Joining Forces Blog

  • Welcoming Our Veterans Home - In Style

    Posted by Darienne Page on October 28, 2011 at 6:53 PM EDT

    IAVA veterans

    Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans model JCPenney clothes. Picture courtesy of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

    The President launched his Veterans Employment Initiative, challenging the private sector to hire or train 100,000 Veterans and their spouses by the end of 2013 and proposing Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior tax credits for businesses that take up that challenge. The President is adamant about solving the issue of unemployment, especially for those that have served our country.   

    Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Paul Rieckhoff reflects on the President’s commitment to resolving veteran unemployment.

    On Friday, President Obama announced that America is bringing our troops home from Iraq. That’s welcome news for thousands of troops and their families. But as a country, we need to make sure that we welcome them home with more than just a pat on the back.
     
    Everyday, I talk to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who are struggling to find good jobs. Even with the staggeringly high rate of Veteran unemployment, these stories should shock us. Our Veterans are motivated, technologically savvy, independent and have leadership experience in some of the toughest environments in the world. I look at these Vets and see leaders that any company should be fighting to have on their team. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have the potential to lead their companies – and our country – for years to come.

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  • Turning a House into a Home

    Posted by Rod Lewis on October 27, 2011 at 6:11 PM EDT

    I recently had the privilege to witness the power of Joining Forces, the initiative First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched to raise awareness and increase support for military members and their families.  On October 18th with the help of Sears and Rebuilding Together, the First Lady and Dr. Biden joined the local Washington DC community to give back to Sergeant Johnny Agbi, and I know that the spirit of service I saw is exactly what they had in mind when created they Joining Forces.  

    Johnny served proudly in the US Army, 10th Mountain Division and deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a medic.  During his tour in Afghanistan he was severely injured in combat, and is now confined to a wheelchair most of the time.  As much as he wanted to continue serving our nation he was medically retired from the Army.

    Upon his arrival back home, Johnny remained upbeat about his future and was able to purchase a small home near his physical therapy treatment center.  While Johnny is making great progress with his physical therapy; his newly purchased house could not accommodate his physical limitations.  Joining Forces, Sears Holding Company and Rebuilding Together, all stepped up to help Johnny, just as Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden envisioned.  They all lent a hand to help renovate Johnny's home.

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  • At the World Series with Joining Forces

    Posted by Nikki Sutton on October 24, 2011 at 5:20 PM EDT

    Last week, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden traveled to St. Louis for Game One of the 2011 World Series to honor the troops, veterans and their families as part of their Joining Forces initiative geared towards connecting local communities in support of military families.

    Check out the video from their trip here:

    Before the first pitch, the First Lady also took your questions from Twitter and Facebook on how you can say thanks and provide a helping hand for the families of service members. There are lots of ways to get involved, from sending a message of gratitude to exploring volunteer opportunities near you. Find out how you can support a military family in your community at JoiningForces.gov.

    The First Lady makes her first official tweet at Game 1 of the World Series

    First Lady Michelle Obama makes her first official tweet at Game 1 of the World Series to recognize Major League Baseball’s (MLB) outstanding support of America's veterans and military families as part of their Joining Forces at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

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  • Heroes Honored in Los Angeles

    Posted by Brad Cooper on October 24, 2011 at 2:18 PM EDT

    Earlier this month, veterans and the networks that support them received a big thanks in Los Angeles. Raúl Garza from the California Community Foundation shared the following about the event:

    U.S. military veterans of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and the nonprofit organizations serving them and their families were honored for service to their country and communities in a special tribute at the 2011 Unsung Heroes of Los Angeles Awards, presented by the California Community Foundation and co-sponsored by The Eisner Foundation, on October 12. 

    Actors and philanthropists Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) and Chandra Wilson (Grey’s Anatomy) joined actor Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock and Whitney) in presenting awards to individuals for their extraordinary and unselfish charity and local nonprofits for their outstanding service to the community. 

    Antonia Hernández, President and CEO of the community foundation, gave special recognition to the Iraq and Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund (IADIF).  Founded by David and Monica Gelbaum, and directed by Nancy Berglass, IADIF has distributed $243 million since 2006 to 53 nonprofits nationwide to support more than 2 million troops and family members, and may be the largest charitable fund in the nation’s history dedicated to military and veteran support.

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  • Joining Forces at the World Series to Support Our Military Families

    Posted by Nikki Sutton on October 19, 2011 at 6:34 PM EDT

    First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden watch Game one of the 2011 World Series

    First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden watch Game one of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals with Marine Lance Cpl. James Sperry and his daughter Hannah, 5, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, Oct. 19, 2011.(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

    This afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden headed to St. Louis, Missouri for Game One of the World Series to meet with military families and recognize Major League Baseball’s (MLB) support of those who serve and their families.

    During the game, a new Joining Forces and MLB Public Service Announcement will premiere featuring New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Johnny Damon, encouraging Americans to support Joining Forces and MLB’s Welcome Back Veterans program to stand with veterans, the troops and their families. Watch a sneak peek here. 

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  • First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Major Private Sector Commitment to Hire Veterans and Military Spouses

    Posted by Brad Cooper on October 19, 2011 at 2:59 PM EDT

    Outside the 94th Operations Hangar at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, First Lady Michelle Obama announced a major private sector commitment to veteran and military spouse employment. The commitment comes from the American Logistics Association (ALA) and their 270 affiliate companies coming together to hire 25,000 veterans and spouses by the end of 2013.  

    The commitment by the ALA and its affiliate companies reflect the largest coordinated effort by the private sector to date to hire veterans and military spouses. The effort speaks to the capacity of the private sector to positively influence veteran and spouse employment.  

    President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet people at Joint Base Langley-Eustis

    President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet people along the ropeline at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia during the American Jobs Act bus tour, Oct. 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

    On August 5 during a Veterans Jobs Initiatives speech at the Washington Navy Yard, President Obama challenged the private sector to hire 100,000 veterans or spouses by the end of 2013. President Obama asked the First Lady and Dr. Biden to lead this effort as part of their Joining Forces initiative.  

    To date, more than twenty-five individual companies have stepped up and committed to veteran hiring or training targets and ninety-six companies formed a public private partnership with the Department of Defense to hire military spouses. This collective effort has resulted in more than 12,000 veterans and spouses hired. 

    Today’s announcement takes the private sector commitment to an entirely new level. 

    As a country, we recognize that veterans have completed complex missions, all with high stakes on the line and enough variables to make most people’s head spin. Our veterans are trained in state of the art technologies, they’ve managed dozens, even hundreds, of people, and their leadership skills directly translate into value-added to any business. 

    We also know that military spouses bring skills from all walks of life. Our military spouses are managers, accountants, doctors, nurses and lawyers; they are strong and resilient parents who are at home in a pace and lifestyle that would be unthinkable to many in this country.  So, when businesses ask what they can do, our answer is simple: hire a veteran or military spouse; or hire 3, or 30, or 300 or 3,000 – whatever the capacity of your company would allow. 

    The Joining Forces team is working every day to energize the nation’s support for its military families and we are asking folks to step-up and do what they do best. This new commitment makes it clear that business owners recognize the value in our nation’s veterans and military spouses and are looking to add their exceptional talent to their ranks.

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