The Iraq invasion began ten years ago today, and while I’ve seen a lot of news stories and essays looking back over the last decade, I see few looking forward. The Iraq war (and any war) is significant in the lives of those who fought, but many years of success lie ahead after folks leave the military, and the battlefield as well.

To that end, the US Chamber of Commerce has held dozens of Hiring our Heroes job fairs for Veterans all across the country, which have helped many Vets find meaningful employment after their service.

We’ve posted the remaining fairs for the month of March and through April below, so update your resume and check to see if there’s one coming near you. If not, this map of hiring events details all the fairs happening through winter.

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As we approach the tenth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, some are asking how the Department of Veterans Affairs is caring for today’s Veterans. Contrary to recent press reports, the reality is Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are accessing VA services at an unprecedented rate.

I’m one of those Veterans who has utilized the many services provided by the VA.  I used the GI Bill to complete my PhD, purchased a home with the help of a VA home loan, and receive world class health care from the VA. In an era of fiscal constraint, Secretary Shinseki and President Obama have fought not only to preserve these benefits, but to expand them.

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Editor’s Note: This is the fourth essay in a 10-part Women’s History Month series entitled, Honoring Our Nation’s Women Veterans. In February, we asked readers to submit essays about their time in service or women who have served our country.

Constance Esposito with her daughters

In 33 years, from 1980 to 2013, the number of women serving in the U.S. Army has only risen from 9 percent to almost 16 percent. However, it is because of women who began serving in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was not popular and sometimes not accepted for females to serve in the Army that paved the way to further equality, greater acceptance, and better opportunities for women to serve their country.

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Editor’s note: This is the third essay in a 10-part Women’s History Month series entitled, Honoring Our Nation’s Women Veterans. In February, we asked readers to submit essays about their time in service or women who have served our country.

Theresa Hillis, fourth from the right, is photographed during the Gulf War, 1991.

I was a member of the 68AES, an Air Force Reserve medevac unit, stationed out of Norton Air Force Base, California.  In December of 1990, I was doing my two week tour in Hawaii when our unit contacted me and asked if I wanted to go on another sandy trip.  The Gulf War was getting ready to start. They were asking for volunteers.  I was single and had just graduated from college.  I said yes.

Twenty volunteer medics and nurses left the week before Christmas.  At the same time we left, Bob Hope departed as well, ready to do his last military tour for the troops.  Our civilian plane took us to Dover Air Force Base, where we waited with several other soldiers.  The C-5 transport did what most C-5s do; it broke down…a lot.  After a few days, we got in the air and flew to Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany, where it promptly broke down again.  We huddled in tents before finally getting back on the plane to fly to Dhahran in Saudi Arabia.  By then, it was Christmas Eve.

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On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Veteran unemployment data for the month of February. The unemployment rate for all Veterans was 6.9 percent in February—a decrease from 7.6 percent in January and still below the national average of 7.7 percent. For post-9/11 Veterans, the rate dropped to 9.4 percent in February compared to 11.7 percent in January. In 2012, over 1 million Veterans were unemployed but today that number has dropped down to 772,000.

In the first graph, we see the monthly unemployment rate for all Veterans since January 2010. The long-term trend shows a clear decrease.

Because chunks of data are often better indicators of real movement, another way to view the trend is by looking at the moving (or rolling) average. Like the chart above, the chart immediately below captures 12-month averages for the periods ending each month since February 2010. What it shows is a modest decline in the unemployment rate of Veterans over the long term. The current 12-month average unemployment rate for all Veterans remains at 7.0 percent—still the lowest 12-month average unemployment rate since 2009.

This matters because the moving 12-month average is a far more conservative measure than the month-to-month data. When we see movement in the rolling average, we are confident that there is real movement in the unemployment rate.

For post-9/11 (or Gulf War II-era) Veterans, the monthly unemployment rate decreased to 9.4 percent in February. The chart below demonstrates the declining unemployment rate over time. Because the month-to-month figures for this demographic are volatile, the longer term trend is a more reliable measure that continues to show a consistent decline over nearly three years.

However, as we can see below, the 12-month moving average unemployment rate for post-9/11 Veterans has now increased slightly.

Overall, the numbers above are encouraging—as is the declining national unemployment rate. But we know there is still more to be done. In this economy, too many Veterans still can’t find meaningful work, and we’re working every day to remedy that.

VA is collaborating with the White House and the Chamber of Commerce on hiring fairs across the country through the “Hiring Our Heroes” Program. We also urged Veterans to prepare themselves for the job market by taking advantage of programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Veterans Retraining and Assistance Program (VRAP).

If anything, today’s numbers reminds us that Veterans are finding work but there’s still much to be done. VA, in partnership with the White House and private sector, remains committed to ensuring that the unemployment rate for all Veterans continues its downward path.

Editor’s note: This is the second essay in a 10-part Women’s History Month series entitled, Honoring Our Nation’s Women Veterans. In February, we asked readers to submit essays about their time in service or women who have served our country.

Joining the U.S. Army Student Nursing Program in 1971 helped me complete my nursing degree at Arizona State University. Graduating in 1972, my first assignment was at Fort Carson, Colorado in the old cantonment-style hospital with 18 miles of ramps and corridors. Orienting first in a female surgical ward, I then switched to a Coronary Care Unit – which ended up being my key career focus as a Cardiac Nurse. That has taken me through over 37 years of active nursing as a registered nurse.

During my 22 years in the Army, I served during two wars, Vietnam and Desert Storm – yet was not deployed overseas for either. In 1972, the ANC required graduate nurses to be stateside for a year before deploying overseas. I had quite a few returning Vietnam troops under my care at Fort Carson. By the next year, they were returning nurses stateside from Vietnam and I was sent to Fort Benning. There, I participated in Operation Babylift where abandoned Vietnamese babies were flown to the states and assigned to foster homes or adopted.

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Editor’s note: This is the first essay in a 10-part Women’s History Month series entitled, Honoring Our Nation’s Women Veterans. In February, we asked readers to submit essays about their time in service or women who have served our country.

There are people who say they are colorblind when it comes to race…well, this Connecticut tomboy was “gender-blind” when it came to challenges. Growing up with two brothers–one a year older and one younger–we developed camaraderie through competition, which followed me onto the football field and then on to my U.S. Air Force career.

My first challenge was working on the Norton Air Force Base flight line as a C-141/T-39 aircraft electrician. With the nickname of “Ready Kilowatt,” I went Temporary Duty (TDY) to austere forward locations as an Aircraft Control Element (ALCE) electrician specialist and worked with our sister services ensuring the aircraft were flight-ready. I was the first woman flight engineer for the 14th Military Airlift Squadron at Norton. Because of my past C-141 system knowledge, I was chosen to fly specialized missions throughout the world. My C-141 system knowledge led to Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders to become the first woman flight engineer instructor in Altus, Oklahoma. However, I had just married a Norton reservist and opted to join his unit as a flight engineer and flight safety noncommissioned officer (NCO) for the wing. Our daughter was born a few years later and I was again selected to become a flight engineer instructor.

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Earlier this year, VA and Student Veterans America, along with the National Student Clearinghouse, announced a collaborative effort to develop a clearer picture of student Veteran graduation rates. The effort intended to build comprehensive data to show progress and challenges; in the absence of quality data, thin media reports speculated Vets graduated at a spectacularly low rate. SVA outlined why that could be problematic.

This week, SVA’s research team dug into VA’s 2010 National Survey of Veterans and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. What they found: 68 percent of respondents said they graduated with a degree or a certificate using VA education benefits.

From Student Veterans of America:

“Viewed together, these surveys indicate that completion rates are much higher than 12 percent,” said Dr. Chris Cate, research director of Student Veterans of America. “According to the NSV, approximately 68 percent of veterans who responded reported they received the degree or certificate for which they were receiving VA educational benefits. The ACS survey reveals that approximately 61 percent of veterans reported attending some college or higher. In contrast, approximately 56 percent of nonveterans reported some college or higher.”

While this is an encouraging sign, it’s important to remember there’s much work to do in regards to gathering and interpreting the latest available data. The reports give us five year’s worth, but in two of them, the Post-9/11 GI Bill wasn’t in existence. Also, only 11 percent of respondents served after September 11, 2001. That means a substantial number of those surveyed faced different challenges than the current generation of Veterans pursuing education.

In any case, SVA’s thoughtful analysis tells us we’re on the right track, but of course, a 68 percent success rate means 30-40 percent of student Veterans aren’t reaching an acceptable level of success. We need to move that needle forward. Start by keeping up with GI Bill news and updates, and get involved at your local SVA chapter (or start one yourself) to ensure your school is setting you up for success.

This week’s round-up of Veterans news and resources:

• Twenty-two years ago this week, President Bush ordered a cessation of ground combat operations during Desert Storm. Here’s a nice timeline recap of the events before and after that moment.
• Wondering what benefits you and your dependents may be eligible for? Check out our 2012 Federal Benefits for Veterans handbook, now available online in both English and Spanish. This comprehensive guide provides information on education, home loan, health care, and burial benefits.
• VA is working to end Veteran homelessness, but we’ve got a ways to go, particularly with female Vets who may be a particularly vulnerable population. Check out how we’re tackling the issue of homeless female Veterans, and if you ever need help getting off the street, off a buddy’s couch, or you’re worried you may be at risk of becoming homeless in the future, call 1-877-4-AID-VET or visit our resource page.
• Looking to make a career change, or make a jump into something more meaningful? the US Chamber of Commerce is holding Hiring our Heroes job fair events all over the country. See if there’s one coming near you.
• Want to know more about what ails you? The A-Z Health Topic Index helps you find information on a variety of health concerns.

The American Legion‘s annual Washington conference was this week, and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki was on hand to deliver a vital message: Veterans are well-prepared to rebuild the middle class, just as they did after World War II. The key component, he says, is education.

From The American Legion:

Education lies at the foundation for successful careers and a smooth transition from the military to the civilian world, so getting this part right is vital.

Check out the Legion recap for more on what we’re doing with VA-backed home loans, the claims backlog, and more.

Photo by Eldon Lindsay/American Legion