Transitioning to the civilian world in their life after service isn't always easy, but veterans are finding that the tech industry is eager to employ programmers and technicians with the kind of skill sets they perfected while in the military. According to CIO, a website for Chief Information Officers and other IT professionals, a few major organizations have seen great recent success in helping put IT employers in touch with veterans.
Hiring Our Heroes, an initiative that began in March 2011 with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is a nationwide effort dedicated to helping veterans and military families find stable employment. In four and a half years, the program has held more than 900 jobs fairs nationwide and assisted more than 27,000 veterans and their spouses in securing jobs. One of HoH's many IT partners is Microsoft. The company conducted training events and workshops for thousands of veterans earlier this year to help them refine their networking chops and better present their field-related experience.
Kim Morten, Hiring Our Heroes' senior manager of communications, told CIO that "Many times the media will portray returning veterans as 'broken heroes,' but that's not entirely true. They don't want pity, nor do they want to be put on a pedestal. They want the chance to get a good job, doing good work and show what they're worth."
Another program that has seen great results is V.E.T.S (Vocation, Education and Training for Service members). V.E.T.S began in 2012 as a means for addressing the dearth of high-level talent in the IT field and veterans' high unemployment rate. A study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs found that, even now, about half of post-9/11 veterans can expect to face a period of unemployment as they transition to the civilian workforce. The V.E.T.S initiative hopes to change that. It has already trained and placed more than 100 veterans in IT jobs, and hopes to expand to 500 or 600 in the near future.
Starting a business is a great accomplishment for anyone. For veterans, especially, these entrepreneurial pursuits can be an excellent way to get the most out of life after service. Owning a business really helps you integrate into the community and gives you a healthy sense of self-worth. AFBA has listed some useful resources for veteran business owners.
VetBiz
Established by the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, VetBiz helps former servicemembers get their businesses verified for eligibility to participate in the Veterans First Contracting Program. It provides counseling, self-assessment tools and training webinars.
Boots to Business
The U.S. Small Business Administration partnered with the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program to create this two-step program to help train veterans to run their own businesses. In this program, former servicemembers will learn the basics of entrepreneurship, such how to develop a business plan and organize business methods.
Veteran Entrepreneur Portal
This website was designed to make running a business easy for veterans. Here, former servicemembers will have access to training materials, financial guidance tools and business expansion tips. The Veteran Entrepreneur Portal also provides links to government sponsored funding for small businesses.
National Veteran-Owned Business Association
Veterans who are interested in federal contracting opportunities would find this resource most useful. This organization's main goal is to work with the government to encourage partnership between Federal projects and veteran-owned businesses. Former servicemembers who own their own business can read up on the latest policies and find tools to make a more efficient government contract.
Victory Spark
Veterans who have created their own start-ups should look into Victory Spark. This program allows participants to interact with business mentors in a 12-week learning course and offers the opportunity for grant funding. The Global Entrepreneurship Collective runs this veteran-targeted training program.
21 Gun Salute Initiative
Former servicemembers who were injured or disabled in their time with the military and are interested in starting their own business should look into this program. The group serves as advocates for disabled business owners and works to ensure that the government meets its 3 percent requirement in contracting with disabled veteran-run businesses.
Owning a business is something to be proud of, and veterans have the skills, training and leadership that would make them excellent small-business owners. By utilizing the resources available to them, former servicemembers have the potential to lead the small business arena and establish successful operations. To see a complete list of veteran entrepreneurial resources, click here.
Though there are nearly 70,000 homeless veterans in the United States, the commonwealth of Virginia became the first to reach "functional zero," as reported by WTVR 6 News. This means that every homeless former servicemember in Virginia has been housed or offered housing.
"On a day when we remember those who fought and died for our nation, I am proud to proclaim that Virginia is leading the way in the fight to end veteran homelessness," Governor McAuliffe said in his Veterans Day announcement speech. "This successful effort will serve as the launching pad for our next goal of functionally ending chronic homelessness among all Virginians by the end of 2017."
Virginia was able to put an end to the homelessness issue by incorporating ideas from the Housing First program. According to the Fairfax County government website, the programs places homeless veterans immediately into permanent housing and provides transitional support. The organization believes that by skipping the instability of shelters, veterans are more likely to get back on their feet.
Utah, New York and Louisiana are all following in Virginia's footsteps to make a greater effort to find homes for all their region's homeless veterans.
According to the California Department of Veteran Affairs, 1 in 4 homeless veterans in the United States reside in the state. That means that there are nearly 16,000 homeless former servicemembers in California. Though the state is one of the most active in trying to lower the number of homeless veterans, there are still many left without permanent homes.
Max Zahir, a Redlands, California native, passed many of these veterans on his way home from work everyday. Zahir finally decided to make a difference for one of the veterans.
According to Inside Edition, Zahir approached a homeless veteran outside a local gas station and asked if he could buy him lunch. The two shared a fast food meal, but Zahir's kind deed was not complete.
"I go to work every day around 4:00 p.m., and if you meet me at that gas station I'm going to buy you lunch," Max said to the veteran in the video.
In the video taken by Zahir, the homeless veteran breaks down in tears at the offer. The former servicemember goes on to thank Zahir and tell him that he has not been treated so kindly in a long time.
Inside Edition reported that the meal the two shared was the veteran's first in over a day.
Newman's Own Foundation announced on Thursday that it would award $1.5 million in grants to organizations that support military servicemembers, veterans and their families. In a press release, the philanthropic nonprofit, formed in 2005 by the late actor Paul Newman – who was himself a World War II veteran – described the donation as a celebration of its 10th anniversary.
Twenty-nine organizations will receive money to fund the work they do in assisting veterans with physical and mental rehabilitation, housing, education and career development. "Our men and women in uniform make great sacrifices in their own lives to protect the unique freedom, privileges, and opportunities we enjoy as Americans. It is not so much a responsibility to support them, but more a privilege to express our gratitude for their service," said Robert Forrester, the president and CEO of the foundation, in a statement.
Cathy Cook of Work Vessels for Veterans, one of the organizations receiving grant money, told the Military Times that the $30,000 they were awarded would go a long way toward providing veterans with the type of vehicle or equipment they needed to pursue civilian careers or higher-level educations. Cook said that the group's 20 pending requests for pickup trucks could now begin to be filled.
In an unprecedented move, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced a new plan to improve veterans care services. The program, which will be called the New Veterans Choice Program, will combine all private sectors of the current health network and merge it into one large program, according to RT America.
"We want an integrated network," VA Secretary Robert McDonald told The Washington Post. "We want the very best providers connected with us. This is a big deal, and it will be a big improvement over what we have now."
The department hopes that by combing the sectors, they can eliminate the gaps in the veterans' health systems. It also plans to expand its services to be able to accommodate the growing number of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, as reported by The Washington Post.
The new plan will allow veterans who do not live close to VA hospitals or who have been waiting more than 30 days for an appointment to visit private doctors in their area.
The Department of Veterans Affairs proposed the new plan on Nov. 18, and it is expected to go into discussions toward the end of the month or in December.
Milton Pitts Crenchaw, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen flight instructors, died Tuesday in Georgia. Crenchaw had been fighting cardiovascular disease and pneumonia, the Associated Press reported. He was 96, and one of the very last of the surviving instructors for that proud and distinguished group of veterans.
Crenchaw was among the first African Americans recruited for the Tuskegee Airmen program. President Franklin Roosevelt established the initiative as a way to train black pilots to fight in World War II when it became evident that the U.S. just didn't have enough pilots or support crew for the war effort.
"He began that whole flying experiment – I really think that's what it was because they didn't think it was going to work," Dolores Singleton, Crenchaw's daughter, told the AP. "For a black man to be able to fly, that's just like an astronaut now."
The Tuskegee Airmen were one of the very few black units integrated into the front lines. The Airmen proved so valuable in the American air campaign – earning military honors and respect as aces in the sky – that they broke the mold. Crenchaw studied at the Tuskegee Institute and went on to train hundreds of pilots between 1941 and 1946. He was the primary civilian flight instructor for a time, and eventually became a supervising squadron commander.
More than 16,000 airmen contributed to the Tuskegee legacy, but today only about 250 are still with us. Following Crenchaw's death, that number is a little smaller. The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder reported earlier this month that Tuskegee Airmen Inc., a program founded in 1971, hopes to keep their legend alive. In their life after service, many Tuskegee veterans dedicated their time and effort to talking about their experiences. What this incredible group of men accomplished is something that should continue to be celebrated.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald anticipates that dramatic changes within his agency will soon improve an organization buffeted by controversy in the last few years. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that on a trip to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, McDonald pointed to improvements in patient care, new leadership training and fresh talent as the first steps toward a "huge culture change."
McDonald was confirmed for the secretary position by a unanimous Senate vote in July 2014. In the 15 months since, he has faced criticism for not responding effectively to the scandal surrounding long wait times at some veterans facilities and bloated patient backlogs. His Pittsburgh visit included a stop at a federal courthouse, where he met with a roundtable of veterans to discuss those very issues, as well as easier access to veterans benefits for medical and mental health care.
"We're hiring more doctors, more nurses, creating more space – all the things you would do to create access," said McDonald. The Washington Examiner supports the secretary's assertion. Since the scandal over wait times erupted more than a year ago, the newspaper reported, the VA has hired 3,800 nurses, 1,400 physicians, 422 psychologists and 116 psychiatrists, among other professions. Disability claims more than 125 days old have dropped significantly, from 611,000 to 70,000.
The secretary's improvements don't have everyone satisfied, however. "As the boss, I think he could do a lot more a lot quicker," Mike Stelacio, commander of the American Legion Department of Pennsylvania, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Referencing the USA Today report that the VA paid out extensive bonuses in 2014, Stelacio echoed the sentiments of many other veterans when he wondered "Why should they receive a bonus when we have vets that can't get appointments?"
Some of the most significant personnel changes in the U.S. military's history appear to be on the horizon. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, looking to enlist a generation of servicemembers for the 21st century, while also forcing the Pentagon's entrenched bureaucracy to modernize, is the driving force behind the reforms. According to the Associated Press, Carter's plans to recruit – and, just as importantly, to keep – troops in the armed services were the subject of a major speech given earlier this month in Hawaii.
Proposed changes to military benefits and retirement plans, such as the one that will automatically invest a small percentage of troops' pay beginning in 2018, are part of the effort. Other improvements include expanded sabbatical programs, which encourage service members to pursue advanced education and internships for knowledge and experience that they can then put to use at the Pentagon, as well as facilitated mobility between active duty and the reserves.
The Military Times reported back in August that major personnel reforms were under discussion, spurred on by increasing concerns within the military command structure that its personnel system was lagging far behind the ever-evolving private sector. In a memo obtained by the Military Times, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness Brad Carson wrote that "This is a moment that calls for revolutionary change in the human resources practice of DoD."
Many of Carter's modernization goals are designed to make the Pentagon more closely reflect the corporate world. To draw young people into the services, he plans to have the Pentagon embody the same kind of innovative, high-tech leadership displayed by successful companies in Silicon Valley.
More changes are expected to be announced in the next few weeks. Though some of the programs could be easily implemented, more extensive expansions require congressional approval.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday to broaden the definition of what qualifies servicemembers for veteran status. The Mankato Free Press reported that the bill, sponsored by Congressman Tim Walz, seeks to change how the federal government determines who qualifies as a veteran. Under the current law, a National Guard member who served for 20 or more years – but who was never deployed – would not officially be considered a veteran.
Congressman Walz's bill, if passed by the Senate and signed into law, would ensure that any service member who served in the Reserves or National Guard for at least 20 years would receive the veteran designation. Walz was in the National Guard for 24 years, though the bill would have no effect on his federal status, as he deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sara Severs, the congressman's deputy chief of staff, told the Mankato Free Press that "It is purely for the title and honor. In the way the congressman described it, those servicemembers could have served for 20 years, but just by the nature of the time they served or the unit in which they served, they didn't deploy."
The newspaper found that Walz had introduced legislation calling for similar measures in each of his two-year terms. In both 2010 and 2011 the bills passed the House, but went on to run afoul of Senate concerns over the how the broader veteran status might add to federal spending. Walz has argued that his bill is strictly about honor, not extending benefits.
"I firmly believe that all those who serve our country deserve the honor and respect of being recognized as veterans," he wrote on his government site. "Guard and Reserve members make many of the same sacrifices as those in regular service, and their commitment should be commended."