Schwarzenegger announces money for veterans, plans trip to Iraq

Nov. 11, 2009 | By Frank Stoltze | KPCC
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In observance of Veterans Day, Governor Schwarzenegger Wednesday announced new job training and mental health programs for people who’ve served in the military.

Governor Schwarzenegger made the announcement at a Veterans Day ceremony at the Los Angeles National Cemetery. He said the state will use federal stimulus money to provide employment and mental heath programs to more than 1,400 veterans.

The governor also acknowledged a much greater need for such services to a population under stress.

“We have to work tirelessly on the tremendous suicide rate that is amongst veterans," said Schwarzenegger. "More than 20 percent of the veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan and suffer from the stress disorder."

The governor also noted there are 130,000 homeless veterans in the country.

"We have to do something about it. We can’t just shove this whole thing under the rug.”

California is home to more than 2 million veterans. One in nine active duty service personnel is from the Golden State.

Next week, Schwarzenegger plans to visit U.S. troops in Iraq.

The governor's communications director, Matt David, says the Republican governor will spend a couple days in Iraq early next week, but he said he could not give specifics on where or when the visits will take place.

David said Schwarzenegger had been wanting to take the trip for a couple of years.

Schwarzenegger entered the Austrian army in 1965 for his compulsory year of service, but temporarily went AWOL during basic training so he could compete in a bodybuilding competition. He won, and later returned to his base.

The governor still owns an Austrian tank and last year had it shipped to California from an Ohio museum.

KPCC wire services contributed to this story.

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