CUMBERLAND - J.R. Rodrigues of northern Cumberland is not a veteran, he's not a career counselor and he isn't retired with lots of time of his hands.

Still, he has launched what he hopes will be a nationwide network of career professionals with the specific goal of reducing the 22 percent unemployment rate among returning veterans.

He named it Jobless Warrior and is seeking volunteers to lend a hand as career coaches, resume writers, recruiters, job networking group leaders, employers, "and anyone else in private industry who are able to help returning military veterans to navigate today's complex job market."

They're asked to sign up now on his JoblessWarrior.org website.

"While we have all been worried about an 8 percent to 9 percent national unemployment rate," said Rodrigues, "I believe that most Americans will be devastated to learn that our returning military heroes face unemployment rates as high as 21.9 percent.

"It is a disgraceful and unacceptable situation."

Rodrigues, a 14-year resident of Cumberland, is self-employed in the high-tech sales and marketing field and is funding this effort that relies entirely on volunteers.

"We're not raising funds," he says, "we're raising friends."

Started in earnest just a few weeks ago, the effort, says Rodrigues, has drawn the interest of 40 or so of his own friends and contacts in the career-building professions around the country. He says he'll need hundreds. But adds that he's finding that when it comes to today's returning soldiers - unlike his friends who came back from Vietnam - "there's an untapped reservoir of goodwill" among professionals willing to help.

Rodrigues says it was a newspaper story of a homeless, jobless soldier from Pawtucket who prompted this effort.

He realized, he said, he has the skills to create a website, friends in the career coaching and resume writing business, and a background of working with nonprofits.

His research suggested that while plenty of groups are trying to match veterans to jobs, no one is taking the longer view of helping soldiers develop career goals for their lives.

"They're just taking the first job they can get," suggests Rodrigues.

More volunteers are needed now in all career search industry sectors. Once enough volunteers have signed on, the Jobless Warrior service will go live for all unemployed or underemployed military veterans.

Interested career professionals and other private citizens or organizations can visit joblesswarrior.org to sign-up, or send an e-mail to info@joblesswarrior.org .