ranks. Our Air Force is full of millennials. Generation Z values authentic environments and an organization’s mission. To those who lead millennials, you can learn as much from them as you can teach them.” Matt Schuyler, Chief HR Office, Hilton. Facilitate open communication. Understanding Sept. 11 and its cultural impact is crucial to understanding almost every foreign policy and military decision that has happened since. In fact, the problem is much larger than just the Navy or Coast Guard. However, it’s Gen Z that now makes up much of the military recruiting pool (and forms 15% of Active Duty Enlisted in the Marine Corps). That applies for millennials and those who manage them. According to Hines, Millennials are “ready to lead now and are confident in their ability to make things happen and change the world… The military pyramid force structure means that there will always be considerably more young people than old, and the millennia generation roughly defined as those born from 1980 to 2000 has filled our ranks, especially the most numerous ranks of staff sergeant and captain. If we don’t learn to lead them effectively, they will vote with their feet. 2016). Longitudinal studies of Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers are more similar than different with regard to work attitudes. That spells failure. Many millennials could have retired with 20 years in service last year.. WHAT THE MILITARY HAS LEARNED ABOUT MILLENNIALS and GEN Z: (Note: the military refers to GenZ as NetGens) As of 2015, 72% of active duty personnel were millennials. T here is a shifting demographic within the military towards the newest generation of the armed forces. Sept. 11 is critical not only to understanding policy, but also to understanding an entire generation: the millennials, or those born in 1982 through 2004. At first glance, the idea may seem absurd. This paper makes takes a critical look at the Millennial generation entering the military today and concludes that their transition to the military won’t be as dramatic as popular media might lead you to believe. New recruitment efforts should complement current programs for military veterans and draw from their best practices. Give freedom "While military millennials are still leading the way in financial readiness, we're seeing general population millennials begin to catch on and take steps to improve their own financial situation. Millennials are collaborative, driven to succeed and want to experience all that life has to offer. They joined the military after 9/11 and see the world through a lens that includes terrorism. 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