Veteran’s Day Should Remember the Past and Not Compromise the Future

Bright red, white and blue banners line the street as ceremonial bands and finely dressed warriors march in perfect unison. Veteran’s Day was originally a celebration of the end of hostilities in WWI but has taken greater meaning over the years. On Veteran’s Day Americans attend speeches, parades, and BBQ their food. These are important outward symbols of an internal belief. Veterans represent a higher sacrifice for national interest. 

It is easy to forget the founding principles of our country and the responsibilities that each of us has in keeping those beliefs alive. We make compromises all the time and these compromises can add up to counter those fundamental values. Ensuring that we make proper decisions and not make compromises on certain core values such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is important. 

Let us take a look at an example where compromise hurt veterans. The VA Hospital has recently been in the news for covering up long wait times and poor service to patients. Veterans have died in those lines waiting for treatment from both mental and physical injuries earned during service. The administrators misrepresented the actual activities of the organization because it was in their self-interest to do so. 

We can also find examples in employment practices and discrimination. Veterans can be subject to discrimination when they leave for active duty and desire to return to their jobs when finished with a tour or when trying to move up the corporate ladder. Decision makers may instead select a friend, political associate, or someone who can quid pro quo their career. 

In cases like this and many other examples throughout the nation self-interest superseded the collective needs of society. Veterans did not make those compromises when they willingly ran into the line of fire or flew half way across the world to protect America’s national interests. Their ultimate sacrifice should not be forgotten or wasted.

Veterans are honored because they were willing to pay the ultimate price for their beliefs. Something most Americans may never experience or understand to its fullest extent unless they were in a similar situation. When we compromise in employment practices, law enforcement, medical care, or any other activity we are also compromising those core values that make this nation great. We compromise our future.

Veteran’s day is more than a celebration of veterans it is also a celebration of America’s core value system. When we compromise our essential values we also fail to carry the banner forward. Remembrance of the past is only part of the battle while living in a way that provides the brightest future is the other half. Honoring veterans should also come with honoring ourselves to make extra effort. Happy Veteran’s Day!

San Diego Veteran's Day Parade 2014

Are Military Veterans Natural Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners?

Military veterans have earned their place in society along with others who contributed to either developing or protecting American society. As it turns out Military veterans are also natural entrepreneurs that want to grow and develop opportunities. They have the right experiences and skills to manage a business. A study by Bressler, et. al. (2013) helps show which veterans hang out a shingle and why. 

Approximately 13% of all small business owners are veterans while 30.4 to 48% of veterans are unemployed based on age and race. Many of these veterans have a difficult time finding jobs and employment opportunities. Sometimes these difficulties are personal and other times they are society based. Yes…society still has a lot of work to do on multiple levels. 

As despicable and/or illegal as it sounds, some veterans who are in the reserve status, have lost their jobs for being recalled to duty. Some statistics have put this up to as much as ¼ of reserve veterans. Those losses account for lost seniority, replaced employment positions or even discharge. Others have found that the skills they learned were not directly transferrable to civilian work which made it difficult to find a job. 

Small business affords veterans an opportunity to develop long lasting income while still giving them the freedom they need to be successful. For some veteran’s, the small business is part of the American dream that they rightfully are claiming for themselves. To others, it is their only option in hoping to find secure employment that will support their families. 

As it turns out gender has some influence on the decision to open a small business. Males were more likely to take the jump into the entrepreneurial world. Those who are more educated had an easier time finding a job and didn’t go into business while those who were less educated needed to make their own opportunities. Age didn’t seem to have an influence on the decision. 

Encouraging veterans to either move into the employment field or start their own business can have implications for the nation. Veterans are naturally more adventurous than the rest of the population and this fits well with the entrepreneurial mindset. When veterans do succeed in small business they also improve upon their local economy and encourage the hiring of other veterans.

Bressler, M. (2013). A study of verteran-owned small business and the impact of military reserve call-ups since 9/11.  Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 19 (2).

A Step-By-Step Guide To Creating A Quality Veterans Resource Center On Your Campus

Date:  September 11, 1:00-2:30 (Eastern)
Type: online webinar
http://www.innovativeeducators.org/product_p/3232.htm

Overview:

A Veterans Resource Center is an essential component of any college campus. Often, transitioning to academic life can prove difficult and overwhelming for veterans. In order to help them persist and succeed in the college experience, institutions must create a welcoming center of support and services.

This webinar will review the history and impact of the new GI Bill and how it affected student veterans at several campuses (universities and community colleges), both large and small, from fall of 2009 thru fall of 2013. Participants will learn what their individual campuses need to do to attract and keep the veteran demographic. The ins and outs of a successful Veterans Resource Center will also be discussed: space, equipment, community buy-in and support, personnel, and funding.

Participants will walk step-by-step through a series of planning, design, and implementation stages that, if followed, can lead to the creation of a quality Veterans Resource Center. They will also learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of the center and move forward with maintenance and growth activities.

Dr. Schupp will be able to provide a very good estimation as to the number of service-members who will be leaving the military in 2014, 2015, 2016, and the mandated draw-down in 2017. This information will be provided for each military installation by branch of service and by city that these installations are located within. If your campus is wtihin 100 miles of a military base, this is your 'market' of student veterans. Dr. Schupp will show an example for the state of Kansas, but he can provide a personalized report just for your campus. He will also provide the number of Post 9-11 veterans that have visited the VA near you in 2013.

Goals:
- Discuss why it is essential to have a Veterans Resource Center on campus
- Explore the types of services a quality center should offer
- Learn how to recruit, train, and retain center staff
- Discover the financial impact on campus and community
- Learn how a Veterans Resource Center can affect the lives of student veterans as well as their families