The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans climbed slightly in October, but the long-term trend is positive. In October, unemployment for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans stood at 10.0 percent, up from 9.7 percent in September. When the average rate for 2012 is compared to the average for 2011, however, the picture for younger veterans shows improvement …
While praising caregivers that support military veterans, Navy Adm. James Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reminded attendees at the Military Officers Association of America Community Heroes Award Dinner on Tuesday to continue supporting the nation’s fighting men and women when they return home. One of the most significant challenges is helping service members transition into the civilian marketplace. “As our troops transition to civilian life, we have to continue to highlight that employing a veteran is not charity …
The number of Americans suffering physical combat wounds in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001 reached 50,010 last week, a sobering reminder of the cost of the war and an indication of the commitment to health care the nation will need to make into the future. Perhaps the only good news is the observation that 16,000 of the most severely injured service members likely would have died on the battlefield one generation ago, reports the Huffington Post. Improved medical care, more rapid medical evacuation and enhanced protective gear are saving more than 90 percent of troops injured in battle …
Community leaders from Colorado Springs returned from their annual trip to Washington, D.C., with a better understanding of the key threats the region faces as it strives to preserve the region’s military presence. “We’ve been told the Air Force wants to close and realign bases. That could be a problem,” one local businessman told the Colorado Springs Business Journal …
Despite good intentions, few employers are fully prepared to recruit, hire and accommodate veterans with disabilities, according to a new report from the Workplace Warrior Think Tank. The think tank sees progress in the myriad efforts spearheaded by the private sector to offer opportunities to veterans, but more needs to be done. The prospect that former service members have post-traumatic stress disorder is a key barrier preventing companies from embracing veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan …
The Navy accounted for an additional $1.5 billion in economic activity in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia during fiscal 2011, primarily due to an increase in procurement over the previous year. The total direct impact of the Navy in FY 2011 was $15.0 billion, including $8.6 billion in payroll and $6.4 billion in procurement expenditures …
DOD’s new initiative to help service members prepare for civilian life is a dramatic improvement over the previous program, with classes customized for each service and a range of demographic groups. “We found that the needs of singles separating from a first tour were different than, say, a career soldier with a family getting ready to retire,” said Susan Kelly, director of DOD’s Transition to Veterans Program Office …
Unemployment is the number one worry among military personnel, according to a new poll conducted by Concerned Veterans of America. Twenty-eight percent of military voters ranked finding a job after they separate from service as their top concern, reported Politico. Only 18 percent of respondents said gaining access to medical care for service-related wounds was their biggest issue. The other concerns listed by service members included deployment pressures, downsizing of personnel and transition assistance.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Friday thanked elected officials and business leaders in Hampton Roads for their long-running support of service members stationed there and pledged to preserve the region’s military presence. “Simply put, this region houses perhaps the greatest concentration of military might in the world. And the support offered by this community to its service members, its veterans, to their families, is an incredibly important part of what makes this area the strategic national asset that it is …
Cuts in federal funding for base grocery stores stemming from sequestration can be expected to have a heightened impact on military families and veterans, as many commissary employees that would bear the brunt of furloughs and reduced hours are affiliated with the military. About two-thirds of commissary employees are the family of active duty members or retirees, or veterans, reports Stars and Stripes. A 9.4 percent cut in funding for commissaries, or $130 million, likely would result in store hours and staff services being trimmed by next spring. In some cases, stores could close …