Hundreds of Louisiana servicemen and women are looking for work this Veterans Day — including many who were wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, state officials say.

With the election of Barack Obama as president, more troops may soon be returning to Louisiana’s work force.

“We expect a flood of (veterans), possibly in the next 90 days, perhaps in the next six to 18 months, depending on the new president and his foreign policies,” said Hal Brown, a state-hired veterans employer representative in New Orleans, with 22 years experience in helping veterans find jobs.

Retired Sgt. Maj. Issac Gilliard Jr., a Marine Corps veteran wounded in combat in Vietnam, worried aloud over the job prospects for Iraq veterans Friday, as he and members of the Greater New Orleans Veterans Council prepared for Veterans Day ceremonies here Tuesday.

“Some of the (Iraq) veterans I talk to around the state say it’s very difficult to get a job,” Gilliard said. “Some have difficulty holding a job. The combat experience is still fresh in their minds. Most employers don’t have the patience or the wherewithal to help a veteran deal with his disability.” But state officials say they are ready to help both disabled veterans and the employers.

“We all can do something to make a difference to help our veterans,” said Roseland Starks, director of Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, an agency of the state Department of Social Services.

There are 325,992 active-duty Louisiana veterans. Of that number, 1,727 were veterans with service-related disabilities who applied to the state rehabilitation agency for help finding and retaining employment, according to LRS figures through June 30.

Of that total, 618 suffered hearing impairments or deafness; 523 were physically disabled; 458 are coping with mental impairments, such as post-traumatic stress; 49 were blind or visually impaired; 13 had difficulty communicating with others; nine report respiratory ailments.

But regardless of their disability, all of the veterans want to work, LRS officials said. “They come to us for employment,” Starks said. “Based on their disability, we determine what services are needed for them to re-enter the work force.”

For every one soldier killed, there are 18 soldiers returning home disabled as a result of the Afghanistan war or Iraq war, she said. The three most common disabilities are post-traumatic stress, amputations and traumatic injuries, resulting from improvised explosive device explosions or bomb blasts, Starks said.

“We offer incentives to employers across the state, such as the Work Opportunities Tax Credit, which is up to 40 percent of $6,000 for the first year’s wage.” Starks said. “That’s $2,400, and that is just for hiring them.”

If an employer hires a veteran and on-the-job training is needed, the state will pay at least half of his or her wages for the first three months as well as provide them the tax credit.

“Our program is not a program of empathy or sympathy — we focus on the ability,” Starks said.