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State Representative Rod Hamilton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5373
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
ASKING OUR VETERANS TO SERVE AGAIN – AS CITIZENS
To the Editor,
As you are aware, more than two thousand members of the Minnesota National Guard have now returned home to their loved ones after spending 16 months overseas carrying out their mission.
While we have tremendous pride for the work these men and women have accomplished, it’s also important to utilize their new expertise as they make the transition from full-time soldier to full-time citizen.
To address this topic, a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations have partnered with the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota to form the Warrior to Citizen campaign. The campaign is a simple statewide effort designed to encourage Minnesotans to think about ways that veterans can help contribute in our communities.
Our returning soldiers have acquired new skills and experiences in addressing a range of practical issues – far more than combat – such as water projects, conflict resolution, and infrastructure development as a result of their service. Unfortunately, after the fanfare of their arrival dies down and life returns to “normal,” many of them struggle to find valuable, productive outlets for those new talents within their families, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
This may be a frustrating experience for our soldiers – but perhaps an even more tragic experience for Minnesota if we fail to tap the civic leadership, skills and passions of our veterans. We may be reaching out to lend a helping hand if we see a need, but we aren’t asking our veterans how they can use their new skills to contribute to our organizations, our civic groups, our businesses, our schools and our communities.
So today, I’m encouraging residents to take advantage of their wealth of knowledge. Invite a returning soldier to tell his or her story at a service or social event. Ask a veteran to teach skills to a youth group. Host a job fair featuring opportunities uniquely suited for returning soldiers.
Minnesota’s returning soldiers represent the finest among us. Now that the parades have ended, let’s continue to honor their heroic efforts by asking them to serve again – as citizens.
Sincerely,
State Representative Rod Hamilton
Mountain Lake
News Items
- WITH ECONOMIC TURNAROUND, HAMILTON SAYS IT’S TIME TO PAY BACK SCHOOLS - (Posted: 2012-03-16 00:00:00)
- REP. HAMILTON: LEGISLATURE’S 2012 AGENDA BASED ON INFORMATION FROM STATEWIDE LISTENING SESSIONS - (Posted: 2012-01-30 00:00:00)
- REP. HAMILTON DISCUSSES MINNESOTA HOUSE FINANCE PROPOSALS - (Posted: 2011-04-15 00:00:00)
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