Dear Nancy: Thank you for writing. Every day, I hear from Americans concerned about our veterans’ well-being, and I appreciate your perspective. The year I took office, I promised our service members that when their tours come to an end, they will be welcomed home to an America that will always fight as hard for them as they fought for us. It is a promise we owe to all who have served, no matter when they hung up the uniform. And as long as I have the honor of serving as Commander in Chief, it is a promise we will never stop working to keep. That starts with making sure our troops have a job when they come home. In 2011, I challenged America’s businesses to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013. More than 2,000 companies answered the call—hiring 125,000 and exceeding our goal more than a year ahead of schedule. So in 2012, those businesses doubled down on their commitment and pledged to hire or train 250,000 more of our Nation’s heroes by 2014, including 50,000 military spouses. To date, they have hired or trained over 290,000—almost tripling our original goal. To build on that work, I signed the VOW to Hire Heroes Act to give tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed veterans and wounded warriors with service-connected disabilities. We have also partnered with manufacturers, tech companies, and other employers to make it easier to hire thousands of returning service members who have the skills our country needs. In the months ahead, we will keep pushing to help our troops get the credentials they need to successfully join the civilian labor force. Other groundbreaking efforts to help veterans get back to work include the Veteran Gold Card program, which provides enhanced services to post-9/11 veterans; an online Veterans Job Bank with listings from companies looking to hire veterans; and an online tool called My Next Move for Veterans that matches veterans with civilian careers that will put their unique skills to use. Making sure every veteran has the chance to earn a decent living is one way we can honor our returning heroes. Improving access to health care is another. That is why we have awarded billions in benefits to Vietnam veterans who were harmed by Agent Orange. And it is why we have made unprecedented commitments to treating the signature wounds of the 21st century, including traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. My Administration has made veterans’ health care a top priority, and we will keep working to advance it—strengthening mental health services, fighting the disability claims backlog, and helping struggling veterans get back on their feet. We must never stop striving to serve our veterans as well as they have served us. To read more about our work to connect veterans with the opportunities they have earned, visit JoiningForces.gov. To apply for veterans benefits, check the status of a claim, or access documents online, visit eBenefits.VA.gov. For more information about veterans’ health care, disability compensation, home loans, facility locations, and other services, visit VA.gov or call 1-800-827-1000. Ill or injured service members and veterans can find additional support at NationalResourceDirectory.gov. I also encourage recently returned service members and veterans to explore resources available to them at OEFOIF.VA.gov. Thank you, again, for writing. Sincerely, Barack Obama
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 00:37:04 +0000
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