LIFE AFTER SERVICE
A Veterans Day message from Sen. Reed
Trampus Miller lost a leg to an improvised bomb in Iraq in 2008. His recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center took three and a half years and more than 100 surgeries. Later, he attended a deer hunt through Jason's Box, a Paris, Kentucky, nonprofit that provides free outdoor activities for severely injured veterans.
Miller recalled “just realizing you’re not alone” during that first hunt. He stayed on as a volunteer and now helps coordinate activities for other veterans.
Miller found something that mattered to him and chose to help make it available to someone else.
After more than 22 years in the Navy, retiring as a senior chief with the SEAL Teams, I know how challenging it is to go from active service to the civilian side of life. There is no profession that is more intense or demanding than military service. I’ve been fortunate to have started my own successful business here in Shelby County and now I have the privilege of being your state senator. I’ve brought my military service with me to the Senate and advocate on behalf of veterans at every turn.
Veterans Day is a chance to know and understand people like Miller beyond their military service. The years after service hold work and friendships that matter deeply to veterans and the communities they call home.
In the General Assembly, we can help veterans build their civilian lives by removing unnecessary barriers to work and supporting the services they need.
We have supported Kentucky VALOR (Veterans Accelerated Licensure Occupational Recruitment) through successive budget cycles, helping transitioning service members and their spouses connect with Kentucky employers. The program helps them turn military experience into civilian credentials and careers. In its September 2026 update to lawmakers, the program reported nearly 250 placements in Kentucky jobs.
Kentucky law lets eligible veterans and spouses with equivalent out-of-state credentials receive a Kentucky credential within 30 days of a completed application, with public-safety safeguards and other requirements still in place. A separate law allows qualifying military training and experience to count toward licensing requirements. Qualified people should be able to put their skills to work without unnecessary delays.
This year's budget includes $300,000 annually for emergency financial assistance to homeless veterans and funding for additional positions at the Thomson-Hood and Western Kentucky veterans centers. We need to track how these resources are used and whether veterans receive the help they're meant to get.
The rest of us can help in ways state government cannot. Employers can look closely at the experience a veteran brings to an application. Local groups can bring veterans in and let them help shape the work. A personal invitation to join an activity can be a beginning, as Miller's experience shows.
As America marks 250 years of independence, we can be proud of the people who have defended it. We also have a responsibility to care about the lives they build in the country they served.
No veteran owes us another accomplishment. Military service already merits our respect. A veteran may want to start a business, return to school or enjoy a peaceful retirement. We should respect those choices and help when they need support.
Miller’s decision to volunteer helped other veterans take part in those activities. This Veterans Day, I am grateful for the people who make room for a fellow veteran and for every Kentuckian who served. As I enjoy the blessings of family life back here in Kentucky, I want our commonwealth to be a place where any veteran can build the life they dream of.
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Sen. Aaron Reed represents the 7th Senate District, including Anderson, Henry, and Shelby Counties, along with a portion of Jefferson County. He serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Agriculture; Education; Judiciary; and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection. He is also a member of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee and the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee.