Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/608109
November 23 - December 13, 2015 12 Working Veterans l WorkingWorld.com FEATURE ARTICLE by Jim Garamone DoD News A RLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va., November 11, 2015 — Americans must do more than simply recognize what veterans mean to the country one day a year, President Barack Obama said here today. While it is right and proper to recognize veterans on Veterans Day, "our tributes will ring hollow if we stop there," the president said after placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. "If tomorrow, after the parades and the ceremonies, we roll up the banners and sweep the veterans' halls and go back to our daily lives, forgetting the bond between the service of our veterans and our obligations as citizens, then we will be doing a profound disservice to our veterans and to the very cause for which they serve," he said. Veterans Day "is also a reminder of all that they still have to give to our nation and our duty to them," Obama said. There are 21.5 million veterans today and the country is in the midst of a new wave of veterans, the president said. Since 9/11 more than a million service members have completed their military service and returned to civilian life. Each year another 200,000 transition to veteran status. The 9/11 generation -- tested in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- deserve the care they were promised, Obama said. MATCHING 'WORDS WITH DEEDS' "The good news is that in recent years, we have made historic investments to boost the VA budget, expand benefits, offer more mental health care and improved care for our wounded warriors, especially those with post- traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury," the president said. The disability claims backlog is slashed by nearly 90 percent. There has been tremendous progress in "reducing the outrage of veterans' homelessness," the president said. "Still, the unacceptable problems that we've seen, like long wait times and some veterans not getting the timely care that they need, is a challenge for all of us if we are to match our words with deeds." Despite the progress, Obama is not satisfied. "We are going to keep investing in the facilities and the physicians and the staff to make sure that our veterans get the care that you need when you need it," he said. "That is our obligation, and we are not going to let up." Veterans also need the skills needed to compete for 21st century jobs. More than 1.5 million veterans and their families are using the post-9/11 G.I. Bill for education. "That's why we worked to make sure that every state now provides veterans and their families with in-state tuition," Obama said. "That's why we're Get the Job Done, Hire a Vet Obama Stresses Country's Debt to Veterans There are 21.5 million veterans today and the country is in the midst of a new wave of veterans, the president said. Since 9/11 more than a million service members have completed their military service and returned to civilian life. Each year another 200,000 transition to veteran status.