VETS is committed to reducing veterans' unemployment nationally by helping each veteran through individual services.

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss the Department's performance with and responsibility to veterans preference in Federal government hiring.

I have heard the comment, the anecdotal comment, that you just mentioned, that they just keep them there until they can say, 'Well, we hired a veteran,' then they let them go.

While the employment situation for veterans continue to improve with veterans' unemployment being lower than nonveterans' unemployment, DOL will not rest as long as any veteran needs assistance finding meaningful civilian employment.

Just because a case is filed doesn't mean that the HR manager violated the law. It could be that the veteran was not eligible in the first place.

Some veterans think that because of veterans preference, that they will automatically be hired in the Federal services. That is not the case.

Yeah, absolutely. When you look at that only 5.4 percent have merit, part of the bulk of the reasoning is actually the lack of understanding of the law.

We have numbers on the retention rate and how many are leaving.

There is actually a Council on Veterans Employment meeting on May 4.

I can provide you and the Committee for fiscal year 2013 and 2014 the retention rate for veterans versus nonveterans in all the agencies.

Every day I was reminded of what made our country the greatest in the world: the sacrifice of our warriors.