Pete Hegseth on 'Real News From The Blaze': U.S. Vets Transitioning Back to Civilian Life Not Easy

The Obama economy has been as tough, if not worse on veterans coming back home, especially those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. With fewer generations currently in the work force having served themselves, it is becoming harder and harder for civilian employers to appreciate veterans' skills and maturity, veterans advocacy groups tell the Los Angeles Times.

The unemployment rate for veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq is 10.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For veterans age 24 and under, the rate is 29.1%, or 12 points higher than for civilians the same age. That compares with 8.2% unemployment nationally, and 7.5% for all veterans.

A survey this year by the advocacy group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America found that a quarter of its members could not find a job to match their skill level, and half said they did not believe employers were open to hiring veterans.

Out of work and having difficulty explaining their skills, over one million veterans have found themselves in prison. The Business Insider reports that in towns close to military bases home to combat units, the ratio of discharged soldiers having a brush with the law is even greater.

Combat veteran Pete Hegseth, former executive director of Vets for Freedom and current Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, appeared on "Real News" Thursday to discuss the difficulties for veterans coming back home.