NEWS: Military Battles Loss of Jobs At Home

Forgotten promotions, loss of benefits, and eliminated jobs are among the problems that military reservists and National Guard troops are encountering now that they are home. Troops returning home from war in Iraq and Afghanistan are finding that there jobs are no longer what they used to be, if they are there at all.



After 9/11 the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act was put into place to protect soldiers from loss of jobs, benefits, and promotions. Soldiers coming home from war overseas are finding that this Act does not protect them as it supposed to.

Injuries at war, budget cuts, and eliminations in jobs are keeping these soldiers unemployed. Some troops are blaming their employers for firing them, some are with the denial of raises, promotions, and benefits, these rights lost while they served their country.

Of the Guard and Reserve troops who have left home to go on duty, only a small percentage has complained over employer problems. Between Oct. 1, 2003 through July 31, 2004 1200 complaints have been filed and cases investigated.

Fred Juarbe Jr., assistant secretary of labor for veterans employment and training states that, "Any increase in the number of complaints is a concern to us." Loss of income is a concern with these problems, employers are being asked to justify their actions, hoping to correct the problems of these complaints.