Organization offers military vets many avenues of assistance

Opinion

Discussion

October 10, 2006

Anonymous The Enid News and Eagle Tue Oct 10, 2006, 11:47 PM CDT

Young men and women join the military for a variety of reasons.

They want to serve their country. They want to learn a skill that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Some make the military a career. Others serve one or two enlistments and leave, rejoining the civilian work force. For many, the transition is an easy one. For others, the change is more frustrating.

That’s where organizations like Workforce Oklahoma come in, and it’s not just about helping these young people find a job. Often it’s listening, helping them tell their stories and get things off their chests.

The Enid Workforce Oklahoma office recently was cited by Gov. Brad Henry for its efforts in finding jobs for veterans. It is a good place for returning veterans to go to in order to get on with their lives.

One example is how the office helped Johnathan Heathman, who recently received an honorable discharge from the Marines after nearly losing a foot to a scorpion sting while serving in Iraq.

Heathman left the Marines and came back to the area to look for work. He thought he had a job as a forklift operator, but the employer said Heathman’s disability (he had a neurostimulator device implanted near the spinal cord) prevented him from getting the job. Heathman was well-qualified for the job, but that didn’t matter.

That’s when he went to Workforce Oklahoma and met Jack Wagner, a Vietnam War veteran who is the center’s veterans service representative.

Through a lot of work, Wagner helped Heathman work up a resume, and he now works on oil derricks for a Fairview subcontractor.

This kind of attention is a great thing for veterans when they end their military careers. It’s really part of what we owe veterans who make so many sacrifices to protect our country.

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