President Barack Obama says upholding trust with American veterans is not just a policy, but is a moral obligation.
On Tuesday, August 26, President Barack Obama spoke to the American Legion National Convention in Charlotte and introduced the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald.
The president also highlighted a few of the 19 executive actions he says he's signing to benefit veterans. They include advance allocations that will give veterans greater access to healthcare and mental health services, reducing homelessness by partnering with banks that will give low-interest mortgages to veterans and increasing funding so returning soldiers can take advantage of more educational opportunities.
Another one of President Obama's initiatives is to encourage civilian employers to hire more veterans. He wants them to accept specialized military training as an equivalent to an academic degree in the same field. The actions will also target more funds so VA hospitals can hire more doctors and nurses. The president says this will go a long way in reducing wait time for veterans needing medical care.
Zach Lancaster is a property manager and broker with Messick Property Groups in Winston-Salem. He's also a gunnery sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Lancaster thinks this approach will work, but only if companies are educated about the initiative. "They've got to be informed as much or better than veterans themselves about these changes. Also, companies need to know that military skills will transition and it's something they can do," he explains. According to the 37-year-old, many veterans returning from active duty don't really know the benefits available to them. Others have an idea of their benefits but don't know how to navigate the current system to access them. "I was lucky. My father is a retired U.S. Marine and I grew up around his friends who also served in the service and they helped me connect into the civilian life," says Lancaster. "So when I came home, I had people who I could talk with who understood what I was going through. Survivors' guilt, dealing with the disorder of civilian life, and just learning how to move on. They didn't judge me and I didn't judge them." So he wants to see more targeted efforts on the federal, state and local level to better guide veterans through the system and keep them updated of changes that affect their benefits.
The 15-year veteran served in six combat deployments including in Iraq and Afghanistan. He says one thing that really helped him transition into civilian life was the Winston-Salem American Legion chapter. He says these groups are often a vital one-stop resource and support network for veterans of all ages.
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