MilitaryConnection.com Archives

Military Connection: Keeping Troops in Germany Safe

May 11, 2015/in Archived Blogs

Various forms of media have brought the military from the battlefield into our living rooms. We have seen war, and what serving requires for those who opt to don our nations military uniform.

Army Spc. Brian Slocum is a military police soldier in the 2st Theater Sustainment Command’s 92^nd Military Police Company, 709^th Military Police Battalion, 18^th Military Police Brigade. His responsibility is enforcing the law on U.S. Army installations in Kaiserslautern and other areas of Germany.

Sometimes Slocum’s shift begins at 2 a.m., one of the three shifts each day. Slocum and his comrades will begin physical readiness training four hours before their shifts to ensure their patrols begin on time. Staying in shape is paramount to doing the job, and for that reason any patrol can be called in at any time for a height and weight assessment.

“If a soldier is overweight or can’t pass an Army physical fitness test, it would reflect badly on the MP corps and our unit. We just can’t have that,” Slocum said.

Slocum’s shift begins as he draws weapons and ammunition at the provost marshal’s office, followed closely by the shift change and team briefings. Patrol leaders present a different law-enforcement topic each day, which ranges from how to respond to a domestic dispute to how to properly detain someone. Slocum says this is to keep all procedures fresh in everyone’s mind.

After briefings, the soldiers will sign for their patrol cars and inventory their equipment, including basic preliminary safety and maintenance checks on their vehicles.

Attention to detail is extremely important, according to Army Sgt. Kenneth S. Farrell, as assistant squad leader with the 92^nd MP CO.

“These soldiers patrol all over Kaiserslautern and all the way into Mannheim. We have one of the largest patrol areas in Germany.”

“These vehicles have to take us to all these places, and we have to have the proper gear when we get there.”

Whilst on patrol, Slocum is responsible for conducting perimeter and fence checks, random access inspections, on top of responding to emergencies and calls within the community.

With their twelve-hour shift nearly complete, Slocum and his colleagues will fuel their patrol cars, hand over briefing with the next shift, and turn in their weapons. The drive home after a shift is often bittersweet, as Slocum knows his 12-hour break clock will count down quickly, signaling the next patrol, serving and protecting the KMC again.

“It is hard at times, working the long hours and not getting the same days off that other soldiers do,” Slocum said. “But when you help out on something big, like a child missing or a domestic violence incident, it’s all worth it. It’s worth it to help my fellow soldiers in this community.”

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Keeping Troops in Germany Safe: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: USAF Pilot Logs 3,000 Hours of Air Time

May 10, 2015/in Military, Military News

By Debbie Gregory.

An Air Force pilot with the 79^th Fighter Squadron has logged an impressive amount of time in the cockpit, the equivalent of over four months of flight time.

Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Millero Jr, Commander of the 79^th Fighter Squadron, has become the 260^th pilot in history to log 3,000 hours of flight time in an F-16 Fighting Falcon. If you don’t have your calculator handy, 3,000 hours is the equivalent of 125 days (3,000/24).

In his more than 19 years of combined service, Lt. Col. Millero has flown with eleven different USAF and five different Air National Guard squadrons. He has also flown three different models of the F-16, blocks 30, 40, and 50. Millero credits his exposure to the different models for providing him with a variety of skill sets as an F-16 pilot. His experience in the cockpit makes Millero an effective pilot and leader.

But even those with experience still tend to rely on good luck charms. Millero takes his father’s dog tags with him when he flies. The squadron commander says that the tags remind him of his father’s sacrifice, and the opportunities that his father’s service provided him.

Included in these hours are the 611 hours flown in combat, both in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Lt. Col. Millero is a Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Southern Watch.

While Millero plans to keep on flying, he intends to pass on all that he has learned to younger generations of pilots. He says that he gets the most enjoyment out of instructing others.

We at Military Connection would like to thank Lt. Col. Millero for his service and congratulate him on passing this incredible milestone. We would also like to encourage future generations of Air Force pilots to try and emulate Lt. Col. Millero’s professionalism and perseverance, and to Aim High… Fly-Fight-Win!

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard,Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: USAF Pilot Logs 3,000 Hours: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Soaring to New Heights

May 10, 2015/in Military, Military News

By Debbie Gregory.

Whenever young Kimberly Daugherty was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always replied with the same answer: an astronaut or pilot. She wasn’t aware that her poor vision could hold her back until she was six years old, when her parents broke the bad news to her.

After graduating high school, Daugherty was working in useless jobs that weren’t going anywhere. Daugherty said, “I was just working to work.”

A self-described “late bloomer,” Daugherty didn’t imagine herself in the military. She changed her mind when she found out she could fly even if she didn’t have perfect eyesight.

“I didn’t know what an officer was or enlisted was, but I knew I could be aircrew, so I said ‘Sign me up,” Daugherty recalled. “As soon as I found that out, my entire perspective changed.”

Before long, Daugherty was enlisted in the Alaska Air National Guard as a C-17 loadmaster. Encouraged by a friend who completed training, Daugherty attended basic training and continued after with the loadmaster course, which was followed by water survival, parachute training and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape training.

In just nine months, Daugherty was a qualified C-17 loadmaster. After she completed her initial training, she returned home and served a short active-duty tour for follow-on flight training, something she found stressful, but rewarding, and definitely worth it.

“It’s not easy, but it’s worth it once you get through it. Earning my enlisted aircrew wings, I’ll never forget that day.”

Although she earned her enlisted wings, Daugherty didn’t have real wings, something a fellow pilot asked her about. Feeling insulted that she didn’t have her pilot wings, she enrolled at the University of Alaska in Anchorage to pursue a commercial flying license, as well as taking lessons at the Elmendorf Aero Club to get her private license.

Determined to succeed, Daugherty has remained focused and continues her education and flight training. She says she no longer feels nervous about flying solo. Overcoming fear and anxiety is an integral part of flying, she noted, adding that gaining real world flight experience can’t be replaced by a classroom or a book.

“Anyone can learn to fly a plane, but it’s the ones that work the best under stress that the Air Force wants,” Daugherty said.

Although flight training is known to be challenging in Alaska’s weather environment, Daugherty’s ambitions fuel her drive.

“Alaska’s weather is a blessing and a curse [when learning to fly,]” Daugherty said. “It’s taken me longer than I wanted to, but that’s nobody’s fault. It’s just the nature of the beast.”

Finding her niche has helped Daugherty not only fit in, but has also helped her achieve new heights. “The Aero Club is a club, but it’s also a family. It’s cool because you surround yourself with people who have the same passion as you.”

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Soaring to New Heights: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: NORAD Strengthens Homeland Defense

May 9, 2015/in Government, Military News, Military Spouse

By Debbie Gregory.

For 58 years, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) partners Canada and the United States have worked together to defend North America from threats, whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles. Recently, Navy Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, outlined the added security measures that the U.S. Northern Command provides to NORAD.

Gortney described homeland partnerships as a “center of gravity,” a dual resource and law enforcement presence. Working with governors, the Army and Air National Guards, and the functional and geographic combatant commands, Gortney said that these departments work together to close any seams that an enemy could try to permeate to threaten our security.

NORAD and U.S. Northcom operate within a common security environment and share common values, understanding the urgency and importance of duties in light of very real and present dangers. The commands’ responsibilities also include homeland ballistic missile defense and countering transnational criminal networks.

In his recent brief at the Pentagon, Gortney acknowledged that the unified command plan emphasizes partnerships with Canada, the Bahamas and Mexico. The countries will work together to assess and solve shared problems. The overlap of commands heighten homeland security, and best informs the DoD to proceed specific to that region or instance.

In the 2015 NORAD and U.S. Northcom’s Posture Statement, Gorney said, “U.S. Northcom was born out of the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 and each day when we arrive for duty at our headquarters in Colorado Springs, we walk past a girder salvaged from the site of the World Trade Center. The events of that fateful day are never far from our thoughts. In the twelve years since U.S. Northcom was established, we understand now more than ever that we are entrusted with the supreme responsibility of protecting our homeland. This is a deeply personal commitment for us; it is our families, our friends, our shared values, and our way of life we protect.

Gorney said that the two commands complement each other, as evidenced by the integration across nearly all of the headquarter functions.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: NORAD Strengthens Homeland Defense: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: High Tech Health Care for Vets

May 9, 2015/in Military Veteran, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Veteran News

By Debbie Gregory.

When one looks at technological advances in the last 10 years, numerous discoveries in medicine and engineering may have been expected, but who could have known IT technology would fast path into our daily lives as it has. The internet was exploding, and while social media and commerce were finding their part in society, the potential for healthcare to be high tech was still somewhat “sci-fi”.

Impressed by the way people connected via the internet with forums and message boards, Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen was forward-minded in realizing the applications this medium could take in areas such as mental health. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Van Dahlen was very aware of the challenges, especially as it pertained to our military troops and families, in addressing acute and chronic conditions with professionals in their demographic region or specific to their health needs.

With this inspiration, Van Dahlen founded Give an Hour (GAH), a network of volunteer professionals in areas of mental health, offering resources and advice to the military, particularly those affected by the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, GAH serves military families with video chats, connecting them with services that might otherwise not be available in their area. Give an Hour partners with Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading provider of management and technology consulting services to the US government, to analyze data and ultimately deliver better services.

On Give an Hour’s horizon, the organization is hoping to create an alliance with Doctors on Demand, offering an app for families to reach healthcare professionals in a virtual environment. It is Dr. Van Dahlen’s goal to raise higher awareness of the needs of the military and their families in order to break the barriers that still exist around mental health.

Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen and her team are tireless advocates for destigmatizing the mental health issues that plague our nation’s heroes, allowing them to get the help they need, and ultimately, saving and rebuilding lives. Military Connection and CEO Debbie Gregory are proud to continue their partnership with Give an Hour.

As the Department of Veterans’ Affairs faces the undertaking of updating their overall healthcare system, Dr. Van Dahlen’s mission is even more imperative to bring a much needed high tech approach to mental healthcare.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: High Tech Health Care for Vets: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Next Generation of USMC Drones

May 8, 2015/in Military, Military News

By Debbie Gregory.

As the use of mechanized warfare continues to evolve, the United States Marine Corps is making a push for its next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to be more versatile. One of the features that the U.S.M.C. wants for all of its UAVs, usually referred to as drones, is the capability to be launched and operated from Navy vessels.

Many civilians may not know that the Marine Corps is a part of the Department of the Navy.Historically, marines (predating, and including early U.S.M.C.) were sea-going infantry, often responsible for ship-to-ship combat in the days when ships would board each other. Marines have also traditionally been used as expeditionary forces, brought across bodies of water onboard naval vessels and disembarked to the shore. Today’s Devil Dogs of the U.S.M.C have many more areas of responsibility than their predecessors, but they still embark on U.S. Navy ships, and are used as expeditionary forces.

Keeping with their amphibious warfare role, it only makes sense that, like their Marines, the Corps’ equipment be capable of ship-to-shore operations. The next generation of U.S.M.C. drones will range in size from hand-launched model-airplane sized to UAVs that are the size of manned aircraft. The drones will be used for surveillance, attack missions and logistic support. The Corps is even looking to use some for medical evacuation of wounded Marines.

Previous generations of Marine UAVs were almost solely land based. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marine drones mostly utilized long runways on land-based airstrips. The Corps’ leadership is reluctant to rely on those types of resources being readily available for any possible needs in the future. A self-reliant Marine Corps with ship-borne troops and ship-borne UAVs is much better equipped for any challenge.

The Marine Corps also wants their new drones to come equipped with control settings that would allow for a single control station to pilot any of the Corps’ drones. They are also in the process of developing unmanned ground vehicles like the Internally Transportable Vehicle, which was designed to fit inside an MV-22 Osprey.

The Navy and the Coast Guard have also begun efforts to develop their next generation of drones that are suitable for ships. Most notably is the Navy’s X-47, which has already conducted safe takeoffs and landings from aircraft carriers, both solo and with other manned aircraft on deck.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard,Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Next Generation of USMC Drones: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: US National Sled Hockey Team Wins Gold

May 8, 2015/in Military, Military News, Veteran News

By Debbie Gregory.

Sledge hockey, also known as sled hockey, is a very underrated sport. A variation of ice hockey, sled hockey is specifically designed for those with a physical disability. Invented in Sweden in the early 1960’s, sled hockey has become one of the most popular sports in the Paralympic Games.

Professional hockey teams usually dedicate time before and during each game to honor a member of the Armed Forces, so it should be no surprise that the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team includes four Marine Corps Veterans, and they’re all pretty good.

So good, in fact, that on Sunday, May 3^rd, the team claimed gold at the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships in Buffalo, New York. With a decisive 3-0 victory over the Canadian team, the U.S. team swept the series. In fact, all four games were shutouts.

Although the game was scoreless through the first two periods of play, the game was physical and the U.S. team lead the ‘shots on goal statistics’, outshooting Canada 13-3. Entering into the final period, at exactly 2 minutes and 58 seconds, Declan Farmer guided the puck past Canada’s goaltender, low on his short side, breaking the scoreless tie, and giving the Americans the advantage. Farmer was credited the goal, with the assist going to Brody Roybal. But, it didn’t end there.

Less than five minutes later, Adam Page found Dan McCoy waiting at the front of the net, where a shot fired went straight over the goaltender, giving the Americans a 2-0 lead. Then, with :22 remaining, Canada pulled their goaltender for an extra man advantage, a commonly used tactic sport wide. Sometimes it works, and other times, like this game, Josh Pauls made the game 3-0 with an empty-netter.

Although Luke McDermott, Josh Misiewicz, Paul Shaus, and Josh Sweeny didn’t score, their efforts as a team helped the Americans edge out the Canadians for the victory.

Two of them, team captain Sweeney and Schaus, are Team USA mainstays — with Paralympic gold medals to show for their efforts — while Misiewicz and McDermott are both rookies.

Still, in the heat of the battle, where pucks and sleds are flying with abandon, rank takes a back seat.

“In the Marines, a lot of times you don’t have to say stuff,” McDermott said. “You look at the guys who have been there for a while and how they act. Every Marine from the bottom up is supposed to lead by example, whether you have a leadership title or not.”

All of them are bilateral leg amputees, each having been severely injured by land mines while serving in Afghanistan, and all of them playing forward, with Sweeney, Schaus and McDermott comprising U.S. coach Jeff Sauer’s “All Marine Line.”

“I think we’re a little harder on each other,” said Sweeney, who played high school hockey in Arizona, “just because we’re used to talking to each other like that. We’re not afraid to get into each other. That’s just how we communicate.

If you would like to learn more about this sport and the amazing ice warriors who play, visit http://to.pbs.org/1N7WagF.

All of us at MilitaryConnection.com would like to congratulate the entire team on their hard fought and well-deserved victory, and a special Semper Fi to the Marines of Team USA!

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: US National Sled Hockey Team Wins Gold: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: First Father/Daughter Duo Serving as MTIs

May 7, 2015/in Military, Military News

By Debbie Gregory.

The morning of March 27 at the parade grounds on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, two history making Airmen became the first father/daughter duo to serve together as military training instructors.

Staff Sgt. Amanda Macfarlane donned the traditional “campaign hat” of the service’s military training instructors, given to her by her father, Tech Sgt. James Mackay, an instructor himself, with the 321^st Training Squadron.

“When (Amanda) told me she had been accepted into the MTI program, I was thrilled. I think she has the same passion for teaching and mentoring others as I do, and I believe she will find this position as challenging and rewarding as anything she’s done previously,” said MacKay.

Before their new careers, MacKay and Macfarlane had a shared passion for mentorship, and joined the Air Force Reserve as training instructors.

“In my previous positions, I was often responsible for training new members on their on-the-job responsibilities, and to me, that was the best part of the job,” McFarlane said.

It all started in November 1983, when Mackay entered the Air Force as a member of the Michigan Air National Guard. Since then, he has been a munitions systems specialist, air traffic controller, and a fire protection specialist, serving on active duty in the Air National Guard, and now the Reserves.

In 2013, he was accepted as an instructor candidate and transferred into the Reserves. MacKay says he credits his personal successes to outstanding mentors who encouraged him to complete his goals.

MacFarlane said she’s always been proud of her father’s service and professionalism, and that she looks up to him for being a positive influence.

“I’m also proud to have this chance to be a part of [basic military training] and to be able to help prepare men and women for their careers as airmen,” she said. “I get to serve alongside my Air Force family as well as my actual family, and that means a lot to me.”

With another daughter in the Air Force as an air traffic controller, MacKay said he feels an immense amount of pride in both of his daughter’s careers

“There were many times my mentors set me up for success, both personally and professionally,” MacKay said. “I hope to pay that forward and give our newest Airmen the tools they need to thrive in today’s Air Force.”

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard,Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: First Father/Daughter Duo Serving as MTIs: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Suspects Killed at Art Exhibit

May 7, 2015/in Military, Military News

By Debbie Gregory.

Counterterrorism experts are calling the recent assault on a Texas cartoon contest a lone-wolf jihad attack, something the Islamic State (IS) is trying to claim responsibility for.

Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, both Americans who lived in Phoenix, were shot and killed in the Dallas suburb of Garland. The pair tried to storm a controversial cartoon drawing event, which had been expected to draw outrage from the Muslim community due to the drawings of the Prophet Muhammad. Any drawing, no matter how respectfully drawn, is considered blasphemous.

IS recently urged those in the United States, Europe and Australia who cannot safely travel to fight in Syria and Iraq to carry out jihad in the countries where they live. An audio statement on the extremist group’s Al Bayan radio station called the men “two soldiers of the caliphate.”

Authorities have not revealed whether the 31-year-old Simpson and 34-year-old Soofi had any contact with IS, or if the group was even aware of the deliberately provocative cartoon contest in Garland.

Simpson and Soofi were wearing body armor, and one of the men shot a security officer in the leg before a single Garland police officer fired on the two gunmen. After the guard’s initial shots, nearby SWAT officers also fired. The security officer was treated at a hospital and released.

Mitchell Silber, executive managing director for K2 Intelligence, and former director of intelligence analysis for the New York City Police Department, shared his thoughts on the matter, saying, “It’s very tough to detect in advance, which means we are and will continue to be susceptible to lone actors who don’t give us much warning to thwart them.”

However, this wasn’t Simpson’s first run in with police. In 2010, he was arrested after being the focus of a four-year terror investigation. Despite collecting more than 1,500 hours of recorded conversations, including Simpson’s discussions about fighting nonbelievers for Allah and plans to link up with “brothers” in Somalia, the government only prosecuted him on one minor charge- lying to a federal agent. Simpson only faced three years of probation and $600 in fines and court fees.

According to family and friends, neither men showed real signs of radicalism.

Around 50 Islamists gathered in Pakistan for a special service in a public park to pay tribute to the gunmen as martyrs.

Terrorism expert Ben Venzke, who has been tracking terrorist groups for two decades, said jihadists have shifted their tactics to include not only major targets, like those on 9/11, but also small ones, like the Sydney siege in which the gunman, Man Monis, and two hostages were killed.

“The debate after 9/11 was whether too many resources were being focused on New York, Washington and not in the small towns. Now that’s very much a real issue because of the volumes of recruitment being done by the Islamic State throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada,” Venzke said. “So attacks on the coffee shop, the small events like in Australia, those are the kinds of things that we’re going to be seeing more of in the future, unfortunately.”

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard,Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Suspects Killed at Art Exhibit: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Joining Forces Initiative Efforts Continue

May 7, 2015/in Military Veteran

First Lady Michelle Obama Speaking at Joining Forces Event

By Debbie Gregory.

In April, the Joining Forces initiative, launched by Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, announced that a number of companies in the industries of energy and technology have committed to train or hire 90,000 Veterans and military spouses within the next five years.

Joining Forces is celebrating its fourth year of assisting service members, Veterans, and their families and support them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities. The initiative began in 2011, at a time when the Veteran unemployment rate was at 12 %. Shortly after the initiative was launched, President Obama also challenged the private sector to hire 100,000 Veterans and military spouses.

Just four years later, more than 850,000 Veterans and military spouses have been hired or trained. The federal government has also upped its own Veteran hiring initiative, with 30% of its workforce now comprised of military Veterans. As a result of these combined efforts, the total Veteran unemployment rate is at 4.5 %, with a 6.5 % unemployment rate for Veterans of the Post-9/11 era.

But the need to train and hire Veterans for their post-military careers has not diminished. That is why Joining Forces has not slacked in its commitment to service members, Veterans and military families. As proof of this, Joining Forces recently secured a pledge to hire or train 33,000 Veterans and military spouses, over the next five years, from the Solar Energy Industries Association.

The solar industry is creating new jobs at a rate ten times faster than the rest of the economy. Getting Veteran workers into that industry at such a critical time could mean sustainable careers and bright futures for the men and women who served during our nation’s longest period of war.

Joining Forces will continue to fulfill its commitment to help connect Veterans and military spouses not just to jobs, but to sustainable careers, allowing them to support their families. Joining Forces is calling on all companies, across the nation, in every industry, to do their part and continue to provide opportunities for our Veterans and military families.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard,Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.