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Subscribe to RSSIn an effort to reduce the unemployment rate among veterans and their spouses, job fairs sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are being held around the country in partnership with NBC News. NBC's Chris Jansing reports.
By Jay Blackman
NBC News
Long after the welcome home ceremonies, the standing ovations at sporting events and in airports, and the hugs and tears, reality sets in for veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. For a large number of them, the new battle is for a full time job in an economy where so many other folks are out of work. The numbers tell the story. According to the United States Department of Labor, veterans who have served on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001 are experiencing a 12.1 percent unemployment rate, with young male vets under the age of 25 suffering the worst -- a 29.1 percent unemployment rate.
There is hope, however, in the form of job fairs sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The program, which started last year, hosted 100 job fairs nationwide, successfully pairing veterans with positions in the private sector. This year, the Chamber of Commerce partnered with NBC Universal to host ‘Hiring our Heroes,’ and expanded the number of job fairs to 400.
So far, 5,000 employers have hired more than 8,000 returning veterans.
Click here to find a job fair near you.
For one veteran, Marine Sgt. Edzavier Reese, it wasn't just his skills that got him a job, it was incredible timing and luck. He had bounced from job to job in California after finishing his five deployments -- four to Iraq and one to Afghanistan -- but now Reese was looking for more.
"I was still stuck trying to be like, ‘I want to like something the way I like being in the Marines,’" he said.
Marine Sgt. Edzavier Reese found a job at GameStop in Atlanta, Ga., through the 'Hiring our Heroes' job fair.
Reese made the decision to return back home to Atlanta, Ga late last year. At first, he was going to take it slow, but once he got behind the wheel of his blue Mazda6, he decided to make the drive straight through, arriving at his mother’s house late afternoon. A friend told him about a vets-only job fair at the Georgia Dome. Reese wanted to take a nap, but said he knew he had to go.
"I went into the house, took a shower and shaved my head, and went over there," he said.
When he got there, the fair was almost over. As luck would have it, GameStop’s Mark Qualls noticed Reese.
"I saw a guy coming through, great suit, shoulders back, walking straight, great presence -- he's got to come talk to me," said Qualls, a regional manager at the computer and video game retailer.
After a brief conversation, Qualls saw in Reese what he says he sees in other returning veterans. "These days most of our veterans coming in have had some type of military service on the war front. So add to that high stress environment, a lot at stake -- quick decision making ability is really important -- and then lastly you have things like determination and honesty and honor and loyalty and that's not just words for them. They take an oath on that and they really believe it. So the better question is, ‘How can you not hire our veterans?’"
Lisa Rosser, who is also a veteran, now runs a group called The Value of a Veteran, which helps organizations improve veteran recruitment. She says hiring veterans just makes good business sense.
"The military person has the skill sets you need,” she said. Eighty-one percent of the jobs fit what you have in your organization, and the other skills that we bring are managerial and operational and training and leadership experience. What employer doesn't need those types of skills in their workplace?"
Lisa Rosser, founder of The Value of a Veteran, talks about the benefits of hiring military veterans.
Reese was eventually offered a management trainee job at a GameStop in Atlanta. He says he is eager to get his own store soon.
“I was pretty excited on the inside,” he said. “But like I said, you’ve got to maintain your cool, you have to.”
For more on Hiring our Heroes, an initiative from NBC News and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that aims to get veterans back into the workforce, click here. Learn more about job fairs for veterans here.
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Way to go!!
Wow americans finally do give something back to the troops who gave so much. I have allready hired 2 american veterans for my construction company and I,m canadian. My dad hired vietnam vets also they put their lives through hell especially the viet nam vets you owe them jobs FIRST!!
Right: hold your hand out and hope and hold the other out and wish.
You know how many are going to be coming back? They can't even help the average Joe we already have and you think the rich bottom dwelling CEO and higher ups are really going to care?
For one they hate tax's and cream off the top because that gets in the way of the fuel that gets pumped into them big boats in some harbor you don't even know the name of.
Readerup
With your attitude I wouldn't consider offering you a job. For the simple reason you feel your owed something. Your statement shows how you think everyone else is responsible for your life. The evil truth is you and only you are responsible.
Since veterans have lots of things going for them like discipline, Understanding what it takes to get something done and the willingness to learn new things. They will be the first hired here.
I am a Iraq and Afghanistan Vet currently serving in the Army Reserve and no one has hired me.
Unfortunately readerup is correct. The veterans are going to hear about how there aren't alot of jobs. About how they aren't qualified. Some will be told they move too much. And then there are the employers that are anti military.
After getting off active duty I was told that I didn't have enough experience. I even had one tell that I didn't get the job and then told me " now you know what it's like to be on the outside".
So let me understand this. All vetrans are now heroes. Interesting. What do they call the men and women who are really heroes. Ya know, the folks who go into battle and win a bronze or silver star. I didn't know that miltary folks who sit behind desk would be considered heroes. Anyhow, I guess as a Vietnam era veteran I'm hero too. I'll remember to put that in my resume. By the way, I totally understand that work is hard to come by for everyone. But let's not forget get about our college heroes who are also looking for work. Survival of the fittest folks. The smartest and most qualified person should win over. That's just the way it is.
Three posts before a whiner. If you come across as one - one who can't spell veteran - your dwindling years are really gonna suck.
Jack..I'm a former Desert Strom combat vet and was awarded the Bronze Star. I don't consider myself any more "worthy" of a job at home than any other veteran who VOLUNTEERED to serve...whether they had combat experience or not.
Jack is retarded. Has anyone seen the students and young aspiring adults colleges are producing now a days?
Hey M Adams I see the left over from the mass college pull in sales that have loans out the wazoo. their mom and dad get stuck with the cosigned loan and will be paying for the rest of their life. Warning to all, even the ones that have graduated are paying on over priced loans they were tricked into with high hopes preached to them by college course sales people.
readerup...if you expect to be take seriously then you might want to think about writing complete (and properly punctuated) sentences. When exactly did you quit school? The 5th grade? Jesus, Joseph and DOGGIE STYLE Mary!!!!!
Your assertion is that somehow you have to have a medal to be considered a hero?
First of all, a hero is a person who commits self sacrifice. Every person who has served by definition has sacrificed. So yes, they are heroes.
Secondly, sorry you didn't have a great time in Vietnam, maybe you didn't get the same kind of reception you deserved, but comparing your sacrifice to others as if it were some kind of competition, that kind of cheapens the sacrifice.
Warning to all, even the ones that have graduated are paying on over priced loans they were tricked into
Makes you wonder how they were so easily tricked when they were smart enough to get into college.
There is nothing worse then someone so unappreciative of the sacrifices of others. Whether they volunteered or were drafted such as Vietnam. There's always going to be SOMEONE who is so idiotic. Who thinks like Jack ass up there.
And maybe I am taking this different then others may take it or how he meant it but let me just get it out there, I have to ask.
" But let's not forget get about our college heroes who are also looking for work. Survival of the fittest folks. The smartest and most qualified person should win over. That's just the way it is."
I am taking it as he is saying the soldiers and vets are not smart enough, they are not qualified enough and they should hire all these College graduates first. Am I wrong or is anyone else taking it for that as well?. And calling college graduates Heroes? Really?. I'm glad to see people with the RIGHT frame of mind on these forums. It's comforting knowing not everyone is an ass like this Jack Character.
While I respect what vets have done, I don't buy into the argument saying they should be given preferential treatment in hiring.
There are plenty of other people in the country that, for one reason or another, are unable to join the military. There are also plenty who just don't because they know it isn't a good fit for them.
In both cases however, these people are educated and need work just as much as a veteran.
I totally agree with you. I am still unable to find work and I have been searching for over a year. I fill out dozens of applications and never hear anything. I have plenty of work experience and now I have to compete against our veterans. Don't get me wrong, they deserve work as much as anyone else does. They have done a lot for our country and that does not go unrecognized. I just don't agree that by giving out incentives to companies to hire our vets is very fair to the rest of us that are still trying to get work. I know, life is not fair, but you should not forget about those that are still unemployed...
I agree with you. I was unable to serve, and cannot serve even at 30. I'm sick, and I won't get into details. I thank the people who volunteered to keep the draft out. But there are some, that will come back and they won't be suited for any customer related jobs. Before they even send the troops back to work in regular o'l America, they need to make sure they are psychologically able to work with the general public.
These are men and women who have seen friends, and maybe even loved ones get blown up, injured...God knows what else. Some will not be fit to work, and should get full on disability benefits atop of their regular military benefits. I would hate to see a tragedy unfold because someone was mentally unable to cope, and took their aggression out on a civilian.
As I watched the nightly news segment about "Hiring our Heros" concerning veterans not being able to find work I noticed something that struck me. This veteran was driving a Mazda across the country in search of work and I wondered, if more veterans and Americans would buy American, perhaps we would have more American jobs. I question if we have all forgotten Pearl Harbor. "Out of a job yet? Keep Buying Foreign!"
This is wonderful, and our men and women in uniform deserve help with getting employment. Why isn't the same idea extended to Peace Corps Volunteers? We give up two years of our lives (sometimes more) to help men and women across the globe better their lives. We're struggling to get jobs when we get back, too. We don't carry guns, but we sacrifice our health and comforts of home (like electricity and clean water) to teach children in schools (or get them to go to school), boost the health of parents and their families, show businesses how to succeed, install water pumps to bring clean water to thousands of families, and enhance the quality of life for farmers and their the success of their crops. We go where no one will go to help those who need our assistance. Do we not deserve help because we don't carry guns? Volunteers in the past have been stabbed, shot, raped, robbed, threatened, and yes, some have been killed. There aren't many of us, but RPCVs could use the support, too.
You returned from the peace corps and this is wonderful?
Don't get me wrong. Eternally grateful for current crop of vets. But it would be nice if someone understood our heroes also include older vets, e.g., from Gulf War 1 and even Vietnam. In the 80s, being a Vietnam vet got my hubby shunned. Now he's a hero...but "too old" to hire, despite having credentials in optics (10 years--a licensed NY state optician), sales (10 years) and Macintosh work (where he trained himself and was a leader 'til 9/11 destroyed his biz).
I remember a Siemens exec whining he couldn't find workers with science skills to work on the line in healthcare technology. Exec said if you had the smarts they were willing to train. Horse puckey. Today if you don't have a college degree that and/or your birthdate can get you automatically deleted from the computer applications (almost impossible to get hired with applying electronically nowadays), so you never even get the interview.
Several years ago I sent a letter about 8 pages to VP Biden, delineating hubby's credentials and begging for help. Never got an answer of any kind, even a form letter saying "Sorry, but...".
Of course, no one will say my guy's too old to hire....they just keep turning him down.
So NBC et al, how about focusing on our older vets for a change?
I am all for people doing well, but I have to question if the knowledge, skills, abilities and other attributes that are gained thru military service are transferable to the civilian work place with success. If it was a "no brainer" that they did, then employers would be taking advantage of that and hiring veterans first. Modern HR departments know what is a good fit and what isn't. I would hope that ambitious people like Mr. Reese consider an advanced education. The knowledge he gains with a BA or MA (from a real school, not an imposter), combined with his experiences in the military would make him much stronger in the job market. He would then have control of the levers.
Jack...There are some very strong reasons why many corporations look to ex-military senior enlisted and officers to lead their companies into the next generation. I'm a USNA grad with a BS in Marine Engineering and Master's from Duke, a former combat vet and now a Navy Reserve Captain. I'm also an executive for ExxonMobil. I'm SURE you've heard of us...we're only the wealthiest and most tightly run Fortune 100 oil company in the world. There is a reason for that...we hire innovative, creative, diligent, intelligent leaders to run and guide the company into the future. Our workforce is about 50/50 military to civilian. Throughout my career, I've met several people from "Ivy League" schools who were pretty book smart, but didn't have the common sense to come in out of the rain much less have the acumen to lead people.
You sound like the now day bottom feeder to rake in money on a college sale.
To all you vets coming home, do not get sucked in by these college sales people. They could care less and you will burn up your military bennies by these bottom feeders. Get on the job training. A lot of these colleges are run by criminal rich that have bought them out like John C. Malone in this country. This country has turned into a money sponge for the greedy that want the biggest boat in a harbor you don't even know. Look them up. They can't hide, I know them from experience in how they work. They are greedy bottom feeders like a sucker fish that looks at people like they are helpless and something to feed on.
Oh for Christ sake readerup....SHUT THE F*CK UP!!
Mars.com is hiring, they make Skittles.
There should be a Trayvon Martin doll with the hoodie he was wearing for everyone who supports him. Funds should go to victims of crime.
Jack and OilmanMD:
Language has been so abused for so long, In this instance, English word HERO, it's no wonder we have a world of sleepwalkers and numb brains.
Yippeee everyone's a hero! If we practice, thought, speech and ACTION, of our words, in a very short period, our world changes.
However, in the real world, if you do something truly HEROIC, many times you are castigated by the very people you help, or forgotten, too many in a VA hospital, pushed aside, or prosecuted for standing up for what's right.
My dad Pearl Harbor, myself 2 tours in Vietnam, neither of us had a choice whether we wanted to serve or not, and neither of us were hero's in the classic sense, and neither of us feel the world owes us gratitude, nor a job, it's nice when it happens though.
Nonetheless, bless the heart of Ann Curry and others for what they are doing to help Veterans.
As for my own quest, to demonstrate my personal "marketing" skills, stood on the corner of Wall Street and Broadway, 12 weeks, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, held a poster which said: IF YOU WANT TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY, HIRE ME!
Praised by thousands of tourists, interviewed for broadcast by over 20 International CABLE NEWS companies, picture published in the Wall Street Journal and an employment segment done on LOCAL NY1.
STILL NO CAREER OFFERS.
HIRE ME? 585 217 2191
Oilman, Your personal situation is anecdotal and cannot be generalized to the general population of returning service people. If the corporations are looking to ex military to hire, why all of the out cry that they aren't being treated fairly on the job market? With your resume you should be hot property on the job market. What about Mr. Reese and the hundreds of thousands like him? Are they prepared to take on the tasks required in the modern work environment? If they are not being hired, there might be a reason for it.
You will note that I said the military experience would be a valuable add on to an advanced degree. There are clueless people with degrees in the hard sciences just as there are in the humanities, as well as in the military.
I was touched by this effort to hire our veterans...ALL honorable veterans. As a veteran myself, I know what to expect from their job performance. I know that if I can trust them with my life, I can trust them to do a job and do it well. I heven hired a veteran when given the opportunity at my own job, although those opportunities are long gone in today's economy. I hope one day, either through hard work or a lottery win :), to help our veterans more than I'm able today. I see programs like Veterans Village in San Diego and I think, these men and women served our country, surely we can do more for them across the country. I thank companies like Home Depot who have committed to hiring veterans long before it became popular to do so. It's nice to know that there are people out there with the means to help them and they do so in earnest.
Then your blind
This country isn't even hiring the ones we need on the job.
This was a great segment that aired tonight. I only wish the Federal Government would enforce their own hiring practice/policy of Veteran Preference when hiring Veterans. I'm a Veteran myself and was lucky enough to enjoy 32 years of Federal Service before retiring in 2011. Unfortunately, during my career I witnessed many Federal Agencies circumvent the Veteran's Preference Policy because of nepotism and cronyism. I wish NBC would do an investigation on the Federal Governments hiring practice of Veterans.
Liers: You really think the CEO's of the world are going to change policy and not control employment?
CEO's of large companies are not even companies anymore. Who knows what they are for sure.
Money control is so messed up they will never fix it. Money is gets hid by more and more high tech crime to dodge taxes. Cowards that really could care less about the average Joe.
for the most part veterans have a solid work ethic, unlike college kids who racked up thousands of dollars worth of debt getting a sociology degree then wonder why they don't get a high paying job straight out of college.
I have something to add to that S T madening: Those/them so called college Come ons are sucking in a lot of young people and sticking them with a lone for the rest of their life just to get a kick back. It's the biggest crime suck in America right now and worse than the lowest form of life that sucks you into a car you don't really want with an over sized loan. Wake up people, Half of you have high hope, stuck with a high lone and never use what you went to school for. dear ole mom ends up paying for the rest of her dear life. Aholes
Even people with highly-skilled degrees are having trouble finding jobs because of oversaturation - more people with degrees than there are jobs.
I would tell anyone with the cost of college becoming exponentially high that if you can afford it, go. If you can't, I wouldn't do it. It's not worth going into debt for. College degrees aren't worth much of anything anymore, especially now with the economy the way it is. Most employers take a look at peoples' resumes and if they notice a degree on them, they say, 'so you went to college, huh?' But do they factor that into their hiring decision and will they pay you more money because you have a degree? No.
The only way to fix America honestly is look at every big corp and tell them no more payment. It's time to start over and let them face the facts. Find out who the thieves are that think they need a big boat to feel good while a fellow American is starving or losing their home. Those big greedy fat fed wantabe Americans need to go live with their Mother because we are not their sugar titty.
I liked this news report. My husband is looking to expand his car service business. We were talking a few weeks ago about what we are looking for in a employee and we both agreed that hiring a person who has served in the military is ideal: the qualities we are looking for: integrity, trainable, good communication, discipline and pride.
We know that there are great non-military potential applicants but we don't have the time and resources to wade through a hundred applicants. And most of the military applicants would have a number of these qualities. Vets coming out of the military don't have the luxury of looking for employment while overseas or they are adjusting back to civilization, which doesn't happen overnight.
I wish a vet job fair was scheduled for Louisville, Kentucky.
Maybe a local was right infront of your nose? I don't believe you.
Job fairs are really great ideas... in theory. I'm a veteran myself and have been to job fairs, and I've talked to other veterans who have gone to job fairs. Most of the time, all you do is shake hands with a representative and get a business card with a website address where you can apply. If you're lucky, someone will take one of those fifty resumes that you toted along. Odds are, though, you end up strolling down several aisles of tables and encountering a myriad of job listings that you're not eligible/qualified for.
The aspect of "face time" in terms of hiring is almost ridiculous these days at the corporate level. Small business owners who will work with you day in and day out are the only ones that treasure the one-on-one experience. Everyone else just hands you website information and says, "Go apply here." Whenever the job fair provides information of the businesses that'll be showing up, you can pretty much do that on your own and not waste time and gas money going to a job fair location, then standing in line and, from time to time, actually paying someone for the "privilege" of attending.
This exactly. I went to a job fair that was exactly like that once. I had a folder with several dozen copies of my resume and none of the employers would accept them. They told me to apply online and gave me fliers or cards with links to their websites.
What's the point of even going to a job fair if most of the employers won't accept your resume and direct you to a website to apply? I can do that without attending a job fair. That's the main reason I've stopped going to job fairs altogether.
You are so right - if there's a list of employers that will be at a certain job fair, your best bet is to print that list out, then get on the internet and find the company websites and apply that way.
The days of going to an employer and applying in-person are a thing of the past which is a very sad thing.
Job fairs don't do squat!!! Are there really jobs to be had? NO!!! Shake hands. Say howdy doos... Hand in a resume.
Why go?? Been there... done that 100 times...
Most are a farce....
Organizations must be participating to "feel good" about themselves...
Can't beat a lot of shoe leather, networking, and a "really" good recruiter....
I've been to them too - job fairs are a joke in and of themselves. Most of the employers you'll see at a typical job fair are temp agencies, retail stores, your typical insurance company or newspaper looking for commission-only salespeople, maybe a few places like a hospital or nursing home or Nielsen, call centers, and that's about it.
The last one I went to was when I was laid off from the census bureau after I did temp work for them 2 years ago. We were given fliers that said over 50 employers were going to show up and it was only open to former census workers like myself. At first I thought, 'hey, great, the census bureau actually cares about us and wants us to find new jobs.' Boy, was I disappointed when I got there to find only about 15-20 employers there, most of which were temp agencies, or companies looking to hire commission-only sales, and a few other little rink-tink jobs thrown in. What a joke. I came dressed for success with over a dozen copies of my resume in hand and I gave a few to several temp agencies and one or two actual employers, then walked out the door. Never got a single callback. I'm on my second year of unemployment and still haven't been able to land a job despite the hundreds of resumes I've sent out over the last year and a half.
It's just as you said - companies participating to "feel good" about themselves. The presenters at every single booth are paid to be there to take resumes and go through the motions. They have no intention of hiring anyone and most of the resumes are probably shredded or thrown in the trash after the job fair is over.
Sounds great and I'm happy for the vets. I really appreciate what they did to protect us and our freedom. Although, with 14 million people out of work, we really don't need to be singling out a specific group of people. All of us need to find meaningful work to restore dignity and pride in ourselves. If everyone that wants a job doesn't get one, what did the vets go to fight for?
Just as I thought it was next to impossible to get a job, this comes along and pretty much nails my working days shut. These people made the choice to do what they do and I made my choice to work here. They have been paid the past three years and I have not, not even unemployment since I was an independent contractor.
Now I'm cast aside again so people can feel good about themselves and get a tax break hiring these people. First affirmative action now this. I'm tired of being sacrificed for other people's mistakes or decisions. Where is my fare shake? Just like the headline says, "Unemployment takes toll on prime age men".
A manager at Game Stop huh ? Sound kool. I would have took that job (along with college though) when I first got out of the service.
A typical retail store manager only makes about $10 to $12 an hour. While that's better than no job at all, that's not enough to feed a family and unless you live in a shotgun neighborhood, you can't even afford a decent apartment or home on that.
All vets deserve our gratitude AND HELP! One thing I saw on the news tonight...which I thought was super was that they are now training the current crop of vets to "interview"...for jobs when they return. They help them with pulling together a resume etc...which is huge (and should be done).
Mars.com is hiring, they make Skittles.
There should be a Trayvon Martin doll with the hoodie he was wearing for everyone who supports him and proceeds should go to victims of crime.
The Anti-American Obama administration won't give veterans the time of day
Funny... it was Bush I and Bush II that started the unnecessary wars... it's the current batch of Republicans that have NO plans to pull us out of the Middle East, and want us, in true Bush fashion, to "stay the course" and continue dumping billions into the war effort... Republican presidents poured billions of dollars into Vietnam and Granada/Lebanon and in to the current situation (did you realize we've been in an OPEN PERIOD OF WAR since 1990?)...
And yet it's the Obama administration that's to blame? Really? The only administration that has set a deadline to get troops out of these wars? The only administration that HAS made strides to disentangle our soldiers from a messed-up situation that we should've never touched in the first place?
Sorry to burst the anti-Obama bubble but this ongoing anti-vet attitude isn't the current administration's fault--it's the CIVILIANS and CIVILIAN BUSINESSES who are turning the tide of respect against anyone that they perceive has it better than them.
All I'm hearing in the civilian community--in this very comments section, no less!--are gripes about "get a life" and "get on with it" and "you vets are overprivileged idiots" and "what about me?" and "vets had it easy and got paid" and so on.
There used to be a time where we as a country respected our military and respected our soldiers without question. Half of all Americans were in some way directly linked to World War II, and there was NO doubt whatsoever that those who fought deserved a decent amount of respect and consideration.
Now, less than 10% of Americans are connected to the military--the REAL military, not what you perceive the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines to be from watching a bunch of movies or cheap TV shows!--and they are being abused online and in person.
The economy has been turning against us since outsourcing began in earnest in the 1960s, and the immigration boom began in the '80s, and Reagan first pushed our budget into the billions and from which it'll never come down (thanks to interest rates), and banks and mortgage companies began screwing us over in the '90s... all of these LONG-STANDING problems which have culminated to burden the current administration... now it's fair to blame Obama for not waving a magic wand and making 50 years of problems go away? Really? Get a frickin' grip.
"Wah, he promised change." He's not a god. He's not Jesus. Arguably, he's not even a good president--I'm not gung-ho, pro-Obama, but even I recognize that the man was faced with the worst administration in history. And who did the Republicans get to run against him? McCain--someone who LOST the presidential election eight years earlier. THAT was the best they could find?!? Yes... because the Republicans didn't want to tackle the massive amount of work that lay before them.
Well-said, SUJO!
Thank you SUJO - my sentiments exactly. Well-said.
What can be said? These men and women deserve our utmost consideration and extension of gratitude.
Proud to have you in our company, heroes.
They already have a job, it's called BEING A SOLDIER.
Where are the jobs for the rest of us?!
Ignorant comment is ignorant.
These soldiers are no longer on the payroll because they have been discharged which is the military definition of unemployed or laid off.
Everyone who is unemployed should be getting help finding jobs right now, Veterans included.
Something, something...blah, blah...Marine serving two tours has trouble even getting minimum wage work at a security company...and...okay, I'm ready to comment.
Ever heard the expression, a day late and a dollar short? More veterans than you know fit in this boat. Maybe they left the military in the mid 90s, 2001, whatever. Maybe a few retired in 2003 or 2007. The difference is that no one even looked twice at these veterans. So, you served honorably? You do know that some served in units that were not only high pressure cookers, but they served so well they managed to be awarded Unit Commendations, don't you? You got a purple heart, eh? Remember what they said about John Kerry? You do know that some of these veterans did achieve college degrees from accredited universities before they left the military, don't you? Yet, not even they can find work as a security gaurd, either. Government contracts? Well, if it were that easy, the aforementioned Marine would have already gone that route, would he not?
While it does a heart good to hear that some good is being attempted on the behalf of veterans, it is hard to comfort someone who gave their all, yet barely has "two nickels to rub together" after bills have been paid...and that's only because they are living with a caring relative, not a spouse (no woman would initially have someone that poor unless they are related); and the relative foots some of the bills as well. This is the only way these veterans can survive.
How much of this is real and how much is political theatre? Will these jobs disappear 6 months after the election? It is hard to reassure that anything meaningful is being accomplished when so much calamity defeats the purpose. There is a reason some veterans did not or do not bother with their GI Bill. Without being absurd, one must imagine circumstances must be grave to influence such a decision. For some, life will continue to be vinegar and salt, and as everything else in their life suggests, nothing ever changes unless things get worse. No matter the volunteer hours, no matter the people that smile, no matter the education, no matter the dedication...some people were just born under a bad moon...and no one cares.
Most big companies could care less about Veterans and what they have done for our country.
"Here you go - an $8 an hour job at McDonalds or Target as a part-time cashier."
"Oh, $8 an hour isn't enough to pay your bills and afford a place to live and food to eat? Well sorry, Veteran, but that's all we have. If you don't want that kind of job you can live on the streets as a bum for all we care. We'll just hire someone else. Sorry. By the way, thanks for risking your life so we can be a free country!"
That's the mentality of most employers. They don't care about anyone, Veterans included, and they have no qualms about kicking the 99% to the curb.
Quoted for truth - if you weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth, get ready to work for a low wage the rest of your life and if you don't like it, too bad. America will be a third-world country in about 5 to 10 years. We're already about more than half-way there as it is.