Hire a Veteran Month
Effective Date: Thursday, November 1st, 2012
WHEREAS, Alaska’s veterans have accepted the challenge of defending our nation’s liberty and security at home and abroad; and
WHEREAS, home to over 77,000 men and women who have served our country, Alaska has the largest per capita population of veterans in the nation; and
WHEREAS, when called upon to serve, our men and women in the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and the Alaska National Guard and Air National Guard respond immediately, placing the needs and interests of others above their own; and
WHEREAS, veterans of our armed forces have learned invaluable skills and character qualities desirable to employers, including leadership, integrity, diligence, and perseverance; and
WHEREAS, the State of Alaska supports initiatives to promote veteran hire. In the past year, job centers operated by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development assisted over 20,000 veterans seeking employment, and continue to prioritize service to veterans and their spouses; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, the State of Alaska enacted legislation offering tax credits to businesses that hire veterans; and
WHEREAS, President Franklin D. Roosevelt observed, upon signing the G.I. Bill into law in 1944, that American veterans returning to civilian life desired “the assurance of satisfactory employment” more than anything else; and
WHEREAS, in the month of November, we particularly observe the debt we owe to those who have sacrificed greatly for the defense of our nation. It is fitting that we also acknowledge their importance to Alaska’s economic future.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sean Parnell, Governor of the State of Alaska, do hereby proclaim November 2012 as:
Hire a Veteran Month
in Alaska, and encourage all employers to extend employment opportunities to those who have served our nation faithfully in the United States Armed Forces.
Dated: October 24, 2012
