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Page 12
November 9, 2011
Supporting
the Troops
Miss Oregon 2011 Caroline
McGowan offered her support
and took pictures when Or
egon Army National Guard
troops participated in a mobili
zation ceremony last October
in Milton-Freewater. The
service members, part of the
1186 Military Police Company
detachment, are scheduled to
deploy to Afghanistan in
support of Operation Enduring
Freedom.
Jobs a Hurdle for Returning Soldiers
State makes employment resources available
bv M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
For many soldiers who are re
turning from active duty overseas.
Oregon’s high unemployment rate
and lack ot available jobs creates an
array of challenges.
According to Gary Dominick,
veterans’ coordinator for the Or-
egon Employm ent Departm ent,
many service members who return
from Iraq and Afghanistan have
been out of the civilian job market
for more than a year, which makes
readjustm ent to the job market
troublesome.
“We have a difficult employment
situation to begin with,” he said.
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“The unemployment rate in Oregon
is higher than the national unem
ployment rate.”
He said, however, the state is
going to do everything in its power
to ensure returning soldiers have
the resources they need to help
them find employment.
When members of Third Battal
ion of the 116th Cavalry recently
returned to Oregon from deploy
ment in Iraq. “As part of their de
briefing, veteran representatives
were there along with National Guard
yellow ribbon staff, to help inte
grate soldiers back into the commu
nity , in clu d in g em p lo y m en t,”
Dominick said.
Each veteran was registered into
their data system with the employ
ment department and then referred
to job announcements and other
employment opportunities. ‘T hat
was at the initial point of their re
turn,” said Dominick. “Then they
go home, and at that point, we fol
low up with them to find out what
else it is that they need.”
He explained the individuals are
later encouraged to visit a Work
Source office and meet with a vet
eran representative who will work
with them on their resumes, inter
viewing skills and how to do com
pany search. “Then we get more
specific on how to match a soldier
with a particular job,” he said. “And
they really bring strength to their
abilities because of what they have
learned in the military.”
Still, Dominick said with Oregon’s
high unemployment rate returning
soldiers just getting home, and also
for those Veterans who have been
employed, times are not so easy.
“Their jobs have been cut or they
have been laid off,” he said. “You
also have some veterans, who have
been working for a long time getting
laid off, or perhaps the job they were
doing and the skills they have to do
continued
on page 27