• by Ken Beatty , Op-Ed Contributor, November 11, 2015

Veterans Day is here once again and, hopefully, will serve as a renewed call-to-action to support America’s veterans. There are about 20 million veterans living in the U.S. today. Of those, a staggering 1.6 million are under the age of 35, nearly 6 million served in the Gulf War era (from August of 1990 to present) and more than 10 million are under the age of 65. Whether you know it or not, you likely encounter several vets during your normal routine.

The price that our veterans paid and continue to pay is well-documented. Vets face repeated deployments, long separations from family members, and physical and psychological issues that result from their dedicated service.

With less attention being paid to veterans based on the perception that our troops are no longer fighting, the counterpoints are harder to ignore. Yes, soldiers volunteer for the job and receive retiree and medical benefits. But, the benefits are often not enough to help vets survive and thrive. This group needs and deserves not to be forgotten and dropped from society’s consciousness.

In honor of Veterans Day, here are a few ways you can be involved in supporting men and women who volunteered to serve our country:

• Talk to your local politicians about relevant issues. These issues include things like suicide prevention funding, government reform to ease the transition from active duty to civilian life, and the defense of military pay and benefits. It’s important to let the government know that the public cares. Find your local representative here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
• Get involved in volunteer organizations. There are opportunities like providing holiday gifts and meals for needy families of vets, building or renovating homes, career counseling, etc. Look for national organizations such as the Wounded Warriors or IAVA for more information.
• Look for opportunities to employ vets. Think about how their skills — technical aptitude, teamwork, functioning under pressure, reliability and dedication — could translate into civilian job opportunities. Encourage employers to develop programs designed specifically to match vets to jobs.
• Invest in and patronize businesses that employ vets, or are vet-owned. For example, a former Marine founded Veteran Movers in New York City, and employs fellow U.S. veterans.

The loud and overt demonstrations of patriotism seem to be waning, and our society runs the risk of doing what it has often done after wars — forgetting about those who fought for them. It isn’t difficult to stay involved and it can really make a difference.

These men and women need our support, and frankly, we owe it to them. Yes, they’re volunteers, but instead of that being an excuse to not help them, it should be all-the-more reason to step up. It’s okay that it’s not your top priority, as long as it’s on the list. I often have to remind myself of these opportunities to help — and I’m a vet.