[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 113 (Thursday, July 26, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S5481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   MOUNTAIN STATE SECURITY FELLOWSHIP

 Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 
thousands of West Virginians who have chosen to serve this great Nation 
as members of our military. West Virginia is one of the most patriotic 
States in the Nation, and we are humbled by the sacrifice of 39 brave 
West Virginians who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Throughout the generations, thousands of brave men and women gave us 
our freedom; they deserve the best we can give them in return.
  In recognition of these values and the service of all West 
Virginians, today I am launching the Mountain State National Security 
Fellowship.
  While working on Capitol Hill or in my State offices, selected 
fellows will use the skills and experience gained while serving in our 
armed services to assist my office with military and veterans-related 
issues. They will also personally represent the West Virginia veteran 
community and embody the values of all who served, including those who 
made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
  This is our next generation of leaders, and this fellowship will help 
encourage them to develop their interest in public service. Fellows 
will gain a firsthand understanding of how we help our constituents by 
staying connected to their lives and serving their needs. Our office 
will benefit from a servicemember's perspective on the problems we are 
trying to solve.
  This fellowship is a small but important step in a much larger 
national problem. Veterans face the highest unemployment levels of 
almost any group of people in our economy, and that is wrong. We need 
to do more to match our veterans with available jobs in their 
communities.
  As cofounder of the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus, I have joined 
with many colleagues from both parties to focus on the problem of 
veterans' unemployment. As we draw down from the Middle East, veterans 
will be returning to our communities and trying to build new lives with 
their families, and we should do everything we can to put their 
incredible skills to good use.
  In my own office, we employ four veterans, and they are the most 
dedicated, trained, committed kind of employees imaginable. I am so 
appreciative to have that quality of a workforce in my office.
  As a nation, we fly the flag and we proudly display yellow ribbons, 
but if you really want to say thank you to someone who was willing to 
sacrifice and give their all, you hire a veteran. They are well 
trained, disciplined, and ready to go to work.
  That is the drive behind our jobs caucus, our ``I Hire Veterans'' 
project, and this fellowship program. It is easy to talk the talk, but 
you have to walk the walk, and this fellowship is one way for us to do 
so.
  I want to say thank you to all West Virginia veterans and their 
families and that it will be an honor to work with you as Mountain 
State National Security Fellows.

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