Bec,
As an ex Defence Force Member of 20 years, I recall the frustrations I experienced in getting my foot in the door when seeking employment post Defence, knowing all the while that once provided with an opportunity to demonstrate my competencies, the employer who chose to take me on would realise the value that I could bring to their organisation. I am happy to say that the employer who did choose to take me on commented to me on a number of occasions that I had delivered at a far greater level than they expected and that I had changed their perceptions about hiring ex Defence personnel.
Former Defence members, particularly those who have served for a number of years, generally have many transferable skills, both from a technical perspective and from a leadership/management perspective. They demonstrate great loyality and personal discipline in the performance of their work, are not afraid to make decisions, and can be relied up to do the job.
As you may have gathered I can only suggest that you consider the candidate, if you haven't already (noting your original post was on 30 June) and give them the opportunity to demonstrate to you whether or not they possess the competencies to perform the role at the required level.
Whilst I don't disagree with michaelakassar, I can say from my experience in Defence and 10 years in the private sector (in
HR related fields, as an employee and now as an independant consultant) operating a business is no different to operating a ship, army unit or a flight squadron - it is about leading, managing and operating resources - capital, hardware, software and most importantly people.
Best of luck
