fromthepresident
Jobs for Veterans
Helping veterans find meaningful work is a big job. Your association is doing its part to help, and MOAA offers ways for members across the nation to participate in this effort.
I
n The New York Times recently,
columnist Bob Herbert suggested the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghani- stan have become “white noise” — background sounds Americans don’t
really hear — because they have little effect on our daily lives. After nearly nine years of conflict, many have become numb to the sacrifices and stresses servicemembers and their families have experienced. One dangerous indication of a prob- lem is the high jobless rate among young veterans. The latest Department of Labor figures show 21 percent of America’s 18- to 24-year-old veterans from Iraq and Af- ghanistan are unemployed, a 50-percent leap from 14 percent two years ago, and well above the 16.6 percent of nonveterans in that age group. This totals 250,000 veter- ans without jobs — many more if you count those who are in college or have given up. Possible causes include employers who
are reluctant to hire guardmembers or re- servists because of potential deployments, or who don’t understand combat-related illnesses and fear PTSD. Job-seekers also might have difficulty translating the skills and habits they learned in the service into the civilian workforce. Many servicemembers aren’t aware of
programs available to help them find work. These efforts run the gamut, from a Ma- rine Corps endeavor that trains active duty personnel at Camp Pendleton, Calif., to be civilian welders to the Employer Partner- ship Program emphasized by Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz that collaborates
1 2 MI L I T A R Y O F F I C E R J U N E 2 0 1 0
with employers to match skill sets of servicemembers with careers in private industry. MOAA’s The Officer Place-
ment Service (TOPS) does a great job for officers, senior NCOs, and enlisted personnel who attend briefings at bases around the country. However, we need to do even more to support young veterans sepa- rating after their first enlist- ment — and that’s where MOAA’s nationwide net- workers and chapter TOPS liaisons can help, coordinat- ing with local-level enlisted associations and govern- ment agencies to help address the issue. To become an MOAA networker, click
on MOAA Networking Contacts at www
.moaa.org/career. Encourage eligible of- ficers to join MOAA and use TOPS — and urge friends who are hiring to consider a veteran. Employers get a dedicated em- ployee, with solid skills, and help our na- tion at the same time. Many entities are helping veterans find gainful employment. Although MOAA doesn’t have all the answers, we are com- mitted to doing our part to help — and we are leaders in what we do for veterans.
— Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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