LaGrange: Help get vets back on the job

U.S. Army veteran Brian Conway from Queens grew up with humble working-class roots. The son of modest, hardworking parents, Conway went to Martin Van Buren High School and worked at a heating and air conditioning company earning meager pay after graduation.

But then the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, inspired him to enlist in the armed services. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003 to 2004.

During that time, he saw three of his friends get burned by improvised explosive devices. Some of his buddies never made it home. Those of us who have never served in wartime can only imagine what Memorial Day means to a person like Spc. Conway.

As patriotic Americans, we know that a few simple things are required of us to observe the true meaning of Memorial Day. Flying the flag at half-staff until noon and playing taps are some common practices to remember those who gave their lives for our country. We pay tribute at places like the memorials and museum that honor Westchester County servicemen and women at Lasdon Park in Somers.

But Memorial Day should also inspire in us a desire to care for the welfare of our veterans. The labor movement has done an excellent job of doing just that, in the form of the Helmets to Hardhats program.

It was formed for troops like Conway to find careers and training opportunities in the construction industry. Hundreds of building trades unions with government-approved apprenticeship programs participate. The success of Helmets to Hardhats is linked to a culture shared by both the military and union labor -- service to your country, your family and your community.

Conway is now a member of the Heat & Frost Insulators Local 12. He has worked on One World Trade Center and iconic city landmarks like New York University. Conway first connected to the program while he was in Iraq. After a year at war, he attended an outwork briefing, which helps soldiers transition into civilian life. When he got home, Conway went online to helmetstohardhats.org, created a resume and inquired about an apprenticeship program in Long Island City for Insulators Local 12.

Conway's experience in HVAC, as well as his military background, made him the perfect candidate for a union apprenticeship. He's not the only soldier who traded in his army-issued K-pot helmet for a construction hard-hat. Since the creation of Helmets to Hardhats in 2003, thousands of soldiers with limited experience in the construction industry have inquired about careers in the building trades. As a result, over 6,100 veterans are now members of building trade unions across the country. Helmets to Hardhats had over 15,000 applicants in 2011 alone.

Over a quarter million troops are discharged annually from the military. Withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq will bring even more veterans back home. These troops will need to find jobs, which is tough right now, even for highly trained servicemen and women.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service provides resources to prepare returning servicemen and women to obtain meaningful careers. County governments have a number of state veterans counselors on hand to assist returning troops with employment opportunities.

These programs are vital, and we need even more ways to match veterans with the right employment. When it comes to caring for those who served, our actions must continue long past the last Monday in May.

Kris LaGrange is a radio show host and consultant with UCOMM Communications, which specializes in communications for organized labor.