The travails of troops over the past decade have been
well-chronicled. Deployed to regions where unconventional warfare is
conducted. Victims of “stop-loss” orders to extend tours of duty. A
steady rise in the suicide rate. Increased need for mental
health counseling.
To this litany, we can now add high unemployment. Former combatants
in Afghanistan and Iraq are experiencing increasing difficulty getting
hired once they get back home. Part of that is due to the overall
cratering of the economy, but the jobless rate for veterans in March was
14.7 percent, which is much higher than the national average of 9.7
percent. Nearly one in three veterans under the age of 24 is unemployed.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has leveled off for the rest
of Americans.
Some political leaders want to help. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.,
wants to expand the GI bill to cover more vocational and technical
training. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, has announced legislation that
would do that.
The idea is sound, because for many people job training is more
suitable than a four-year college degree. But the Veterans Affairs
Department is sounding a cautionary note, because of its recent troubles
with GI bill changes that triggered an onslaught of
college applications.
Last August, Congress expanded college payments for veterans, but it
took the VA an average of 35 days to process a claim. The backlog grew
so large that the government began cutting emergency checks of $3,000 to
students awaiting payment.
The VA says the process has been streamlined and that spring tuition
payments have been smoother, but it warns that it will take time to
accommodate trade and vocational applications. Currently, the system is
geared toward covering traditional college tuition, not one-time job
training courses.
Beyond training, the government needs to do a better job of conveying
why veterans would be productive employees. Many have valuable skills
and a disciplined work ethic forged in challenging circumstances.
One of the conundrums in publicizing and delivering mental health
assistance to veterans is that prospective employers might have gotten
the idea that all veterans are suffering. That is a myth that the VA and
government leaders need to directly address.
Arguably, the only people who have sacrificed since the nation
embarked on two wars are the troops and their families. We owe them a
fair pathway to a productive life as thanks for their service.
– Spokesman-Review
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