Welcome to

As the president prepared to announce a plan to end US involvement in the war in Afghanistan, Florida is getting a new director of the Department of Veteran Affairs. Today retired Army Colonel Mike Pendergast was confirmed to lead the department. Pendergast says he’ll focus on finding jobs for veterans from past wars and those coming back from the Middle East.

“What we really need to concentrate on is ensuring that they reintegrate themselves back into the communities. Learn what benefits are available to them and then actually take advantage of those benefits so that they don’t miss any opportunities and get right back into the workplace,” said Pendergast.

For years now the unemployment rate for veterans has been several points higher than the civilian population. Tonight President Barack Obama is expected to announce 30-thousand of the 100-thousand soldiers fighting in Afghanistan will return home by September 2012. Finding jobs for those returning vets will be no small task.