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Veteran Hired Mission Accomplished

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When Valerie Brown sat across from David Letterman on his late night talk show, she had high hopes that her “out-of-the-box” strategy would pay off in multiple job offers. She was, after all, an eight year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Fellow with The Mission Continues, a national representative of Student Veterans of America, and an Intern for Veterans of Foreign Wars. If those credentials weren’t impressive enough, Valerie had also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. So why was this assignment, finding employment, her toughest to date?

Unfortunately, this is indicative of what many of our nation’s finest are facing as they separate from the military and transition to civilian life. Faced with double-digit unemployment and a challenging economy, many veterans might be tempted to thrown in the towel. But the best strategy to get a civilian career going is get creative and get going!

Don’t undervalue good old fashioned networking. Involve your family and friends; more people helping you increases your chances of success. Social media, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, are also good places to spread the word. Additionally, Twitter and blogs are also good ways to get the word out. And be proactive: if there is a company you’d like to work for, contact them and inquire about their hiring process. Be persistent! Using only one strategy, such as answering employment ads, greatly reduces your chances of success. The key to a fruitful job hunt is diversifying and using a number of different strategies.

Valerie was referred to Military Connection by John Mikelson of the University of Iowa. We wanted to help, and felt that we could because one major area of our focus is employment. We offered to promote Valerie in our newsletters that deploy to over 800,000 emails, and put her on our homepage banner. I’m happy to tell you that Valerie received multiple job offers, and just relocated to begin her new job – MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

We invite other Veterans to register on our web site here: https://militaryconnection.com/jobs/seek_sign_up.asp. If you have a compelling story, please email us: info@localhost and each month we will feature a Veteran seeking employment in our newsletter.

Hispanic Heritage Month

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The U.S. military is currently commemorating Hispanic American Heritage Month, which began on September 15th and runs through October 15th. Through programs, exhibits, and military/community events, the theme, “Diversity United, Building America’s Future Today,” is a homage to the brave Veterans and active duty military who can trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients date back to the inception of the medal during the Civil War. Included amongst the forty-four men of Hispanic heritage who have been awarded the Medal of Honor was Corporal Joseph H. De Castro of the Union Army, for his actions at Gettysburg. Following the Civil War, medals were awarded to men such as Private David Bennes Barkley, for his actions during World War I, and Harold Gonsalves and Jose Valdez, who were 2 of the 13 Hispanic men awarded the medal in WWII. Rodolfo P. Hernandez and Joseph C. Rodriguez were the only living recipients of the eight men who were awarded the medal during the Korean War. Among the brave men who valiantly served in Vietnam, sixteen Hispanic men were singled out for the Medal of Honor. And joining these decorated heroes is the most recent recipient, Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry, for his actions in Afghanistan.

The business world also benefits from the contributions made by a variety of Hispanic Veteran professionals, including NASA astronauts Joseph Acaba and Carlos Noriega, NYPD Chief of Patrol Nicholas Estavillo, Golfer Lee Trevino, and Congressman Frank Tejeda. According to the most recent Census Bureau Business Survey, Veteran-owned businesses under Hispanic ownership doubled from in the five years between 2002 to 2007. Currently, Hispanic veteran-owned businesses number over 113,000 and employ approximately 141,000 people.

The United States in a melting pot, and diversity has never been more valued. At Military Connection, we are proud to join forces with employers who value our talented and diverse audience of Military and Veteran professionals. Those who have served exhibit traits such as loyalty, intelligence and teamwork. They have proudly served our country while receiving state-of-the-art training. Many of them have chosen to continue their education, thanks to the rich educational benefits they separated with. If you would like to reach our audience for employment or education opportunities, please contact us.

California Veterans Dependents Education Assistance

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Did you know that California State Colleges, Universities and Community Colleges will waive fees for those who serve under the circumstances below? This is known as “Veterans Dependents Educational Assistance” and it is an awesome education benefit. The children and spouses of service connected disabled veterans can attend free. These are education benefits in addition to the those offered to service members directly in the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill. You have earned these benefits so please use them and have your family members use them. Education is the key to a better life and a better job opportunity. MilitaryConnection.com is the Go To Site For Education for Military, Education For Veterans, Education for Spouses and Education for Military Dependents.

The dependent child, spouse or unmarried surviving spouse of a service-connected disabled or service-connected deceased veteran may be entitled to tuition and fee waiver benefits at any campus of the California State University system, University of California or California Community College system. To be eligible, the student must:

  • Have a parent who is a disabled veteran (0% or more disabled), or
  • Have a spouse who is service-connected (S/C) deceased or rated 100% S/C disabled.
  • Be a child earning less than $11,702 per year (student’s income, not parents’). Note: there is no income limit for a spouse or children of S/C deceased or 100% S/C disabled veterans.
  • Attend a California Community College, California State University, or a University of California school.
  • Provide proof of the student’s relationship to the veteran such as a copy of a birth or marriage certificate.

To obtain complete eligibility requirements and assistance in applying for these valuable benefits, please contact your local County Veterans Service Office or your school’s veterans office. Contact information for the veterans or financial aid office for many California public colleges and universities is available from the Education section CDVA’s California Veterans Resources Database.

You may also contact CalVet at (916) 653-2573 or by mail:
California Department of Veterans Affairs /> Division of Veterans Services
1227 O Street, Suite 105
Sacramento CA 95814

You may also download an application form to fill out. When the form is completed, contact your nearest County Veterans Service Office (CVSO).

Fisher House Foundations – Comfort Homes

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The Fisher House volunteers, who give so much of their time and themselves, are the heart and soul of Team Fisher House. With such a small staff, the Fisher House Foundation depends on the generosity of its volunteers to support their fundraising efforts. MilitaryConnection.com is a proud media sponsor of Team Fisher House. If you don’t know much about Fisher House, we invite you to visit their website and find out what a great non-profit they are. Fisher House Foundation”s “comfort homes”, located at major military bases and VA medical centers, enable family members to be close to a loved one during hospitalization. Knowing that a family”s love is the best medicine, Fisher Houses strive to give recovering service members a sense of community during a stressful time. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center, providing the comforts of home in a supportive environment. The houses are usually from 5,000 to 16,000 square foot homes, accommodating 16 to 42 family members. Each house is designed to provide 8 to 21 suites, and they are all professionally decorated and furnished. They feature a common kitchen, laundry facilities, spacious dining room and a living room. They have even remembered the toys for the children. The newer homes are 100% handicap accessible and include elevators. The program began in 1990, and has offered more than three million days of lodging to more than 160,000 families, with no family ever paying for a stay at any Fisher House! In addition to constructing new houses, the Fisher House Foundation continues to support existing Fisher Houses and help individual military families in need. Additionally, they are proud to administer and sponsor Scholarships for Military Children, the Hero Miles program, and co-sponsor the Newman”s Own Award. We salute the good work done by this great organization.

WWII Merchant Marine

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MilitaryConnection.com salutes all of the Veterans of World War II. We are losing too many of these heroes. We also need to take a moment and remember the contributions of the Merchant Marines during this war and others. These are brave men and a few women who are too often forgotten or confused with other services. Next time you see a World War II veteran, remember their sacrifices so we have been able to live in the best country in the world.

It has always been a pleasure to be a participant in the Coronado Fourth of July parade due to their acceptance of the Merchant Marine but this year was unique. I felt I had to share the experience with others. The Silvergate chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans of WWII has been in many local parades over the past five years I have been its’ president and seldom have we felt so much recognition and patriotism from the spectators.

In other parades I don’t think the spectators really found out who or what the importance of the Merchant Marines was during WWII. Even when we gave a script for announcers to read as we marched past they seldom read the material correctly and they had us as members of the Navy or the Marine Corps or didn’t read the whole script. To my members this was an insult. Because of this action by the announcers and the lack of physical strength of my mariners they had chosen not to participate in parades. Also I believe too many people don’t realize how difficult it is for these elderly men to walk a complete parade route. I have tried many times to inform the public of what these men went through during the war but the newspapers chose not to print it. If we couldn’t get the message of our part in WWII accepted in a parade an article in a newspaper is almost meaningless.

We have always been a small group but due to our advanced age it is even smaller. Most of the men aren’t able to walk the length of a parade. At the last minute I found one member who felt his legs might hold up and would help me carry our banner. Because of all that had happened before in earlier parades it was truly a joy to experience. It was very moving for us to have so many spectators, including men in uniform, get up from where they were sitting and salute or say thank you to our group of four elderly veterans 85 to 90 years of age. It made the two of us that carried our banner the whole mile and a half feel very proud indeed to be so recognized.

When one has witnessed our government choosing not to fully recognize the services of the Merchant Marine during World War II for having delivered over 94% of all the supplies necessary for the success of our country and our allies to win World War II these actions of appreciation and patriotism on the part of parade observers made us feel very proud. We say thank you to all who attended that parade and salute you.

Byron Ayres
President of Silvergate chapter of AMMV

CalVet to Host Women’s Leadership Conference

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The California Department of Veterans Affairs will host a Leadership Conference for veterans and veteran stakeholders on October 4th, 2012 in Sacramento at the Double Tree Hotel. The conference, entitled “A Call To Service, A Call to Action” will empower attendees to “move the needle” when working with women veteran issues in their communities.

Workshops will offer information about how to start a business *or* nonprofit organization, how to host a veteran stand down, how to run for political office, and more. The one-day event will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude with dinner, an evening reception and an awards ceremony.

CalVet will present three awards at the conference: Woman Veteran Leader of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Outstanding Volunteer Award. Individuals who do an outstanding job serving veterans in their community and women veterans who demonstrate exemplary leadership in their communities may be nominated at womenveterans@calvet.ca.gov.

Those wishing to register for the conference may do so at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=ga8vqpfab&oeidk=a07e63ar7nd8effe40a *or* call (916) 653-1402 for more information.

Follow CalVet on Facebook and Twitter.

CalVet: Carolyn Ballou
916-653-1355
Jaime Arteaga
916-657-9329
August 7, 2012

MilitaryConnection.com salutes Sunshine Roth & Stand & Salute American Heroes.

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My name is Sunshine Roth and I am the National Director of Stand & Salute American Heroes which is a Major Project of Our Fallen Soldier a 501 (c) 3 organization and Our Heroes Journey. I am also the proud wife of a Vietnam Veteran to whom I have been married to for almost 39 years. My husband suffers from severe PTS and Agent Orange. I am also the daughter of a Holocaust Survivor. From my father I got his determination and strength to never give up no matter what your situation is.

Stand & Salute American Heroes, writes cards and letters to all VA Hospitals during holidays with phone cards enclosed. We do fundraisers, and accept donations so that we are able to do this and more for our Heroes.

I got involved with Veteran Organizations to honor my husband. Stand & Salute American Heroes honors combat wounded veterans from all wars to include invisible wounds such as PTS and TBI. In the past year I have been able to spread my wings so that we could honor more veterans. Originally we only honored veterans at major sporting events such as Major League Baseball and NHL Hockey Games. But we felt there were so many out there that we were missing that might never get the chance of being honored.

I am fortunate to be able to work with Kelly Luisi who is Co-Founder/CFO and Family Assistance Coordinator for Our Fallen Soldier and National Director of Our Heroes Journey. I started exploring regular nursing homes in the area that I live in which is the Chicago area. What I found was that there are so many veterans in these nursing homes. Some of them have no family anymore. So we began scheduling events in these nursing homes. I have had as few as 15 veterans to honor and as many as 60 *or* more veteran. I bring gifts in according to what holiday it might be. We play the piano and sing songs from their time which seems to be from WWII but we have our fair share of Korean and Vietnam Veterans too. To see the smiles on their faces brings tears to my eyes as I sit here right now and write this. We have been fortunate enough to even have some Cadet Nurses and Nurses that worked in the Mash Units during Korea and Vietnam.

We feel that no veteran *or* hero should ever be alone. We believe that we should be with them at the start of their Journey and that is what Our Heroes Journey does and more, and until the very end which would be VA Hospices. I am in touch with the VA Hospitals across the country that have Palliative/Hospice for our Veterans. We send everything from stuffed animals to blankets that have been prayed over. I have been told that some of these Veterans are buried with these items.

I suffer from Parkinson’s, but have managed to turn it into a positive experience. Being able to do this for Stand & Salute American Heroes has brought more joy and purpose into my life. From my father I got his determination and strength to never give up no matter what your situation is. I wake up every day and thank God for what He has put before me. I can’t envision myself doing anything else in my life but to honor our heroes of this Country. I’m a survivor just like these heroes. It is in my blood. I’m a survivor.

Military Connection Vies for $250,000 Grant to Expand Services for Veterans

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By Alan Gray, NewsBlaze

MilitaryConnection.com, one of the most comprehensive online directories of resources and information on the Internet, is competing for one of twelve grants being awarded to small businesses by Chase and Living Social.

Serving active duty military, Veterans, their families and supporters, MilitaryConnection.com, known as “The Go To Site” has thousands of pages of resources and information, It is also a Top 100 Employment site. Winning the grant will allow Military Connection to launch hiring and training programs to give back to those who have sacrificed so much.

Military Connection recently launched the “Hiring America”s Heroes” program. This program focuses on generating remote jobs especially for wounded warriors, disabled Veterans and military spouses. The grant will enable this program to ramp up at a much faster pace. Additionally, Military Connection will be providing online short targeted classes for Veterans that will be accessible 24/7 and help them in finding jobs and provide other valuable resources to them.

Military Connection is proud to be affiliated with a large number of non-profits and uses their significant reach to help non-profits get out the word.

“Working with such wonderful groups and non-profits is really the best part of what we do.”
– Debbie Gregory, Military Connection

It was through working with many of these groups that Ms. Gregory got the idea to launch the Hiring America”s Heroes program. Ms. Gregory also said “Not only will this program create jobs for American heroes, but it will also bring currently outsourced jobs back to our country.”

How To Support MILITARY CONNECTION With Your Vote

  • Go to www.missionsmallbusiness.com
  • Click on the button that says, “Log In & Support”.
  • Log in with your Facebook Account.
  • Type Military Connection in the company name.
  • Select California in the Dropdown for the state.
  • Select Simi Valley in the dropdown for the city.
  • Click on “Vote”.
  • You can only vote once so please pass on to your friends.

When the next tour of duty is back home, it”s on MilitaryConnection.com, “The Go To Site”.

Debbie Gregory is the CEO of MilitaryConnection.com and the founder of VAMBOA.org, the Veteran and Military Business Owners Association. Ms. Gregory won the 2011 Spirit of Small Business Award from Pacific Coast Business Times, and was the 2009 Woman Business Owner of the Year, NAWBO, Ventura County.

MilitaryConnection is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thegotosite

Contact Debbie Gregory at (800)-817-3777 *or* (805) 306-0580 x124
debbieg@localhost

Civilian Certification For Veterans

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President Obama announced a new initiative that will allow some U.S. service members to receive civilian credentials and licenses for skills they learn in the military. This effort is aimed at boosting employment among post-9/11 veterans. Service members obtain skills while serving and those skills should be transferable to the private sector. All too often, however, these talented and dedicated individuals face barriers that can make it difficult to find jobs that make use of their skills.

In the private sector individual States set requirements to obtain certification and licenses. A military medic might have saved many lives in battle but that does not qualify that medic for certification to obtain a civilian EMT job. A military truck driver is not automatically certified to operate a rig in the private sector.

A Defense Department task force is working with major U.S. credentialing agencies for engineering, logistics, machining, and maintenance and welding skills to get “industry-recognized, nationally-portable certifications. Obtaining certification in the military is no guarantee of getting a job post-service but it is another step in helping service members who are transitioning into civilian life to find jobs.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides more opportunities for veterans to receive reimbursement for pursued education and certification. However, Veterans can only apply these benefits to licensing *or* certification exams that are approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Members of the armed forces have fought gallantly and were trained for military jobs by the best. Their experience and qualifications should not be wasted. They should be given every opportunity to succeed in civilian life. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families make great sacrifices in the service of our Nation. When their service is concluded, we owe it to our veterans and their families to help them accomplish a successful transition to the civilian labor market.

Occupational certification represents an excellent opportunity for displaced workers to learn a new skill and transition into a new and rewarding career.

MilitaryConnection.com is the Go To Site for jobs across the board requiring certification and licensure. Check us out.

Military Connection Founder Carries on Fathers Service

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By Amy Bentley

It shouldn”t surprise anyone that operating a website that serves American veterans, active-duty service members and their families has become Debbie Gregory”s passion.

The Thousand Oaks resident is the daughter of a disabled World War II veteran. While growing up, she and her sister sometimes were left with relatives while her father, Leonard Grossman, was hospitalized for an operation. A cryptographer during the war, Grossman endured many stays at Veterans Administration hospitals. He was one of 11 children, and seven of his brothers also enlisted during World War II.

“He was brilliant, strong and positive, and never said, ”Why me?” ” Gregory said of her late father. “He gave me a fighting spirit. I realized what it”s like for veterans to have to go here for this and there for that, and how challenging it can be.”

Enter militaryconnection.com, a website that went live in late 2006. Gregory and a staff of six at her Simi Valley office run the business with help from a handful of writers and marketing professionals who work remotely.

Militaryconnection.com serves members of all branches of the U.S. military, plus reservists, veterans, their families and those with the Coast Guard and Department of Defense. The site maintains a jobs directory, helps veterans search for jobs, has information about how to apply to military schools and for financial loans, features pay charts and legal columns, and includes information about education and the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The site”s blog features stories about wounded warriors, vacations for veterans and financial benefits for employers that hire veterans.

“Less than 1 percent of our population serves in the military, and the rest of us get to live our lives in peace and harmony while they are writing a blank check with their lives. When they return, we all need to step up. If anyone deserves the American dream, it”s those who make those sacrifices, including their families because they serve, too,” Gregory said.

She started her company in 2000, handling print advertising in military base newspapers. She revamped the business in 2006 to focus on the website as a one-stop online resource.

“I wanted the business to be more than just an advertising venue,” she said.

The site averages 10,000 daily unique visitors, has a database of more than 800,000 recipients for the company”s twice-monthly e-newsletter, and has more than 100,000 followers on Twitter, Gregory said. It”s also known as a top employment website.

The business has won numerous awards and citations. Gregory was named the 2009 Woman Business Owner of the Year by the city of Thousand Oaks, the Ventura County Board Brig. Gen. James P. Combs of Supervisors and the National Association of Woman Business Owners. She”s received letters of commendation from retired Maj. Gen. Peter J. Gravett, secretary for the California Department of Veterans Affairs, and, former commander of the California Army National Guard.

Gregory helps veterans and the military community on other fronts. Her business co-sponsors the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum”s annual Freedom Walk, which honors 9/11 victims, deployed troops, first responders and veterans.

“Every year, the event gets bigger. Everybody comes together and remembers that we live in the greatest country in the world. We”re all Americans that day,” she said.

Her business sponsored a concert at Camp Pendleton in 2006, has given scholarships and partners with businesses that hire veterans. Gregory in 2010 founded the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association, a nationwide group with 4,500 members and a database of more than 60,000 veteran and service-disabled business owners. The group partnered last year with biotechnology firm Amgen Inc. to produce a conference called “Power Your Business,” held at Amgen”s conference center in Thousand Oaks. More than 300 people attended.

She”s also on the board of the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation, a nonprofit veterans advocacy organization working to open a one-stop veterans service center in Ventura County.

“For veterans to be able to go to one place and have all their needs met is a gift. We want Ventura County”s veterans to be able to have that,” said Gregory, who also serves on California”s Interagency Council for Veterans, a nonprofit that helps find jobs, education, housing and health care for veterans.

The business is spearheading a jobs initiative called Hiring America”s Heroes. Gregory is asking businesses to pledge jobs for wounded veterans and their spouses, especially jobs that can be done remotely.

“There are tax credits (up to $9,600 per hire) and you get really disciplined, dedicated employees in the process with a work ethic that is second to none. There are so many jobs that are outsourced that can be done by veterans,” she said.

CallSource in Westlake Village has signed on, pledging to hire 100 veterans, CallSource CEO Jerry Feldman said. A few years ago, Feldman started a similar program called Pride America to provide training and jobs for veterans and their spouses. CallSource helps businesses improve their performance through the use of call tracking, technology and other methods.

“We have about 15 veterans at CallSource and are hiring some more. We did commit to hiring 100. Debbie Gregory has put our job description on her website and we keep getting more and more veterans,” said Feldman, who hired a veteran last week. “This is so satisfying because this woman was losing her home and she now will be able to pay her rent *or* mortgage. She”ll be able to stay in her house.”

Gregory was invited in December to a White House reception with President Barack Obama that honored leaders in the veterans community.

“They were quite gracious,” Gregory said of the president and first lady Michelle Obama. “It was such an experience being in D.C. because you walk everywhere. I got to meet so many people from other parts of the country working with veterans, too.”

Gregory believes that if her father were alive today, he”d be thrilled with her work.

“I didn”t set out doing what I”m doing,” she said, “but I think I”m doing what I”m supposed to be doing.”

About MilitaryConnection.com
MilitaryConnection.com is one of the nation’s largest online directories of military and veteran resources with thousands of pages. They are known as the go-to site and offer a broad range of resources including news and articles, education resources including a school directory, jobs and employment, benefits, pay calculators and more. More than 800,000 military members and their families use the site as a valuable resource. Military Connection promotes many non-profits including USO, Wounded Warrior Project, Soldiers Angels, TAPS, ThanksUSA, Toys for Tots, HomeFront America, Operation Homefront, Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, National Military Family Association (NMFA ), Any Soldier.com, Fisher House and many others.


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