“When one looks back at the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps, we take great comfort that those who take on these kinds of activities will leave a lasting legacy for the United States,” Salazar said.

The backdrop of presidential politics is also playing a role in the Obama administration’s new efforts. Several states that will be heavily contested in November have a significant military presence. Veterans will be evaluating specific ways the next White House administration intends to help them.

Administration officials said the initiatives are focused on helping veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Communities that hire veterans to work as police and firefighters will be given preference in the grants competition. Obama will also seek to increase spending for the grants programs. He will propose an additional $4 billion for the Community Oriented Policing Services program, or COPS. He will propose an additional $1 billion for the firefighter grants.

The administration also will propose a training program designed to help veterans wanting to start their own small businesses.

With GOP lawmakers stressing the need to cut government spending, it remains to be seen how far the proposals will make it in a deeply divided Congress. Many conservatives have in the past voted to cut spending for the COPS program, while Obama is calling for a major expansion. 

Congress also has been focusing on the problem of unemployment among veterans. A House subcommittee on Thursday examined the unemployment rate for those who serve in the National Guard or Reserves. Witnesses estimated that about 1 out of every 5 returning guardsmen is unemployed.

About 160,000 soldiers leave active duty annually, and some 95,000 members of the National Guard and Reserves join them. The Labor Department already operates some jobs programs to help soldiers with the transition to civilian life. For example, there are employee workshops that help vets with advice on job searches and labor market conditions. The department also provides grants to states that in turn hire workers to conduct job training workshops and reach out to employers on behalf of vets. 

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/03/obama-to-unveil-new-jobs-initiative-for-veterans/#ixzz1ld2GeUK4

The United States is abandoning a plan to keep troops in Iraq past the year-end withdrawal deadline. Instead, US troops will be heading home within the next three months, officially ending 8-years of involvement in the Iraq war.

The Associated Press reports that US officials have been discussing whether to pull out troops by the December 31st withdrawal deadline, which was set in 2008, or to negotiate a new security agreement. The United States arrived in Iraq in March 2003. More than 4,400 American soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq.

USA Today reports that officials from the US and Iraq have also been discussing a training program for Iraq security forces. Thousands of troops could remain in Iraq to help the training process, but no final decision on the training program has been made yet.

The training program, which would involve about 4,000 troops, does not look good at the moment. A dispute over legal protections for the troops has jeopardized the program.

Pentagon press secretary George Little said

“(The United States remains) “committed to keeping our agreement with the Iraqi government to remove all of our troops by the end of this year. At the same time we’re building a comprehensive partnership with Iraq under the Strategic Framework Agreement including a robust security relationship, and discussions with the Iraqis about the nature of that relationship are ongoing.”

The troop withdrawal does not include the 160 active-duty soldiers that are attached to the US Embassy in Baghdad.

The AFP notes that there are currently 41,000 troops remaining in Iraq.