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Louisiana Public Square: Louisiana Veterans Coming Home

Airs Sunday, May 29, at 6 p.m. What challenges do our returning veterans face?
Since 2001, 2.6 million service men and women have been deployed to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Louisiana joins 11 other states with the second highest percentage of veterans aged 25 and under. The needs for these younger veterans as they return stateside are plentiful including securing civilian employment, obtaining healthcare and oftentimes housing, and addressing the mental rigors of transitioning from military to civilian life.

And with less than one-half of 1% of the U.S. population in the armed services today, reintegrating service members into communities whose understanding of war is gleaned largely from television may be as difficult as fighting a war. So, what challenges face our returning veterans; what resources are available to assist them and how do we bridge the “Military/Civilian Divide?” Louisiana Public Square explores these issues and more on a special town hall edition, “Louisiana Veterans Coming Home.”

Our panelists are:
• Col. David "Gregg" Athey, Garrison Commander, Fort Polk
• James Hou, Hero2Hired; Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
• Capt. Angela Huval, Louisiana National Guard Behavioral Health Officer
• Alfred “Al” Leger, Louisiana Department of Veteran Affairs