RSSVetJobs Veteran Eagle
Issue 9:06, Sunday, June 1, 2008
www.vetjobs.com
The Veteran Eagle is a newsletter for veterans, transitioning military, their family members and friends and supporters of VetJobs.
This month’s Veteran Eagle is sponsored by BNSF Railway and TECHEXPO Top Secret
Contents:
1. Message from the Top
2. Veteran Population Projection Updated
3. WEDDLE’s Source of Employment Survey
4. Veterans Benefits Expiration Dates
5. Operation Military Kids
6. National Shortage of Nursing Instructors
7. VFW Moving Services
8. VA Performance Ranked High
9. Is your resume portable?
10. VA’s Suicide Prevention Hot Line
11. National Guard and Reserve mobilized as of May 28, 2008
12. Significant events this month in military history
HAVE YOU REFRESHED YOUR RESUME SO EMPLOYERS KNOW YOU ARE AVAILABLE? With a tight labor market, most employers will not look at a resume over 14 days old. You need to refresh your resume at least every two weeks! And be sure the search the 30,000 plus jobs in the VetJobs database!
Thank you for reading this VetJobs Veteran Eagle newsletter. If you like the newsletter and what VetJobs, the VFW and other veteran service organizations do to assist veterans and their family members find employment, please go to http://www.weddles.com/poll.htm and vote VetJobs for the WEDDLE’s User’s Choice Award!
VetJobs is exclusively sponsored and partially owned by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (www.vfw.org) and endorsed by The Vietnam Veterans of America (www.vva.org), The Naval Reserve Association (www.navy-reserve.org), and The Veterans of Modern Warfare (www.modernveterans.com).
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1. Message from the Top
During a political season things are seldom what they seem. A noted politician has touted that the United States is in the worst recession since the Great Depression! I think some politicians really need to go back to school and restudy history! During the Great Depression, the unemployment rate went from 3.2% in 1930 to 24.9% in 1933. Unemployment remained above 20% until 1939 when it fell to 17.2%. For seven years, one in four Americans was unemployed. Our economic slowdown of today is nothing like the Great Depression! But yet this politician would have you believe it is so.
The revised gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2008 was a .9% growth! The official definition of a recession is two quarters of economic downturn. While our economy is a bit anemic due to fraud and corruption in the financial service sector related to sub-prime mortgages, the United States economy has not had a negative quarter, is not now in a recession and will not be for some time. The GDP revision matched expectations of economists. The revision to GDP showed a better mix of growth. Personal incomes are growing significantly faster than first believed.
Following the impact from the fraud and corruptions of the sub-prime debacle, survey’s and reports show the leading indicators are now on the rise. Here are some examples:
-The national unemployment rate in April fell to 4.8%, not seasonally adjusted, down from 5.1% a month earlier. The reason the unemployment rate jumped to 5.1% in March was a union strike at a parts plant that shut down over 35 manufacturing facilities. Did you read that in your local business section? I only found it reported in the Wall Street Journal and the Economist Magazine out of London.
-According to the Commerce Department, new home sales rose 3.3% in April. April’s increase was in line with expectations. Economists said the sales gain was a rebound from the sharp 11% drop in sales in March.
-New housing starts were up 8.2% in April, led by a 36% increase in multi-family units.
-The Labor Department reported last week that applications for unemployment benefits fell to 365,000, a decline of 18,000 from the previous week. Economists had been looking for a much smaller decrease of around 5,000, so this is great news. Weekly jobless claims have been exceptionally volatile in recent weeks because of strike-related layoffs in the auto industry and an unusually early Easter.
I could go on, but the point here is that the economy is not as bad as some would have you believe. At a national unemployment rate of 4.8%, the country has a labor shortage since normal unemployment is 5.0%. But that is not true in all locations. States like Michigan and Ohio still have systemic problems. But in most of the rest of the country there are critical labor shortages.
And there is good news for veterans. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its biennial report, “The Employment Situation of Veterans: 2007.” The BLS report states that the unemployment rate for veterans who have served since September 2001 is 6.1%. Veterans who are current or past members of the National Guard or Reserve, who served since September 2001, had a lower unemployment rate of just 2.6%. The national unemployment rate for all veterans is 4.6%. The report is available at the BLS’ website, www.bls.gov. These numbers fly in the face of recent false press reports of veterans having unemployment rates of 14% to 18%.
A legitimate question would be: Why are we not reading about the good economic news in the mainstream press? It goes back to what I said earlier. We are in a political season and like the politician who tried to get us to believe that we are worse off now than during the Great Depression – things are frequently not as bad as some would have you believe. Do not take for gospel everything you hear during a political season!
All of this economic news is positive if you are a candidate looking for a job because the reality is the country is in a labor shortage. I hear that regularly from employers – they can not find enough qualified candidates. But even in a tight labor market, to be employable, you need to have the skills that are in demand. That may mean retooling on your behalf, going back to school or taking additional training programs. Skill sets are constantly changing as they always have in our country’s history. So you need to constantly be learning to be able to remain employable.
Turning from the economy, in June, we celebrate the following special days:
June 6 – D-Day
June 14 – 233rd Birthday of the U.S. Army
June 14 – Flag Day
June 15 – Father’s Day
June 20 – First day of summer
If you meet an Army person this month, say Happy Birthday!
D-Day was the turning point in World War II. June 6, 1944 saw the start of the largest air and sea operation in military history. On D-Day, the Allies landed around 156,000 troops, of which 73,000 were Americans. The amount of equipment used was staggering. In the airborne landings on both flanks of the Normandy beaches, 2,395 aircraft and 867 gliders of the RAF and USAAF were used on D-Day. Operation Neptune involved huge naval forces, including 6,939 vessels: 1,213 naval combat ships, 4,126 landing ships and landing craft, 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels. Some 195,700 personnel were assigned to Operation Neptune: 52,889 US, 112,824 British, and 4,988 from other Allied countries. By the end of 11 June, 326,547 troops, 54,186 vehicles and 104,428 tons of supplies had been landed on the beaches.
There is no “official” casualty figure for D-Day. Total Allied casualties on D-Day are estimated at 10,000, including 2,500 dead. British casualties on D-Day have been estimated at approximately 2,700. The Canadians lost 946 casualties. The US forces lost 6,603 men. On June 6, take time to reflect on what took place on the beaches at Normandy and appreciate the sacrifice made by so many. Their sacrifices helped give us the freedoms we enjoy today.
Finally, have a fun and safe summer!
If you know of any companies that should be hiring veterans, 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.
Remember, Freedom Is Never Free – Support Our Armed Forces and Veterans
Best regards,
Ted Daywalt
President
/—June Veteran Eagle sponsor is BNSF Railway—-\
BNSF Railway Company is actively seeking applicants with military experience. At BNSF, we salute those with service, value their skills and welcome the unique experiences of our service members. From skilled craftsmen to first-line supervisors, we filled over 3,000 positions this year and expect to surpass that amount in 2006. BNSF offers challenging and rewarding career opportunities for those in transition from military to civilian life as well as veterans, retirees and members of National Guard and Reserve components.
For more than 150 years, BNSF Railway has been quietly delivering cars, coal, clothing, games and nearly anything else found in homes and businesses. Today, our focus is on using speed, agility and resourcefulness to help expand the global marketplace for goods and services. Through world-class people, processes and technology, BNSF Railway provides an easy, relevant choice for all types of shippers in a wide variety of locations. If you are seeking a challenging and rewarding career that appreciates your military experience, then visit http://www.bnsf.com/careers/military/index.html.
\—–Please visit your June Veteran Eagle sponsor BNSF Railway—-/
2. Veteran Population Projection Updated
The Department of Veterans Affairs has updated the official estimate of the veteran population. Using its Veteran Population Model (VetPop), VA estimates a total veteran population of approximately 24,816,000 as of September 30, 2007. Estimates are based on data from the Department of Defense (DoD), the Census Bureau and the Veterans Benefits Administration. VetPop groups veterans into various demographic categories (age, sex, state, race, rank, military branch, and period of service) and projects results thirty years into the future. VetPop was last updated in 2004.VetPop uses the Census 2000 estimate of veterans—26,745,000 as of April, 2000—as a starting point. The population increases as service members separate from active duty and decreases through mortality. VetPop models these changes using DoD’s reports of past and projected separations as well as DoD mortality rates. VetPop2007 results are higher than VetPop2004 results due to lower mortality rates and higher-than-expected separations. The difference is 1.2% in 2007 and grows to 2.8% by 2015. VetPop results can be accessed at http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/ by clicking on “Demographics”.
/—June Veteran Eagle sponsor is TECHEXPO Top Secret—-\
TECHEXPO Top Secret’s next job fairs are June 10 at Hilton LAX, Los Angles, CA; AFCEA June 17/18 at Virginia Beach Convention Center; and Colorado’s TechExpo Top Secret on June 26 at the Doubletree Hotel, Colorado Springs. 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
\—–Please visit your June Veteran Eagle sponsor TECHEXPO Top Secret —-/
3. WEDDLE’s Source of Employment Survey
WEDDLE’s conducts an ongoing Source of Employment Survey. Here is the data responding to the question: How did you find your last job?
2005-6 2007-8
Job posting 7.6% 13.3%
Resume database 5.3% 6.2%
12.9% 19.5%
2. Tip from a friend 5.9% 7.0%
3. Newspaper ad 5.7% (5) 6.3%
4. Call by headhunter 5.8% (4) 6.0%
5. Employee referral 5.7% (6) 5.8%
4. Veterans Benefits Expiration Dates
Many of your earned benefits have an expiration date. Below are several of the more important ones to remember. Make sure you know take advantage of your benefits before they expire.
-Tuition Assistance: $4,500 a year that expires as soon as you transition from Active Duty.
-Montgomery GI Bill for Active-Duty (MGIB): 10 years from date of last discharge or release from active duty.
-Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP): 10 years from date of last discharge or release from active duty.
-Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR): 14 years from the date of eligibility for the program, or until released from the Selected Reserve or National Guard. Some extensions are available if activated.
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VocRehab): Generally, 12 years after separation from service or within 12 years of being awarded service-connected VA disability compensation.
-Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI): Coverage ends 120 days after separation or can be extended up to 1 year for totally disabled veterans.
-Combat Vet VA Health Care: 5 years after discharge for non-service connected care.
-Combat Vet VA Dental Care: 180 days after discharge for non-service connected care.
5. Operation Military Kids
Operation: Military Kids (OMK) is the U.S. Army’s collaborative effort with America’s communities to support the children and youth impacted by deployment. This initiative was officially launched in April 2005. Since its inception OMK has touched 65,000 military youth and provided information to 7200 community members across the United States. Operation: Military Kids, as part of the 4-H/Army Youth Development Project, is a vital part of the Army Integrated Family Support Network (AIFSN) delivery system. Families and youth can access information about OMK programs, link to OMK partner programs on this OMK website or by contacting their State 4-H Military Liaison. For more information, please visit: www.operationmilitarykids.org
6. National Shortage of Nursing Instructors
More than 38,400 applicants were turned away from nursing schools in 2006 because of a lack of faculty– not good news in a tight nurse recruitment market. But the Veterans Administration (VA) is stepping in to help. Last fall, VA began loaning some of its best nurses to the University of Florida, San Diego State University, the University of Utah and Connecticut’s Fairfield University to teach nursing classes for at least one-quarter of their workweek. That enabled the four universities to accept about 1,000 students who otherwise would have been turned away. VA’s Nurse Academy pilot program will last five years and cost $40 million. VA is receiving proposals from nursing schools that wish to participate in the partnership’s second round, and will choose four schools in June. Despite a national nursing shortage, VA says it has filled all of the 43,500 nursing positions it now needs, and is replacing the 4,300 nurses who retire or leave each year. Another new pilot, the VA Travel Nurse Corps, will help extend the reach of current VA nurse staff. The program will create a pool of nurses who can quickly travel around the country on temporary assignments to respond to sudden demands or emergencies. The three-year pilot based at the Phoenix VA Medical Center has enlisted about 30 nurses and is shooting for 100 travel nurse corps volunteers.
7. VFW Moving Services
If you are one of the millions of Americans moving this year you are eligible for a new VFW veteran’s benefit. Your move will be managed by one of the nation’s leading moving services. Cartwright Companies manage moves for the Defense Department all over the world. Call 866-481-8398 or visit: http://www.vfwhomeandloan.com/otherMain.aspx
8. VA Performance Ranked High
VA has been rated by an independent research center as having one of the best annual performance reports in the federal sector. Since 2000, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University examined the performance and accountability reports issued annually by federal agencies. This year, VA’s report was third among 24 federal departments and agencies. VA published its latest performance and accountability report in November 2007. It documents the Department’s progress toward ensuring America’s veterans and their families receive timely, compassionate, high-quality care and benefits. To view the report, visit http://www.va.gov/budget/report/2007/index.htm
9. Is your resume portable?
It could well happen to you as you never know when or where you may meet a prospective employer. You are sitting next to someone on a plane, train, or on a bus and in the course of conversation, you discover that they are with a company you would really like to work for. You can exchange business cards and tell them you will send your resume when you reach your destination. Or, you can instantly transmit your resume to them via your PDA or hand them a flash memory stick to download all your credentials on the spot. Memory sticks, flash-drives, or email versions of your resume on your Blackberry, Treo or iPhone are must-haves in today’s volatile employment market.
10. VA’s Suicide Prevention Hot Line
If you are a veteran in emotional crisis and need help RIGHT NOW, call this toll-free number 1-800-273-8255, available 24/7, and tell them you are a veteran. All calls are confidential.
11. National Guard and Reserve mobilized as of May 28, 2008
The total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 77,007; Navy Reserve, 4,543; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 8,135; Marine Corps Reserve, 9,704; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 341. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been mobilized to 99,730, 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://preview.defenselink.mil/news/May2008/d20080528ngr.pdf .
12. Significant events this month in Military History
1775 – The United States Army was founded. The Continental Congress named Colonel George Washington of Virginia Commander-in-Chief of the American Army.
1865 – The American Civil war ended with the surrender of the last Southern forces, led by GEN Edmund Kirby-Smith, at Shreveport LA (Civil War)
1877 – Henry Ossian Flipper, the first African-American graduate of West Point, was commissioned a second lieutenant.
1916 – Congress authorized The Army Reserve Officers Training Corps.
1927 – Captain Charles A. Lindbergh, an Army reservist, completed the first non-stop transatlantic airplane flight from New York to Paris in 33.5 hours.
1940 – The British began evacuating 338,000 British and French troops from Dunkirk, a Belgian coastal city. (WW II)
1941 – Allies invade Syria and Lebanon (WW II)
1941 – Germany attacks the Soviet Union (WW II)
1942 – The decisive Battle of Midway opened in the Central Pacific. (WW II)
1944 – D-Day invasion of Normandy by Allied troops. Operation “Overlord” was the largest air and sea operation in military history. (WW II)
1944 – The Battle of Saipan (WW II)
1944 – GI Bill signed into law.
1949 – The first African-American graduate of the Naval Academy was W.A. Brown.
1950 – The Korean War began with US troops arriving on June 29th. (Korean War)
1951 – The US Eighth Army launched attacks against Chinese forces all along the front lines in Korea, slowly driving the enemy back. (Korean War)
1967 – The USS Liberty was attacked by Israel, a controversy that continues today.
1972 – The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve created.
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