VOA标准英语2011--US Troops Leave Iraq with Job Concerns

US Troops Leave Iraq with Job Concerns

For American troops leaving Iraq this month, there is a sense of relief but also worry about returning to civilian¹ life and searching for jobs in a weak U.S. economy. U.S. troops along the Iraq-Kuwait border, where thousands have been transiting² on their way home are wondering about their future.

Staff Sergeant³ Brett Bolton, an Air Force truck driver who has served for six years, is now looking at life beyond his deployment⁴ in the Iraq war.

“First thing, it would be just to get a secure job and then I'd like to start a family, me and my wife,” he says.

Jobs in the trucking industry at home are scarce. Staying in the military may not be an option, either.

Bolton is with the 387th Expeditionary Logistics Squadron, a unit created for this war. Clearing troops and equipment from Iraq is the squadron's last mission before it is permanently⁵ deactivated⁶. Most members will go back to military jobs in the U.S., but their futures⁷ are uncertain in the face of coming defense⁸ cuts.

For many troops, the joy of going home is tempered by worries about finding a job.

“Right now the unemployment rate nationwide is through the roof," Bolton says. "I've done my six years. I feel like I've done enough and I want to go back to the civilian world, but right now it's not looking too good for me.”

The Air Force and other branches of the U.S. military have programs to help troops prepare for their job hunts and find ways to apply their wartime skills in civilian settings. The troops' battle now is to start new lives in a troubled economy at home.

They have sacrificed for their country and hope their country will now deliver to them. The U.S. government has made jobs for veterans a priority issue.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 transiting   

通过（transit的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• The effect of the transiting mechanic required reserve system vehicle is low. 准备金制度的传导机制的作用是很低的。
• I was busy transiting to the telescope. 我正忙着旋转望远镜。

3 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

4 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

5 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

6 deactivated   

v.解除动员( deactivate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；复员；使不活动

参考例句：

• \"The brain can be deactivated. It can be yours to command.\" “大脑计算机可以被停止。如果你下达命令的话。” 来自互联网
• He successfully deactivated a nuclear reactor in a laboratory before meltdown. 他成功停用一个核反应堆在实验室之前崩溃。 来自互联网

7 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。