A tip of the cap to a veteran who goes the extra mile

Saukville resident Mike James served in the Air Force for 24 years, but he continues to fight on the front lines, helping veterans, especially those who are disabled, find jobs to support themselves and their families.

James is the local veterans’ employment representative for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Waukesha and Washington counties. 

Going by the numbers, James does impressive work:

According to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, in 2018, James made 784 employer contacts on behalf of veterans; attended 16 job fairs and hiring events that brought in more than 1,500 job seekers; participated in five information fairs at local elementary schools; and corresponded with the state on the importance and value of the services provided by his department.

Figures like that were enough for the DAV and the American Legion to both honor James this year for his work on behalf of veterans. 

He was given the DAV’s National Commander’s Award for the 2020 Outstanding Local Veterans Employment Representative and the Legion’s national Local Veterans Employment Representative award.

“Michael has made a remarkable impact on the veteran — as well as the disabled veteran — community,” DAV National Employment Director Jeff Hall said in a press release. “His advocacy also breeds credibility with employers, largely because he’s a veteran himself.”

James called the recognition from both organizations “unique” and “an honor.”

“It tells me what I’m doing is making a difference,” he said. “They understand the sacrifices those veterans have made. They went to Iraq, Afghanistan or Vietnam and came home and now they aren’t remembered.”

James, whose voice was damaged while in the military, retired from the Air Force in 2003. He was a recruiter in the private sector before joining DWD’s Office for Veteran Employment Services in 2012.

A big part of his job, he said, is reaching out to employers and educating them about veterans and their needs and assets.

“A lot of companies want to hire veterans but they don’t know a lot, so my job is to tell them the advantages of hiring veterans,” James said.

“How many companies would hire a 17-year-old and give them responsibility over million-dollar pieces of equipment? The military is one of the largest employers in the U.S., and they do that every day.”

When it comes to hiring disabled veterans, James must dispel the myth that most disabled veterans are missing a limb or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“The largest group of disabled veterans are those with hearing loss, about 10%. Typically you wouldn’t know they have a disability,” he said. 

James noted that the majority of non-veterans also have some level of PTSD, and it’s often not debilitating. 

“In certain situations they may just need to have an office with a window or door,” he said.

James’ office helps veterans find suitable employment and assists them in writing their resume and developing interview skills.

His office places an average of five veterans a week in jobs that pay an average of $22 to $23 an hour in wages and benefits, he said.

Priority is given to homeless veterans, for whom his office also connects with other organizations to provide housing and food.

“We work with a lot of homeless veterans. Our goal is to reduce or remove the barriers to employment,” James said.         

“If a person is homeless, we can help them get a job.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the needs of veterans have grown worse because of layoffs, he said.

“It has affected everybody,” he said.