Kevin Powers
In 2004 and 2005 Kevin Powers served with the U.S. Army in Mosul and Tal Afar, Iraq. He is the author of The Yellow Birds, which is a finalist for the 2012 National Book Award.

REASON 77: President Obama proposed the Veterans Job Corps Act, which was blocked by Republican senators.

When young men and women enlist in our Armed Forces, they do so knowing that they may be called to give their lives for their fellow citizens on the orders of our duly elected representatives. They ask for nothing in return. And that is precisely what the Republican senators who blocked President Obama’s Veterans Job Corps Act think veterans deserve: nothing.

The challenges faced by soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines don’t end just because they no longer wear a uniform. This is especially true for those servicemen and women who have worn those uniforms in combat. Our president has demonstrated that he believes we have an obligation to give our veterans an opportunity to return to their civilian lives with the support of the country for which they’ve sacrificed so much. His Job Corps Act would put veterans to work as police officers, firefighters, and rangers in our National Parks.

Mitt Romney doesn’t have a plan to address unemployment among veterans. Our servicemen and women didn’t even warrant a mention in his speech at the Republican National Convention. The president, on the other hand, has kept his promise to end the war in Iraq, and he’s taking action to end the war in Afghanistan. As veterans, our wars don’t end the second we get back on U.S. soil. President Obama has shown that his commitment to us won’t end there either.

—Kevin Powers
 Richmond, Virginia

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