General speaks at veterans conference

Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, along with current and retired members of the military, said Saturday there's a need for expanding programs for the state's veterans.

"We have an extraordinary amount of vets who reside in Nevada," Krolicki said, estimating the number at about 340,000. "The number is increasing every day with those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Krolicki said there is a serious need to introduce veterans to the organizations that support them, not only in Reno in Las Vegas, but also in rural Nevada.

The morning session centered on available services, while the afternoon session included a job fair hosted by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Krolicki and Susan Martinovich, director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, also unveiled a sign that will be placed south of Hawthorne on U.S. Highway 95 dedicating a portion of the

highway to those fighting the Global War on Terrorism.

Krolicki's office, which sponsored the state's first Nevada Veterans Conference, invited retired Gen. John P. Abizaid of Gardnerville to speak on the need for helping veterans who currently live in or are moving to Nevada.

Abizaid, a graduate of Coleville High School, 30 miles south of

Gardnerville, retired in May 2007 after serving as commander of the U.S. Central Command.

Before he delivered his remarks, Abizaid, who spent 34 years in the Army, acknowledged about 200 veterans who attended the morning session.

"We have a very important job of serving our nation here or somewhere else," Abizaid said. "We're here to support one another. Service to the country is so important."

Abizaid said a major reason for the conference is to identify those areas where organizations can improve their outreach to the state's veterans.

"We need to find better ways to serve our veterans, but we have great support for serving our young people in our state," he said, referring to the returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. "Helping young people become part of the team is something we want to do."

Abizaid knows first-hand the difficulty veterans have had in seeking assistance once they returned home. His father served for three years in the Pacific aboard a submarine chaser.

"When I was growing up in Coleville, my father was sick all the time," Abizaid reflected. "I had to drive him to the V.A. Hospital in Reno (in the late 1960s). Why was it so hard for him to get help? Why was there so much red tape in the bureaucracy?"

Both Abizaid and Krolicki said they want Nevada veterans to know which organizations and volunteer groups are assisting more men and women and using their networking tools in areas from health care and housing to job placement.

Both the former and current commanders of the Fallon Naval Air Station attended the conference.

Brad Goetsch, who retired from the Navy in 2004 to become Churchill County manager, said the conference was beneficial.

"The turnout was light, which may indicate there are not as many who have issues," he said.

Goetsch said the conference dispelled any misinformation that veterans may have about various organizations and what they have to offer.

"Veterans need to continually have the opportunity to get more information, and we need to raise the public consciousness of honoring vets and the impact on the young people," he said.

Capt. Michael Glaser, who assumed command in June 2007, said the conference provided a good start for those who attended and needed more information.