Editor,
Overseas and here stateside, many of our young men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces are fulfilling their oath of service to “support and defend the Constitution” of our country.
As a U.S. Army veteran, I understand the years of fulfilling my duty by training in swamps, guarding arctic Alaska bases, driving armored convoys in the Middle East and even mopping floors on early holiday mornings.
I also understand how hard it is for our military veterans to be away from their families for long periods of time, and the challenges involved in their journey to come back home. That is why I believe we have an obligation to support our transitioning military veterans by learning from their service, building on their strengths, and investing in their future so that we can build our country to lead on the global stage.
Learning from our military veterans can start with a handshake, an embrace, or even a “welcome back home,” and it continues with committing ourselves to serving others. An appreciation of our military veterans’ service goes hand in hand with thanking our neighbors, police officers, firefighters and teachers here at home.
We can learn to thank the people who serve our country, young and old, because they and their families have made sacrifices so that we can pursue a life of “liberty and … happiness.” We must also remember that service to our country is not an antiquated idea; it means working together to pursue larger goals, and it is the key to building a better future for all of us.
Building long-term sustainability, innovation and economic growth for all of us depends on working together, looking at different points of view and having the audacity to create a vision for the future. Military veterans can help because they believe in working on a team to serve a greater purpose, using different groups of people to solve problems and having the courage to face uncertainty with bold leadership.
Our servicemen and servicewomen have also lived in different countries, experienced stressful situations and have seen the worst in humanity, but have brought out the best in themselves.
Their stories are part of our American history, and they continue to build upon that story by coming home to better our families, our neighborhoods and our economy. Investing in education, health care and career training for our young military veterans not only provides the foundation for a successful transition, but it is also an investment in our country’s long-term economic development. When we send our young men and women into the fire of combat, we also have a responsibility to bring them out of that fire.
After coming back home, many of our new “Greatest Generation” of American citizens have now chosen to study to become our scientists, engineers, lawyers, doctors and teachers. Nearly 600,000 veterans and their dependents are expected to be enrolled under the G.I. Bill this year. Today, we have a growing military veteran population in New Mexico of close to 175,000 people, and many more will return after serving from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recently, Gov. Martinez signed HB-10, the Tax Credit for Hiring Veterans Act, which allows up to a $1,000 business tax credit for each hiring of a recently returned veteran.
In addition, the new federal Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 allows for Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC) as high as $9,600 per veteran for for-profit employers or up to $6,240 for tax-exempt organizations. Our transitioning military veterans deserve continued support from our businesses, our schools and our communities. Investing in our military veterans is not only a smart move, it’s a good investment for our country, and it shows the depth of working together in our American character.
Andres F. Lazo
UNM student and military veteran
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