By KEVIN WIATROWSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 13, 2010

TAMPA - Jonathan Pruden left the Army five years ago. Since then, he has attended a lot of job fairs aimed at veterans.

Many of them were smaller affairs, with more presenters than patrons, he said. So today's Welcome Home America's Heroes event, sponsored by the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, was a welcome surprise.

The Gainesville resident was among hundreds of vets milling about the main floor of the University of South Florida Sun Dome. Visitors had their choice from dozens of booths offering everything from college brochures to chair massages.

"There's a wealth of resources here," said Pruden, who lost his lower right leg to an Iraqi roadside bomb in 2003.

Haley spokeswoman Carolyn Clark said she expected 1,200 people to attend the third annual event. She hoped veterans took away information about schools and VA benefits, and maybe even a job offer.

"People are looking for people who are loyal and can do a job," Clark said.

Buddy Pace was hunting the Sun Dome for a booth sponsored by the FBI.

Pace, 26, of Cocoa, was deployed twice to Iraq as an infantryman with the Marines. Now that he's a civilian again, he's looking for a law enforcement career.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration is at the top of his list for now because he wants to reduce the damage illegal drugs do to children and families.

"I know I can't change the world," Pace said. "But I can at least do a little bit."