N.C. needs good public policy choices to support its veterans and service members

North Carolina is home to at least 775,000 veterans and 129,000 active duty personnel. As nearly a tenth of the state population, our active duty members, veterans and their families are extremely important to the fabric of our society. Their backgrounds from all of over the world inject a vibrant culture throughout the state. In terms of economic impact to North Carolina, the total value of goods and services (GDP) associated with the federal military in North Carolina was $11.1 billion dollars in 2015. In all, veterans and our state’s military have a $66 billion economic impact on the state.

North Carolina is committed to being a military-friendly state, which is why it is important that proper policy is applied to the quality of life of veterans. Thousands of North Carolina veterans struggle daily with unemployment, homelessness, hunger and the lack of health insurance. Calling attention to these shortcomings and addressing them with sound public policy is the best salute we can offer to our heroes.