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AOL Joins Military Families Initiative

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - AOL is now one of the many companies to join an initiative spear-headed by First Lady Michelle Obama to help military families.

The main focus of the program is to help returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan make a smoother transition from military into civilian life.

LISTEN: Pat Farnack with Regina Lewis

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(Download the full interview HERE)

"Job placement, and getting the unemployment rate down for returning soldiers and their spouses is of critical importance because it's even higher, their unemployment rates, than the national average," AOL's Regina Lewis told WCBS 880's Pat Farnack.

Lewis said the unemployment rate of returning soldiers is roughly 11 percent and military spouses on average move every 2.9 years.

"They feel like they're perpetually starting over career wise and those unemployed spouses, mostly women, 8.4 percent of them are unemployed and looking for work and that compares to roughly 5.3 percent of civilian wives," Lewis said.

AOL.com has helpful tips and resources on how to find a job and makeover their resume.

 In addition, AOL is donating $1 to Hire Heroes, an organization that helps with career placement for returning soldiers, for every "military badge" that is downloaded on their website.

LINK: AOL Launches Military Families Week

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