Supporting Our Troops, Veterans, and Military Families

As a leader of the Service movement, Alan Khazei believes Americans owe an everlasting debt to the men and women who choose to serve in the United States military. The support they receive must be strong both while they are serving and after they have returned home. Alan Khazei will work tirelessly as a US Senator to make sure that our veterans have world-class health care, the resources to reintegrate back into civilian life, and that their families receive support for their unique sacrifices.

It is unacceptable that our representatives in Washington D.C. have not done more to assist our veterans as they transition back into civilian life. For example, the unemployment rate for returning soldiers is much too high. In 2010, 11.5% of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan were unemployed, compared to 9.7% for non-vets. Alan Khazei will help create opportunities for veterans to find good-paying jobs by working with non-profit, non-partisan organizations to enact a comprehensive veterans’ job package.

Current members of the U.S. Senate failed to take swift action when bankers foreclosed on soldiers’ homes and violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. And with more than 115,000 soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan having suffered traumatic brain injury, Alan will see to it that our soldiers will never again say that “proper treatment for a brain injury is as elusive as a correct diagnosis.”

Improvements in battlefield medicine mean that more injured troops survive their wounds and more veterans need advanced medical care, often for years or decades after they are discharged. Massachusetts organizations like the Home Base Program – which helps veterans with combat-related stress and brain injury, Homes For Our Troops – which builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans, Soldier On - which provides housing and support to our veterans, and The Mission Continues - which provides veterans with a chance to continue serving through community service opportunities, will always have Alan’s support in the US Senate.

Alan is a strong supporter of lifelong learning and education for all adults to improve their professional skills, and he believes that our veterans are particularly deserving of these opportunities. Supporting pending legislation such as the Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act is one of the important ways that Alan will help veterans receive training and valuable employment after their military careers have ended.