Albany, New York - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is continuing its aggressive outreach to our Nation's veterans, including disabled veterans. Earlier this year, OPM Director Kay Coles James and a team of OPM's recruitment specialists visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. During this visit, James committed to aggressively reach out to veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) nationwide and encourage them to join the civil service. Most recently, the agency recruitment team visited the Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albany, New York.

Affirming the purpose for such outreach, James stated, "It is America's veterans and their selfless service which keep this nation a beacon of freedom to the world. That is why President George W. Bush and his Administration remain firmly and actively committed to honoring our Nation's veterans. The very least we can do is ensure that qualified veterans are afforded the privilege they earned within the federal hiring process, not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it is the law of the land. And we have a duty to bring this message to them."

During VAMC visits, veterans are able to meet one-on-one with OPM staff about the opportunities and benefits within the government, veterans' preference, and the practical steps of obtaining a federal job. These visits are part of an overall effort called the Veteran Invitational Program (VIP), an educational and recruitment strategy which targets military personnel who are transitioning to civilian life.

"Every qualified veteran who wants to continue his or her service to America by joining the civil service must be given the opportunity to do so," James said. "I remain firmly committed to ensuring OPM is proactively courting veterans at VA Medical Centers across the Nation and recruiting them for the federal service."

Additional visits are scheduled for Jacksonville, Florida-September 13, Tampa, Florida-September 16, Kansas City, Missouri - September 21, Cleveland, Ohio - September 24; and Minneapolis, Minnesota - September 28. In October, OPM teams plan to visit military installations.

The Office of Personnel Management is responsible for administering and enforcing the Veterans Preference Act of 1944.

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.