(Returning) Reserve Troops Facing Job Woes

[Roland99]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-07-reserves-job-woes_x.htm

The number of reservists and National Guard members who say they have been reassigned, lost benefits or been fired from civilian jobs after returning from duty has increased by more than 70% over the past six years.

...

Garcia, a member of the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, has been called up twice since Sept. 11, 2001, once for Afghanistan and the last time for stateside duty.

Garcia, 44, had been a supervisor in the Miami office of the security bureau. When he returned to work early last month, he was given a desk job in Washington with no clear responsibilities, he said.

...

The Pentagon received more than 8,000 complaints this year, nearly double the previous year, but most were resolved without further government action, Palmer said. Complaints range from being fired, losing chances for promotion or being reassigned to jobs with less pay or responsibility.

Looks like the State Dept needs a few more yellow ribbons in their offices and on their cars.


:(

[Missy M]

1. My daughter works in a restaurant part time and she told me...

they just hired a new dishwasher and he is just back from serving in Iraq. I felt sad for him having to take one of the lowest paid jobs around after serving in Iraq.

[ninkasi]

2. Supporting the troops

Is something Democrats have been much better at than Republicans. We have been the ones to fight for better pay and benefits, and seeing that each veteran receives proper health care. Many have been so traumatized that even without life threatening physical wounds, their emotional scars still leave them unable to hold down their old jobs.

For them to be called "our heroic troops" and then treated in this shabby manner when they return is an outrage. Republicans have, under Bush, showered the wealthy with more and more wealth, and taken more and more from the middle class, the poor, and from the men and women who have stepped up to serve our country.

Not long ago, some of the Republicans were grousing about the burden of having to work a whole 5 day work week. Considering their salaries, pension benefits, medical benefits, and other perks, perhaps they would prefer handing their jobs over to some of the vets who come home from hell in Iraq or Afghanistan, and would be overjoyed to do the work the Congresspeople think is too difficult. They would also, no doubt, be much more attentive to the needs of the American people, since they were willing to fight for us when they enlisted.

[Roland99]

3. Oh, the whole 5-day work week! The poor Repukes! How will they survive?!