The Department of Labor (DOL) is committed to serving our nation's wounded service members and their families and to strengthen that goal, they've partnered with the Bethesda Naval Medical Center and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines (REALifelines) program. By connecting disabled service members and their families to the national career service system and its partners, REALifelines will ensure the necessary support and assistance is in place for service members and their families to be successful as they return to civilian lives. 

"Our country owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the brave young men and women who have defended our nation with such honor in the Global War on Terror," said Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. "These wounded veterans are to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve and all of us need to do all we can to help them transition successfully to careers in the private sector."

The new program provides comprehensive, person-to-person recovery and employment assistance. The goals of REALifelines are to assist transitioning wounded and injured service members and their families by identifying barriers to employment or reemployment; assist in the development of an Individual Recovery and Reemployment Plan with an employment outcome; implementing a national follow-up system to maintain continuity of care; and linking service members and their families with local resources, including professionals in One Stop centers.

A key part of the program will be the services available at DOL's nationwide network of One Stop Career Centers. In addition to assisting wounded veterans, job training and employment services will also be made available to spouses in families that have suffered an active duty casualty, as well as to family members who have temporarily left their jobs to be with their loved ones during recovery.