Sestak's Veterans Summit III, A Model For Others to Emulate…Part III

The Executive Session Begins…

The second panel of the Veterans Summit III was called to order while most of the attendees were in the great hall of Ridley High School in Folsom, Pa, a new campus with lots of open space and separated large buildings with plenty of parking that lent itself well for the late after school activities and the 500-700 attendees.

Captain Bill Walsh, USN (ret) http://sestak.house.gov/ launched the first salvo speaking about the contribution the cold war era veterans made during a time when the greatest powers on earth eyed one another with suspicion and distrust, and how the nation owed them their due from their service during that time when no shots were fired but military operations did in fact continue in many ways through out the era and that as they did it was these veterans who history records, kept the Peace, by watching over the ramparts.

He asked the question and gave the answer as to why these particular veterans rightfully earned their benefits by saying because they served, and the panel lamented the loss of many service files at the St Louis repository and addressed the question as to how many veterans may have been denied because of the destruction of the records as a member of the panel chimed in that the VA and DOD worked very hard to reconstruct what had been lost and cited the need for the new electronic data base.

Rear Admiral T McCreary USN (Ret) President of Military Advantage and VP of Monster Worldwide http://www.monster.com/ and inter net job source spoke of how job recruiters were using the inter net to locate and hire skilled workers for their clients and that based on the data gleaned from his sites, it took just a few seconds for them to identify potential candidates cautioning job seekers to keep resumes as brief and concise as possible because these people look at hundreds of applicants ever day. He went on to add that today’s veterans are in fact in demand and are among the highest skilled candidates in areas of computer jobs, engineering, logistics, construction, other technical areas of expertise.

Matt Murphy Senior VP of Recruit Military.com http://www.hiremilitary.com/ engaged in an exchange with Admiral McCreary about the many pluses veterans have over their civilian peers and the fact that many times employers do not have HR people who know and understand the experience that veterans have and that the veteran on a job interview needs to understand that going through the door, and be prepared to deal with that fact by staying on the alert to educate the HR person at just the right moment.

Doug MacPherson Educational Liaison, Newark Regional Office http://www.gibill.va.gov/School_Info/elr.htm covered the general over view of educational benefits and began comparing the old GI Bill with the New GI Bill by cautioning veterans that there are differences between the two and that any one who is currently receiving those benefits needs to review them to make an informed decision as to which plan better comports with their educational path. He spoke of benefits due surviving family members of a fallen soldier or 100% disabled veteran saying that they should not have to climb the mountain to avail themselves of those opportunities afforded them by a grateful nation and he and his staff was determined to see to it. MacPherson also spoke to the question of Tim Kilgore a veteran on a 2 year apprenticeship program who asked  about an on campus liaison as a possible future plan as was once done in the past, but McPherson said at this time there were no such plans.

But McPherson did opine that colleges would invest in vet employees. He reassured vets that there were on line mentors to assist them in their education, and reinforced the previous remarks about how vets are desired by employers for their up to date computer skills, technical soft ware experience, systems analyst abilities, electricians, machinists equipment operators, health care. accountants, all jobs that a good education would enhance and pay off in greater financial rewards to the veterans and the employers.

Next up were Andrea Giles Business Development Specialist from the SBA, http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/pa/phil/PA_PHILSTAFF.html and Glenn McCallister Director of SBA Center at Widener University http://www.widener.edu/. They gave a tandem presentation of loans and other business benefits afforded the veterans and their employer with the most stunning benefit of a $2500 payment to an employer who participated in the PA Hire-A-Vet program, and I sat there thinking there’s a month rent for many business’, or an insurance premium for family health coverage’s for the company, or even a new set of tires on a company truck?

There was a great many facts and details exchanged here on the stage as the discussion kicked in to overdrive with remarks of how 85% of the companies now hire from on line and 43 % of jobs come from a friend or colleague, and 42% of jobs were being attained on line by applicants and if a veteran were to step out an stand on his own the SBA would back them with a Patriot Express Guarantee that backed the banks who loan to veterans and they cited several examples of late where a few vets bought into automotive garages or body shops and were able to do it through the SBA.

As the Summit closed there was a recap of the rules and regulations about the benefits afforded vets and the applicable laws that were changing in the legislative houses at the state and federal levels due to the stimulus bill that afforded new opportunities that remained flat for a long time, and it is all to the benefit…Of The Military Family.

As the Summit drew to a close Congressman Sestak ended as he began by mentioning the sacrifices and challenges of the military family in the modern age, and what the country owes them for their service.

He thanked every one who did yeoman’s duty to accomplish today’s task, as he spoke of a ship he called the ‘Sammy B’  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Samuel_B._Roberts_(FFG-58) that he once commanded and the fine tradition of her crews, and he recalled a sailor named Carr who when mortally wounded was taken away from a completly destroyed  gun tub in a bygone epic sea battle as he gave the last measure of devotion to his ship and her crew ignoring his injuries to reload and fight again after the blast, and in that moment of revered silence not the Congressman, nor the man, but the Admiral Sestak bade all, fair thee well….

As the Summit ended small groups of men and women gathered on the floor of the great auditorium and clusters of exchanges began amongst them between the veterans, speakers, and the congressman’s staff as personal questions were answered. A man who was blind was escorted to meet with the executives. Yet another who was struggling to speak was encourged by his listener who told him that he understood his every word despite his handicap and Ginger Murphy of the Educational Outreach Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic packed away her materials she had brought, and she can be reached at [email protected].

And as General McCarthur said " which proclaimed most proudly that old soldiers never die; they just fade away. ".

This story would not be complete with out thanking Ridley High School , its administrators who afforded Summit III a venue to make a place for the military families, and all the staff who made the coffee and kept the bottled water coming in great vats of ice, and who stayed late and cleaned up after we had left. To them from us at VT our sincere…JOB WELL DONE!