It makes sense, if you think about it. Who better to take care of your child than a problem-solving, time-tested veteran with a background check and years of service under her belt? Oh, and she could be armed, if you wanted her to be.
Jonathan Gilliam, a former Navy SEAL, got the idea for "Tactical Nannies" after seeing so many highly qualified veterans struggling to find work. He said it's actually a perfect opportunity for families to get a "nanny" they can trust, and for female veterans to put their military skills to good (and perhaps much more benign) use. Not to mention, Gilliam estimates pay could be up to $100,000 a year.
Melissa Fraga is the prototype for Gilliam's "Tactical Nannies" program. She tells HLN affiliate WTKR that, after she finished her service in the Army Reserve, it was difficult to find a job. "When you tell them you are a veteran, they’re like, oh we would love to hire you because you are a veteran, but you don’t have the degree that we want you to have,” she says. "...I think it is an awesome opportunity to be able to use not only my military experience, but also my personal life experience."
The idea appeals to moms, too. Lyndsay Westby-Gibson, a mom and retired Navy lieutenant, says there are few people she would trust more with her children. "You know they’ve been vetted. You know they have experience dealing with crisis. You know they have been given a tremendous amount of responsibility and they can be trusted," she says.
This isn't the first project Gilliam has started with American veterans in mind. He heads up a company called United States Continued Service, which pairs veterans with private sector employers. To learn more about his efforts, visit ContinuedService.com.
So what do you think? Would you hire a highly trained vet to go from "lock and load" to Rock-a-bye?
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