Council of Veterans Employment is \’decent start\’ | The American Legion

The American Legion is cheering, with reservations, an Obama administration initiative to provide more federal employment for military veterans. The president signed an executive order Monday night, establishing a Council on Veterans Employment and creating allied programs to help veterans get federal jobs.

\”For many decades, The American Legion has played a leading role in creating job opportunities for veterans,\” said Clarence E. Hill, The American Legion National Commander. \”So it is heartening to see our advocacy paying off in such a tangible way. It’s a decent start.\”

\”However, there is more to be done,\” Hill continued. \”For instance, we would ask the President to do more to end age discrimination in the hiring of veterans. While age discrimination is technically banned, it is not unusual for National Guard and Reserve servicemembers to lose employment due to time spent away while deployed. After all, employers may downsize and go out of business. When this happens to a middle-aged servicemember, re-employment can be especially challenging. Still, the Executive Order certainly has great merit, though we will continue to fight for more such initiatives.\”