Published 09 Aug, 2011
Military veterans from the Air Transport Division met Aug. 9 and10, in Hurst, Texas. The Veterans Committee members began their quarterly meeting by honoring their outgoing officers; Chairman Thom Lee, Local 565; Recording Secretary Jenni Proctor-Timms, Local 514; and Vice Chair Paul Mazarra, Local 530. Lee and Mazarra (retired) were unable to attend, but each officer received a plaque thanking them for their dedication and leadership.
During the two-day meeting, the Veterans Committee discussed a list of urgent needs that thousands of injured and unemployed veterans face. Today’s veterans face mounting medical bills, prescription drug costs and tens of thousands have lost their jobs and homes.
“Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are suffering tremendous financial hardships, high divorce and suicide rates,” said International Representative Jose Galarza, an Iraq war veteran himself.
Company policies that cover “eligible” medical treatments and prescription drug coverage’s remain difficult to decipher and are constantly changing. The Veterans Committee keeps in touch with benefits coordinators and the Veterans Administration to counsel fellow veterans, trying to restore lost benefits and assist them in getting back to work.
Drug and alcohol abuse affects many returning veterans and countless find transitioning back into their family or work environments difficult. On Tuesday, Sam Sadler, the TWU Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Coordinator, spoke on the powerful pull of addictions and why they frequently lead men and women into depression and thoughts of suicide. Sadler, a recovering alcoholic himself, has been working with alcoholics, drug addicts and others for over 25 years, counseling many and arranging treatment facilities for those that cannot afford it. Many have successfully sought EAP treatment and turned their lives around.
The new ATD Veterans Committee officers are: Hank Trujillo Chairman, Local 568; Bobby Velasquez Vice Chair, Local 513; and Peter Meyer, Local 562