This is an exciting time to be a Democrat in North Carolina.

As a member of the Charlotte 2012 Host Committee and as a DNC member from North Carolina, I am looking forward to everyone joining us here in the "Old North State" from September 4-6, 2012. We are proud to have given our state's electoral votes to President Obama in 2008, and we are looking forward to continuing that support as the host state for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. The convention, which will be in the "Queen City" of Charlotte, will be a great event that will bring Democrats from across the country together in support of the Obama/Biden ticket. Last week, we were excited to have the official convention volunteer registration begin. We are looking for volunteers who are committed to ensuring that this is one of the greatest conventions in history. If you wish to register to be a volunteer for Charlotte 2012, please visit http://charlottein2012.com/involved/volunteer/. 

Not only will this convention feature the accomplishment of President Obama and his vision for our country's future, it will also be showcase for our nation's veterans and their families who have served with them. I am a U.S. Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, so I am personally aware of what President Obama accomplished by ending combat operations in Iraq, taking out Osama bin Laden, and laying out a successful strategy for our continuing fight in Afghanistan. The 2012 Convention will highlight the Obama Administration's successes of reversing the discriminatory ban of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the work of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden in helping our military spouses and families, and education the convention delegates on the sacrifices our military has given our the past decade. We look forward to veterans sharing their stories with state delegations and highlighting all who have served our country in uniform, to include their families. 

While there will be many events and celebrations in Charlotte, we will also ensure that we talk about the issues important to President Obama and our country: how we can provide better health care to veterans, fighting against veteran homelessness, ensuring our national security is protected by promoting clean energy, and ensuring that we can provide quality education and jobs to those men and women who are looking for a life after serving the armed forces. I believe North Carolina is the most military-friendly state in the country --- we look forward to educating all those who come to Charlotte about what it means to serve under the flag of the United States in the armed forces, and what President Obama has done and will do to provide for those who serve, those who have served, and those family members who have always served alongside those in uniform. I look forward to meeting everyone who comes to Charlotte and helps us renominate President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. 

Having recently served as an active duty submarine officer in the U.S. Navy for over 10 years, I can proudly say that I served under President Obama, Commander-in-Chief.  As a veteran, I’m going to do everything I can to help get the President re-elected, and I hope that veterans and non-veterans alike will join me and volunteer their time to ensure that this president - one devoted to the U.S. military, veterans, and their families - will be victorious in November.

When I was on active duty I didn’t give much thought to the opportunities afforded to military veterans. It wasn’t until leaving active duty and being introduced to the programs for veterans that I learned what the Obama Administration had done for us – the post 9/11 GI Bill, expansion of VA healthcare, and an increase in the availability of PTSD programs, to name a few.  

That leads me to the issue of jobs.  Many of us have been personally affected or know someone who has been affected by the economic downturn at the end of the last decade. One of the hardest hit groups has been veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With over 250,000 post 9/11 veterans unemployed, President Obama is doing everything he can to help these individuals who proudly served their country. The President’s programs have included an online Veterans Job Bank, Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior tax credits for businesses hiring veterans, and most recently, his proposal for the Veterans Jobs Corps which would put 20,000 veterans back to work over the next five years while rebuilding infrastructure on public lands. 

As a young Navy Lieutenant, I had the privilege of meeting then-Senator Obama on a number of occasions. His leadership and personality made me see him as someone I could have in my chain-of-command which is why I supported his campaign for President in 2008. I know that I made the right choice back then, and I hope that you will join me in supporting Barack Obama as the country's President and Commander-in-Chief in 2012. 

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama spoke about the “generation of heroes who returned home from combat” after World War II who “built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known.” He called for a new Veterans Job Corps that would provide funding to communities, so they can hire veterans to serve as first responders. This would put veterans to work restoring our parks, forests, and natural resources.

The President outlined his plan on February 3^rd with specific details that will be included in his FY13 Budget. Communities that recruit and hire post-9/11 veterans to be police officers and firefighters will benefit from $166 million added to the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Grant, and $320 million added to the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants in 2012. Our veterans have proved their commitment to making the world a safer place, and through the Veterans Job Corps they will be able to continue their commitment in their local communities.

The Veterans Job Corps will also feature a conservation program that aims to put 20,000 veterans from any era to work in our federal, state, and local parks by “providing visitor programs, restoring habitat, protecting cultural resources, eradicating invasive species, and operating facilities.” Veterans in the conservation program would also help repair roads, levees, trails, and recreation facilities.

Lastly, the President hopes to expand the entrepreneurship training opportunities for veterans made possible by the partnership between the Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs and the Small Business Administration. This includes the development of a two-day entrepreneurship program open to all service members and veterans. The Small Business Administration will also develop an intensive entrepreneurship boot camp for veterans and will offer an 8-week online training program that teaches the keys to small business ownership to over 10,000 veterans annually.

President Obama said, "When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one nation, leaving no one behind.” The President has proved that he believes the same rules apply at home, and as veterans return home to a continuously recovering economy, his latest policies help make sure veterans are in the front of the line for employment in the country they served so selflessly already.

Last year and throughout this administration, President Obama has keep faith with his solemn responsibility to our fighting men and women and their families and our returning veterans. The Commander-in-Chief  Ended the War in 2011 and now has put forth an unprecedented effort to help put our veterans back to work by signing the “VOW to Hire Heroes Act.” The First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden have also help gain commitments from the private sector to hire veterans and military family members in the Joining Forces Initiatives. Finally, we celebrated the anniversary of the Presidents promise to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Now this election year, let us step up protect these gains for veterans and support this President and his administration by getting involved in the campaign, finding your local Obama for America office, volunteering your efforts to recruit other veterans to support President Obama, and join a State of the Union watch party and we will repeat this scene less than a year from now.  

To find out more, download the fact sheet on the administrations veterans accomplishments here. 

Last year and throughout this administration, President Obama has keep faith with his solemn responsibility to our fighting men and women and their families and our returning veterans. The Commander-in-Chief Ended the War in 2011 and now has put forth an unprecedented effort to help put our veterans back to work by signing the “VOW to Hire Heroes Act.” The First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden have also help gain commitments from the private sector to hire veterans and military family members in the Joining Forces Initiatives. Finally, we celebrated the anniversary of the Presidents promise to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Now this election year, let us step up protect these gains for veterans and support this President and his administration by getting involved in the campaign, finding your local Obama for America office, volunteering your efforts to recruit other veterans to support President Obama, and join a State of the Union watch party and we will repeat this scene less than a year from now.  

To find out more, download the fact sheet on the administrations veterans accomplishments here. 

There are few things as elegant as the arc of a perfect three point shot making its way from the player’s hand to the bottom of the basket. There are few things more memorable than following that arc sitting on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson with the skyline of downtown San Diego as a backdrop and the commander-in-chief in the stands with you. I was fortunate enough to join other veterans, a few thousand active-duty military, a few hundred Michigan State and North Carolina fans, and the President and First Lady to watch several of those long arcs, not all of them quite perfect, at the inaugural Carrier Classic.

It was an opportunity to celebrate the service of our young men and women on active duty, remember those who served before, and watch Big Ten and ACC basketball teams go at it in a spectacular setting. From the ride from the hangar deck to the flight deck on an aircraft elevator (ever taken an elevator ride with 100 or so other people?) to the view of Air Force One on approach to San Diego International Airport, to the F/A 18 flyover and the arrival and brief address by the President before tipoff, it was a Veterans Day I won’t forget.

But it’s not all fun and games. Working with veterans and military families has allowed me to talk to a number of post--9/11 veterans, some of whom have successfully returned to civilian life, some who are well on their way, and some who are still struggling to get there. The Veterans Gold Card, My Next Move for Veterans, Veterans Jobs Bank, and the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior tax credits that President Obama has championed provide more tools to move forward. It’s up to the rest of us to help our returning veterans use them.

About 20 years ago, I saw a political cartoon in which a young girl is sitting on the grass next to her dad watching a parade. She asks him, “ What are veterans, Daddy?” Her Dad responds, “Common folk, honey.” She then asks: “What made them into veterans?” He answers: “Uncommon acts.”

As a young boy growing up in post World War II Boston, my memories of Veterans Day consist primarily of watching old men marching out from in front of the local VFW Hall to lay floral wreaths and American flags at existing memorial sites, and then marching on to name and dedicate other street corners to honor a soldier from the neighborhood who had given the last full measure for America. Even as a kid I was impressed with both the seriousness and pride etched in faces of those old soldiers. But I also vividly recall the sadness and pride in the faces of the families of the fallen but not forgotten soldiers who would remain forever young in the family’s photo album.

Now as a Vietnam veteran, I will be marching today in my town’s dedication ceremonies with the same seriousness and pride as one of those old soldiers I viewed as a young boy. By my side will be both older vets and, now, our country’s young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Although each of us will carry our own private reflections on this day, all veterans, both here in my small Massachusetts town and across the nation, will be thinking about our brothers and sisters in arms—those who sadly will remain forever 19 and those who have come home from war changed, but proud to have helped defend America and their fellow citizens.

I was deeply pleased and proud when I heard President Obama announce that all our soldiers would be leaving Iraq by the end of this year. Commander-in-chief Obama has fulfilled his ’08 campaign promise to the nation to bring our troops home from Iraq. My profound pride comes from the bravery and professionalism that our young men and women have displayed over the course of this long and costly war. But “coming home,” all the way home, for these troops and their families will entail much more than a few parades after stepping off a plane at a United States military installation. These veterans and their families, along with their almost 2 million fellow Iraq and Afghanistan comrades, will need a good deal of support from our government and from a grateful nation.

Because today’s higher unemployment rate among veterans is having such a debilitative impact upon our returning heroes and their families, it is imperative that Congress do the right thing for our veterans and their families and pass the President’s jobs bill. Certainly, at the very least, the Republican-controlled House and their Republican Senate colleagues should put our veterans’ needs over their party’s politics and vote for the Veterans’ Component of the jobs bill. Veterans have served and courageously sacrificed for America; certainly our congressional representatives should have the courage and conviction to do the right thing by these brave men and women.

As the past co-director of Virginia Veterans for Obama, I am proud of the job that our President has done thus far in the area of supporting veterans and their families.

President Obama campaigned on improving systems within the Department of Veterans Affairs and easing veteran access to resources and benefits. He has followed through on his pledge, and I am further dedicated to assisting in re-electing him to office so that he may continue the honorable work that he and his administration have undertaken.

When I returned from my deployment with the Marines, so many in my company came home to no job and to an uncertain future. We are fortunate that some jobs are being created, but the unemployment rate for veterans is still more than 25 percent higher than the national average.

Our veterans should never come home to an uncertain future or struggle to make ends meet—especially after dedicating themselves to making America stronger.

As commander-in-chief, President Obama is honoring our veterans by putting forward two pieces of the American Jobs Act that would provide tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed and disabled veterans and expand job training for those newly back from war. His plan is fully paid for in a way that both parties support.

Yesterday the Senate unanimously passed this legislation in a 95–0 vote. The House will be voting next week.

In addition President Obama is immediately taking action by implementing three programs that will help veterans transition into the civilian world and find employment:

Veteran Gold Card: Post-9/11 veterans are now able to download the Veteran Gold Card, which entitles them to enhanced services, including six months of personalized case management, assessments, and counseling at the roughly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers located across the country. This could help serve the more than 200,000 unemployed post-9/11 veterans.

My Next Move for Veterans: The Department of Labor will launch My Next Move for Veterans, a new online resource that allows veterans to enter their military occupation code and discover civilian occupations for which they are well qualified. The site will also include information about salaries, apprenticeships, and other related education and training programs.

Creating a Veterans Job Bank: The administration will launch the Veterans Jobs Bank at National Resource Directory, an easy-to-use tool to help veterans find job postings from companies looking to hire them. It already searches more than 500,000 job postings and is growing. In a few easy steps, companies can make sure the job postings on their own websites are part of this Veterans Jobs Bank.

Our DNC veterans and military families program will be establishing veteran groups supporting the President in each and every state. We will be looking for team leaders and local neighborhood leaders to amplify the very strong record of achievements this administration has done on behalf of veteran affairs, military families and national security issues. We will be employing surrogates to give a personal message of tangible improvements achieved.

President Obama has a strong record in regard to veteran issues, and it is up to us, veteran supporters of President Barack Obama, to amplify his message. Check this site for updates and ways to get involved in your local community and recruit other veterans to participate in the campaign.

Yesterday, DNC executive director Patrick Gaspard emailed Democratic supporters about the President's announcement that the Iraq War will be over by the end of the year. Read Patrick's email here—and share the video with your network:

On Friday, the President announced that, by the end of the year, all servicemen and women in Iraq will be home. The war in Iraq will be over.

Watch the President's announcement—then share this good news.

As we reflect on how we arrived here, it's a time to honor the men and women who served in Iraq during the last eight years—and be proud of our president, who kept his commitment to bring this war to an end.

Thanks,

Patrick

Want to receive emails from Patrick and other Democratic Party officials? Sign up at the top of this page.

On October 21, President Obama announced the end of the Iraq war while renewing the nation's commitment to honoring the service of our returning soldiers.

The President said:

“Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq—tens of thousands of them—will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home. The last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops. That is how America’s military efforts in Iraq will end."

The announcement highlighted the previous veteran initiatives promoted by the Obama administration and called upon all Americans—including the Democratic Party and the Veteran and Military Family Council—to ensure we continue to work to deliver the benefits and opportunities our newest veterans have earned.

“This December will be a time to reflect on all that we’ve been though in this war. I’ll join the American people in paying tribute to the more than 1 million Americans who have served in Iraq. We’ll honor our many wounded warriors and the nearly 4,500 American patriots—and their Iraqi and coalition partners—who gave their lives to this effort.”

It's up to all of us to help our veterans and military families in their transition to civilian life.

Video of the President's remarks can be found here.

On October 21, President Obama announced the end of the Iraq war while renewing the nation's commitment to honoring the service of our returning soldiers.

The President said:

“Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq—tens of thousands of them—will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home. The last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops. That is how America’s military efforts in Iraq will end."

The announcement highlighted the previous veteran initiatives promoted by the Obama administration and called upon all Americans—including the Democratic Party and the Veteran and Military Family Council—to ensure we continue to work to deliver the benefits and opportunities our newest veterans have earned.

“This December will be a time to reflect on all that we’ve been though in this war. I’ll join the American people in paying tribute to the more than 1 million Americans who have served in Iraq. We’ll honor our many wounded warriors and the nearly 4,500 American patriots—and their Iraqi and coalition partners—who gave their lives to this effort.”

It's up to all of us to help our veterans and military families in their transition to civilian life.

Video of the President's remarks can be found here.

Today, President Obama announced that the war in Iraq come to a full end by the end of this year, fulfilling one of his most important campaign promises.

The President said in a White House press briefing:

"Today I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over."

Last year, the President announced the end of combat mission in Iraq. Since then, more than 100,000 troops have returned home.

"Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq—tens of thousands of them—will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home. The last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops. That is how America’s military efforts in Iraq will end."

Noting that "our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays," President Obama said:

"This December will be a time to reflect on all that we’ve been through in this war. I’ll join the American people in paying tribute to the more than 1 million Americans who have served in Iraq. We’ll honor our many wounded warriors and the nearly 4,500 American patriots—and their Iraqi and coalition partners—who gave their lives to this effort."

Today in Minneapolis, President Obama addressed the American Legion National Convention, highlighting the extraordinary measures his administration is taking to ensure that our nation is meeting—and improving on—its moral obligations to our service men and women when they return home. These efforts include:

• Proposing the largest percentage increase to the VA budget in the past 30 years
• Improving veterans health care, including upgrading VA facilities and expanding outreach and care to rural veterans
• Working to break the backlog of disability claims
• Helping bring tens of thousands of veterans off the streets
• Giving unprecedented support to wounded warriors, including training caregivers to receive skills and stipends needed to care for loved ones
• Making major investments in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outreach and training for mental-health counselors
• Making it easier for vets with PTSD to qualify for VA benefits regardless of which war they served in
• Funding the post-9/11 GI bill, helping more than 500 veterans and family members go to college
• Hiring veterans within the federal government, including more than 100,000 veterans in the past year and half
• Helping veterans find private sector jobs while challenging companies across America to hire and train unemployed veterans and their spouses

There's more work to be done to address fully the needs of American veterans, but this administration is committed to making sure our country cares for our service men and women as well as they've taken care of us. As President Obama told the assembled Legionnaires, "No matter when you served, no matter how many years ago you took off the uniform, no matter how long you live as a proud veteran of this country we love, America will never leave your side."

Read the full remarks here.

Today in Minneapolis, President Obama addressed the American Legion National Convention, highlighting the extraordinary measures his administration is taking to ensure that our nation is meeting—and improving on—its moral obligations to our service men and women when they return home. These efforts include:

• Proposing the largest percentage increase to the VA budget in the past 30 years
• Improving veterans health care, including upgrading VA facilities and expanding outreach and care to rural veterans
• Working to break the backlog of disability claims
• Helping bring tens of thousands of veterans off the streets
• Giving unprecedented support to wounded warriors, including training caregivers to receive skills and stipends needed to care for loved ones
• Making major investments in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outreach and training for mental-health counselors
• Making it easier for vets with PTSD to qualify for VA benefits regardless of which war they served in
• Funding the post-9/11 GI bill, helping more than 500 veterans and family members go to college
• Hiring veterans within the federal government, including more than 100,000 veterans in the past year and half
• Helping veterans find private sector jobs while challenging companies across America to hire and train unemployed veterans and their spouses

There's more work to be done to address fully the needs of American veterans, but this administration is committed to making sure our country cares for our service men and women as well as they've taken care of us. As President Obama told the assembled Legionnaires, "No matter when you served, no matter how many years ago you took off the uniform, no matter how long you live as a proud veteran of this country we love, America will never leave your side."

Read the full remarks here.

Today, as we spend time with family and friends and enjoy barbecues, parades, and a day off work, it's important to remember what we are commemorating.

Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans organization. On the first Decoration Day, General (and future President) James Garfield spoke at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where 5,000 volunteers decorated the graves of more than 20,000 Civil War soldiers—both Union and Confederate. The first Decoration Day was inspired by similar, smaller observances that had taken place across the country in the three years following the end of the war.

By the end of the century, Memorial Day, as it was then called, had spread to cities and towns nationwide. After World War I, these local commemorations began to honor those who had made the ultimate sacrifice in all American wars.

It wasn't until 1971 that Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated annually on the last Monday in May.

This year, 143 years after that first Decoration Day, take a moment to consider a few of the steps that the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress have taken on behalf of America's troops and military families.

• Under President Obama, U.S. combat operations in Iraq have ended, and more than 100,000 troops have returned home.
• The Recovery Act has provided the Department of Veterans Affairs with more than $1.4 billion to improve its services to America's service members—because the President knows our obligation to those in uniform doesn't end when they return home.
• President Obama signed into law a bill repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," finally allowing men and women to serve the country they love without having to hide who they love.
• First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden have launched Joining Forces, a national initiative that mobilizes the American public to give our troops and their families the opportunities and support they deserve.

In his Memorial Day presidential proclamation, President Obama wrote about the courage and sacrifice that men and women in uniform have shown throughout our nation's history—and called on all of us to honor those who have given their lives for our freedom:

"For over two centuries, brave men and women have laid down their lives in defense of our great nation. These heroes have made the ultimate sacrifice so we may uphold the ideals we all cherish. On this Memorial Day, we honor the generations of Americans who have fought and died to defend our freedom.

"Today, all who wear the uniform of the United States carry with them the proud legacies of those who have made our nation great, from the patriots who fought at Lexington and Concord to the troops who stormed the beaches at Normandy. Ordinary men and women of extraordinary courage have, since our earliest days, answered the call of duty with valor and unwavering devotion. From Gettysburg to Kandahar, America's sons and daughters have served with honor and distinction, securing our liberties and laying a foundation for lasting peace.

"On this solemn day in which Americans unite in remembrance of our country's fallen, we also pray for our military personnel and their families, our veterans, and all who have lost loved ones. As a grateful nation, we forever carry the selfless sacrifice of our fallen heroes in our hearts, and we share the task of caring for those they left behind."