After returning this summer from his second deployment to Iraq, Richard Mathews was resolved to delay responsibility and spend a few weeks with just his wife and kids.

“After two tours, six years in the military, it’s time to spend time with the family,” the 32-year-old National Guard soldier said firmly.

But his paid leave is about to run out, he said. And it’s time to make a choice.

“Right now I’m at the end of my relaxing period and it’s coming to, ‘Oh, how am I going to make this go?’” Mathews said with a chuckle.

The Rathdrum veteran could return to his job installing satellites, he said, but he would like to earn more. Tricky to do in North Idaho, where he has only dug up service industry jobs.

“They just don’t support a family,” he said.

So he’s applied for work for an oil company in North Dakota. If that doesn’t pan out, he’ll look where he has to, he said.

Just like the other veterans he’s been talking with, he said.

“I’m just trying to avoid unemployment. I’ve never done unemployment in my life,” Mathews said. “I’m willing to take what I can get.”

National Guard soldiers returning to Idaho understand they’ve been deposited back into a state of economic turmoil, said Robert Shoeman, veterans employment representative with the Idaho Department of Labor.

IDOL Veteran Coordinator Chris Ramos has even estimated that 600 of the 1,500 soldiers from the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team are struggling to find work.

But Shoeman is optimistic for soldiers in North Idaho, he said.

That’s because many who flew back from Iraq this summer have been eager to contact the Department of Labor about developing a plan, he said.

“They’re taking the initiative, being proactive and looking what their options are,” he said.

Shoeman said he has heard from about 80 soldiers across the five northern counties who either don’t have a job to return to, or are planning to go back to school.

Most are still in paid status until the end of the month, some longer due to special circumstances, he added, giving them a little leeway.

Even with that cushion, he said, many have already been taking advantage of the one-on-one job consulting IDOL offers for veterans.

“Really, I see there are quite a few options out there,” Shoeman said.

Some he has met with plan to return to the jobs they left, he said, which federal law requires be held open for them. There has also been interest in going back to school to learn a new trade.

“I’ve been talking with folks who are thinking about possibly CDL training to get a certified driver’s license, folks who are interested in training in law enforcement,” Shoeman said.

Many, he added, have spoken of going to work in the oil fields in North Dakota, luring folks hard-up for cash from across the nation.

“That’s definitely something that’s come up,” Shoeman said. “I’ve probably talked to half a dozen at least exploring that possibility.”

Still, companies like Empire Airlines in Hayden and Ground Force Manufacturing in Post Falls have contacted the Department of Labor about hiring the returned soldiers, Shoeman said.

Tim Komberec, Empire Airlines CEO/president, said his company has been hiring veterans for years because of their discipline.

“Folks that are vets and have been in the military are some of the best candidates we can find,” said Komberec, himself a Vietnam veteran.

His company is looking to hire vets for aviation maintenance and to assist mechanics, he added.

“I wish that I had the jobs where I could hire even more of them,” he said.

Ron Nilson, Ground Force Manufacturing CEO, said 35 percent of his workforce is veterans. With 100 positions to be filled now that the company is expanding, veterans get priority, he added.

“Anybody who sacrifices to leave their family to protect this country, the least I can do as an employer is to provide an opportunity to thank you,” he said.

A steady work schedule can help veterans readjust to society, Shoeman pointed out.

“Obviously they’re used to having a very full schedule,” Shoeman said. “I’ve had a lot of guard members relay that to me, ‘I’m back and I feel I need something to be productive. I just want to be productive. I just want to be a good employee.’”