Joining Forces Blog

  • Council on Veterans Employment Meets to Discuss the Way Forward

    Posted by Darienne Page on July 1, 2011 at 7:33 PM EDT

    President Obama's Council on Veterans Employment met at the White House on Thursday to review their results in increasing the number of Veterans hired in the Federal Government.  Then the Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, and other Agency Heads in attendance discussed creative ways to further increase Veterans employment in both the public and private sectors. 

    Council Co-chair and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki highlighted the collaborative efforts of the Council as a key to its success at agencies across the Government.  Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris, representing Council Co-chair Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, spoke about building momentum and sharing our innovative practices with employers across the country.  Council Vice-Chair and OPM Director John Berry outlined that the Government hired approximately 2,000 more Veterans in FY 2010 than in FY 2009, while hiring approximately 11,000 fewer employees overall. The Government hired 72,133 Veterans in FY 2010 compared to 70,170 in FY 2009.  The Director also highlighted that the Government hired a higher percentage of Veterans in the first two quarters of fiscal year 2011 than it has in the first two quarters of any of the last 20 years.

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  • Operation Honor Cards

    Posted by Sheri Lapan on July 1, 2011 at 7:24 PM EDT

    When my kids think of community service, they think about picking up trash along the road, visiting the animal shelter and collecting food – all of which are good things, but I don’t know that they actually have learned why we do – or should do – community service or understand the importance of community service to the beneficiaries.  Now they do.

    Together, Girl Scout troop 2255 and Boy Scout troop 888 chose to do a community service learning project that was not only worthy of the time and effort, but also a great deal of fun. The kids chose to do Operation Honor Card and commit community service hours in the name of soldiers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

    Documentary filmmaker Chris Barrett captured the Scouts on film, watch the video here.

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  • Honoring Their Service with Ours

    Posted by Katelyn Sabochik on July 1, 2011 at 3:29 PM EDT

    This Independence Day, you can join First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden in supporting our troops, military families, and veterans by getting involved with Joining Forces. 

    Here’s a few things you can do right now:

    • Operation Honor Card. You can get involved right now through Operation Honor Card – an effort to encourage Americans to support our military families by participating in service projects to serve those who serve us. At HonorCards.org, you can pledge hours of community service, find service projects in your area, and track your progress. 
    • Send a Message of Thanks. A simple act of kindness can mean so much. Say thanks to a military family today.
    • Share Your Story of Support. How are you serving our nation’s military families? Tell us your story.
    • Stay Connected.  There are plenty of ways to stay connected with Joining Forces.  You can sign up for email updates, like Joining Forces on Facebook, or follow @JoiningForces on Twitter.

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  • Opening Doors for our Military Spouses

    Posted by Courtney O'Donnell on June 30, 2011 at 2:45 PM EDT

    Our nation’s military spouses possess the hard work ethic, the skills, the education and the dedication that make them ideal employees in a competitive workforce.  However, they also face challenges and demands as they juggle households, children and jobs alongside frequent moves and deployments. Recognizing this challenge, one of the priorities of the Joining Forces initiative that the First Lady and Dr. Biden are leading is to develop career and educational opportunities for military spouses. Yesterday we took a major step forward in achieving that goal with the launch of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership.
     
    Dr. Jill Biden at Military Partnership

    Dr. Jill Biden greets audience members at the Military Spouse Employment Partnership kick-off at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., June 29, 2011. The partnership promotes meaningful, long-term employment opportunities between America's employers and military spouses. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

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  • Hiring America's Veterans

    Posted by Matt Flavin on June 29, 2011 at 7:12 PM EDT

    America’s commitment to its veterans must be an enduring one. After the service they’ve given us and the sacrifices they have made, we have a responsibility to make sure our service members receive the benefits and the opportunities they have earned. That’s why I was so happy last week to participate in the first Veterans on Wall Street Conference.

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  • On Board the USS RAMAGE: Dr. Jill Biden Visits with Sailors in Greece

    Posted by Kirsten White on June 28, 2011 at 11:48 AM EDT

    Last week Dr. Biden traveled to Greece to lead the Presidential delegation to the Special Olympics World Summer Games. On her first day in Greece, she had the opportunity to join Navy Secretary Mabus for a visit with deployed sailors on board the USS RAMAGE off the coast of Athens.

    While on board, Dr. Biden and Secretary Mabus visited with all 300 sailors on the flight deck.  Following a reenlistment ceremony for 4 sailors on board who have committed to another tour in the Navy, they met sailors from all over the country – including those from their home states of Delaware and Mississippi.  They shook hands and took photos until the very last Sailor departed the flight deck.

    Dr. Biden visiting the Navy in Greece

    (Photo by MC1 Kevin O’Brien)

    After leaving the flight deck, Dr. Biden and the Secretary had lunch with Sailors on the mess deck. They talked with several of them about their families back home, including a sailor who became a new dad just days before the visit. It can be a struggle to miss out on those special family moments while deployed. But the Sailors never complained.  

    RAMAGE sailors are unique. They have deployed multiple times in the past 5 years, and they have endured long and frequent separations from their families. But they are resilient, and they are proud of what they do. Each and every one of them has the same dedication to our country as those that we have had the honor of visiting at military bases across the country and throughout the world. 

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