The Veteran Eagle is a newsletter for veterans, transitioning
military,
their family members and friends and supporters of VetJobs. Feel free
to
forward the newsletter to veterans and friends and encourage them to
subscribe.
This month’s Veteran Eagle is sponsored by: The Home Depot, TECHEXPO
Top
Secret and FranChoice
Contents:
1. Message from the Top
2. Hot Jobs on VetJobs
3. Sewing Jobs Pile Up at U.S. Factories
4. Wal-Mart Cutting Orders as Unsold Merchandise Piles Up
5. New Data Confirm Troubling Student Loan Default
6. Record Numbers in Poverty
7. Budget Impact on VA
8. Budget Impact on DOD
9. Boom in Energy Production Sends U.S. Shipyards into Overdrive
10. Virtual Practice Programs to Encourage On-campus Engagement
11. National Guard (in Federal Status) and Reserve Activated as of
September
25, 2013
12. Significant Events this Month in Military History
Thank you for reading this VetJobs Veteran Eagle newsletter. If you like
the
newsletter and what VetJobs, the VFW and endorsing veteran service
organizations do to assist veterans and their family members find
employment, please go to www.weddles.com/poll.htm and vote
VetJobs for the
WEDDLE’s User’s Choice Award!
- - - - - From the VFW - - - - - - - -
VFW Insurance
For information about various insurance plans sponsored by VFW
National
Headquarters, please visit http://www.vfwinsurance.com/index.html
or call
1-800-821-2606, option 1
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NOTE: If you have a resume in the VetJobs database, be sure to update
your
experience and refresh your resume at a minimum of every two weeks.
VetJobs
has many new customers using the resume database and as a general rule,
they
do not look at resumes over 30 days old.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1. Message from the Top
As I write this newsletter the big news event is will the US Government
be
shut down due to political bickering between the Democrats and the
Republicans? Regardless of which side you support, the reality is
that
Washington is in chaos. With the country evenly divided on welfare
programs,
taxes and those who actually work, it is hard to get things done in
Washington these days.
The VFW has issued bulletins as to what will happen to DOD and VA if
the
government is shut down. To understand the impact please read articles
#7
and #8 below.
Long time readers know that I am in favor of expanding our economy
and
getting people off of welfare. Unfortunately, we have an administration
that
is encouraging dependency on the government. The result has been that
poverty has drastically risen to the highest level in our country’s
history
according to the Census Bureau. To read the facts see article #6
below.
Let’s hope the politicians will be able to work things out quickly.
The
ability of the United States to compete on the world economic stage falls
as
we put more people into poverty.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Last month I had the honor of serving as a voting negotiator on the
Department of Education’s Gainful Employment Commission. Our next
meeting
will be in three weeks provided the government is open for business. In
the
interim, the Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) reports
more
than 600,000 federal student loan borrowers who entered repayment in
2010
defaulted on their loans by 2012 – see article #5 below. Not
unsurprisingly,
for-profit schools lead the pack in defaults. 46% of defaulting
students
attended for-profit colleges, which enrolled just 13% of students
nationally. This is a major problem because when the students default it
is
we the tax payers who pick up the bill. This has got to stop. Many of
the
for-profit schools are not properly accredited and have time and again
been
caught in fraudulent practices. It will be interesting to see what comes
out
of the Gainful Employment Commission.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This month we celebrate the 238th birthday of the United States Navy. At
an
October 13, 1775 meeting in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress voted
to
fit out two sailing vessels armed with ten carriage guns and swivel
guns.
The frigates were to be manned by crews of eighty and to cruise the
Atlantic
for three months to intercept transports carrying munitions and stores
to
the British army in America. This was the original legislation out of
which
the Continental Navy grew and as such constitutes the birth certificate
of
the Navy. If you meet a current or former member of the Navy, say
Happy
Birthday!
Other events celebrated this month include:
October 12 – Columbus Day
October 13 – U. S. Navy Established
October 14 – Columbus Day (observed as a holiday)
October 27 – Navy Day
October 31 – Halloween
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The economic front is a big mixed bag. While some sectors of the
economy
like shipbuilding (see article #9 below), energy and automotive are
growing,
many other sectors are stagnant, especially retail and home building.
A
major contributor hurting the economy per multiple news reports is
the
Affordable Care Act (ACA). Due to the ACA, the Cleveland Clinic, the
second
largest employer in NE Ohio, is cutting 6% of its workforce. This is
happening in hospitals all over the country. In spite of what some
politicians maintain, private industry is not sold on the ACA program.
There
have been many news reports of how national companies like UPS, Home
Depot,
Kroger, Taco Bell, White Castle, Trader Joe’s, Carl’s Junior and Subway
are
laying people off or limiting hourly wage employees to 30 hours or less,
a
direct result of the ACA. When looking at the local level, the same thing
is
happening to thousands of small and medium companies. Unemployment is
going
to rise as we go into 2014.
While there are about 11 million unemployed in the United States,
7.3%,
there are also huge labor shortages. The Herman Trend Alert reports a
recent
survey of more than 1,000 corporate directors, conducted in partnership
with
WomenCorporateDirectors.com and Heidrick & Struggles, outlined the
problems
by region and by industry. A significant majority of board members
indicated
that their companies are hiring, and not in small numbers, actually in
the
double-digits and across the globe. The most active hiring will be in
the
materials, IT & telecommunications sectors. In these industries,
more
companies plan to employ workers and to add a higher percentage to
their
workforces. The two industries least likely to add people are those two
that
are most affected by uncertainty and regulation, financials and health
care.
A week does not go by but what I hear from a company having problems
finding
qualified welders, IT personnel, electricians and plumbers. It is an
interesting parado
x.
Overall, things are not well in the economy. The country has just come
off
the longest period in its history of unemployment above 8.0%. And while
some
of the indicators are leaning positive, many others are negative. The
country is in flux, lacking leadership from Washington, not just the
White
House, but in Congress as well. I like to take the positive approach, so
I
will say we are incrementally improving but only marginally. Fancy
economist
talk for saying we are in big trouble.
Let’s look at the leading indicators.
On the positive side:
-The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago’s gauge of manufacturing
activity in the U.S. Midwest rose to 55.7 in September from 53 the
month
prior, exceeding expectations it would edge up to 54. Readings above
50
point to expansion, while those below indicate contraction.
-The Commerce Department reports orders for long-lasting goods rose 0.1%
in
August while economists expected orders to hold steady. Excluding the
transportation component, orders fell 0.1%.
-Home prices in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas rose 1.8% from June to
July
on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller
home
price report. Economists expected the gauge to rise 2%. Prices were up
12.4%
from the same month in 2012.
-The National Association of Realtors reports sales of existing
single-family homes rose in August to an annual rate of 5.48 million
units
from 5.39 million units in July. Economists expected the number to fall
to
5.25 million units. The reading was the highest since 2007.
On the negative side:
-A reading on consumer sentiment from Reuters and the University of
Michigan
rose to 77.5 in late September from 76.8 earlier in the month.
Economists
expected a reading of 78.
-The National Association of Realtors reports signed contracts to buy
previously-owned homes fell 1.6% in August, more than the 1% drop
economists
expected.
-The Commerce Department’s second reading on U.S. GDP shows the
economy
expanded at an annual rate of 2.5% in the second quarter, matching a
previous estimate. Economists expected GDP to grow by 2.6%. The
economy
needs to expand by a minimum of 3.5% to have real growth.
-The Conference Board reports consumer confidence slipped to 79.7 in
September from 81.8 the month prior. Economists expected the gauge to
fall
slightly to 79.9
-The Commerce Department reports housing starts rose 0.9% in August to
an
annual rate of 891,000 units, widely missing expectations of 917,000
units.
Housing permits fell 3.8% to an annual rate of 918,000 units, missing
estimates of 950,000.
All the above reports give us a very mixed bag. These are dangerous
times
economically.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Finally, please read article #10. The Student Veterans of America (SVA)
have
come up with a great software package to help veterans matriculate on
campus
and help educational administrators and instructors understand the needs
of
veterans on campus. This should be a great program!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As always, if there is anything we at VetJobs can do for you, please do
not
hesitate to call or email.
Remember, Freedom Is Never Free - Support Our Armed Forces and
Veterans
Best regards,
Ted Daywalt
President
/—October Veteran Eagle sponsor is The Home Depot—-\
HOW VETERANS CAN IMPROVE THEIR CAREER
There are a lot websites out there that advertise jobs, but wouldn’t it
be
nice to have a conversation with a REAL person? Wouldn’t it be great
to
connect to a recruiter to show them what a great employee you’d be?
Well, The Home Depot has created a brand new community where you can do
just
that. The community, named HomeTown, has a specific group to help
veterans
during their career search by giving them a place to network and have
live
conversations with recruiters.
Within the HomeTown community, veterans can:
• Chat directly with recruiters
• Learn from exclusive articles and free webinars
• Network with other military members and veterans
The Home Depot intends this free community to be your central hub to
learn,
grow and enhance your career. Veterans who take advantage of this
free
service will most definitely have an advantage when it comes time to
applying and interviewing for their next career.
You can join the HomeTown community at: www.homedepotcommunity.com
ONGOING COMMITMENT
The Home Depot’s support of the nation’s military extends beyond the
new
HomeTown community as they offer plenty of resources to veterans. The
company recently launched a new website highlighting this commitment
(www.homedepotmilitary.com) and has
offered its free Military Skills
Translator Tool for some time now. The Skills Translator Tool is designed
to
help translate and match an applicant’s military skills to positions
that
might offer the best career fit.
The company has also partnered with military-focused career fairs and
participates in multiple events throughout the year.
VetJobs, G.I. Jobs magazine and Military Spouse magazine have all named
The
Home Depot a top military-friendly employer.
\—Please visit your Veteran Eagle sponsor at www.careers.homedepot.com —-/
2. Hot Jobs on VetJobs
For each of the below opportunities go to www.vetjobs.com, then to Search
Jobs and search either the company name or use keyword search.
-Workforce Opportunity Services has Customer Service Associate paid
training
opportunities in Dubuque, Iowa for placement in a Fortune 500
company. And
a second paid training opportunity in Irving, Texas for Service
Technician
Training for United Rental’s nationwide locations. Classes begin 10/21
and
10/28 respectively.
-Sears has over 19,000 jobs posted on VetJobs nationwide. Sears wants
to
hire veterans!
-Home Depot has hundreds of jobs nationwide posted on VetJobs.
-Humana has over 900 jobs nationally.
-Stantec has 548 nationally and internationally.
-Want to work on the railroad? BNSF has lots of jobs posted.
-Jackson EMC needs a District Operations Engineer in Lawrenceville,
GA.
-Mechanical Equipment Company needs fabricators, CNC machinists &
a
compressor mechanic in Covington, LA. Also needs electrical designers
and
field service engineers in Sugar Land, TX.
-Airbus Military needs Customer Order Administrators in Mobile, AL.
-CWSI needs a Career Services Secretary in Troutdale, OR.
/---October Veteran Eagle sponsor is TECHEXPO Top Secret----\
TECHEXPO Top Secret’s next career fairs are:
10/8, TECHEXPO Top Secret Cyber Security Hiring Event, Baltimore
Convention
Center, One West Pratt Street Baltimore, MD, 10:00am-3:00pm, Details
on
10/16, TECHEXPO Top Secret Hiring Event, BWI Marriott, 1743 West
Nursery
Road, Linthicum Heights, MD, 10:00am-3:00pm, Security Clearance
REQUIRED.
Details on www.TechExpoUSA.com
10/17, TECHEXPO Top Secret Hiring Events, The Sheraton Reston Hotel,
11810
Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA, Details on www.TechExpoUSA.com; CI or Full
Scope Polygraph Clearance REQUIRED
10/17, TECHEXPO Polygraph-Only Hiring Event, The Sheraton Reston
Hotel,
11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA, for more information visit
Interview with leading government contractors! Full schedule, event
details,
& pre-registration are available at www.TechExpoUSA.com. The career fair
is
for professionals with active or recent security clearances only.
Free
admission. If you attend a TECHEXPO career fair, please indicate you
learned
of the career fair from VetJobs.
\---Please visit your Veteran Eagle sponsor TECHEXPO Top Secret at
3. Sewing Jobs Pile Up at U.S. Factories
Drudge reports the American textile and apparel industries, like
manufacturing as a whole, are experiencing a nascent turnaround as
apparel
and textile companies demand higher quality, more reliable scheduling
and
fewer safety problems than they encounter overseas. But because the
industries were decimated over the last two decades manufacturers are
now
scrambling to find workers to fill the specialized jobs that have not
been
taken over by machines. "It withered away and nobody noticed," Jen
Guarino,
a former chief executive of the leather-goods maker J. W. Hulme, said of
the
skilled sewing work force. "Businesses stopped investing in training;
they
stopped investing in equipment."
/---October Veteran Eagle sponsor is FranChoice----\
Veterans interested in learning about franchise ownership are invited
to
join a FREE webinar “Veterans Exploring Franchise Ownership”. Learn how
you
can leverage your military experience through franchise ownership and
how
your unique qualifications improve your chances for success.
Sr. Franchise Consultant, Laurie Pollock, and retired Army Captain
and
2-time franchise owner, Christian Germain, will explain how to
evaluate
franchise opportunities, the training and support franchisors offer, as
well
as discounts for veterans – including one franchise in particular that
is
waiving the entire franchise fee for qualified veterans. They’ll open up
the
lines at the end of the webinar to answer your individual questions.
The date for this month’s Veteran Franchise Webinar is Tuesday, October
8th
at 4:00 pm Central. Please register at:
If you want assistance in purchasing a franchise, call or email
Laurie
Pollock to request a free one-on-one consultation and she’ll be happy
to
help you. lauriepollock@franchoice.com or
800.818.9929
\-----Please visit your Veteran Eagle sponsor FranChoice-----/
4. Wal-Mart Cutting Orders as Unsold Merchandise Piles Up
Drudge reports that Wal-Mart is cutting orders it places with suppliers
this
quarter and next to address rising inventories the company flagged in
last
month's earnings report. Last week, an ordering manager at the
company's
Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters described the pullback in an e-mail to
a
supplier, who said others got similar messages. "We are looking at
reducing
inventory for Q3 and Q4," said the September 17 e-mail, which was
reviewed
by Bloomberg News.
5. New Data Confirm Troubling Student Loan Default
The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) reports more than
600,000
federal student loan borrowers who entered repayment in 2010 defaulted
on
their loans by 2012, new federal data show. The largest share of
these
students – 46% –attended for-profit colleges, which enrolled just 13%
of
students nationally. For-profit colleges also had a much higher
average
default rate than other types of schools: 21.8%, compared to 13.0% at
public
and 8.2% at nonprofit colleges. Across all colleges, 14.7% of
borrowers
defaulted within three years of entering repayment.
Colleges’ “cohort default rates” (CDRs) measure the share of their
federal
student loan borrowers who default within a certain period after
entering
repayment. It takes at least nine months of nonpayment to default on
a
federal student loan. Colleges with significant borrowing rates and
high
CDRs can lose eligibility to provide federal grants and loans to
their
students. These sanctions have long been based on how many borrowers
default within two years of entering repayment, but beginning next
year,
sanctions will be based on how many borrowers default within three years
of
entering repayment.
6. Record Numbers in Poverty
The Census Bureau reports the median income of American households
dropped
by $2,627 during President Barack Obama's first term and the number
of
people in poverty rose by about 6,667,000. The Census Bureau report went
on
to point out that some 46,496,000 Americans are now in poverty, the
highest
number ever and a 16.73% increase from 2008 when Obama took office.
Overall,
15% of Americans are considered to be living in poverty, up from 13.2%
in
2008. The figures are much higher for blacks and Hispanics. 27% of
blacks
and 25.6% of Hispanics are living in poverty. The rate for
non-Hispanic
whites is 9.7%. A single individual earning less than $11,270 last year
was
considered to be in poverty. For two-person households, the threshold
is
$14,937; for three-person households, $18,284; for a family of four,
$23,492. Last year, the real median household income in America was
$51,017,
a 4.89% drop from 2008. The Census Bureau reports that median income
dropped
in every year of Obama'
s first term. For black households, median income last year was
$33,321,
according to the report "Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage
in
the United States," released on Tuesday. The income and poverty
estimates
shown in the report are based solely on money income before taxes and do
not
include the value of noncash benefits, such as those provided by the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicare, Medicaid, public
housing, or employer-provided fringe benefits. To read the report,
please
7. Budget Impact on VA
The Veterans of Foreign Wars reports that certain VA programs like
payments
for disability compensation, GI Bill education benefits, survivor’s
benefits, and pensions for current beneficiaries are not subject to
the
annual discretionary funding battle and are therefore not impacted by
the
potential lack of an FY 2014 budget or Continuing Resolution on October
1.
Those veterans currently scheduled for burial should also be interred
as
scheduled. There should also be no noticeable change in healthcare,
because
the VFW led an effort to get advance appropriations signed into law
that
gives the Veterans Health Administration a preapproved budget two years
out.
Inpatient and outpatient care will continue to be provided, to include
the
filling of prescriptions, counseling services, surgeries and dental
treatments, and the National Veterans Crisis Line, 1-800-273-8255,
will
remain operational. Advance appropriations, however, does not extend to
VA’s
two other agencies, the Veterans B
enefits Administration and National Cemetery Administration, where
veterans
could see noticeable changes in customer contact and claims processing.
VA
said it has sufficient funds to keep its 57 VA Regional Offices (ROs)
open
through October 4; however, if a budget or Continuing Resolution is
not
passed before October 7, VA will be forced to close its ROs until
Congress
acts. This is important because all claims are processed by the ROs.
Veterans will still be able to file claims electronically, but not in
person. This also means no one will be processing their claims, which
would
further increase the backlog. To learn more about how a potential
government
shutdown would affect VA services, visit
8. Budget Impact on DOD
The Veterans of Foreign Wars reports that the lack of an approved budget
or
Continuing Resolution will have a tremendous impact on the Department
of
Defense, should the federal government shut down on October 1. All
nonessential activities will cease in order to keep combat forces and
forward deployed forces operational. In a telephone conference Monday
afternoon, DOD told the VFW to expect the following actions to take
place
when the new fiscal year begins October 1, barring a last minute
funding
extension:
-Personnel: All military personnel will report to work. They will
receive
their October 1 paycheck because it was earned in September, but
subsequent
pay will be accrued but go unpaid until a budget or CR is passed. All
appropriated fund civilian personnel will also report to work, but
only
those deemed mission critical—security and fire protection, for
example—will
remain on duty. Everyone else will be furloughed in a non-work,
unpaid
status. Nonappropriated fund civilians and military retiree pay should
not
be affected. Temporary duty and permanent change of station assignments
may
be cancelled or delayed.
-Operations & Maintenance: Aircraft and ships are already flying and
sailing
less, and ground troops are training less because of the current
budget
reduction and sequester. A government shutdown makes everything worse.
Acute
and emergency medical and dental care will continue, but routine
appointments will be cancelled or delayed. Other military service
providers,
such as legal and human resources, will remain open but be minimally
staffed
due to the civilian workforce furlough. All DOD schools and childcare
centers will remain open, but stateside commissaries will be closed.
The
duration of the shutdown will directly impact the severity of
cost-saving
measures.
9. Boom in Energy Production Sends U.S. Shipyards into Overdrive
FOX News reports the Great American Energy Boom is having a major
ripple
effect on the shipbuilding industry, which thanks to a 1920s maritime
law,
is busier than it has been in decades. Some ten supertankers are
currently
under construction at U.S. shipyards, with orders for another 15 in
the
pipeline. That may not seem like a huge number, but considering there
are
only about 75 such tankers plying American ports now, it represents a
genuine boat-building boom. The renaissance comes despite an economy
that
continues to struggle. It's because of a specific sector of the U.S.
economy
that is also booming: natural gas production. The fuel must be
transported,
even within the country, either by rail, pipeline or ship. And if it is
by
ship, the ship must be American-made and American-manned, according to
the
1920s Merchant Marine Act, also known as the Jones Act. It is projected
that
up to 3.3 million barrels will be shipped out daily from the Gulf Coast
by
2020, destined for por
ts along the east and west coasts, causing huge demand for tanker
ships.
Constructing one tanker, which could be more than 600 feet long and
nearly
200 feet wide, can cost upwards of $100 million. Once they are up and
running, the ships more than earn their keep. Transport companies pay up
to
$100,000 per day over a five-year contract to lease them. Currently,
the
shipping industry contributes $36 billion to the economy.
10. Virtual Practice Programs to Encourage On-campus Engagement
Student Veterans of America (SVA) and Kognito Interactive announced a
partnership to provide institutions of higher education with a suite
of
online, skill-building simulations that prepare faculty, staff, and
student
veterans to recognize and address challenges that student veterans may
face
as they transition from military to college life. These challenges
include
social isolation, cultural disparities, academic difficulties, and
mental-health issues such as post-deployment stress disorder (PTSD),
depression, thoughts of suicide, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). In
each
Veterans on Campus simulation, users enter a virtual practice
environment
and engage in a series of challenging role-play conversations with
emotionally responsive and fully animated virtual students who
realistically
portray student veterans struggling with the adjustment to college life.
The
user's task in each conversation is to help the virtual student through
the
challenges he or she faces and build th
e student's motivation to actively resolve those challenges. To learn
more
about the Veterans on Campus programs and view demos of the trainings,
visit
11. National Guard (in Federal Status) and Reserve Activated as of
September
25, 2013
The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard
and
Army Reserve is 35,058; Navy Reserve, 4,415; Marine Corps Reserve,
2,230;
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 7,668; and the Coast Guard
Reserve, 525. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel
who
have been activated to 49,896, including both units and individual
augmentees.
12. Significant Events this Month in Military History
1781 - British troops under General Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered
to
General Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively ending the
American
Revolution.
1775 - The US Navy was established.
1901 - The first British Navy submarine was commissioned.
1944 – Battle of Leyte Gulf (WW II)
1950 - The invasion of North Korea started. (Korean War)
1952 – Battle of Hill 598 began (Korean War)
1957 - The Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, first man-made earth
satellite.
1962 - The U.S. began its blockade of Cuba to compel the Russians to
remove
long-range missiles aimed at the United States.
1964 - The Chinese exploded their first atomic bomb.
1965 - The Battle of the La Drang Valley (Vietnam War)
1968 - The Bombing of North Vietnam ended (Vietnam War)
1969 - Battle of Loc Ninh (Vietnam War)
1971 - Operation Jefferson Glenn, the last major operation in which
US
ground forces participated in Vietnam (Vietnam War)
1973 - Egypt and Syria launched military offensive against Israel
1983 -Terrorist attack on Marine Barracks, Beirut
1983 - Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada
1993 - Battle of Bakhara Market, Mogadishu, Somalia
2000 - Bombing of the USS Cole by Al-Qaeda terrorists
2001 - Operation Enduring Freedom began in Afghanistan
2001 – War on Terror Began
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
VetJobs is exclusively sponsored and partially owned by the Veterans
of
Foreign Wars of the United States (www.vfw.org) and endorsed by the Vietnam
Veterans of America (www.vva.org), the Association of the US Navy
(www.ausn.org),
the Veterans of Modern Warfare (www.vmwusa.org), Student
Veterans of America (www.studentveterans.org), Military
Order of the Purple
Heart (www.purpleheart.org), Hope4Heroes (www.hope4heroes.org), United
States Army Warrant Officers Association (www.usawoa.org), The Retired
Enlisted Association (www.trea.org) and the National Guard Association
of
the United States (www.ngaus.org)
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