Military Veterans: Disability & Homelessness

One estimate from the Veterans Administration is that since 2003, more than 60,000 U.S. military personnel in Iraq have been wounded or struggle with psychological disorders. The percentage of veterans who are amputees is said to be the highest since the Civil War, and at least one-third of military personnel who have served in Iraq struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Returning service personnel with a disability are required to submit an application for a Disability Compensation claim. While the time required to transition from submission of an application to being declared eligible for treatment or compensation varies by region, it is presently stated as approximately six months.

In terms of homelessness, as of November 8, 2007, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans indicated there were 195,827 homeless veterans in the U.S., and 2,784 of those were in Pennsylvania.

Individuals interested in how our returned military personnel are faring might research any of the following:

· U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

· National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

· Iraq War Veterans

For those interested in learning more about how to assist returned military, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans provides a “Locate a Community-based Organization” link (under “Homeless Veteran Service Providers”). A search for “Philadelphia” lists six agencies in the area that provide assistance and services especially for homeless veterans.

· What ideas do you have in respect to how our returned Iraq veterans are treated?

· Do you have any ideas to share on what we can do to assist?

· Do you know of any employment opportunities for returned veterans?

· Is your workplace cognizant of returned veterans issues? If so, do you have any ideas to share in respect to your workplace?

A 10-Point Survival: How to Keep Your Job!

A 10-Point Survival Guide: How to Keep Your Job & an Interesting Note on Women in the Job Market Anne Fisher is a Senior Writer on workplace and management topics for Fortune magazine. She also writes a weekly career-advice column called “Ask Annie” for CNN.com. In the January 7, 2009, Ask Annie column, she wrote “Keep your job: a 10-point survival guide.” 1. Create successes for yourself 2. Set 30-day and 60-day goals 3. Watch your attitude 4. Keep your network active 5. Update your skills 6. Make sure your work serves the larger goals of the organization 7. For now, forget about work-life balance 8. Take a hard look at your finances 9. Never badmouth anyone 10. Remember, in the knowledge economy, you are the product You can find the column on the web at http://www.askannie.com/ or click here for the entire article.

Also on the state of the economy, a new article by Barbara Hagenbaugh of USA Today states, “Women are holding onto their jobs more than their male counterparts in the recession as the types of jobs women hold generally offer more stability, albeit at less pay.” How can the “Survival Guide” help you keep your job? How are you surviving the economic changes effecting employment? What would you add or change on the list? How secure do you feel about your job in the current market in light of the information about women workers?

Destroying Wilderness

Destroying Wilderness The Wilderness Society was established in 1935 for the expressed purpose of protecting wilderness areas in the U.S. The Society was responsible for the passage of the landmark Wilderness Act of 1964 that remains, still, the law of the land. Specifically, the Wilderness Act put under protection 107 million acres of wilderness in the continental U.S., and an additional 56 million acres in Alaska. Recently, the Wilderness Society sent its members an email alerting all to the effort of the current administration to convert more than 2 million acres in the forests of Western Oregon to commercial logging. To learn about the specific of the pristine and critically essential Oregon forests (as well as specifics on the Alaskan acreage) visit the Society's web site. What is important here is to hear your opinion of the wilderness versus logging issue. Let us know, pro or con, what you think. Do you agree with the current administration’s plans? What course should the incoming administration take in this issue?