To the Editor:

 

Once again the numbers 11/11/11 are a reminder to all veterans who have served in war and peace of the great responsibility place on them by our form of democratic government. Our governor, the Honorable Pat McCrory, has designated Nov. 10-14 as Employ a Veteran Week with the following quote as his guiding principal: “It’s vital that we do all we can to incentivize veterans to make North Carolina their permanent home,” Governor McCrory said. “The training and discipline they received in the military will help build our economy and their leadership will strengthen our communities and state. For every veteran who serves on our soil, we want North Carolina to become more than a duty station.”
As a veteran of the U.S. Army with service-connected disabilities, I chose in part to make North Carolina my adopted home due to ease of access to VA health facilities and the veteran-friendly community. Unfortunately, the city of Washington does not share the governor’s views regarding the value of hiring those who have served. Although I have been employed by the city for seven years, I was surprised to learn that Article IV Section 1 of the city Personal Policy Manual states that selection of employees for hire or promotion will be made without regard to military service or veteran status. In recent interactions with the City Human Resources department head, she was requested to state the city’s policy regarding hiring/promotion of veterans. She replied that she was not aware of any specific policy or preference related to veterans but assumed that if all qualifications were equal that the veteran might receive preference. This statement taken in context is in direct opposition to the policy adopted by City Council on 1 July 2013.
Today, thousands of veterans both male and female are returning to the workforce following the longest war this country has ever waged. It seems that employers would take every opportunity to benefit from these well-trained individuals and honor their service. Fortunately, many private industries and government entities have taken this approach. Perhaps the City Council needs to rethink their policies, adopt the governor’s “Vet Friendly” approach and make it a priority to employ those who have served.
Guy Blackwell
Washington
US Army Veteran 1966-69