No jobs for US troops returning from Iraq
US: Servicemen leaving the US military are forced to deal with
post-traumatic stress disorder, high unemployment and a loss of
camaraderie while they were serving. The deteriorating US economy and
soaring unemployment rates has left US soldiers and veterans returning
from Iraq with no choice but to grapple with a bleak and uncertain
future.
US Defense cuts have also cast doubt on the possibility of troops
securing military jobs inside the country.Right now the unemployment
rate nationwide is through the roof,” said Staff Sergeant Brett Bolton,
an Air Force truck driver who has served for six years.Uncertainty about
the future has taken the joy out of being relieved of military duty for
most troops.
“I’ve done my six years. I feel like I’ve done enough and I want to
go back to the civilian world, but right now it’s not looking too good
for me,” VOA website quoted Bolton as saying on Saturday.In an earlier
interview with Press TV, Edward Spannaus, Legal Affairs editor in
Washington D.C, had described the situation of returning soldiers and
veterans as a national disgrace, saying that budget cuts aimed at saving
the near collapse US economy would only make the situation worse.
“Young men and women join the army these days precisely because it’s
the only job they can get. The people tend to come from the poor layers
of the society and overwhelmingly from the poor states in the country,”
Spannaus said.According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,
unemployment for veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan is higher
than the national average. Their rate of unemployment is rated at about
12 percent as opposed to the 9 percent nationwide average.
Monday, Press TV |