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The Challenge of Veteran Unemployment

The United States military is widely regarded as one of the most advanced and well-trained in the world. Despite our military’s size and history of innovation, servicemen and women often struggle to transition into civilian employment once their military careers come to a close. This seems like a contradiction. How can the men and women […]

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A Tribute to Veterans Event

Western Pennsylvania is the proud home of more than 235,000 Veterans of the United States Armed Forces. For nearly 35 years, Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania has been honored to work towards our mission of providing those brave men and women – and their families – with housing, employment, and supportive services. In 2016, […]

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Governor Tom Wolf Recognizes Female Veterans

In honor of Women’s History Month, Governor Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf hosted a second annual event with the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. The event recognized 28 women from Pennsylvania from across the various branches of the military and celebrated their service to our state and our country. Among the honorees was Pauline […]

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STEM Engineering and Construction Camps

Presented by the Society of American Military Experience, Pittsburgh Post SAME, in conjunction with the military services, offers a series of week-long STEM engineering and construction camps designed for high school students (grades 9-11) who excel in math, science and technology courses and who are interested in Engineering, Architecture or related fields in college. Each […]

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A Night Of Thanking Our Troops

Dear Fellow Honorary Commanders: We hope this note finds you well. With everyone’s busy schedules, in lieu of a Holiday party event this year for the class, we have opted to host an event in the week following Veterans Day just before Thanksgiving. WHO: Our program is in existence to educate us all about the […]

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Air Force Community Partnership Process

The Air Force Community Partnership Initiative is a process to leverage military installation and local government capabilities and resources to reduce operating and service costs, or reduce risks, in support of the Air Force mission. Reduced budgets present challenges that require new approaches and new ways of thinking about partnerships. The Air Force Community Partnership […]

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Installation-Community Partnerships: A New Paradigm for Collaborating in the 21st Century

Introduction: Why the Focus on Partnerships Now? As Department of Defense (DoD) budgets shrink rapidly, DoD leaders are looking for revolutionary ways to reduce costs while retaining capabilities critical to their missions. Communities, states, and industry that depend heavily upon DoD for their livelihoods and economies are searching for more efficient operating models that will […]

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MACWPA Forms to Save the 911th

In 1995, we received word that a BRAC—base realignment and closure—was on the table for Pittsburgh’s 911th Airlift Wing, a part of the Air Force Reserve. At this time, the Military Affairs Council of Western Pennsylvania (MACWPA) was not a formal organization. Instead, we were a group of concerned citizens that saw this BRAC as […]

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The Benefits of Military in Western Pennsylvania

An active military presence in any region offers the potential for a win-win between the military and the surrounding community. At MACWPA, our goal is to educate stakeholders at all levels—from citizens to elected officials to commanders—about the opportunities these relationships present and to build bridges wherever possible so that our region continues to grow. […]