Thursday, November 10, 2016
What is it?
Veterans Day celebrates the patriotism, service and sacrifice of living veterans, who are part of the military’s patriotic legacy of dedication to the defense of the nation.
Nov. 11, 1918, is generally considered the end of World War I, aka the “Great War” or “the war to end all wars.” In 1938, Congress declared Armistice Day a holiday, and in 1954 the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.
The Army joins the nation in honoring veterans this Nov. 11 to preserve the historical significance of the date and focus attention on its purpose of honoring America’s veterans for their patriotism and willingness to serve and sacrifice for freedom.
What has the Army done?
The Army remains committed to Soldiers, Army veterans and their Family members by connecting them with opportunities for employment, education and health care during and after military service.
The Soldier for Life program is the Army’s way of supporting veterans, connecting civilian industry with transitioning Army Families. American industry has committed to hire and train tens of thousands of veterans and their spouses or domestic partners between 2015 and 2017.
Soldier for Life program facilitates Soldier support services in all phases of the Soldier lifecycle, which includes access to and awareness of all educational, credentialing and health care services while in uniform.
Additionally, Soldier for Life actively engages with those entities that can provide similar services to Soldiers post-military service. A few examples include:
What continued efforts are planned for the future?
The Army plans to continue collaborative efforts with the Department of Defense, the other services, other federal agencies, and industry partners to ensure Army veterans are connected with the resources and support they need and deserve.
Though the Army has contributed to efforts that have yielded some successes, such as lowering veteran unemployment rates and reducing veteran homelessness, senior Army leaders acknowledge there’s still much work to do to enhance Army veterans access to resources and support.
Why is this important to the Army?
Army veterans are some of the most talented, dedicated, capable and entrepreneurial professionals in the world.
When Soldiers return to their communities as full-time civilians, they bring with them attributes gained through Army service that make them great leaders, professionals and team members in any organization.
Resources:
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