As others see it: New vets deserve job

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If we are going to ask Iowa men and women to leave everything behind to defend our country, the least we can do is help them find a decent job when they return.

Yet 16.4 percent of the 2,800 Iowa National Guardsmen who have returned home from Afghanistan in the last few months are unemployed.

That creates a financial strain that complicates troops’ already-difficult task of reintegrating into civilian life.

Drawn-out, unsuccessful job searches don't just stress a veteran's finances — it adds strain on soldiers’ marriages, their mental and physical health.

It’s a shameful “welcome home” for men and women in uniform. ...

President Barack Obama’s proposal to offer tax credits to those who hire unemployed veterans doesn’t seem like much of a solution to the problem of veteran unemployment. If anything, it’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. ...

So fighting veteran unemployment requires a more targeted attack: Enhanced job training and other veterans programs so that returning soldiers can upgrade their skills and be more competitive in our shifting economy. And, of course, those with deep emotional and physical injuries need help.

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Executive Director Jodi Tymeson told us departments like hers, Iowa Workforce Development and the U.S. Department of Labor are working to fight the problem on both fronts — by helping veterans and working with employers. ...

Tags: opinion, veterans, editorials, politics