MaziEmail: Remembering and Supporting Our Veterans

Aloha,

Veterans Day is an opportunity for our nation to reflect on the tremendous debt we owe our veterans, military families, and current servicemembers for their dedicated service to protect our freedoms. Making sure they have our support, whether during deployment, during the transition back home, or as they settle into civilian life as veterans, is an obligation I take personally as a member of Congress.

That’s why I’m proud that over the past few months alone, President Obama and Congress have worked together to sign into law new legislation supporting our servicemembers and veterans:

• On May 25, 2012, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4045, which increases the amount of leave available for more than 49,000 of our Guardsmen and Reservists in Hawaii and nationwide who are serving multiple deployments, enabling them to spend time with their families. For eligibility, please contact your installation's personnel section.

• On July 23, 2012, the Veteran Skills to Jobs Act (H.R. 4155) became law. The law allows relevant training Hawaii's servicemembers received in the military to satisfy certification requirements for federal licenses in fields such as the aerospace, communications, energy and maritime sectors.

The Obama Administration has also made several recent investments to help Hawaii's veterans and ensure their memories are properly honored:

• On July 2, 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that the U.S. VETS Initiative at Barbers Point will receive $200,000 and the Mental Health Association of Hawaii will receive $300,000 to help homeless veterans. These federal commitments will support occupational, classroom, and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance.

• Kauai Veterans Cemetery in Hanapepe will receive $1.2 million for significant expansion and refurbishment efforts as announced by the Department of Veterans Affairs on October 1, 2012. Kauai's veterans, like so many veterans across Hawaii and the nation, served with honor and this support will ensure that those who wore the uniform of the United States have the dignity of a worthy final resting place.

On a personal note, I was truly humbled to be recognized last month by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) with one of their highest honors, the Charles Dick Medal of Merit. It's been an honor to work with NGAUS on issues like making college more affordable for members of the Guard and protecting guard members’ while on active duty.

To watch the Charles Dick Medal of Merit ceremony, please click on the photo below.

It’s a priority of mine to ensure that those who serve and sacrifice for us – past, present and future – receive the respect and support they earned. They deserve no less.

Hawaii Island -- 935-3756
Kauai & Niihau -- 245-1951
Lanai -- 565-7199
Maui -- 242-1818
Molokai -- 552-0160

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