Military retirees ease into law enforcement role in Jiangsu

For many military veterans in China, one of the difficult things about retiring from the service is bidding farewell to their uniform. But personnel serving in Jiangsu province are being welcomed to another job in uniform — the police.

Starting this month, officers at the rank of colonel or lower who serve in units of the People’s Liberation Army in Jiangsu can directly contact the public security bureau in Nanjing, the provincial capital, for a job, rather than submitting an application and taking tests as their predecessors did, according to China National Defense, a PLA newspaper.

More than 300 officers took part in a meeting organized by the Nanjing police earlier this month, and 100 of them decided to take advantage of the offer, the newspaper said, noting that the officers should thank the provincial military command and city government for the easy transition.

The report quoted military authorities in charge of retirement affairs as saying that police departments prefer military retirees when they select workers because veterans are usually capable and reliable.

Currently, PLA officers have two options when they retire: receive a one-time retirement payment and then find a job on their own, or take up whatever job the government assigns.

In June, Xi asked the government and the PLA to make sure retirees are taken good care of when they seek new jobs.