June 18, 2013

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Nebraska veterans’ homes receive perfect scores

June 17, 2013 by

All four of Nebraska’s veterans’ homes have received perfect scores from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, according to Gov. Dave Heineman’s office.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services administer the Eastern Nebraska Veterans’ Home in Bellevue, the Grand Island Veterans’ Home in Grand Island, the Western Nebraska Veterans’ Home in Scottsbluff and the Norfolk Veterans’ Home in Norfolk.

“This is a noteworthy achievement and shows the dedication of our veterans home employees,” said Gov. Heineman in a written statement released by his office.

The facilities are judged in the areas of life safety, resident care, environment, staff training and development, dietary-food service, banking and billing services for veterans, recreation/activities, medical staff credentialing, social work, and all areas related to quality assurance and care.

The Department of Veterans Affairs uses inspection teams with a wide-variety of expertise to evaluate veterans’ homes. The four homes in Nebraska have 637 beds, providing medical, nursing and rehabilitative services; from assisted living care to skilled nursing care.

Filed Under: Legislature & Government, Military, News

As Adjutant General prepares to move on, search begins for replacement (AUDIO)

June 12, 2013 by
Adjutant General Judd Lyons

Adjutant General Judd Lyons

Nebraska’s Adjutant General prepares to take on a national role, saying he will miss leading the state National Guard.

Adjutant General Judd Lyons says he’s excited about becoming the Deputy Director of the United States Army National Guard, though he will miss leading the 4,700 Army and Air National Guard members in Nebraska.

“I will continue to represent Nebraska in my new position, along with the other 54 states and territories in the district. I’m looking forward to serving at the national level,” Lyons tells reporters during a conference call.

Lyons, 50, became the 32nd Nebraska Adjutant General on August 23, 2009; replacing Adjutant General Tim Kadavy after he won promotion to the same position.

Lyons will become responsible for assisting the director of the Army National Guard in managing the Army National Guard and its 350,000 members. He will work at the National Guard Headquarters in Arlington, VA.

Under Lyons’ leadership, Nebraska National Guard members have deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and elsewhere. They also provided humanitarian relief to Central America and northern Alaska. At home, the Guard responded to the blizzard of 2009, widespread flooding along the Platte and Missouri Rivers in 2011 as well as last year’s wildfires in central and western Nebraska.

Lyons served as the Nebraska National Guard’s Chief of the Joint Staff in Lincoln prior to becoming Adjutant General.

Gov. Dave Heineman says that all paperwork from applicants to succeed Lyons must be filed by the end of this week. Applicants must have spent at least five years as an active or retired officer of the Nebraska National Guard and attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. Any retired officers applying cannot have been retired for more than two years.

Qualified applicants will be reviewed by a screening panel.

Retired Maj. Gen. Walt Zink of Lincoln will chair the committee reviewing the applicants. Other members of the screening panel include: Kathleen Allan of Lincoln, Brig. Gen. Paul Cohen (retired Nebraska Air National Guard) of Omaha, Rene Dreiling of Papillion, Chief Master Sgt. Glenn Freeman (retired U.S. Air Force) of Omaha, Brig. Gen. Richard Bertrand (retired Nebraska Air National Guard) of Lincoln, Natalie Peetz of Lincoln, and Brig. Gen. James Murphy (retired Nebraska Army National Guard) of Omaha.

The Adjutant General serves in the Governor’s Cabinet and is the director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

The Nebraska National Guard is comprised of Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel; nearly 3,700 Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers assigned to units located in 23 Nebraska communities. The Nebraska Air National Guard has 975 Airmen assigned to units in Lincoln and at Offutt Air Force Base.

Those seeking more information may contact Col. Doug Wilken with the Nebraska National Guard at 402-326-4223.

AUDIO: Brent Martin reports [:40]

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Military, News Tagged With:

Mass Casualty exercise at Offutt Air Force Base

June 12, 2013 by

There is a lot of activity at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue today but there is no reason for concern. Rick Esparza is the Medical Readiness Planner with Offutt and says they are holding their annual major accident response exercise today.

This year’s scenario is a plane that crashes into a softball tournament. There will be many ambulances on the road taking “patients” to participating hospitals.  There will be several helicopters landing and taking off from Offutt transporting victims to hospitals as well. Several medical response teams are also taking part.

Offutt Air Force Base is required to conduct this drill once a year.

Filed Under: Military, News

Members of military, veterans, spouses can start the job search here (AUDIO)

June 11, 2013 by

Nebraska hosts its final Hiring Our Heroes job fair for veterans in Omaha tomorrow.

Hiring Our Heroes is the initiative of the United States Chamber of Commerce, which locally works with the Nebraska Department of Labor and Nebraska National Guard.

The Hiring Our Heroes job fair in Omaha begins at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning at the DC Centre. It is scheduled to run until 1pm. So far, 90 businesses have registered for the fair, with openings in a wide variety of jobs. The job fair is open to military members leaving the military, veterans and their spouses.

Gov. Dave Heineman tells reporters during a conference call that the key to veterans landing that job is finding the business that fits their skills.

“If we can hook them up with an employer and they can begin to understand the skill set that they already have; problem-solving, teamwork, leaders, you can go right down the list, discipline, my sense, when I talk to employers all the time, they’re looking for people who show up to work every day and are willing to work hard. That’s veterans.”

The job fair attempts to match veterans with the right job, especially those leaving the active military and attempting to find their way in a civilian world.

Nebraska Adjutant General Judd Lyons says preparation is the most important step someone in the military can take prior to coming to the job fair.

“To sit down and do some critical thinking about their job skills that they have gained through their military service and translate those jobs skills and abilities to the civilian work market,” Lyons says.

State Labor Commissioner Cathy Lang says while overall the veterans’ unemployment rate is lower than the national average, younger veterans, especially those just leaving the military, have had trouble finding jobs.

“Those veterans do tend to have a higher unemployment rate in our state and so, part of what we hope to do is introduce them to the jobs in the civilian market so that they can become easily reemployed in our Nebraska economy,” Lang says.

Nebraska has about 4,700 Army and Air National Guard members and thousands more who serve in the United States Reserves and the active military.

Nebraska hosted its first Hiring Our Heroes job fair in Lincoln last April. It has also hosted events in Omaha, Norfolk, Alliance, Holdrege, Papillion, Beatrice and Grand Island. These events have served around 1,300 veterans and 400 employers, according to the state.

Click here for the Hiring Our Heroes website.

Click here for the state Department of Labor website.

AUDIO: Gov. Dave Heineman hosts conference call on Hiring Our Heroes event in Omaha tomorrow.  [5:30]

Filed Under: Economy, Military, News Tagged With:

Hiring Our Heroes job fair set for Wednesday

June 10, 2013 by

The Nebraska Department of Labor is holding another “Hiring Our Heroes” job fair for veterans and their spouses. Director Catherine Lang says more than 70 employers are registered for the event in Omaha this Wednesday.

Lang says this is the 10th Hiring Our Heroes job fair in Nebraska and the second they are holding in Omaha. This follows the Hiring Our Heroes fair in Grand Island on May 1st. Lang says those attending should have their resume in hand and be ready to interview. She says they require every company represented to have current job openings.

The Hiring Our Heroes job fair will be held from 10 am to 1 pm at the DC Centre at 11830 Stonegate Drive.

Filed Under: Military, News
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