Joining Forces - Giving Back to Our Military Community

I wanted to share with you a guest post from Navy Captain Brad Cooper, Executive Director of the "Joining Forces" initiative. I know I speak for all of us here at SBA when I say we are grateful for our military community and excited to be a partner in this nationwide initiative.  -Karen

After nearly 10 years of war, our nation has asked more of our service members and their families than ever before. In an effort to help give back to our military community, we are asking Americans to get involved in any way they can - and Americans are stepping up in ways large and small.

In April, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden started Joining Forces- a national initiative that mobilizes and energizes all sectors of society to provide our military community opportunities and support. Here are six ways you can get involved:

• Consider Hiring a Veteran- Our veterans possess a wide variety of skills and experiences that can be applied to the private sector. Learn about the companies that have made the commitment to hire or train veterans.

• Pledge Service Hours- Pledge hours in honor of military families, find service projects and report your hours.

• Find Service Opportunities- Search for service opportunities by zip code and take action in your community.

• Send a Message of Thanks- A simple act of kindness can mean so much. Say thanks to a military family today.

• Share your Support- How are you serving our nation’s military families? Tell us your story.

• Share your own Volunteer Project- Have an idea to support military families in your community? Create a project and invite others to join.

In addition to Joining Forces, President Obama recently proposed the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credit for our servicemen and women returning from overseas.As part of the American Jobs Act, this incentive provides employers a tax credit from $5,600 to $9,600 when hiring an unemployed veteran.

For the latest news on Joining Forces, follow us on Facebook andTwitter. You can also sign up for regular e-mail updates.

Related Resources

• Veteran and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses | SBA.gov

• From Military Service to Entrepreneur; Tools for the Veteran-owned Small Business | Small Business Matters blog article

• US Department of Labor VETS

About the Author

Karen Gordon Mills is the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA helps both Main Street and high-growth small businesses get access to capital, counseling, federal contracts, disaster assistance and more.