News

DISABLED VET JOBS: Disabled veterans are participating in a new virtual program that not only pays them for training on their home computers, but places them in jobs that allow them to work from home. The veterans are earning in the range of $15 to $22 an hour, with benefits, working from home in the information industry. They are trained for jobs such as market researchers, data managers, hot-line responders, Web site order processors, help-desk managers, customer care and service coordinators, administration and billing clerks. Training consists of 15-weeks 600-hour program of web based, on-line classroom and practical training. Students report in to the virtual classroom each morning, and as the instructor presents the material, he or she will stop if any of the students have a question The training, accredited by Northern Virginia Community College, pays $11 an hour for a total of $6, 600.At the conclusion of the training program, each veteran trainee will have a thorough understanding of a very complex, VOIP predictive dialing web-based system that is utilized world-wide. About 100 veterans who have completed the training so far have all been placed in jobs with companies such as The Home Depot, FedEx, JetBlue, Dell Computer, and financial services company PNC. The program is provided by the nonprofit Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation.

To qualify, a veteran must have a disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and a copy of his or her DD-214. A Purple Heart award is not required. Those involved in the program range from veterans of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan , to the Korean War, age 19 to 74. To complete the training, a high-speed Internet connection is needed. According to Ken Smith, the program director for the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, they are preparing to train another 350 veterans who have applied from all over the country. Those interested should call (800) 720-9596 or go online at www.purpleheartfoundation.org/job_training.asp. to fill out the On-line Application. For additional information contact ksmith@purpleheartfoundation.org. Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, praised the program in a 27 JUL press conference. He said that when private-sector programs are combined with government programs and opportunities we can be all that we need to be for our veterans. [Source: NavyTimes Karen Jowers article Aug 6 ++]

The Association is seeking assistance in locating anyone who might know how we can contact the family of a SSGT James Lee Cragar, A/1/16 who was killed in action in Vietnam in Oct 1965.  We recently received some photo's, an old letter (date unknown) from his daughter, who at the time was residing in Palmsprings, CA seeking information about the death of her father.  He was the son of Rev. and Mrs. J.P Cragar of Cunningham (I assume also CA).  Any assistance in our search would be greatly appreciated.