RSSIssue 7:7 – Saturday, July 1, 2006
The Veteran Eagle is a newsletter for veterans, transitioning military, their
family members, and friends and supporters of VetJobs.
VetJobs is endorsed and partially owned by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States.
VetJobs is the only job board endorsed by the Vietnam Veterans of America.
This month’s Veteran Eagle is sponsored by: Central Intelligence Agency and
TECHEXPO Top Secret
Contents:
1. Message from the Top
2. Career Call on Radio Sandy Springs
3. The Wall That Heals
4. VA Optimistic that Laptop not Compromised
5. New Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
6. National Guard and Reserve Mobilized as of June 28, 2006
7. Significant Events this Month in Military History
HAVE YOU REFRESHED YOUR RESUME SO EMPLOYERS KNOW YOU ARE AVAILABLE?
Most employers will not look at a resume over 30 days old. You should refresh
your resume every two weeks!
Are your cell phone bills getting high? Compare cell phone prices and services
through the VFW at http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=mbr.levele&eid=3063
Thank you for reading this VetJobs Veteran Eagle newsletter. If you like the
newsletter and what VetJobs and the VFW do to assist veterans and their family
members find employment, please go to www.weddles.com and vote VetJobs for the
WEDDLE’s User’s Choice Award.
1. Message from the Top
Last month VetJobs attended the 58th Annual Society of Human Resource Management
(SHRM) Conference in Washington, DC and was thrilled to hear from so many
companies that are now hiring! Unlike last year, there were no human resource
managers denying that we are moving quickly into a labor shortage! This is the
sixth year that VetJobs has represented veterans at the SHRM Annual Conference.
From conversations with the 12,000 plus human resource attendees, the best areas
for new jobs seem to be healthcare, logistics and transportation, government
(especially jobs with intelligence agencies), services, engineering,
hospitality, sales and technology. So check the Search Jobs section on VetJobs
regularly to see the new companies who are using VetJobs to reach transitioning
military and veterans.
This month we celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, a time when families
throughout the country attend picnics, races and parades. Congress established
Independence Day as a holiday in 1870. In 1938 Congress reaffirmed it as a
holiday. I would encourage everyone to learn and understand the history of the
Fourth of July and recognize that it is NOT just a holiday to kick of the
summer. Knowledge of our history is what will keep the Fourth of July near and
dear to the hearts of all Americans.
For the Fourth of July in 1981, President Reagan gave a stirring description of
what the day means when he wrote the founding fathers “…sired a nation that
grew from sea to shining sea. Five million farms, quiet villages, cities that
never sleep, 3 million square miles of forest, field, mountain and desert, 227
million people with a pedigree that includes the bloodlines of all the world. In
recent years, however, I’ve come to think of that day as more than just the
birthday of a nation. It also commemorates the only true philosophical
revolution in all history. Oh, there have been revolutions before and since
ours. But those revolutions simply exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours
was a revolution that changed the very concept of government. Let the Fourth of
July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was
decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only
a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own
except those voluntarily granted to it by the people. We sometimes forget that
great truth, and we never should.” President Reagan’s words still ring true
today.
In addition to the Fourth of July, the 27th of July is the anniversary of the
end of the Korean War, frequently referred to as the “Forgotten War”. The
1950-53 conflict cost America 33,651 killed in action and 103,284 wounded. More
than 1.5 million American men and women fought in Korea. Here at VetJobs, our
prayers and thoughts go out to the Korean War veterans and their extended
families.
On the economic front, the Department of Labor reported the U.S. economy
expanded 5.6 percent in the first quarter of 2006, which is more than previously
estimated and more than triple the growth rate of the previous quarter. Strong
spending by consumers and businesses led the economy’s growth. Consumers
increased spending by 5.1 percent, compared to a small increase of just 0.9
percent in the previous quarter. Businesses loosened the purse strings, too.
Spending on equipment and software grew by 14.8 percent, compared to a small 5
percent rate the fourth quarter. The recovery effort from Hurricane Katrina
helped spur spending in the first quarter, in contrast to the impact it had on
spending in the fourth quarter. And it should be noted that the Dow Jones
Industrial Average rose 217.24 points on one day this past week, or 1.98%, its
biggest one-day point gain since April 2, 2003, and the NASDAQ added almost 3%,
as markets reacted positively to the Federal Reserve’s statement accompanying
its latest interest-rate increase. The good economic news reinforces why the
unemployment rate keeps falling. For the first time in more than five years,
more labor markets in the United States were under 4.5% unemployment (196) than
were over 4.5%. Remember that normal unemployment is considered to be 4.5% to
5.0%. So with a national average of 4.5%, the United States is now a net
importer of labor to meet existing jobs. This is all good news for those seeking
jobs.
Finally, VetJobs wants to recognize and congratulate the new Master Chief Petty
Officer of the Navy (see article 5 below). Note that Master Chief Petty Officer
Joe Campa holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Excelsior College and is a
graduate of the Naval War College with a Master of Arts degree in National
Security and Strategic Studies. This is significant. In 1970, less than one
percent of the enlisted force had even been to a college, much less held a
degree. Today, 30% have a degree and one percent has a masters or a doctorate!
Our enlisted forces are truly a high tech, highly educated force.
Congratulations to MCPON Joe Campa!
If you know of any companies that should be hiring veterans and transitioning
military and their family members, please send in the referral so we may contact
the company.
As always, if there is anything we at VetJobs can do for you, please do not
hesitate to call or email.
And remember, Freedom Is Never Free – Support Our Armed Forces and Veterans
Best regards,
Ted Daywalt
President
July Veteran Eagle sponsor is Central Intelligence Agency:
There’s no other career like a career with the Central Intelligence Agency! The
work at CIA is truly that of the nation. Find your next career opportunity with
CIA on VetJobs which lists all the jobs available at CIA. Learn more about CIA
career paths and view the available opportunities on the CIA career-specific
pages for Scientists, Engineers and Technology; Clandestine Services; Language
Opportunities; Analytical Opportunities; and Support Services.
Visit www.cia.gov/employment/viewall.html
2. Career Call on Radio Sandy Springs
Career Call is sponsored by VetJobs. Each program is aired Sundays at 3:00 PM
EST. Be sure to tune in on the Internet for these exciting programs at
www.radiosandysprings.com. Your career is your choice, so make the right call -
listen to Career Call!
July Veteran Eagle sponsor is TECHEXPO Top Secret:
TECHEXPO Top Secret’s next job fairs are July 19th in New York City and July
20th in Reston, VA. Interview with leading government contractors. Full
schedule, event details, & pre-registration on http://www.TechExpoUSA.com For
professionals with active security clearance only. Free admission.
3. The Wall That Heals
July 6-9, The Wall That Heals will be in Aiken, SC, at Citizens Park. The
sponsor is the James L. Hammons Marine Corps League, Detachment 939.
July 13-16, The Wall That Heals will be in Sparta, TN, at the White County
Fairgrounds. The sponsor is the White County, Tennessee Bicentennial Committee.
If your organization would like to sponsor the Wall That Heals in your
community, contact
Lisa Gough, Director of Communications
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
1023 Fifteenth Street, NW, Second Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 393-0090, ext. 109
Or send an email to lgough@vvmf.org
4. VA Optimistic that Laptop not Compromised
Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson, under fire from Congress for the
handling by his agency of the theft of personal data on more than 28.7 million
veterans and service members, said he was optimistic that the now-recovered
laptop and storage devices were not compromised. His optimism comes from an FBI
statement that says a “preliminary review of the equipment by computer forensic
teams determined that the database remains intact and has not been accessed
since it was stolen.” A more thorough examination, expended to take three to
five weeks, is underway but with no sign that anyone’s identity had been stolen
since the May 3 laptop theft and with the preliminary examination by the FBI,
Nicholson said there “is reason to be optimistic.”
5. New Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen announced today that he has selected
Master Chief Petty Officer Joe R. Campa to succeed Master Chief Petty Officer
Terry D. Scott as master chief petty officer of the Navy. The master chief petty
officer of the Navy (MCPON) is the senior enlisted person in the Navy. The MCPON
serves as an advisor to the chief of naval operations and to the chief of naval
personnel in matters dealing with enlisted personnel and their families. “Master
Chief Campa follows a legacy of tremendous service by MCPON Terry Scott,” said
Mullen. “Master Chief Campa has the fleet and fleet Marine force experience to
represent our sailors not only standing watch at sea and ashore, but also
serving in non-traditional missions across the globe. I am looking forward to
working with him as we continue to address the important issues facing our
sailors and their families.” Campa currently serves as Command Master Chief for
Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree
from Excelsior College. In March 2006 he graduated from the Naval War College
with a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He will
assume his new position July 10, 2006
6. National Guard and Reserve Mobilized as of June 28, 2006
At any given time, services may mobilize some units and individuals while
demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or
decrease. Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial
mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 82, 487; Navy
Reserve, 4,863; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 7,127; Marine Corps
Reserve, 7,311; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 322. This brings the total National
Guard and Reserve personnel, who have been mobilized, to 102,110, including both
units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and
Reserve personnel, who are currently mobilized, can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2006/d20060628ngr.pdf
7. Significant Events this Month in Military History
1775 – George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, MA.
(American Revolutionary War).
1814 – American force led by GEN Jacob Brown defeated British force led by GEN
Phineas Riall at Chippewa River, just north of British Fort Erie (near Niagara
Falls, NY). A gray-uniformed Brigade led by young American BG Winfield Scott
drove the British back. Scott’s men wore gray because Army contractors had run
out of blue cloth. To this day, West Point cadets wear gray to commemorate this
victory (War of 1812).
1863 – Confederate forces under GEN Robert E. Lee, defeated after three days of
fighting at the battle of Gettysburg, PA, began their withdrawal to the South
(American Civil War).
1898 – American naval victory over the Spanish at Santiago, Cuba
(Spanish-American War).
1907 – Founding of the Aeronautical Division of the US Army Signal Office; the
forerunner of the US Army Air Force and later the U.S. Air Force
1915 – U.S. Marines landed in Haiti following the assassination of the Haitian
president Vilbrun Guillaume. The Marines remained as occupation forces for nine
years.
1918 – Beginning of the Second Battle of the Marne in Northern France between
German forces on one side and French, American, British, and Italian troops on
the other side. The battle ended on 4 August (World War I).
1926 – U.S. Army Air Corps established.
1943 – The U.S. Army’s Fourth Division, part of General Omar Bradley’s II Corps,
captured San Stefano in Sicily (World War II).
1944 – The island of Saipan in the Marianas (Western Pacific) fell to U.S.
troops following their defeat of Japanese defenders (World War II). Napalm was
used for the first time during the American invasion of Tinian in the Marianas.
1950 – General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was named commander of all UN
forces in Korea (Korean Conflict).
1953 – The Korean War ended.
1970 – Siege of Fire Base Ripcord began (Vietnam War)