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Profiles

Profile photo of Marcus Townsell

Marcus Townsell

Navy Vet Turns Passion Into Employment
Marcus Townsell, a whiz at computer programming and electronics, tested aircraft during his tour in the Navy. After earning an electrical engineering degree... Profile

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Erik Rivera

Army Veteran Finds Work Through Volunteers of America
Following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Erik Rivera knew he wanted to serve his country. He finished high school, joined the Army and served... Profile

Profile photo of Floyd Godfrey

Floyd Godfrey

Army Veteran Gets a Boost
Army Vietnam veteran Floyd Godfrey, who held a number of key management jobs throughout his career, became unemployed when funding for his nonprofit organization dried up... Profile

Profile photo of Nadine Wicklander

Nadine Wicklander

Employment Advice, Revamped Resume Gets Veteran Going
Nadine Wicklander, who cleaned and tested underwater mines while serving in the Navy, admits she found job interviews difficult... Profile

Profile photo of William Castro

William Castro

Air Force Veteran's Career Takes Off
Air Force veteran William Castro's career soared after he met Disabled Veteran Outreach Program specialist John Borelli at a Campbell, Calif., American Job Center. Profile

Profile photo of Fawn Mathis

Fawn Mathis

Veteran's Transferable Skill Opens Way for a Fresh Start
Army veteran Fawn Mathis pulled a lot of guard duty protecting his base from enemy attack while deployed in Afghanistan but was unable... Profile

Profile photo of Marcus Townsell

Marcus Townsell
Navy Vet Turns Engineering Passion Into Employment

Marcus Townsell, a whiz at computer programming and electronics, tested aircraft during his tour in the Navy. After earning an electrical engineering degree, he spent a number of years in the electric power industry designing gas turbines and assessing nuclear plants, until he lost his job during an economic downturn. He sought career help from Alvin Byers, a Disabled Veteran Outreach Program Specialist located at the KANSASWORKS workforce system offices in southern Kansas. Byers, an Army veteran, helped Townsell develop a career plan for employment, improve his resume and hone his interview skills. Byers' assistance "was invaluable," Townsell said. Byers remarked that Townsell "was passionate about engineering," and he felt certain he could help him find a lucrative job. Townsell went on to land a position as an electrical engineer with a large corporation in Oklahoma.

Profile photo of William Castro

William Castro
Air Force Veteran's Career Takes Off

Air Force veteran William Castro's career soared after he met Disabled Veteran Outreach Program specialist John Borelli at a Campbell, Calif., American Job Center. Castro was an avionics expert with experience and skills to maintain complicated airplane machinery. Borelli, who served as a Marine in Vietnam, had just learned about the Audi "Veterans to Technicians" nationwide hiring program. Under the program, Audi hires veterans who have aviation, electronics and hydraulic systems experience to service its sophisticated automobile systems. Borelli said Castro was "the right guy, in the right place, with the right skills," after helping him land a job as an Audi technician. Castro said he went from fixing "the coolest airplanes to the coolest cars."

Profile photo of Floyd Godfrey

Floyd Godfrey
Army Veteran Gets Boost From Outreach Program

Army Vietnam veteran Floyd Godfrey, who held a number of key management jobs throughout his career, became unemployed when funding for his nonprofit organization dried up. The Washington, D.C., resident came to the attention of Disabled Veteran Outreach Program specialist Michael Ervin, a 26-year Army veteran at the city's Department of Employment Services. Ervin helped Godfrey update his resume, sharpen his interview skills and assess his career choices. Ervin "kept me motivated and consistently sent me job opportunities," Godfrey said of the help he received. Ervin said he derives satisfaction from helping veterans become "job ready." Godfrey eventually accepted a job in quality assurance with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.

Profile photo of Erik Rivera

Erik Rivera
Army Veteran Finds Work Through Volunteers of America

Following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Erik Rivera knew he wanted to serve his country. He finished high school, joined the Army and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. When he returned stateside, Rivera fell on tough times, could not find work and became homeless. In his native Massachusetts, he sought help from the Volunteers of America, a departmental grantee under the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. Veterans' employment case manager Angela Eberle helped Rivera rewrite his resume and translated his military security training into civilian-friendly language. An interview with a local security company was quickly arranged and, 24 hours later, Rivera was hired into a full-time security guard position.

Profile photo of Nadine Wicklander

Nadine Wicklander
Employment Advice, Revamped Resume Gets Veteran Going

Nadine Wicklander, who cleaned and tested underwater mines while serving in the Navy, admits she found job interviews difficult and her resume needed help. Local Veteran's Employer Representative Adrian Morado of California's Employment Development Department came to her rescue. He crafted Wicklander's resume toward civilian-friendly occupations, coached her, and helped her find job openings through social media. Morado, who is also a Navy veteran, said he works hard to "pay forward" the employment help he feels all veterans deserve for serving their country. Within two months, Wicklander accepted a job with a large retail company, and shortly after, a large bottling company offered her training to become a supervisor, which she accepted.

Profile photo of Fawn Mathis

Fawn Mathis
Veteran's Transferable Skill Opens Way for a Fresh Start

Army veteran Fawn Mathis pulled a lot of guard duty protecting his base from enemy attack while deployed in Afghanistan but was unable to find work and forced to sleep in his car when he returned home to Oregon. Mathis, who had served in the National Guard, enrolled in the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program run by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Vocational assessment staffer Karen Fleener said Mathis' military security work was a skill easily transferable to civilian security jobs. Harold McCain, a Navy veteran and employment specialist at St. Vincent's, helped Mathis write his resume, prepare for interviews and earn his security certificate. The program "gave me the confidence and the skill sets to succeed," Mathis said. He now works two security jobs and hopes to move on to better employment.

Veterans Employment Special

A Snapshot of Our Nation's Veterans

Federal, state and community leaders; private businesses; non-profits; and community organizations use information about the military veteran population from the American Community Survey and Economic Census to determine the programs, services and infrastructure that serve the needs of our veterans. What follows is the most recent snapshot of veterans statistics. PDF | HiRes

Who Are U.S. Veterans?
Chart showing 21.8 million veterans in the United States. Of which, 20.2 million are male, and 1.6 million are female.
Where Do They Live?
U.S. map showing cities with a high percentage of veterans. 28.9% Killeen, Tx. 24% Clarksville, TN. 22.6% Jacksonville, NC. 22.1% Fayetteville, NC. 20.9% Hampton, VA.
What Are Their Education Levels?
Charts showing a veteran is more likely than the average American to have earned a high school diploma, but less likely to have completed a college degree.
When Did They Serve?
Chart showing 21.8 million veterans in the United States, more than 1.3 million served during multiple wars. 837000 served during both Gulf wars, 211000 served during both the Korean war and Vietnam era, and 147000 server during both World War II and the Korean war
Where Do They Work?
Chart showing veterans are twice as likely as a non-veteran to hold a job in a public administration industry.
What Are Their Incomes?
Chart showing Veterans' annual income is about $10000 higher than that of the Average American.


Top Stories

First Lady Announces Initiative for Military Families, Veterans

First Lady Michelle Obama announced a new philanthropic initiative which pledges over $100 million to help military families and veterans over the next five years. Story

White House Launches Veterans Employment Center

First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Veterans Employment Center, the first online one-stop shopping tool for veterans, transitioning service members and spouses in search of employment. Story

Pentagon Program Succeeds in Matching Military Spouses With Jobs

A program intended to help unemployed military spouses find jobs -- including positions with Fortune 500 companies -- is surpassing its goals. Story

Vets Unemployment Rate Drops in 2013

The unemployment rate for Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans fell in 2013, and the jobless rate for all veterans also edged down to 6.6 percent, according to Labor Department statistics. Story

Labor Department Awards Grants for Homeless Vet Reintegration

The Labor Department has awarded two grants totaling $900,000 to fund services provided by the department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez announced. Story

Veterans' Homelessness Drops by 24 Percent since 2010

The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development report a 24-percent drop in homelessness among veterans since 2010. Story

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