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 Vic Romback served his country in Vietnam and then came home to serve his fellow veterans as Chapter Service Officer of the Vietnam Veterans of America. Vic works closely with Veterans' Services Division staff to help vets find jobs and receive the benefits they've earned. Along the way he found a unique way to pay tribute to his friends who didn't return. And given the opportunity to help his long-ago enemy, he accepted the challenge. Don't miss the moving story of Vic's return to the Mekong Delta and his effort to heal the wounds of war by helping people who once were his enemy.
Click here for the story of Vic's return to Vietnam.
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 To date, 599 Michigan veterans are taking advantage of the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) - a provision of the VOW to
Hire Heroes Act designed to provide 12 months of
training assistance to unemployed veterans. The $18,000 in training dollars awarded to each of these Michigan vets is pumping $10 million in to the state's economy. Michigan is one of the top states for approved VRAP applications as well as participants enrolled in training programs.
If you haven't yet taken advantage of this opportunity, now is the time. To qualify for VRAP, veterans must:
- be at least 35 but no more than 60 years old
- be unemployed
- have received an other than dishonorable discharge
Only a limited number of slots are still available. Click here for a guide to the application process. You will need a copy of your DD 214 and bank information, as VRAP funds are deposited directly in your account. For more information, access a VRAP factsheet here.
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Major General Robert W. Smith, III U.S. Army (Ret), Director of the Veterans' Services Division for the state of Michigan, recently presented Dr. LaClaire Bouknight, M.D. of Eaglevision Ministries, Inc. the Veterans Coin and Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding service to veterans. Dr. Bouknight is the Executive Director of Eaglevision Ministries, a strategic partner of Capital Area Michigan Works! agency and Volunteers of America.
Eaglevision is the recipient of a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to work with prisoners and help them turn their lives around through job training and employment. Eaglevision offers extensive services for women, men, and youth ages 17-21 years of age, including ex-offenders, dislocated workers and displaced homemakers. The program also assists veterans with challenges such as anger management, substance abuse, GED completion, wellness for women, and more.
General Smith also honored Eaglevision Employment Specialists Robert Nelson and Barb Holz for outstanding service to veterans, and encouraged them to continue providing top-notch service to those who have served.
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Profiles of the men and women of the Veterans' Services Division of the state of Michigan's Workforce Development Agency, working every day to help veterans find employment and Michigan employers acquire the talent they need to grow and thrive.
My journey in becoming a Local Veteran Employment Representative (LVER) for Veterans' Services Division of Michigan's Workforce Development Agency began near the beginning of my senior year at Tecumseh High School. My dad, who is a multi-tour Vietnam veteran, gave me three choices of how the rest of my life would play out upon graduation. After introducing me to the Army recruiters at Siena Heights University’s “College Night” and giving them our home phone number, we had a talk. He said, “Son, you can continue cooking and busing tables at Big Boy, do nothing else with yourself, and I will take your whole paycheck for rent. Or I can try and get you in at the steel mill with me, and you can attempt to work and pay for college that way. However, I don’t want you to be like me and end up there permanently.” His final option was to join the Army. "Whatever you choose, you’re going to get a college education and I’m not paying for it.” I had no idea at the time ..." Continue reading Mick's story.
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My Next Move is a Military To Civilian Occupational Translator - a must-use tool for all veteran and military job seekers. My Next Move includes a comprehensive database of occupational skills, knowledge, and abilities to help you align your military experience, education, and training with current civilian employer needs. Military skills translators help you put your military accomplishments into terms that an employer can comprehend. Simply select your branch of service and enter the name or code of your military classification.
The State of Michigan Veterans' Services Division also provides a useful translator on their website at http://www.mitalent.org/veteran/
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 This year marks the 25th year that Vets Corner as provided food baskets for needy veterans in Delta, Marquette, and Alger counties. Vets Corner was started by former Escanaba Local Veterans Employment Specialist Gary Bjorkquist and the late State Veterans Coordinator Rich Kryza. This year's celebration was held in honor of Rich.
Photo: Vets Corner volunteers, including VA Service Dog Chopper.
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 Gary and Rich began taking donations from businesses and individuals to provide food baskets to needy veterans in the area. Volunteers deliver the baskets to the veterans' homes in the week before Christmas. Included in the basket is a simple card that reads, "From one veteran to another..."
This year a total of 120 baskets will be delivered to local vets and their families. Each year Gary has to turn away volunteers because so many people want to be part of the program, but donations are always welcome.
Photo: Each box of food and a ten pound bag of potatoes makes up one basket, enough for two complete meals for a family of four.
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The U.S. military sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides on vegetation during the Vietnam War. Several decades later, concerns about the health effects from these chemicals continue. The VA offers eligible veterans a free Agent Orange Registry Health Exam for possible long-term health problems related to exposure. The VA has recently updated the list of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships that operated in Vietnam, adding more vessels and expanding information for others. For an alphabetized list of ships, click here.
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- Looking for a good read? “Portraits of Service: Looking into the Faces of Veterans,” by Robert H. Miller of Canton and Andrew Wakeford focuses public attention on living veterans of past wars who have made personal sacrifices and, in most cases, endured the horrors of combat. Over 60 vets tell their stories, including John Ciecko Jr. of Warren, MI. To learn more about Mr. Ciecko, click here. |
- General Motors and students from Michigan Technological University have developed a new hand cycle for wounded veterans who compete in marathons.
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Thinking about using your GI Bill benefits? WEAMS is the
authoritative list of all schools and facilities approved in the State
of Michigan (and other states) where veterans can receive training under
the GI Bill. Visit WEAMS to assure your training is from an approved school or facility.
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DD-214 and other military forms: Accessing your military and veteran
benefits requires filling out the correct military forms. Visit Official Records and Forms to find the forms you need.
- Did you drive a truck in the military and want to use those skills as a civilian? International Trucking School is a veteran-owned business that is heavily involved in training and recruiting veterans.
- Hiring Our Heroes has a number of job fairs coming soon to Michigan. Visit their website to see the schedule of dates and locations and mark your calendar.
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Public Act 379 of December 19, 2012 directs the Michigan Department of
Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) to accept military experience as
an interior electrician towards the required 8,000 hours of experience
required for an electrical journeyman's license. Public Act 380 of December 19, 2012 directs LARA to accept military
experience as a plumber towards the required 6,000 hours of experience
required for a plumber journeyman's license. For both, the service member must
have been honorably discharged within the last year. For additional information on these and other training and employment services available
to veterans, please call the State of Michigan Veterans Hotline at
1-800-455-5228 or email veteransservices@michigan.gov.
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Are you part of Michigan Veterans' Services Division Facebook Family? Check it out and become an active member by clicking 'like'. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->>
Popular Facebook Post of the Week - Check it out!
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Thank you for your service to this great country!
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