Military advocate wants Obama to talk veterans jobs in State of the Union

With all U.S. troops now out of Iraq, an advocate group for veterans wants President Obama to talk during Tuesday’s State of the Union about helping soldiers who have returned to the United States find jobs.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) said that now was the perfect time for Obama to “rally support for the New Greatest Generation,” with U.S. troops withdrawn from Iraq after an eight-year war.

“Our military and America are at a crossroads, and we need America’s support now more than ever,” said Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA’s founder and executive director. “We want the president to put Congress and the country on notice that our troops are coming home — and we have a bargain to uphold.”

IAVA said that the jobless rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans was 12.1 percent in 2011, and the president needed to encourage lowering the rate. The group also suggested that the Post-9/11 GI Bill and other veterans’ benefits had to be protected.

Rieckhoff was invited to watch the address from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) box in the House Gallery.

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