Railroads' strong tradition of recruiting servicemen and women as they exit the U.S. Armed Forces dates back more than a century. Today, as the rail industry grapples with increasing numbers of worker retirements, hiring veterans is a high priority for railroads' recruiters.

That's because job candidates with military experience have the skills and personality traits that railroads are looking for in employees, rail industry executives say.

In recent years, as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wound down, the  Association of American Railroads (AAR) - in collaboration with freight and passenger railroads and rail supply companies - has participated in veteran employment initiatives, such as the " Joining Forces" initiative that First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled in 2013. Nearly a quarter of freight railroads' current employees are veterans; one in five of the 15,000 new employees that freight railroads anticipate hiring in 2015 will have military experience, according to the AAR.

"We can't hire enough of them," says AAR President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Hamberger.

Why? Job candidates with military background typically understand the importance of safety, discipline and teamwork - all key priorities in railroad culture.

"I've heard it said many times that the railroad rulebook is written in blood," Hamberger says. "If you don't have discipline and follow the rules on the railroad, you can get hurt. Obviously, the same is true for the military, as well."