online. families need to take advantage of that. they need to realize everything is not going to be a bed of roses after the honeymoon period. the family is going back to work together to realign roles and just to be aware that resources are out there, to reach out, put to military one source, go to our website and read and see what these resources are. take advantage. talk to a family life consultant if there is one available through your unit. sometimes there are counselors available to the family service center. host: we have someone on twitter -- host: we have a robust website, military family got word that

offers many resources. our app offers 10 life paths of areas that military families experience, be it raising military children, spouse employment and education, deployment. with a section on the basics for new spouses, for people who want to learn what is out there for military families. it is written by military families. we have a paid staff of 34 and many, many volunteers. we wrote this. we live the life. we know what families need to know and are always learning more. host: you talk a little bit about what happens on the base and the unit, does veteran affairs take care of this as well?

guest: for veteran families, life is a little different. hope as families transition out of the military that their families will investigate what resources are available through their communities. veteran families are relying on community resources. they will need to see what is going on, what counseling services are available through the community. what programs for their kids are available in the community. they may already know that, but they have been used to a robust support from the military and so for many veteran families it is like stepping off the edge of a cliff. it is learning how to navigate. on the other side of that is making sure that's community resources, community programs are aware they have both military families and veterans

families in their midst and try to learn about what their special needs are and how they can create programs or adapt programs to help the families. illinois,icia, independent line. caller: good morning. and ie is patricia conduct the desert storm think tank, and all veterans advocate. i have been a veteran advocate for in excess of 20 years. i can assure you it certainly is like jumping off a cliff for the families of returning veterans. the wives and husbands of returning veterans oftentimes soe a nightmare scenario their loved one -- as their

loved one that tends to reintegrate back into society. i can assure you sadly that the va is still dramatically under funded that indeed funds are not available sufficiently to help veterans. when i hear discussions of thousands upon thousands of disconnected disability claims that are in limbo, like nashiri that they are there because in fact there is -- i can assure you that there is no money available. [inaudible] it is time the soldier is a valued at least as much as the equipment in the military. host: thank you. that is a huge problem with the backlog of claims. i get to go to a lot of meetings

and see how the va is addressing that and the changes they're trying to affect in order to address that, but it is a problem we're going to have for a while because of the lack of resources. essentially, a lot because of the sequester. the sequester is a big stumbling block not only with our veterans, but military families with the cuts that are coming around for programs that those families need and veterans need to recover. host: organization is the national military family association. kathleen moakler is a director for the organization. thank you. host: coming up, we're going to take a look at what veterans face after they leave service and go into the job market. we will spend our last hour taking your calls on this memorial day. we will focus on some vietnam related issues as well. we are back after this.

>> after president grover cleveland loses his bid for reelection, his wife tells the staff --

and they did return to the white house. the wife of frances cleveland as we continue our servers -- series of first wiveladies. >> i do not underestimate the difficulty of doing this option of thisest ever -- option because it is never been done before. our job is to make sure they are adhering to the law, that we're in a constant communication so our intent is clear, that we want as much of the spectrum be made available for sale in the auction as possible so we can build out more wireless infrastructure. >> or in congress member on the fcc spectrum auction and other communications issues in front of congress. tonight on "the communicators"

on c-span2. >> president obama heads to an arlington national cemetery for laying a wreath of the tomb of the unknown. a discussion about the employment picture for veterans for joining us, randy plunkett. thank you for joining us. guest: military.com and kyrgyz military and veterans to stay connected and stay informed. we have about 10 million members and our website it's about 6 million visits a month. host: is it an offshoot of monster.com? guest: it is. it sponsors concern to better your life. military.com is along the same

lines. host: when some leaves service and going into the job market, what are some of the key issues they face as they make that transition? guest: we've had that discussion since the war of 1776 ended. people say, what are your plans? some of the issues that face military folks is they don't take a step back and figure out what they're interested in, what they wanted to win a innocence grow up or get out. a lot capitulate to whatever their skills are in the military or network with other veterans for jobs. one of the big questions that they come to is, what do i want to do? what is my interest? what kind of vacation to want to get into? our nation's history is, i went into the military to get a good job and be set for a career. host: how much of their skill set involve themselves in that transition? if have to get education, what happens?

guest: we need to begin with the end in mind but is the education needed? is their training or certification needed? looking at trendsetting of skill sets to jargon or civilian terminology is a challenge. i often say military skills are lost in translation, not just the hard skills for it if i was a plumber in the air force, for example. but also the skills companies are seeking. human-resources experience, training experience from supply chain experience. with superies along vision and leadership that military folks bring to a company or organization. military much is the involved in the transition? guest: programs have talked about these things and helped folks with a resumes. and a transition program has actual tracks so someone can choose to take a track or day in

employment, a track in training, a track and education where they emphasize, you're transitioning to state university or community college, for example and here are things you need to know and with the landscape looks like. the same thing with certifications and the new track is to entrepreneurship. i want on my own business. we can provide the skills and tools in our transition programs from the va and department of labor are doing a good job. host: we're talking about the component picture, especially vets leaving the service, with randy plunkett. he serves as a committee and government are rich director at military.com. you can ask him questions --

if you are an iraq and afghanistan veteran and looking for a job, if your questions as 585-3883.- from the employer's point of view, with someone with a military background comes across their does, does it take precedence? does it automatically get more consideration? guest: we a seen a great resurgence with employers and renewed interest in hiring veterans beyond just it is a nice thing to do or we want to give back to the person. the problem comes when in hr manager or recruiter is looking at the resume and if it is terminology on a that is military-specific, many times they want to help it if the terminology is present and they don't understand it, then they will move on to the next resume. overall, i think employers have gotten interested and are getting training. we provide training to companies

around the military culture to help their hiring managers and their recruiters understand the culture better. ost: what about the job of -- part of job interviewing? guest: military.com has hundreds of articles around résume writing, using social media to find a job. all of those things are relevant to our audience and audiences in general. host: democrat line, st. petersburg, florida. caller: first of all, military.com, the email, received the email and it is very informative and a great way to keep up with the news, military-related news. i want to ask your guest if he is aware of any mental health typecasting for family members of veterans? things comeple of

to mind rid first, thank you for being a military.com member. ofen our great program mental health professionals that focuses on military families, i think the most important thing would be to refer someone to the resources directory on the via a web site that provides a lot of great information for families around mental health. , a veteran.rk, lisa good morning, lisa. caller: thank you. can you hear me? host: go right ahead. caller: i have a question about employment. i am coming from desert storm years ago and it was difficult because there was no internet issues about transmitting military experience into civilian life, credentials,

however. i am still seeing the same issues with young veterans leaving iraq, afghanistan. they have to pay fees in order to get their military training translated into civilian. some of them are going back to college, but they still need that part-time job and the end up on unemployment. is there any means for them to get free training or assistance as far as résume writing, etc.? guest: i'm glad to ask the question. military.com has a military skills translator. first of all, it is free to anyone who wants to use it. but it takes that language issue, that lost in translation issue, and provides civilianized terminology around sun's special decoder may be enlisted classification. people can experiment with it. there are a lot of resources out there. i think the issue we run into

is information, helping folks find the sources of information. one great place is our local one-stop, unplumbed centers that have representatives who help veterans translate those skills into common terminology that folks can understand. i think the most important thing i want to say is that of veterans need to own their job search just like they were commissioned in the military, this should be their mission. they should find resources. take a step back, figure out what he wanted to. to the skill sets you have directly relate to your job, apply to the job you want? great. if they don't, what are those other soft skills i talked about -- human-resources, training, management skills to bring to the table. you need to articulate those in the job you are applying for, regardless of what it is. a company needs to know that you bring a lot more to the table

than just military experience. host: does it matter if it is in civilian life or the federal? guest: i think both. there's a website where you can go to if you want a job at the va and i think the principle is expanding across federal uneven state governments. host: john, democrat line. go ahead. i have become 100% social security disabled. the point i want to make, first, by 100% this radical 20% of 100%, it is less than 10% of 100%. 2%,hey redid the pace kelso 20% would actually equal to% or 20% of the 100%, it would help a lot of people. there are many veterans who do

not have families. i think an effort should be made to help them either date or help them find families if they're too far gone to date. host: thank you for the comments. republican line. caller: hi. i am calling about my son who was in the west virginia national guard, his second deployment. he held a civilian job for 14 years. while he was deployed his second time, there was a promotion he messed. when he came back and was asked about it, they told him the reason he missed the promotion was because he was deployed. he went through the legal situation, aquino, the call to the military, talking -- you know, the call to the military, talking to his employer back and forth. he was lost in the legal system. i feel his rights were not

covered by the military with this. host: mr. plunkett? sont: i was say if you're has not use the employment support of the guard or reserve, that is a joint venture between the department of defense and the department of labour. their function is to protect the we diplomat rights of regard and reserve members -- of guard and reserve members. one of the rights under that law is that you must be considered for promotion when you are deployed. the employer needs to treat us like you're not there and hence you have a right to be reemployed when you return. if he has not contacted esgr, they have people who work closely with companies to explain the law and that is a great place for him to take his case to. host: tony, los angeles, independent line. caller: i want to thank

military.com and brian jordan for having the courage to report the recruit.. i confronted john mccain last year about his betrayal of the uss liberty crew. it was barely picked up in the u.s. media. they just talked about me being the hut where. i want to salute brian jordan read he is the only one who encouraged to cover the memorial on june 8 last year. host: thank you. about the employers, we hear as for situations with emotional issues that sometimes occur, ptsd, does that become stigma for someone looking for a job in the job force? guest: sometimes their stereotypes, just like with any other group, a protected class under labour. the amount of people while tragic that have post-traumatic

stress disorder, it is not reflective of the larger veteran population. is afolks understand ptsd natural reaction to stress, a disorder comes when you cannot work through it. there are employers who say that could be a stigma, just like employer so we don't hire veterans who were in the national guard or reserve because they're going to deploy. stating that is against the law but we know in reality it is a challenge that happens. host: texas, republican line. caller: hi, how are you. let me turn down the tv. i just got a little comment committee one or two questions. -- i just got a little comment and maybe one or two questions. the guys and gals that get out of prison, they have jobs for them. why aren't us veterans able to

get a job yet, i think walmart is hiring and i think all of these stores ought to hire. these guys and gals are protecting us here in the united states. if it wasn't for them, just like us to tell my big losses, if it wasn't for us guys, you guys would not have a job. i think it is very bad they're not doing that. on the veterans administration, i am a disabled vet. i used to go in every six months and now it is every year. i hurt my back in the 1950's in the air force. nothing to dos the veterans, but i have been trying to get on for four days now. this baloney going on in washington, there should be some heads rolled. host: were you in the service and went to the civilian job

market? is that your experience? caller: i worked in the oil field for 40 years. not right. people use oil and gasoline and all that, they're stopping the oil industry from bringing the pipes down here. they could use a for other things. host: i just want to know how easy that transition was free going from military to a civilian job? caller: i had a job before i got out. i got out.957 when it was during the korean era. i had a little bit inside connections and clout within oil company the day before i got out i had all my stuff done and what right to work. about gas andlk oil. companies are actively hiring veterans. one of the things we noticed about companies that have the

oil fields in north dakota, offshore in the gulf is most folks work two weeks on, too exhausted they don't care. fors a huge benefit military. folks.nnot find enough folks looking for work better interested in that should check out the oil cos. host: las vegas, democrat line. caller: i have a quick comment and question. i'm hoping you can answer my question. over 800,000 veterans that are unemployed. 40,000 veterans that are homeless. that is a disgrace. my question to you is, just a few weeks ago there was a jobs bill in the senate that was strictly for veterans.

it was paid for, would not add a penny to our debt. thein the world with republicans filibuster that bill? host: you can leave your comment as it is. is there anything you wish to say? thet: large bills that have weight of the bill, i think a lot of times the discussions and disagreements, the things that are added to a bill and i think that it's lost sometimes. this point that says, ups is hiring veterans. how did they set the example? guest: they're great. fedex, home depot. jpmorgan chase, the 100,000 jobs mission they initiated that now has over 100 companies involved. i think big business is getting

the message and are doing well by veterans and their families. host: is there a hard number or anecdotal number about intimate rate or the unemployment rate among veterans? about as of april, it is 7.75%. for the younger veterans, the picture has gotten better as well, down to about 9%. men fare better. about 11% or 12% and men are about 8%. so we still have some work to do there. talking about what alaskas was saying, spells unemployment is higher and that is a challenge for companies to build a portable career for spouses so they can move from place to place and not miss a beat. line california, democrat for randy plunkett of military.com, serves as their government and community outreach. caller: good morning.

i am on business. our network is wounded warriors. [indiscernible] my question is, with small businesses, [indiscernible] when you hire disabled in california, yet have certain criteria. god bless america and have the memorial day. host: thank you. fort: there is a tax break businesses to hire veterans and our research summoned to their tax attorney or account for the

details. the wounded warrior project has a work program or they work closely with companies and small businesses even to get wounded warriors back to work. it is a great program. i think is a really important point that it is not just big businesses that reaching out and working with military families and veterans, the companies of all size. one of the great things i talk to companies about is if you have more than 30 employees, you probably have someone in your company who is a veteran or in the guard reserve, or someone married to the population. a great internal resource for how to find and hire people like themselves. host: here is a viewer who asks, companies consider veterans as long-term unemployed and some do not hire people who been unemployed for a while. guest: i don't sense that. and it depends on the company, the individual. one thing i tell companies, wants to hire a veteran and they understand their place in the

organization, that will to lead to longevity. found the researchers average retiree from the military has three jobs in 18 months. they always tell us historically they feel like they did not fit into the culture. it is the onus on the veteran to figure out of the company is a good fit for them. but i think once the, explains, here is where you fit in the big picture, and also understands what they're doing contributes to the company's mission, that leads to longevity of stand with the company. democrat louis, a line. . caller: thank you for taking my call. hi. host: go ahead. caller: i am a retired veteran, 43 years of service. after i did three tours overseas, i came home and my brother-in-law told me there are hiring at chrysler. i went down to the unemployment

office and they said they did not know anything about it. i said i was a veteran. they said, go see va of sales. that asked if i had my 214. they found a piece of paper and said, a ticket to chrysler. i got hired. we you find that a lot of veterans, they think society owes them something because they served. if you have skills, if you want to work, there is always work in america if you want a job. it depends on what you are willing to do. i was willing to do anything to take care of my responsibility. it's not on that not all on .ivilian employees a lot of it has to do with