Starbucks announced a new plan this week that will help servicemembers returning from active duty, as well as their spouses, find steady employment.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the coffeehouse franchise plans to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses in the next five years, thanks in part to an initiative developed by current Starbucks board member and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Through the directive, special recruiting events and processes will be held specifically for veterans, while the company will continue to track veterans hiring at their stores throughout the U.S.
Starbucks Chief Community Officer Blair Taylor told the news source that the new hiring plan is not a "charity initiative," but a way to ease the high unemployment rates of veterans who have just returned from service.
"This is an endeavor predicated on us genuinely needing the skills veterans offer," Taylor said.
The coffee giant is also preparing to open five community stores at U.S. military installations within the next five years. Community stores are special establishments that partner with nonprofits, and the ones at the military bases will share their profits with local organizations that service veterans.
New data from the Department of Veterans Affairs reveals that former servicemembers in need of treatment for mental illness continue to face delays in receiving counseling and medication.
USA Today reported that the VA did not help about 34 percent of veterans seeking mental health treatment within two weeks of their application in 2013. The mental health appointments include treatment for substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as psychiatry and psychology counseling.
According to a statement from the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, the federal agency mandates that appointments must be scheduled within a 14-day timeframe.
The news source reported that the waiting period varies depending on the type of illness and treatment. For first-time psychiatric therapy appointments, around half of the 47,700 applicants had a wait longer than two weeks, with the average wait lasting 15 days. Location also impacts the length of the wait. According to the source, veterans at Houston area medical centers were not treated until 28 days later. Los Angeles and Orlando were also among the cities with the worst delays.
A report released by the VA earlier this year stated that the agency is also focused on improving its post-discharge follow up of patients.
New restrictions to the Marine Corps tuition assistance program will impact current servicemembers and those who are still in training, Stars and Stripes reported. The restrictions, which will ultimately limit the number of eligible Marines, were initially scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, but were suspended for several weeks due to the government shutdown.
In addition to eligibility, the Corps will only allow first-time applicants to enroll in one college course, unless they already hold an associate's degree or have completed 60 units with a 2.5 grade-point average.
According to the news source, the changes to the Corps tuition assistance benefits are a result of several defense budget cuts, as well as an increase of servicemembers enrolling in the program.
"The reality is we have less money for [tuition assistance]," said Craig Lockwood, lead education specialist at Marine Corps Base Hawaii-Kaneohe Bay's education center, in a press statement. "There are more restrictions. If you are eligible, it's not going to be necessarily harder, but there are a lot more Marines now that are not eligible to use TA."
More than 2,200 Marine Corps members joined the education program between 2009 and 2013, during which time the tuition assistance budget was cut by $19 million, the news source reported. According to Military.com, the education benefits typically cover 100 percent of a servicemember's tuition, and is only available for Corps members who are active duty.
Security clearance at the Pentagon and other defense agencies is currently under review due to the September shooting at the Naval Yard in Washington, D.C., the American Forces Press Services stated.
Stephen Lewis, deputy director for personnel, industrial and physical security policy in the office of undersecretary of defense for intelligence, addressed a Senate committee this week, emphasizing the need for stronger clearance policies that will impact Defense Department civilians, contract employees and active-duty servicemembers.
"Under the National Industrial Security Program, cleared contractors are required to report adverse information coming to their attention regarding their cleared employees," Lewis said.
He added that the DOD is in charge of vetting companies that work on classified contracts for the Defense Department and other federal agencies.
Lewis proposed a concept demonstration of an improved security system with "real-time updates" of pertinent information, the news source reported. The DOD will also evaluate 100,000 contractors, including both civilians and servicemembers.
According to the National Archives, the military's current security system, the National Industrial Security Program, is a partnership between the federal government and the private sector. It was established by an executive order meant to protect classified defense information.
During his speech at the Anti-Defamation League centennial dinner, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel expressed his disappointment in the National Guard state affiliates that are blocking the spousal benefits now available for same-sex military couples.
The Associated Press reported that while the defense secretary did not name the states during the Oct. 31 event, he did criticize their decision to withhold the benefits while also highlighting the effects it has had on gay servicemembers.
"Not only does this violate the states' obligation under federal law, their actions have created hardship and inequality by forcing couples to travel long distances to federal military bases to obtain the ID cards they're entitled to," Hagel said during his speech.
Following the landmark Supreme Court decision that overturned a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, which blocked same-sex marriage from being recognized by federal agencies, the Department of Defense changed its spousal benefits policy, extending it to gay couples with a valid marriage license. Since same-sex marriage is legal in only 13 states, the DOD has been granting gay servicemembers seven days of leave to travel with their partner to states where a marriage license can be obtained. However, many National Guard sites have been denying same-sex military couples who have a marriage license the various benefits, while reports of discrimination from base officials have also surfaced, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the news source, there are currently 114 Army and Air National Guard offices in nine states refusing to provide benefits to same-sex military couples.
As the unemployment rate for veterans who recently returned from service lingers at 10 percent, the federal government has been searching for ways to help former servicemembers succeed in the workforce. A new partnership between the State Department and private businesses seeks to not only bolster veterans, but also strengthen the relationship between the public and private sectors.
During a speech at the State Department, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the Veterans Innovation Partnership, or VIP, a program that will grant returning servicemembers fellowships at the State Department, as well as private companies such as the Overseas Private Investment Corp. According to a statement released by the Department of Defense, the program places an emphasis on international employment.
"The Veterans Innovation Partnership, VIP as we are calling it, is not about just what the State Department can do for veterans, it's really based on the notion that veterans can do a lot for the State Department and that we would be foolish not to try to reach out and harness the talent that exists," Kerry said.
Several other companies and institutions have signed up for the initiative, such as the University of Massachusetts, Boston and robot design company iRobot. According to the DOD, Kerry is encouraging other private sector businesses to join the program.
For veterans currently looking for work, it looks like the Lone Star State might be their best bet.
A recent report ranking the top metropolitan areas for former servicemembers found that Houston was the leader in veteran employment, with neighboring cities Dallas and Austin close behind, Stars and Stripes reported. According to the news source, Houston claimed the No. 1 spot because of its high rate of job creation and its low unemployment numbers.
For mid-sized metropolitan regions, Ann Arbor, Mich. came out as No. 1, while Columbia, Mo., claimed the top spot for small urban areas.
Eric Engquist, whose company compiled the rankings, told the news outlet that he hopes the latest information will help both military and hiring organizations improve their employment resources and support for veterans.
"What we're really telling servicemembers is to do their homework before they leave the military," Engquist said. "You need to be well informed about the opportunities available, and think about where you'll live along with what you want to do."
The unemployment rate for veterans is worst among recent servicemembers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10 percent of veterans who returned from active duty after 2001 are currently unemployed.
Even though the partial-shutdown just ended, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are looking ahead at the next federal closure, which can happen as soon as mid-January. Fortunately, two congressmen are thinking about ways to prevent any future financial impasse from harming the military, the Navy Times reported.
According to the news source, Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Tom Rooney, R-Fla., introduced a bill that would ensure that the death gratuity benefits granted to the families of fallen servicemembers will remain intact during federal shutdowns. Death gratuity benefits are $100,000 cash payments wired to military families within 36 hours of a soldier's death in order to cover transportation, burial costs and other immediate financial needs. When the federal shutdown hit in early October, these benefits were canceled due to the lack of government funding.
The representatives' new bill, HR 3352, would provide permanent funding for the death benefits, the news source stated.
"We cannot allow political posturing in Congress or other efforts that force a government shutdown to prevent the flow of funds and other needed resources to families who have just lost a service member. We must honor our commitment, no matter what," Connolly said in a statement.
Nearly one million veterans will be affected by cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) once the benefits automatically expire Nov. 1 along with the 2009 stimulus bill, Forbes reported.
According to a recently released report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, roughly 900,000 veterans lived in households that are dependent, either whole or part, on SNAP benefits in 2011. In Florida alone, more than 109,000 households include former servicemembers receiving food stamps, while Texas comes in at a close second with roughly 105,000 households.
SNAP benefits were increased for low-income families across the nation due to the 2009 Recovery Act, passed at the height of the recession. According to the Center, the benefits will drop to less than $1.40 per person per meal once the legislation expires.
Thousands of servicemembers returning from active duty depend on food stamps while they look for employment. Even though the overall unemployment rate for veterans is currently lower than the national average of 7.2 percent, 10 percent of veterans who returned from service after 2001 are unemployed.
In addition to veterans, The Associated Press reported that 47 million U.S. citizens – half of which are children and teenagers – receive food stamps each month.
A group of Bakersfield, Calif. veterans honored nine military recruits this week with a special ceremony, local news outlet 23ABC reported. Seven of the recruits are entering the Army as active-duty members, while two are joining the Marine Corps.
According to the news source, the event was organized by the Kern County Armed Forces Support Riders, a veterans organization that provides new military recruits with motorcycle escorts as they enter active duty.
"We came out because it's our way to step up and say thank you for serving, telling their parents thank you," Kern County Armed Forces Support Riders founder Ben Patten told the news outlet.
In addition to sending-off recruits, the Armed Forces Support Riders also participate in various events in Southern California, including the upcoming Harley-Davidson Veterans Appreciation Day and Wounded Heroes Fund events, the organization's official Facebook page states.
The Bakersfield biker group is not the only motorcycle gang providing support and encouragement to servicemembers. Founded in 2006, The Legion Riders, a subset of the American Legion, have chapters throughout the country devoted to raising funds for wounded servicemembers, veterans and military families, according to the organization's website.