Struggling Veteran Gets Help, Secures Job

By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2012 – When Corey Wynn was struggling with a lengthy job search and a bout with unemployment, a group of veterans\’ organizations helped him in a variety of ways.

Corey Wynn struggled after he left the military, but got help through the Labor Department\’s Gold Card Initiative. Labor Department photo

Wynn, an Alabama Army National Guardsman from Stevensville, Ala., was a military policeman in Iraq from 2009-2010. Once he came home from active duty, he worked at a string of odd jobs, but none lasted very long, and he had to draw unemployment, he said. He finally found a job with a security company, but after a month, he was laid off.

Wynn said he \”really struggled\” during that time. The key that began to open doors for him is when a veteran friend\’s advice prompted him to call all the veteran-related organizations and agencies he could find.

The guardsman qualified for the Labor Department\’s Gold Card Initiative — in which service members receive intensive career guidance and help with their job search, according to department officials.

A representative with the Alabama Disabled Veterans Outreach Program, Bob Gossett, came to Wynn\’s aid.