From YDA Veterans and Military Affairs Chair Cole Hickman:

This weekend at the Young Democrats of America National Conference in Nashville, TN, the Veterans and Military Affairs Caucus met to discuss the issues most important to them.

While ending the war in Iraq is extremely important to veterans and their families, there are many other issues that get less attention and are less understood. Here is an opportunity for you to make your voices heard on the challenges we face at home. In no particular order:

1. Mental health programs for veterans
2. Family counseling for families of deployed and returning service members
3. Homeless veterans
4. Diversity in the military among leadership ranks
5. Recruitment of disadvantaged people from inner city and rural areas
6. Traumatic brain injury
7. Small business programs for veterans
8. Employment discrimination among guard and reserve
9. Credit score freeze and grace period for deployed and returning troops

Each of these issues is posted individually in the Facebook group discussion board.

If there is an issue here that interests you, please post a description of the problem and, if you are aware of any, specific policies or legislation that will address the problem.

Also, if there are any specific issues not addressed here please post a response and describe the issue.

I will use this information not only to share with Young Democrat state presidents around the country and YDA leadership so they have talking points about our issues, but I will share this with legislative staff in Congress to see what bills we can support to solve these problems.

Also, if have not yet joined our Facebook group, here’s the link:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8843248894

Regards,
Cole Hickman
Chair
YDA Veterans and Military Affairs Caucus