A large majority of engineering students are or were in the armed services. My son's lab partners in two different classes were in the service — one was a Navy Seal (served in Iraq), and the other was in the Air Force. Both are ambitious and very hard working — a very good example for my son.
In my experience, people who have served make very good engineers. :)
Most people who have served make good employees in general.
Non-coms and junior officers who have served with distinction make especially good employees. The problem many of them have is understanding how their military experience is relevant and how to sell it. Too many potential employers are clueless what is demanded of military front line leadership.
I actually had one COO tell me that military officers aren’t accustomed to working long hours. I set him straight and told him to tell my Air Force combat pilot son that. He typically worked 14 hour days with many longer than that in the midst of an exercise. The expectation of them is ZERO mistakes and they live under a magnifying glass that looks for any chink. Add to that the last decade of oppressive political correctness.
That’s interesting, but it makes sense. There are used to discipline, doing things in an orderly organized fashion. I find that a lot of engineering is just logic. That’s why it is such a shame that geometry is not emphasized in our schools. It really teaches logic well, if kids are forced to do the proofs. Anymore, I don’t even think they are!