OPINION:
As the 2020 election heats up, more and more promises are being made. As a veteran, I pay close attention to the promises candidates do and don’t make for our servicemen and women re-entering society. Most of them claim to take care of veterans and their families — and maybe some of them will. But to do it right, you need action on the state level.
“Taking care” correctly can’t be done on a broad spectrum. To do so requires the closeness and understanding that can only be achieved in the states. It’s why my colleagues in the Alaska Legislature and I listened to the needs and concerns of service members and their families, and we created a solution to meet those needs.
Military families move around often, dropping what life was built in one location and building it again in another. This includes jobs — which military spouses must find again and start over with each move. It’s not an easy task even in this great economy, and it weighs on military families. Trust me, I know.
When asked to rank their top five issues for a 2018 Military Family Lifestyle survey, military spouses ranked employment issues as second, only to the amount of time that is spent away from the family.
In Alaska, we are looking to change that. The law has long allowed the public sector to give veterans preference when hiring, but last year we joined 37 other states in passing a bill that extends the option to companies in the private sector. This year, we are hoping to do even more.
The Military Family Employment Preference Act would extend hiring preferences to military spouses, dependent children and surviving spouses of deceased service members in Alaska. But Alaska isn’t the only state working on this. As I already mentioned, 38 states have extended the option for hiring preferences for veterans, but all 50 states are working to better opportunities for veterans, disabled veterans, active duty personnel and their families.
The survey also shows that military spouses endure one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. For those actively seeking work, respondents reported a 30 percent unemployment rate. A further 56 percent believe they are underemployed.
These numbers should be alarming to anyone who knows the dignity and a sense of worth that having a fulfilling job brings. It also creates a vital sense of connectedness and belonging for military spouses and their new communities. Simply put, the lack of employment opportunities for military spouses is incredibly isolating. Almost half of military families surveyed said they felt like they don’t belong in their local civilian community.
Alaska, however, is unfortunately missing a crucial piece of the puzzle by not extending those same employment opportunities to military spouses. According to the Alaska Department of Military & Veteran Affairs, there are around 151,881 military spouses and dependents living in the state. It’s time we recognize the sacrifice that are required just not of those actively serving our country but the military family as well.
Three committee hearings were held the week of Feb. 17 to bring this bill out of the Alaska Labor and Commerce and one step closer to law.
Only 19 percent of respondents to that Military Family Lifestyle Survey said they felt the general public was aware of challenges military service places on families. With this Military Family Employment Preference Act, we’ve found another way to honor our service members and their families by providing opportunities to those who up until now largely fell through the cracks.
As a veteran myself, I know firsthand the challenges that military families face largely in silence. And, as a nation that prides itself on its unwavering support for our military, it’s imperative that we show our military families that we understand their sacrifice and we honor them, too.
We are doing that here in Alaska.
• Sharon Jackson is a state representative for Alaska’s 13th District. She serves on the Special Committee on Military & Veterans’ Affairs, and served in the U.S. Army from 1983 to 1989. Follow her on Twitter @sharon_rep.
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