Given the character of the characters that work on and those of us that appreciate them and the railroads they work on, I doubt that the term “militaristic” was intended to be a negative.
This has been touched on before, but West Point was founded not only as a Military Academy to train officers for the Army, but to satisfy a need for Civil Engineers to build the country (canals and railroads as well as other public works).
The Civil War was an incubator for “modern” management organization and it is debatable where the main drivers developed their ideas…the military or civilian field experience before the war building railroads and other large projects.
Certainly the railroads institutionalized the management of large organizations and were a big influence on the military, and vice versa.
Your points about veterans and work ethic are valid.
Thank you for your service!!!
Charlie Vlk
I know I am an outsider, and I probably have no right to post anything about anything in here, but there was a mention of the Raiilroads becoming militaristic.
I have been going through a LOT of job fairs, ect set up for veterans. There is a magazine out there called GI JOBS and it is set up for employers to meet up with potential employees, that are veterans.
All the major railroads and Amtrack advertise in this magazine. Big full page ads. The reasons for wanting veterans are many. We are used to working weird hours, we work around heavy machinery and equipment, that we have to do our own preventive maintenance on. We are used to following rules. We have to shoulder a lot of responsibility that people our age wound never even dream of. We are used to traveling. All this at a fairly early age.
The biggest attraction, so I have been told over and over by people who recruit for companies, is that we can pass drug testing. How many 20-30 year old civilians could bring that to the table? IF I was 20 years younger, I would give the railroads a shot.