Military Officer - October 2006 - (Page 23) rapidfire Jobless Veterans: A Trend? T 30 Years Later P resident Ford signed legislation in 1975 permitting women to enter U.S. military academies. It has been three decades since women entered these prestigious, publicly funded institutions. The first women were sworn in at the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Air Force academies June 28, 1976. The U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point followed days later by swearing in their first female attendees. A minority in the 1970s, women now make up from almost 14 percent to more than 22 percent of the Class of 2010 at the Army, Air Force, and Naval academies. Among them, the Naval Academy leads with the largest percentage. In the past 30 years, more opportunities to serve in the military have opened up, and the debate about the role of women has raged from each academy’s halls to the floor of Congress. As the line between combat and noncombatant roles has blurred, barriers have been eroded. Women who graduate from the Naval Academy now can command a combatant vessel. Female graduates from the first West Point and Air Force classes to accept women had few specialties from which to choose; now, they pilot aircraft in combat. — Gina DiNicolo he unemployment rate in 2005 for veterans ages 20 to 24 was 15.6 percent and continues to rise. For their civilian peers, the unemployment rate is 8.7 percent and continues to fall. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) has introduced a bill to expand accelerated benefits programs, Unemployment Rate allowing Ages 20-24 veterans to be paid in a lump sum and covering 60 percent of the cost of some educational programs. The programs also would identify industry sectors that will add new jobs or require new job-training skills for these veterans. Miscellany: Second Careers and Volunteers MOAA MEMBERS ONLY: If you can’t make it to the MOAA Career Fair Nov. 15, submit your résumé via e-mail to careerfair@moaa.org with “career fair résumé” in the subject line. MOAA’s The Officer Placement Service will add it to a CD of participants’ résumés, which will be distributed to all employers who exhibit at the fair. * MARINE CORPS MARATHON: The Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA) Foundation is recruiting runners and volunteers to join its team for the 31st Annual Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 29 in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.vanurse.org/marathon.html. * NUTRITION NOTES: Apples contain antioxidants, are low in fiber and sodium, and are fat-free. Coupled with a low-fat diet and an exercise program, apples can contribute to a healthier you. For tips and recipes, visit www.moaa.org and click on Health and Wellness under Services. IMAGES: ABOVE, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES DIVISION, NIMITZ LIBRARY, U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY; RIGHT, ROSE RICHEY OCTOBER 2006 * MILITARY OFFICER 23 http://www.vanurse.org/marathon.html http://www.moaa.org
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