USDA More Than Doubles Veteran Hiring Goal With 240-Plus Hires, Launches Gold Star Trails Program With Department of War
The U.S. Department of Agriculture marked Veterans Day at its Washington headquarters on November 10, with Secretary Brooke L. Rollins joined by Veterans Affairs Secretary Douglas A. Collins and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler to announce new progress on veteran hiring and remembrance programs.
USDA said its '100 Hires in 100 Days' effort has concluded with more than 240 veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses hired, more than double the original goal, into mission-critical roles protecting America's food supply, strengthening rural communities and defending agricultural security.
USDA also announced a memorandum of understanding with the Department of War and the U.S. Forest Service to develop the Gold Star Trails Program, a formal process for naming or renaming select Forest Service trails in honor of service members who made the ultimate sacrifice, giving Gold Star families, fellow service members and the public dedicated places of remembrance on public lands.
The department expanded its partnership with the Department of War's SkillBridge Program, which lets eligible active-duty service members spend up to their final 180 days of service gaining civilian work experience, including in cybersecurity, data and super intelligence, and contracting, while keeping full military pay and benefits. Military spouse employment is promoted through the SpouseWorks Program.
Rollins also named Richard Lopez as USDA's new Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison, to help veterans access loans, grants and business resources. Lopez served eight years in the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst and staff sergeant and previously coordinated beginning farmer and rancher programs at the Farm Service Agency.
(Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的美国农业部总部大楼。GSM 联邦固定图库。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington. GSM federal asset library.
