Delaware National Guard's 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion leaves for training and Afghanistan this week. Around 2,500 marked their departure at a ceremony this past Saturday at the University of Delaware Stadium in Dover. Delmarva Public Radio's Don Rush has this portrait of the family and friends left behind.
OTHER NEWS
Homeless Female Veterans
MILFORD, Del. (AP) - A transitional home for homeless female veterans is planned for Delaware.
The shelter would occupy a five-bedroom house in greater Milford. It's intended for homeless female veterans who need shelter for less than a year.
Sussex County officials have granted approval to Home of the Brave, a nonprofit men's shelter for homeless veterans, to open a similar shelter for women.
Linda Boone, Home of the Brave's board president, tells the News Journal of Wilmington that the shelter would be the first in the state dedicated to female homeless veterans.
She says the shelter would offer residents medical and mental health services as well as child care and job and educational opportunities.
Veterans Assistance
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A measure to help veterans as they transition to the civilian workforce in Maryland has cleared the General Assembly.
Lawmakers gave final passage to the bill Monday. The measure is supported by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who is a colonel in the U.S. Army reserves and Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration.
The bill removes certain barriers to employment when veterans make the transition from military service to the civilian workforce.
The measure enables veterans who apply for occupational and professional licenses in Maryland to get credit for their military training, education and experience. It requires public colleges and universities to develop policies to award academic credit for relevant military training and education. It also creates an expedited licensing procedure for veterans and military spouses who hold professional licenses in other states.
