Every veteran has a story. You just have to listen to it. It can be surprising how difficult it is...and also how easy...for a veteran to be able to tell their story. The impacts of combat, deployments, or even just military experience in general are felt long after a veteran leaves the service. The guns do not always go silent when a veteran leaves the military...neither should the veteran. When combat veteran and retired Army Noncommissioned Officer Duane France retired, he knew he wanted to continue to serve his fellow veterans. As a grandson, nephew, and son of combat veterans, he grew up knowing the impact of combat and military service on veterans and their families, and as a leader with five combat and operational deployments, he saw the same things happening in the service members of his generation. After starting to work as a clinical mental health counselor exclusively for veterans and their spouses, Duane started to write his observations and experiences on his blog, Head Space and Timing, located at www.veteranmentalhealth.com. This book is a collection of 52 articles designed to help veterans, those who support them, and those who care for them to understand the military experience and to change the way they think about veteran mental health.

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs met to discuss how to put America's veterans back to work. With witnesses from both the private and public sectors, the Committee heard testimony that focused on measuring the effectiveness of current veteran job-training programs, bridging the gap between employers and veterans, and how to improve the system to help veterans find meaningful employment."We have programs to help veterans find jobs spread out across numerous agencies, but due to the increasing number of veterans who are currently unemployed, we must ask ourselves, are these programs working," questioned Rep. Marlin Stutzman (IN-03). "It is incumbent on us all to remove the redundancies and barriers that hinder veterans from finding jobs."

United States service members work tirelessly to defend our nation every single day. US soldiers are stationed in nearly 150 countries around the world. These brave Americans make great sacrifices to keep America safe. Yet when they return from their duty in the armed forces, many ex-military members are faced with numerous challenges back at home. Some veterans have suffered physical wounds from their time in combat. Others are faced with mental illnesses as a result of the horrible things they have seen on the battlefield. In both situations, transitioning back into civilian life can be extremely difficult. By working together, though, we can help these heroes who have given so much of themselves to their country.