Joining Forces Blog

An Open Letter to Our Veterans and Their Families

Ed. Note: This blog is cross posted from The Huffington Post.

Back when Jill Biden and I started Joining Forces, we said that one of our top priorities was the health and well-being of our veterans and their families -- and we said that not only as First and Second Ladies, but as mothers and wives. For us, there's nothing more important than knowing that our families are healthy and happy. And after spending so much time with military families and hearing your stories of service and sacrifice for our country, I know that that's your priority as well.

But while many veterans qualify for health coverage through VA programs, we know that today, there are 1.3 million uninsured veterans and nearly 1 million uninsured family members of veterans. As a result, right now, people who've already sacrificed so much for this country all over the world have to face yet another challenge here at home: dealing with the worry that one accident or illness could mean losing everything you have; enduring all those everyday stresses -- the pains you try to ignore, the symptoms you hope will just go away because you can't afford to see a doctor. 

That's just not right. But thankfully, because of the new health care law, you and millions of other Americans will soon have access to the quality, affordable health insurance you need. This new law means you can get preventive care -- things like flu shots, mammograms and vaccines for kids -- without additional costs or co-pays. It means you can't be denied coverage because you have a pre-existing condition like diabetes, cancer or asthma. And it means that young people can stay on their parents' insurance until they're 26 years old. 

And if you don't have insurance, there's now a simple way for you and your family to get all of these benefits, along with the coverage you need. 

If you are a veteran who is uninsured and hasn't applied for VA coverage, you may be eligible for care through the VA. To find out if you are, just go to VA.gov/healthbenefits, call 877-222-VETS, or visit your local VA facility in person. 

The Blackstone Group hosts Inaugural Veterans Hiring Summit

On Monday, I had the pleasure of attending the Veterans Hiring Summit hosted by the Blackstone Group in New York City. In support of the Joining Forces initiative, the summit brought together seventy-eight of Blackstone’s portfolio companies to encourage them to contribute to Blackstone’s commitment to hire 50,000 American veterans over the next five years.

The summit covered a variety of topics pertaining to hiring veterans, such as the strengths of the veteran applicant pool, coordination with local VA offices, and the role of mentorship in ensuring a positive transition to civilian life for those who have served our nation. The event was designed to help hiring executives within corporations learn how to attract, hire, and retain veterans.

Joining Forces applauds Blackstone’s efforts in making sure our veterans find meaningful employment. They deserve jobs worthy of their talents – and thanks to organizations like the Blackstone Group this is becoming a reality for many veterans. Good civilian jobs not only help our veterans and military spouses manage the  transition from military to civilian life smoothly, but also demonstrate that our nation truly honors their service.