According to the Maine Department of Labor, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have an unemployment rate of 8.7 percent, compared to 7.2 percent overall.

Congressman Mike Michaud and Husson University will host a job fair next month to connect Maine’s manufacturers with veterans in search of employment.

“As I travel the state, manufacturers often tell me that they often struggle to find workers with the skills they need. Meanwhile, our veterans are having a difficult time finding work when they come home,” said Michaud. “I hope that this job fair will benefit both our returning veterans and our manufacturers in need of qualified employees.”

Read more ›

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act today that calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense to reform policy around sexual assault in the military.

“Congress should pass this amendment and send a strong signal to the VA and to the Pentagon that we recognize what a serious problem sexual assault in the military is,” Pingree said. “But mostly it sends a message to the victims that we recognize what they have gone through and we won’t stand for it.”

Pingree has been pushing the Department of Veterans Affairs to relax the standards of proof for victims of sexual assault who are seeking benefits, and has introduced a bill with bipartisan support to force the VA to make those changes.

Read more ›

This morning in Washington, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree talked to hundreds of veterans from around the country who had been victim of sexual assault in the military.  Pingree congratulated the veterans, who had gathered at a conference put on by the Service Women’s Action Network, for speaking out.

“I know this is a deeply emotional issue for you, and you should be congratulated for having the courage to come here today and tell your stories.  By going to Capitol Hill and talking to Members of Congress directly about your story, you will help bring about real change,” said Pingree.

Read more ›

For a number of years male veterans have been honored with commemorative coins. Now Maine Women veterans are being honored with State of Maine Silver Commemorative Coins in a ceremony at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough.

These commemorative coins have the same image of the Women Veterans Plaque that hangs in the Hall of Flags Hall of Flags at the State House in Augusta. The effort to highlight the service of women to our country began in 2009. The coins will be presented to eight women who are veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and Persian Gulf War. There will be other women veterans honored, in the same way, throughout the state in the coming years. Donations to keep the project going can be made.

On Friday, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Fort Stewart in Georgia where the President will sign an Executive Order to help ensure all of America’s service members, veterans, spouses, and other family members have the information they need to make informed educational decisions and are protected from aggressive and deceptive targeting by educational institutions. We have a sacred trust with those who serve and protect our nation. It’s a commitment that begins at enlistment, and it must never end.  That’s why President Obama is committed to ensuring veterans and service members have the chance to get a college education and can find work when they return from service.
 
Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill became law, there have been reports of aggressive and deceptive targeting of service members, veterans, and their families by educational institutions, particularly for-profit career colleges. For example, some institutions have recruited veterans with serious brain injuries and emotional vulnerabilities without providing academic support and counseling; encouraged service members, veterans, and their families to take out costly institutional loans rather than encouraging them to apply for Federal student aid first; engaged in misleading recruiting practices on military installations; and have not disclosed meaningful information that allows potential students to determine whether the institution has a good record of graduating service members, veterans, and their families and positioning them for success in the workforce. 

Read more ›

Veteran returns home and greets his child

With 2.4 million U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars our nation faces many more challenges in assisting our warriors on the road to transitioning into civilian life. There are 150,000 veterans in Maine. Nationally, one in five veterans report symptoms of mental disorder.

Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it would add approximately 1,600 mental health clinicians, including nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, as well as nearly 300 support staff to its existing workforce of 20,590 mental health staff. Congressman Mike Michaud, Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, applauded the move and wrote to the director of the VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1) urging him to ensure Maine receives the staff they need to meet demand.

Six years ago mental health services were offered only in Togus, Bangor and Portland.VA Maine Healthcare System now includes Togus medical center outside Augusta and 10 outpatient clinics around the state which Gov. John Baldacci and the Congressional Delegation fought for. The system’s mental health staff serve about 39,500 veterans and has increased from 43 in 2006 to 90. VA Maine has added teleconferencing consultations for veterans living far from clinics, expanded the Togaus psychiatric wing, instituted an insomnia program and patient care teams which include mental health professionals. But with the increase of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars Maine needs more mental health professionals.

Read more ›

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree sits at the head of the conference table during a meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta courtesy photo

In 2011 there were nearly 3,200 cases of sexual assault reported in the U.S. military, which was a 1 percent increase over 2010. The Pentagon estimates that 86 percent of sexual assaults go unreported. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta addressed the issue on April 9, 2012, announcing new steps to fight the problem. Before making the announcement, Panetta met with members of the House Armed Services Committee, including Democrat Chellie Pingree. Pingree met with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta last night to discuss the proposed changes.

“These changes aren’t going to make sexual assault in the military go away, but they’re a good start and will give victims more of the protection they deserve,” said Pingree. “It’s also important that Secretary Panetta is speaking out on this issue. He couldn’t have been clearer when he talked to us last night. He said the rate of sexual assault in the military is totally unacceptable and I couldn’t agree with him more.”

Read more ›

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, said today that the Department of Defense has announced that the deadline for veterans and service members to apply for retroactive stop-loss payments has been extended to October 21, 2012.

“Our men and women in uniform made such sacrifices when their return home was put off so they could continue to serve when needed,” said Pingree. “I hope we can repay this debt to every single service member it’s owed, which is why this extension is so important.”

Read more ›

Applications are now being solicited for the Tibor and Anna Doby Veteran Support Fund at the Maine Community Foundation.

The Doby Veteran Support Fund seeks to address the needs of rural veterans, their families, and the nonprofit providers that serve them. Grants of up to $25,000 will be made to help organizations more effectively deliver programs and services to veterans and their families living in rural regions of Maine. Proposals must be submitted by May 15, 2012. Guidelines are available at www.mainecf.org .

The Doby Fund advisors are particularly interested in helping to build the capacity of community-based organizations to offer programs and case management services that provide support to veterans affected by mental and behavioral health issues.

Read more ›

More than 67,000 veterans spent one night homeless, living in emergency shelters, transitional housing units or on the streets in 2011, according to last year’s “point in time” count conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in coordination with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

It’s not always easy for volunteers and outreach workers to know where to send them to get help. That’s why the VA is excited to launch a competition, Project REACH, to provide easy access to resources that the homeless need, when they need them, and where they can get them.

Read more ›