Is there something we can do through our jobs efforts to make a difference in regards to making sure that those employers who are really pulling the weight here, making sure they rehire when soldiers come back?

What we have to figure out is what we can do in the education arena to try to entice people, one, to enter the field at the front end.

Ric, your testimony has all around good detail in some of the issues around the 3 percent set-aside.

I want to thank you. I'm going to zip over, take a few minutes and go until about ten after.

Thank you for being here with the ESGR and a great group of supporting our employers supporting the Guard.

What efforts are you making with regard to the training?

I have a feeling the next panel will hopefully have a question or two from what you've just laid out to see how that works.

That's only a function of the laws that people like myself can pass.

So, I guess, here's why. I think you will find in Alaska, those who are familiar with our Indian Health Services here, it is a robust and very successful program.

I'm just a big fan of encouraging because we have--it's no criticism to the VA; it's a criticism to kind of our bureaucracy of how we do business.

It should not be that difficult.

Is it possible--I'm going to move to two last questions for a couple of folks remaining here--but I want to first thank you folks for testifying for the record.

I mean, like from February of last year to this year, we have done over $8 million in claims just for the disabled veterans in the State of Alaska.

I'm learning that in DC, you can be calling just a few miles and have a whole different area code.

We'll call this meeting to order. This is a Field Hearing on Services for Veterans in Alaska for the Veterans' Affairs Committee of the U.S. Senate.

What do we do regarding preventative work?

Senator Begich, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) report.

I don't know if I've ever seen or done a 268-page PowerPoint.

Should it--if I can add a comment--should it be not only the supervisor, but the division or the department as a unit?

VA funding fees on home loans?

Thank you very much. Our last person on this panel is Verdie Bowen who is the administrator, Office of Veterans Affairs, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for the State of Alaska.

Don't limit what the potential is if there's a law that says you can't cross the line because the real end product here is about service to the veteran.

I'd be very interested in the information on the work you're doing with regard to suicide prevention.

Is it because they have to go to Alaska or is it because of the cost, or that the income is not as great as they could get doing it elsewhere, or it's a family--what's the draw here?

Do you think the types of recommendations that you've made are--assuming from your perspective--reasonable; do you think it's what is going on in the Anchorage region?