While reading a related story on
Air Force Link (OK, it was a Slashdot story...), I came across
this nugget. It shows that unemployment among returning vets is
three times the national average, or 15%, and
Officials said that's partly because most troops seriously injured in Iraq and Afghanistan are in the early stages of their military careers and possess limited transferable job skills or very little civilian work experience.
This is an embarassment to us all.
The high unemployment rate mong these vets illustrates the trap faced by young people trapped by limited education and job skills, and it's crying shame that those who have answered duty's call and put themselves in harm's war for sake of their country face this fate.
Time was when the armed forces took many steps to look out for all their soldiers, officers and enlisteds. From the GI Bill to healthcare to education and housing, the military would help its "family" ensure that they got the basics. Now our country is pulling young people out of their communities for a war waged on false premises, and is returning them home with nothing but some injuries and no prospects for a better future. We have broken our promise to our soldiers and to anyone who has been told the military is a door to opportunity. The VA is the advocate for folks who have sacrificed a lot for their country, and must be properly funded and run.