Since America was attacked on September 11, 2001, the men and women of our armed services have made an extraordinary and unprecedented contribution as the nation has deployed forces to Afghanistan and Iraq. I am deeply grateful for their service, and I believe we must do all we can to honor their sacrifice, as well as the sacrifices of all who have gone before them to ensure our freedom.
But we ought to do more than just set aside a single day to honor our veterans and military families. We ought to acknowledge their work with our actions by enacting meaningful reforms to make their lives better.
If I am given the opportunity to be South Carolina’s Governor, I will make our veterans a top priority. Consider these facts.
Mobilization not only puts our troops in harm’s way – it often separates families for long stretches of time. We must do all we can to help our military families as they prepare for and return from deployment. I want to ensure that programs like our “Family Readiness Group” have the financial support they need to help troops and families dealing with the stress of service and deployment.
Veterans have been especially hard hit by the recession and face a higher unemployment rate than the national average. I would work with the Department of Commerce and its Workforce Development program and our universities and technical schools to ensure that we are doing all we can to recruit and train veterans for good jobs. I will call on all state agencies to make recruiting veterans into the state workforce a priority. I will work with the Office of Veterans Affairs to ensure we address the growing problem of homelessness here in South Carolina. And I will cut through the bureaucracy and give veterans easier access to the tools and resources they need to gain meaningful employment and training.
As Governor, I will work hand-in-glove with our federal representatives to ensure that our veterans and active-duty troops receive the best health care and benefits available right here in South Carolina through the Veterans Administration and other programs.
But perhaps most of all, I will simply listen and act on the concerns and recommendations of the military community in our state, including active, national guard, reserve, and retirees. If you have ideas, I want to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Jim Rex