Veteran unemployment, much like national unemployment, has dropped significantly in the past few years, especially compared to the years directly following the recession. Myriad programs have been launched to assist veterans through the challenges of finding a job, starting a company, running for office and other means of employment, and some have been immensely successful.

Last fall, Military Times reported that unemployment in the veteran community had dropped to the lowest level in seven years, falling from 6.9 percent in October 2013 to 3.9 percent that same month in 2015. There is still much to be done in this area, but clearer information regarding the best employment opportunities available to veterans is becoming available. 

Top professions
G.I. Jobs® recently released its latest report regarding the best jobs for veterans in the country, and announced that business operations manager roles were ranked No. 1 this year. Those occupations were followed by information technology specialist, logistician and supply chain manager, customer service manager, and sales representative and business development for the top five. 

"It's exciting to see the dichotomy of occupation types open to today's service members," VictoryMedia's G.I. Jobs® chief product officer Daniel Nichols, who also served in the Navy, explained. "Notably, positions on the 2016 Top 25 Hot Jobs list focus less on military occupational skills and more on intangible skills and attributes gained through military training: teamwork, leadership, effective communication, trainability and logistics experience. What company wouldn't want those?"

Interestingly, the remaining five positions in the top 10 were highly related to the types of training certain military members undergo while completing their service. For example, engineers, electrical technicians, mechanical technicians, industrial systems operators and operations and facilities managers were all within the top 10, while asset protection officer positions appear to be a highly coveted role for veterans. The analysts noted that this was the first year that position made it into the top 25. 

This type of information can help veterans make better decisions when navigating the job market for the private sector, though there have been some setbacks in the public sector related to veteran employment. 

Government's hot and cold outlook
The Washington Post recently reported that the programs in place to boost hiring of veterans into public sector positions have had mixed reviews throughout their roughly seven years in action. According to the news provider, the biggest problem right now is more so related to a miscommunication of the employment programs and laws, and that resentment has become an issue in certain areas. 

The source noted that about one-third of the individuals hired by federal government departments and agencies are now veterans, and that these figures are largely due to a bill put in place back in 2009 by the Obama administration. With the economy showing more promise with the passing of each year, veterans will likely enjoy a more promising job market in both the private and public sectors for the foreseeable future. 

In recent years, the major hacking attacks on retailers' and other websites have gained a lot of infamy. And unfortunately, one recent issue has arisen which specifically impacts the security of personal data and medical information for a large number of veterans. This incident not only highlights how vulnerable everyone's data may be – even if it's stored on a government website – but also how important it is for people to understand the best practices for securely using the internet on a daily basis.

The hack in question impacted the eBenefits website run by the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, and put a lot of information at risk for potentially millions of veterans nationwide, according to a report from Seattle television station KING 5. One victim, whose account was improperly accessed twice in a six-month period, said that the direct deposit for his monthly disability check was moved to an account he did not recognize both times the incidents happened.

"Why would I change my bank account and put it on a Green Dot card? Why?" veteran Marvin Corbin, told the station. "I'm like, 'The landlord isn't going to understand this,' and we [were] like 'Other creditors ain't either.'"

More details
While the VA has not revealed the source of the problem at this time, it does seem to be widespread, the report said. Specifically, the VA added that it's "too early to draw any conclusions" about why the attacks were happening.

But nationwide, some 713 veterans have filed at least one report with the agency since last year, the report said. Corbin further noted that because of the hacking attacks he's suffered, he no longer uses that site to handle his finances, despite the convenience it is supposed to bring.

What else can veterans do?
In hacking incidents like this, consumers regardless of former military status may not have a lot of ways in which they can protect themselves. However, everyone should still follow basic cybersecurity measures to make themselves far less likely to be impacted. That should include having a unique password that includes letters, numbers, and symbols, and isn't something that could be easily guessed like a birthday, pet name, or the like. In fact, many experts recommend that passwords be totally random, and involve at least 10 characters, to ensure that they will be extremely difficult to crack. These passwords should also be changed every six months or so.

Likewise, veterans and others should make sure they're careful about the websites and especially the email attachments they click on. That's because viruses and other malware can come in even the most innocuous-looking packages. This is also true of downloading apps on some mobile platforms. Having anti-virus and firewall software, and so on, will go a long way toward protecting personal, financial, and medical data for veterans and civilians alike.

That, in turn, can provide significant peace of mind for people as they go about their daily lives in an increasingly online world.

The suicide rate within the veteran community has been widely discussed for several years, especially following the landmark report released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2012. The Los Angeles Times once reported that the prevalence of suicide among veterans is 50 percent higher than within the population as a whole. In the wake of such reports, many programs have been established to help dramatically reduce the number of veterans who experience this fate.

One of the more prominent types of events takes place on the 22nd day of each month, which is the same number that is generally cited as being the amount of veteran suicides each day. Mission 22, as it is called, will have several events on April 22 to raise awareness and reach out to those in need of support.

This April
The veteran community has become a bit more unified in its approach toward combating suicide. The New York Times reported that social media is increasingly being used as a tool to bring these individuals together and act as a platform through which support and care can be found. According to the news provider, some groups have launched pushup challenges, while others will simply check in on the other veterans with whom they were deployed. 

The source pointed out that social media is also becoming a powerful tool when coupled with geographic technologies, as maps can provide veterans with immediate locations of places where they can get support. Generally, the events that are established through Facebook and other social media websites will coincide with the 22 of each month. Although this particular tactic has not been effective at all times, it has been viewed as a highly positive movement. 

The New York Times added that some participants in buddy checks and similar social media activities have viewed these activities as therapeutic, incorporating those opportunities into standing rehabilitation programs and assisting in acclimation post discharge. Awareness is one of the greatest weapons against veteran suicide and similar issues in the community, and other events are scheduled to take place this month to ensure the word gets out. 

A long jaunt
Daily Journal recently reported that veterans in Mississippi will participate in what is being called a "ruck" that will span 22 miles on April 22 in Tupelo. The source spoke to one of the event's organizers, Marine Matthew Foster, regarding his experiences in putting the hike together. 

"People started contacting me with their stories, about their husband or son who killed themselves," Foster told Daily Journal. "I knew it was a serious issue, but I didn't know it was right here. It is definitely a problem in our community, with guys who actually live here. It was barely on my own radar, so I would imagine normal people don't know at all."

Veterans in need of assistance when re-acclimating themselves to civilian life or struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder can find support through smaller groups, as well as government resources. 

Cybersecurity is a constant point of discussion in the private and public sectors, and is even beginning to be a more prominent concern among consumers given the magnitude of identity theft's spread in the past few years. The military has been entrenched in cyber warfare for years now, and is working to enhance its defenses through investments in more advanced technologies and service member professional development. 

Many experts and distinguished generals have argued that cyberspace is indeed the battleground of the modern landscape, and these assertions are validated when looking at how frequently the government is attacked by hackers. Two new programs launched by the National Guard are showing just how much stock is being placed in cybersecurity within the military today, and both could positively impact the veteran job market as well. 

Big move in Maryland
The Baltimore Sun recently reported that the Maryland National Guard will participate in one of the more complex cybersecurity tests around, and the troops therein will be the first to be involved in such a project. According to the news provider, this international simulation brings some of the world's greatest hackers and various military entities together in a faux computer attack, with the former group throwing everything it has at the system's defenses. 

The military groups involved will attempt to protect the networks from the hackers throughout the simulation, and are chosen by NATO officials. Interestingly, the source pointed out that the U.S. Department of Defense has already launched initiatives to train a large number of active service members across the military in cybersecurity, and the National Guard appears to be the branch standing in the spotlight of such ventures at the moment. 

Given the fact that cybersecurity skills are among the most sought-after abilities in the job market today, such programs to help defend the nation's digital assets can easily translate into stronger employment rates in the veteran community down the line. 

New class offered
The International Society of Automation recently announced that it would be providing National Guard troops based in Indiana with cybersecurity training. This nonprofit is among the leading names in cybersecurity training, and estimates 900 service members from across the country and hailing from the Navy, Marines and other wings will participate in this particular event. 

Cybersecurity will remain a hot topic in government, military and business for the foreseeable future, and these types of programs are likely to scale up as a result. 

Plenty of evidence has been made available to prove the merits of pairing veterans with service dogs, so much so that national bills are being weighed in Washington to fund relevant programs on a larger scale. In local communities, these types of initiatives have boomed in the post-Sept. 11 era, especially for service members who were injured on duty. A range of individuals are driving the popularity of these programs in the United States.

Success in Scranton
WNEP recently reported that a group effort on behalf of nonprofit organization Dog T.A.G.S. and the Marywood University Student Veterans Alliance assisted in providing service dogs to veterans in need in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Those who participated explained how this has helped them overcome the challenges of living as a veteran, including Army veteran Scott Taylor who adopted a dog named Molly at the event.

"Before I got her, I did not want to leave the house. I did not want to do anything, and when I got her, I am out moving around in crowds, in front of a camera. She has been helping out a lot," Taylor told WNEP.

Larger-scale endeavor
CBS 19 reported that Marine Cole Lyle, who has himself lived with post-traumatic stress disorder since serving in Afghanistan, is working to get more service dogs into the veteran community. According to the news provider, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does not currently have a program in place to fund this therapy, but Lyle testified before Congress to do his part to change that.

Lyle had similar comments to those of Taylor, in that he cited not having as many harsh times as he did before adopting his service dog, Kaya. The source noted that he also brought up a study from Purdue University that proved the benefits of these programs in the lives of veterans living with PTSD.

"People with PTSD often experience emotional numbing, yet the presence of an animal has been reported to elicit positive emotions and warmth," CBS 19 cited from the report. "Animals have also been demonstrated as social facilitators that can connect people and reduce loneliness, which may assist individuals with PTSD break out of isolation and connect to the humans around them."

In the coming months, these types of national and local programs are likely to expand even further thanks to their overwhelming success thus far.

In the past several years, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has come under fire for a number of issues related to the ways in which former service members are able to tap their benefits. Certainly, this has been the case when it comes to medical treatments in particular, and it's a problem that the government is working to address. Now, though, it's important to highlight that more efforts are being made to highlight the actual fallout from these problems so that they can be more clearly understood.

Of particular note here is the fact that newly enrolled veterans are having more difficulty than others in obtaining the treatments needed to make life after service a little easier to deal with, according to a new study from the watchdog U.S. Government Accountability Office. In all, 1 in 3 of the veterans examined in this study experienced wait times so significant for even basic health care needs that they still hadn't been seen by a doctor when the study wrapped up. Almost half of those vets didn't even have an appointment scheduled despite VA policies related to getting them scheduled and seen as quickly as possible.

Other issues
And among the 2 in 3 newly enrolled veterans who did end up seeing a doctor, the wait times were still significant, the report said. In fact, they saw the delays range between 22 and 71 days between when they submitted requests for an appointment and when they were actually able to get it completed. This was mainly due to a lack of available appointment times, and "unnecessary delays" caused by scheduling problems on the part of the VA services at treatment centers.

Meanwhile, though, the U.S. Veterans Health Administration estimates that wait time between submitting a request and when the veteran is actually contacted by the VA to schedule an appointment is just four days, the report said. In reality, the most common wait time in this regard was about 17 days, with more time coming between that date and when the appointment actually takes place.

Addressing the issue
This has long been a recognized issue, but this data suggests the problem may be worse than many might have expected, the report said. Consequently, the GAO has a number of recommendations for the VA to undertake as a means of helping to ensure this system works better going forward. First is that the VA put more resources into improving turnaround times between a submitted request and first contact for scheduling. Second is that the VA take greater efforts to more carefully monitor wait times, especially for the newly enrolled vets who need care. Finally, it believes the VA should update its scheduling policy in general.

Veterans deserve the full military benefits due to them as a result of their service, and also that the government does all it can to improve their access to those benefits. That kind of care can make life after military service a lot easier for them to handle.

This year has been a big one for veterans across the nation, with communities and organizations recognizing active and retired service members in various ways. In addition to the many memorials and events taking place to honor Vietnam war veterans, there have been other instances of communities celebrating their local veterans. 

Warmth in Arizona
AZCentral recently reported that volunteers stitched 21 quilts and gave them to the MANA House, a transitional housing establishment devoted to assisting homeless veterans in moving into a new abode. The news provider also noted that the group had already shipped a large batch of quilts over state lines to the Eagles Healing Nest for Veterans in Minnesota. 

Arizona has among the highest populations of veterans in the country, and the state is no stranger to large and small events that aim to show gratitude to those who have served in the military. For example, AZCentral noted that Phoenix will host a history program that involves the Spirit of St. Louis at the end of this month with one of the descendants of Donald Hall, an aircraft designer who had participated in the project. 

A heart-warming story in Iowa
Social media posts can have a major impact on communities and the nation itself. One such post on Facebook led a town to get behind a Navy veteran who had passed away in Marshalltown, Iowa, the Des Moines Register reported. According to the news provider, the Mitchell Family Funeral Home had discovered that veteran Charles Lanam did not have any family at the time of his death, and posted that news on its Facebook page to alert the community. 

The source pointed out that the post received about 1,500 shares within about a day, and that his funeral will likely be a packed house thanks to the visibility of the post, as well as the nearly 60 Patriot Guards who will be leading the procession on motorcycles. 

"Whether there's two people there or 200 people, Marty decided that this man needed a funeral," Jordan Borcherding, a director at the funeral home, told the Des Moines Register, discussing his colleague's decision to publish the post. "This man served our country honorably and we should honorably serve him with a funeral."

Sometimes these types of local gestures can affect the veteran community more positively than some might think. 

Combating the challenges of living as a wounded veteran following service has long been a difficult process, and one that many groups and government agencies have been working hard to push in the right direction. The Wounded Warrior Project estimates that 52,430 veterans have been wounded in the post-Sept. 11 battlefront, while 400,000 are living with post-traumatic stress disorder and 320,000 with traumatic brain injuries.

One particular area of this conversation that has been discussed in many circles of late is the community of veterans who were injured in such a way that prevents them from having children. This February, NPR reported that wounded veterans were being forced to pay for their own fertility tests, which meant many who were incapable of reproducing as a result of their injuries would not be able to afford treatment. However, the tide might be shifting in this conversation. 

Senate speaks out
Stars and Stripes reported that the Senate Appropriations Committee had been weighing a bill that would inject roughly $88 million into programs that help veterans foot the costs of reproductive treatments and other procedures such as in vitro fertilization. Introduced by Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the source explained that the money would pass through the Department of Veterans Affairs and give individuals payments of roughly $20,000 for relevant needs. 

"The amendment I am offering today fulfills the promise to those military families we are asking to sacrifice and serve, and gives them real peace of mind by ensuring that we cover these services in the event of these tragic injuries," Murray explained, according to the news provider. 

Stars and Stripes noted that while the bill did indeed pass in the Senate Appropriations Committee vote, the full Senate will need to vote in favor of the initiative to keep it moving along in the right direction. 

Assistance available today
This bill would make a big difference in many veterans' lives, and there are other assistance programs that have already been made available to wounded servicemen and women. For example, Military.com explained that special monthly compensation programs, which come through the VA, are available for veterans who have either lost or lost use of a range of appendages while on active duty in the military. 

Unemployment has been a major problem within the veteran community at several points throughout the past century, sometimes more intensely than others. Currently, matters are looking positive for veterans who are looking to either work or begin their own businesses as entrepreneurs. Last month, MilitaryTimes reported that last year was by far the most promising one for veterans who served after Sept. 11.

The news provider stated that the unemployment rate hit 5.8 percent on average across states in 2015 for veterans who served in the past 15 years, which is arguably unprecedented given the 7.2 percent rate recorded in 2014. Nationwide efforts, both large and small, are proving successful. The upward trend of veteran employment opportunities still looks positive going into the second quarter of 2016.

Uber's big move
CNET recently reported that ride-sharing giant Uber began a program back in the fall of 2014 called UberMilitary to put veterans to work, and it has been a major success thus far. According to the source, the program has since seen its participation rise to 50,000, with about 25,000 veterans already driving for the company. Interestingly, this particular initiative sought to address more than unemployment within the veteran community.

Drunk driving is sometimes more common in the vicinity of military bases. Uber saw the opportunity for veterans to help would-be impaired drivers get home safely. So not only do the drivers get paid, but they protect the community as well. CNET reported that several members of the UberMilitary advisory board are high-ranking military commanders.

In addition to boosting job opportunities, CNET noted that Uber donated $1 million to veterans groups as part of reaching the 50,000 participant mark. 

Fairs sprouting up
The Modesto Bee reported that the Central Valley Job Fair and Veterans Summit that took place in Modesto, California this month was successful in connecting employers and veterans who were looking for jobs in the area. The news provider stated that programs that help to bridge the gap between skills learned in the military and those needed in the private sector could potentially reduce the unemployment rate in the veteran community even further. 

Veteran homelessness is a widespread issue that affects communities in almost every state. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimates there to be about 47,725 homeless veterans in the United States, with another 1.4 million at risk of losing their abodes for varying reasons.

Although the federal government and Department of Veterans Affairs have launched major initiatives to lower the number of at-risk or currently homeless veterans, states and local communities are certainly doing their fair share as well. In some instances, groups and local municipalities are getting a bit more creative in their strategies to end veteran homelessness in their areas. 

Tiny homes in Wisconsin
The Star Tribune recently reported that a group in Racine, Wisconsin has started to leverage a broader movement called "tiny house" to erect shelters and homes for their veterans. According to the news provider, Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin have taken on many volunteers to so far build 15 tiny houses in a village of sorts that will be home to veterans upon completion. 

As a note, tiny houses are popular in the eco-consciousness arena, with many homeowners who want to have the smallest possible carbon footprint choosing to take this approach to their construction. The size does not obstruct the comfort of the home itself, though. 

"Up here you will have a lofted bed, and beneath it a couch," Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin Executive Director Jeff Gustin told the Star Tribune. "There will be a desk here in the corner with an outlet. You can put a microwave here and little refrigerator, and over there would be the composting toilet."

This is also by no means a permanent fix for any of the veterans involved. Rather, the source pointed out that the program will last for two years, with assistance in finding permanent housing being available toward the end. 

Project in its infancy
The Rapid City Journal reported that a developer in the South Dakota community has purchased the Redwood Motel, which has been unlivable for a while now, and intends to renovate it for veterans. By the end of the project, the developer expects the building to house 34 separate units and just about as many veterans who are without homes currently, the news provider noted. 

These types of smaller-scale projects can make all the difference in combating veteran homelessness.