If you're a veteran or have a veteran in your family, you know that the job market for those formerly in the military can be worse than for civilians.

In Maryland, the 8.9 percent unemployment rate among the 28,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is higher than the state’s overall average.

Veterans often get preference in hiring from government agencies but it's still tough out there.

Patch has begun telling some of the stories of the struggles of veterans facing fewer employment opportunities, and the successes, too.

We want to do more.

If you are a veteran and are looking for work, we invite you to contact us so we can put your job search information on our sites. We'll feature you in your hometown Patch among hometown employers.

We'll also give you a chance to say in narrative form what you're looking for in a job and what you have to offer.

A Patch editor will ask you four questions:

1. Name, rank, age, town, brief work/service history.
2. What expertise did you develop in your service in branch of service/location?
3. What was your greatest accomplishment in the service? Or what are you most proud of in your service?
4. What are you looking for in a civilian job?

If you are a veteran looking for work or know of one, we urge you to contact us.

Simply email your local Patch editor, Sean Welsh at sean.welsh@patch.com

We look forward to hearing from you.