Helping Veterans Get Back to Work: Matt Colvin

Watch Air Force Veteran Matt Covin, here. 

Matt Colvin joined the Air Force on September 11, 2001. During his two tours in Afghanistan he participated in more than 80 combat missions. He left the military in 2007 and today works with an organization called Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which helps support veterans once they leave active duty, and is working toward a bachelor’s degree in business through the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Colvin says that, as a result of their military training, veterans have “endless” skills that make them ideal employees for civilian businesses and that provisions in the American Jobs Act will help our heroes maximize those talents.

“I think it’s absolutely important that the government is going to do—and especially President Obama and Congress—are going to do everything in their power to be able to really help vets transition into what the civilian workforce needs. They’re the people that are really going to make a difference, and the people that can take leadership roles and really grow a lot of these small businesses, and business in general.”

President Obama knows we can't wait to help unemployed veterans get jobs. He's challenged private sector employers to hire or train 100,000 veterans, and his Administration has introduced a host of initiatives to help connect veterans with job listings and career support. And, the Senate has already passed two key pieces of the American Jobs Act, the Wounded Warriors and Returning Heroes tax credits, which will provide tax credits to businesses that hire veterans.

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Despite the fact that our veterans have unique skills and experiences that make them excellent hires for any civilian business, their unemployment rate tops 12 percent. Read the stories of veterans like Matt who have struggled to transition their skills into new careers and find out why fighting for these heroes is a priority for the Obama Administration.