Nebraska program offers veterans chance to exchange tanks for farm equipment

Soldiers returning from areas of conflict may consider trading their combat boots for the cowboy kind.
Soldiers returning from areas of conflict may consider trading their combat boots for the cowboy kind.
Having come back from serving in the military, some veterans may find the transition into civilian life difficult, especially when it comes to finding a job.

However, they may consider trading in their military wheels for a life with farm equipment. According to a report from ABC News, the University of Nebraska's College of Technical Agriculture has a program to help train veterans to become ranchers and farmers.

The program, known as Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots, was the result of a cooperative effort between the school and Garret Dwyer, a rancher who has also served as a member of the Marines in Iraq. He noticed that the training and discipline that come with military training can also be applied to farm work.

Rural areas in general have experienced their own difficulties when it comes to employment, especially as farms close down and young people move to cities to find work. The USDA is looking at ways to grow economies in these areas in order to give people an incentive to stay.ADNFCR-2034-ID-19887477-ADNFCR