Check out updates from Congressman David Jolly by clicking here.

Soldiers who have family members with special needs can turn to the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP). EFMP provides community support, housing, medical, educational and personnel services to Army families with an exceptional family member.

An exceptional family member is a spouse, child or dependent parent with any physical, emotional, developmental or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment, therapy, training or counseling. Soldiers initiate enrollment in the program by contacting their nearest Army Medical Treatment Facility EFMP case coordinator.

For more information, visit the Army EFMP website and the Military One Source website.

For more Army news, visit the Military.com Army section.

For more veteran and family support resources, see this Military.com Spouse Channel article.

The Army is looking for Soldiers who want to become part of the cyber branch by earning the cyber operations specialist military occupation specialty or designator 17C.

Soldiers have until Aug. 31 to submit their packet for the first school date.

The 17C MOS is open to every MOS and ranks E-1 through E-8. Training is 12 months and conducted in two phases. Though individuals are designated one functional area, there will be ample opportunities to cross-train in the other associated skill areas.

There is also unmatched potential for additional training. Soldiers should talk with their career counselors and visit the Cyber School’s website (DoD Common Access Card required) for more information.

Soldiers who miss this round’s deadline should have their packet prepared well in advance of the next round, which is yet to be determined.

For more Army news, visit the Military.com Army section.

For more on military education benefits, visit the Military.com Education Center.

Thinking of buying or refinancing? Don’t wait until rates rise.

Qualified borrowers can pay as little as $0 down, no PMI payments.

Plus you can get financing up to $417,000. 

Use your VA Loan Benefit today.

Many of the nation’s largest for-profit college chains have seen enrollments plummet amid investigations into questionable job placement rates and deceptive marketing practices.

One crucial source of revenue, however, has remained a constant: military veterans.

For-profit colleges have collected $8.2 billion from the latest GI Bill since it went into effect in 2009, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of government data.

Those colleges enroll only 8% of all U.S. students but 30% of the 1.4 million veterans who have used the most recent version of the GI Bill.

For more details, see this Military.com article.

Whether you’re just getting introduced to the military life or encountering your latest challenge, it’s always good to keep up with the resources available to military families.

The Military.com spouse team knows that making it in the military isn’t just a matter of willpower.

It’s about arming yourself with the tools and knowledge of the best tips and tricks for military happiness.

It’s about knowing what your resources are and using them.

For an overview on how to best access the help available to you, see this Military.com article.

Bill Wall, a clinical social worker who had served in the military for 30 years, is one of many who advocates service dogs as part of treatment for PTSD.

Wall, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, says, “You can feel a lot more safe with a dog around you… The dog has been trained to pick up on any fear or anxiety you might be feeling. They can actually smell it. The dog then does something to distract you or make you feel less anxious. When you become overloaded, the dog knows it and helps you refocus. Even before you realize you’re overloaded, the dog will pick up on it. For example, if you’re in a crowd of people and you begin showing subtle signs of distress, your dog will try to create a buffer zone around you. The dog is trying to give you a sense of safety.”

For more details, see this Military.com article.

For more on PTSD and treatment options, see this Military.com section.

Digital Edition:

Download and read our all-new September 2015 Digital Edition flip-book!

Reserve & National Guard Magazine for September 2015 is packed with useful and relevant articles to help reservists and guard members make the most of their careers. Read the full digital edition now! 

Open the Digital Edition Now!

This week, the VA reduced the disability claims backlog to 98,535 claims – an 84% reduction from its peak and a historic low. This reduction means that Veterans’ disability claim decisions are being delivered more accurately and efficiently. The faster Veterans receive completed claim decisions, the quicker they can access the benefits they are entitled to.

As we mark this important milestone in VA’s history, we commit to continuing our efforts to improve. We will never waiver in our dedication to providing the best possible service to Veterans, Servicemembers, their families, and Survivors.

Find out more about how VA is improving services to Veterans and what you can do to help us achieve even greater success.

Click here.

Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative Takes Combating Homelessness

To A New Level

Earlier this week, Antoinette Hayes-Triplett, CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI), announced the release of two new tools, iPads and a cost-benefit report, as part of a community-wide effort in combating homelessness in Tampa/Hillsborough County.

Click the link to read the THHI – New Tools Press Release.

Click the link to read the Cypress Landing Cost Benefit Analysis.