Nevadans hope job skills transfer to civilian lives

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- Sgt. Stephen Belcher is the face of the Nevada Army National Guard in Afghanistan.

So are Staff Sgt. Craig Shean of Incline Village and Kristina Litle and James Eddings -- both Las Vegas staff sergeants.

While their mission and camaraderie bond them here, a different common denominator will link them when they return to Nevada in January from their yearlong deployment.

When their boots hit the ground in the Silver State, all will be unemployed.

Since the 422nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion left in January for training and then deployment to Afghanistan, they have been on Uncle Sam's payroll.

The future, though, scares them.

"I don't have a job to go back to," said Belcher, 29, who lives in Logandale, a 45-minute drive from Las Vegas. "My wife doesn't work, and we have three children, ages 6, 3 and 1."

While Belcher and his fellow soldiers are counting down the days to going home, the notion of soldiers not having jobs weighs heavily on him.

"Many of our soldiers will be unemployed when they return home," he said. "Though we have many skills and abilities to provide the employment market, it will still be difficult to find employment."

Still, the strong desire to be home with family keeps Belcher focused. He is anxious to make up for lost time.

Unofficial estimates of the two Nevada companies and Headquarters and Headquarters Company assigned to the signal battalion indicate that 40 percent to 50 percent of the soldiers in each unit -- about 140 total -- do not have a civilian job waiting.

Capt. Gordon Steinmann, commander of Charley Company at the Washoe Armory north of Reno, said the poor economy is causing soldiers to seek extensions in Afghanistan.

Because of that, he encourages soldiers readying for deployment to look for jobs now and obtain more information before leaving.

Steinmann said he was encouraged when Gov. Brian Sandoval visited the battalion in August and said he would work on a veterans outreach for jobs.

1st Sgt. Rodney Medina of Bravo Company, the Las Vegas unit in the 422nd, said he and other battalion personnel are working hard to set up its soldiers for success and help them find jobs.

"We're giving them classes for résumé writing," he said. "I've been looking at the websites to see what jobs they can apply for. We are going to give them all the tools. … Not only do we train them to get by in the Guard but also get them out in the real world."

Medina, a postal carrier, said he would hate to see the soldiers waste their knowledge if they can't use it: "It would break my heart if they don't take what they learn out here and take it to the civilian world. Some, though, have been proactive. One of the soldiers is interested in nursing."

Although nursing may not be in the same job cluster as a cable installer, Medina said at least the soldier is looking toward future job opportunities and what fields may be hiring.

Shean, a tactical communication noncommissioned officer in charge, has spent eight years in the National Guard. He previously was a construction project manager, but those opportunities have disappeared during the poor economic times.

He is anxious about returning home in January, and wants to extend his deployment with another unit -- the only sure way for him to keep getting a paycheck.

"I am going home with no job and going to Nevada with 13 percent unemployment," said Shean, his voice growing a little more agitated. "Something is to be said of staying in a war zone to have a job."

In addition to no job waiting for him, he will not have the same home as he and his wife are divorcing.

"There's not a lot of joy for me when I climb off the plane," he said.

Las Vegan Litle is finishing her second tour to Afghanistan to go with one deployment to Iraq.

While she was previously able to extend her tour, she and others may not be able to do that as the U.S. military is reducing its overseas forces.

"I don't have a job in Vegas," said Litle, a seven-year Guard member. "I'm looking at Reno and Carson City, but most jobs are on the East Coast."

An alternative is college, she said, because many employers insist on an applicant having a degree. She is certified in Internet technology and has plenty of on-the-job training but has had no luck since she started applying for jobs in October.

Likewise, Eddings has served on multiple deployments, three with signal units and the other with the 1864th Transportation Company out of Henderson.

While in Afghanistan, he has served as the unit movement officer at a forward operating base. But unless he can extend his stay, he, too, will be jobless.

"The last job I had was before the third deployment," Eddings said. "I was laid off (as a driver) because of the economy. I have no wife and no kids, but I help support my sister and mom. But I have enough to take care of them."

Spc. Damien Celaya, 27, has mixed feelings about returning home. His salary has helped support his family in Las Vegas, but he wonders about the future.

"I like being here; it's a different opportunity here that has given me a 'heads up' on my future," said Celaya, who also served a 2009-2010 deployment with the 221st Cavalry Regiment, also from Las Vegas.

"It would be nice to extend, but family comes first. I need to find something to provide for my family."

He and his wife have two daughters, one a 3½-month-old born while dad was in Afghanistan.

While his second tour to Afghanistan hasn't been as intense as the first, he said the country is still dangerous.

Instead of conducting patrols, Celaya has worked at Camp Mercury, temporary home of the 422nd. And being on base has helped Celaya improve himself by earning additional certifications in communications.

"My key goal is to find something in the job market," he said, adding he also struggled to find work after his last deployment.

Sgt. Mark Bell of Henderson was also on the 221st Cavalry deployment, working in military intelligence. The married father of five children said that in a perfect world, he would love to be home.

Bell, among the oldest guardsmen in the company at age 36, joined the Nevada Army National Guard four years ago.

He said that his wife has been supportive during his deployment with the 422nd and that his oldest son has done an "excellent job" helping at home.

Bell worked in construction until jobs began disappearing in Southern Nevada but said that he still is confident: "I'll find something."

Chaplain 1st Lt. T.C. Houston, a Colorado Army National guardsman assigned to the 422nd, said he is concerned about the unemployed soldiers returning to Nevada.

"The unemployment rate for vets is increasing," he said.

Houston said the soldiers need to show prospective employers what they learned
during deployment.

"They know being a vet gives them a skill set," he added.

Steve Ranson is editor of the Lahontan Valley News in Fallon, where a version of this story originally appeared.