thedrifter
06-18-08, 07:04 AM
Wounded warriors look forward
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Job fair aimed to help Marines make transition to civilian life
June 18, 2008 - 12:51AM
JENNIFER HLAD
THE DAILY NEWS
Johnny Burra doesn't want to stop serving his country just because he is getting out the Marine Corps.
For now, a broken foot is all that's keeping him from a career in law enforcement, but doctors tell the wounded warrior he should be back to 100 percent in about a year.
In the meantime, he is trying to find another type of job that matches the skills he learned as an infantry Marine.
Burra was one of dozens of Marines from the Wounded Warrior Battalion who took time Tuesday morning to meet employers at a job fair at Camp Lejeune.
Though the fair was open to everyone on base, the first two hours were reserved specifically for wounded warriors.
The idea is to make the transition from Marine to civilian seamless, said Richard Waller, employment transition coordinator for the Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Regiment.
Waller, who served 23 years in the Marine Corps, said it can be difficult for wounded warriors, whose identity is often based on being a Marine.
"When your identity is taken away, you can fall into depression," Waller said. Helping the wounded warriors find a new job and possibly a new identity can ease their stress, he said.
Burra, who was injured in Sept. 2005, said it is frustrating to be "shut down" by employers with more physically demanding jobs, but he felt the employers were generally prepared and welcoming to the wounded.
Francisco Kelly still has a year left in the Marine Corps, as he waits for his medical board review.
But he hopes to find a security job when he gets out.
"I love the job," Kelly said, and hopes to find something similar in the civilian sector. Kelly was injured in a series of explosions in Iraq and has a traumatic brain injury and multiple retinal holes in each eye.
Northrop Grumman, a defense and technology company, had multiple recruiters at the job fair. Oliver Nelan said he recruits mainly former military service members because of their skills and their attitude.
‘They've got the work ethic. That's the key thing," he said.
Though Nelan was recruiting for jobs that could be performed by someone who had suffered some injuries, Duane Hardesty was looking specifically for the "severely wounded."
Hardesty, a Vietnam veteran and retired Army colonel, helped develop a program called Operation Impact for Northrop Grumman.
To qualify for the program, service members must have been severely injured in combat in the global war on terror, with at least a 30 percent disability rating from the Department of Defense or Veterans Affairs.
"This is not a job program, it is a career (program)," he said.
"We want to help them help themselves make this transition."
The program also will accept a spouse or other primary wage earner when the injured service member can no longer serve as the primary wage earner, Hardesty said.
One hour into the job fair, Hardesty already had 10 names on his sign-up sheet. He said he wants all the wounded warriors know they are valued.
"I really believe we've given them what we want to give them: hope," he said. "I want them to know there are people who care for them and appreciate their sacrifice."
Contact interactive content editor Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie
Comments 0 | Recommend 0
Job fair aimed to help Marines make transition to civilian life
June 18, 2008 - 12:51AM
JENNIFER HLAD
THE DAILY NEWS
Johnny Burra doesn't want to stop serving his country just because he is getting out the Marine Corps.
For now, a broken foot is all that's keeping him from a career in law enforcement, but doctors tell the wounded warrior he should be back to 100 percent in about a year.
In the meantime, he is trying to find another type of job that matches the skills he learned as an infantry Marine.
Burra was one of dozens of Marines from the Wounded Warrior Battalion who took time Tuesday morning to meet employers at a job fair at Camp Lejeune.
Though the fair was open to everyone on base, the first two hours were reserved specifically for wounded warriors.
The idea is to make the transition from Marine to civilian seamless, said Richard Waller, employment transition coordinator for the Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Regiment.
Waller, who served 23 years in the Marine Corps, said it can be difficult for wounded warriors, whose identity is often based on being a Marine.
"When your identity is taken away, you can fall into depression," Waller said. Helping the wounded warriors find a new job and possibly a new identity can ease their stress, he said.
Burra, who was injured in Sept. 2005, said it is frustrating to be "shut down" by employers with more physically demanding jobs, but he felt the employers were generally prepared and welcoming to the wounded.
Francisco Kelly still has a year left in the Marine Corps, as he waits for his medical board review.
But he hopes to find a security job when he gets out.
"I love the job," Kelly said, and hopes to find something similar in the civilian sector. Kelly was injured in a series of explosions in Iraq and has a traumatic brain injury and multiple retinal holes in each eye.
Northrop Grumman, a defense and technology company, had multiple recruiters at the job fair. Oliver Nelan said he recruits mainly former military service members because of their skills and their attitude.
‘They've got the work ethic. That's the key thing," he said.
Though Nelan was recruiting for jobs that could be performed by someone who had suffered some injuries, Duane Hardesty was looking specifically for the "severely wounded."
Hardesty, a Vietnam veteran and retired Army colonel, helped develop a program called Operation Impact for Northrop Grumman.
To qualify for the program, service members must have been severely injured in combat in the global war on terror, with at least a 30 percent disability rating from the Department of Defense or Veterans Affairs.
"This is not a job program, it is a career (program)," he said.
"We want to help them help themselves make this transition."
The program also will accept a spouse or other primary wage earner when the injured service member can no longer serve as the primary wage earner, Hardesty said.
One hour into the job fair, Hardesty already had 10 names on his sign-up sheet. He said he wants all the wounded warriors know they are valued.
"I really believe we've given them what we want to give them: hope," he said. "I want them to know there are people who care for them and appreciate their sacrifice."
Contact interactive content editor Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie