On Friday, May 14, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. Congressman John Barrow (GA-12), along with Laurie Ott, Executive Director of the CSRA Wounded Warrior Care Project, will tour the Veterans Curation Program Lab, located at 3830 Washington Road, Suite 27, in Martinez.  Following the tour, at 11:00 a.m., he will hold a press conference outside of the Veterans Curation Program Lab to discuss legislation he recently introduced in support of the Veterans Curation Program.  Press is also welcome to accompany Congressman Barrow on the tour.

“Our commitment to veterans’ health, safety, and livelihood must not end when they return home to our shores,” said Barrow.  “This is something I take very seriously, and it’s why I’ve been so involved in veterans’ issues since coming to Congress.”

The bill Congressman Barrow recently introduced will authorize funding for the Army Corps of Engineers Veterans Curation Program.  The program was originally funded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  It began in Augusta, and hires veterans to curate artifacts that have been dug up by the Army Corps of Engineers and need to be catalogued.  In the process, they learn valuable technical skills in computer, photographic, and scanning technology.  The Veterans Curation Program employs around 50 veterans per year in Augusta, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C, but the funding is set to run out.  This bill would make funding for the program permanent, would increase the funding available, and would double the amount of veterans hired to 100 per year.

“This program is an absolute win-win and needs to be supported,” added Barrow.  “The Corps needs to catalogue these artifacts, and who better to hire than our men and women returning home from war?”

Barrow’s bill is supported by the Wounded Warrior Care Project.

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Contact: Jane Brodsky (202) 225-2823

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