Michelle Obama pushes governors to adopt veterans jobs programs

First lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden urged governors gathered in Washington Monday to help veterans returning home find jobs through programs aimed at converting military training to civilian employment.

The first lady said Monday that service members returning home too often had to jump through bureaucratic hoops to do the same type of jobs they did under high pressure in combat zones.

"We want to make it easier for those who served as medics or drivers in the military to get new jobs as paramedics and nurses and physicians' assistants or truck drivers," Obama said. "And since the credentials and licenses for those jobs are issued through the states, that means that all of you, as America's governors, have a very unique responsibility and opportunity to address this issue."

The first lady said that her goal was to have all 50 states take legislative or executive actions by the end of 2015 to aid service members returning home.

"That means that our troops will be taken care of no matter what state they decide to call home," Obama said.

Obama also urged governors to continue work on spousal licensing — programs that would help those married to service members carry their accreditations and credentials from state to state when transferred for their spouse's military service.

"We don't want our men and women, and their families in uniform, and veterans to be limited to where they can live because not all states are on board," Obama said.

Biden echoed that call, emphasizing that it was "important that all 50 states get this done."

"Passing these laws is just the first step," Biden said. "We hope all of you will reach out to your bases and your National Guard and Reserve communities, talk with the military spouses — I’m sure many of you already do this already — and make sure that these laws are working for our military families."

---