MichiganRadio

Joint Chiefs chairman: Vets need jobs DETROIT (Michigan Radio) - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told business leaders in Detroit that veterans returning home need jobs.

Admiral Mike Mullen spoke to the Detroit Economic Club. He said he's working to better connect the Pentagon, the VA and communities so that returning vets get the help they need.

"And what it's going to take is some investment on the front side of this. Some mentoring, and transition assistance, if you will, as they transition to a new part of their life," said Mullen.

Mullen says tens of thousands of soldiers are returning from war zones physically wounded, and hundreds of thousands face mental health challenges like post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mullen says veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are also four times more likely to become homeless than vets who returned from Vietnam.

Contact Sarah Hulett at sarahhu@umich.edu © Copyright 2012, Michigan Radio