Guard receives grant to help employ veterans

Acknowledging Nevada’s considerable veteran population, the Office of the Secretary of Defense-Reserve Affairs approved a $650,000 grant for the Nevada National Guard on May 23 to help job-seeking Nevada veterans.

The funding will be used to pay for up to six contract personnel who will assist unemployed or underemployed veterans statewide to secure job opportunities. Funds from Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program will be a welcomed addition to achieve that program’s initiatives.

“I am pleased to see that the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program recognizes Nevada’s great efforts toward the reintegration of service members and veterans,” said Governor Brian Sandoval. “This is the ‘Year of the Veteran’ in Nevada, and this grant will help us reach our goal of making Nevada the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the nation.”

Sandoval introduced the Green Zone Initiative in 2012, which is Nevada’s effort to marshal all available resources in the areas of wellness, education, and employment for Nevada’s veterans. It is augmented by a statewide infrastructure, including the Interagency Council on Veterans Affairs, local Veteran Community Councils, and an online social networking platform and more.

“The critical piece is that we will serve all seven Reserve components,” said Lt. Col. Michael Peyerl, Human Resource Office director, Nevada National Guard. “Currently, we don’t have the capacity to follow-up with those veterans whom we have helped find a job. With this funding to hire contract personnel to be, in essence, case workers, we will be able to better track our veterans and continue to work with them to establish a career.”