Everyone knows war’s dangerous, but seeing just how close troops come to death on a daily basis drives that point home.
All it takes is a few inches, a few more seconds, or even a few more millimeters of armor to make the difference between breathing your last and making it home.
Check out these top 10 close calls and see a fragment of how harrowing a war zone can be.”
Americans celebrate the birth of their nation as July 4, 1776, but the Army is actually the country’s “big brother.”
Which makes sense, considering the Continental Army of 1775 — led by future President George Washington — needed to start beating the British in the colonies so Thomas Jefferson could finally get some time to write.
For seven little-known facts about the Army, see this Under the Radar post.
For more Army news and resources, visit Military.com’s Army section.
Thinking of buying or refinancing?
Don’t wait until rates rise.
Qualified borrowers can pay as little as $0 down, no PMI payments, plus they can get financing up to $417,000.
The House recently passed two pieces of VA reform legislation. The VA Accountability Act of 2015 passed with a vote of 256 – 170.
The Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 passed with a vote of 385 – 34. A statement by House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller on both of these bills is available on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs website.
For more on military legislation that affects service members and veterans, and to contact your local representatives, visit theMilitary.com Legislative Center.
Defense officials appear ready to ask Congress to repeal a law that commissaries must sell products at cost plus five percent, a formula that for decades has ensured commissary shoppers everywhere pay the same prices.
Officials have drafted a replacement formula that would allow prices to vary from store to store to meet a new twin goal: reducing taxpayer support for commissaries while maintaining still attractive savings for patrons.
Variable pricing would seek to keep savings consistent across the commissary system by pegging local commissary prices for a market basket of goods at some target percentage level below prices of “lowest-price” competitors nearby such as Wal-Mart stores.
For more details, see this Military Advantage blog post.
For more on discounts for military members, families and veterans, visit the Military.com Discount Center.
Washington D.C. – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today launched two new no-cost training programs, Accelerated Learning Programs (ALP) and VA Learning Hubs, to help transitioning Servicemembers and Veterans from all eras learn skills, earn credentials, and advance in civilian careers following separation from service.
ALPs and Learning Hubs are part of VA’s Veterans Economic Communities Initiative (VECI), promoting education and employment opportunities for Veterans through integrated networks of support in 50 cities. VA launched the VECI program in response to President Obama’s August 2014 challenge to help Veterans and families integrate with their communities and find meaningful jobs that can lead to economic success. Under VA Secretary Robert McDonald’s MyVA transformation, VECI is now in place in cities across the United States.
“My message to transitioning Servicemembers is simple: Plan early and stay engaged, because transition is the mission,” said McDonald. “These two new resources provide no-cost opportunities for our transitioning Servicemembers and Veterans to learn new skills and earn credentials, which can increase their competitiveness during their transition.”
ALPs offer transitioning Servicemembers and Veterans the opportunity to build on their world-class training and technical skills gained through their military service, and earn certifications in high-demand fields.
VA is piloting ALPs this summer with seven courses focusing on building skills and certifications needed to advance in high-demand careers in information technology (IT), as part of the President’s TechHire initiative. Each ALP course is offered at no cost and includes free referral and support services.
The first ALP cohort includes seven courses covering a range of IT-related topics, including:
Transitioning Servicemembers and Veterans from any era are invited to apply to their choice of courses.
Applications will be accepted starting August 17, 2015 – seats in the pilot cohort are limited; applicants are encouraged to apply early. ALPs do not involve use of the Post-9/11 GI Bill.. Students are able to participate in these programs while also pursuing other programs of study using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
Visit the ALP website to learn more about each program and apply.
VA is also launching Learning Hubs in 27 cities across the country this year in partnership with the American Red Cross, The Mission Continues and Coursera, an online education platform.
Transitioning Servicemembers and Veterans can take advantage of both online and in-person study. Each week, online course modules will be completed outside the classroom while class sessions, led by Learning Hub facilitators, provide opportunities to discuss course materials with peers, hear from subject matter experts, and network. Upon completion of the program, Servicemembers and Veterans may elect to receive one free verified certificate issued by Coursera.
For more information about the VECI or to learn more about VA ALPs and Learning Hubs, contact VeteranEmployment.vbaco@va.gov.
SOURCE: VA News Release
Mobile Vet Center arriving on Campus
Clearwater Campus
Wednesday, 8/12/15
9:00-Noon
Quad area in front of Library
Open to all students, faculty, staff and community
MVC offers:
Presents
Art Portrait Presentation
By CWO2 Artist Greg Crumbly to 100 Year Old MSG Willie Rogers: Tuskegee Airman
19 Aug 5:00pm
St Petersburg Museum of History
For more information, click here.
Colleagues, Servicemembers and Fellow Veterans,
* Are you interested in expanding your professional skills in a high-demand field?
* Do you want to make yourself more competitive in the job market?
* Are you looking to earn more without spending more?
At VA we are committed to finding new ways to help you connect with a meaningful career. That’s why we recently launched a pilot program to offer Servicemembers and Veterans no-cost Accelerated Learning Programs (ALPs) in the Information Technology (IT) industry.
Why IT? The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there is a current deficit of over 200,000 qualified workers in the IT field, and projects there will be 1.4 million new IT jobs by 2020, with only 400,000 workers with the necessary skills to fill them.
By participating in an ALP, you can quickly gain skills and certifications that will help you begin or advance a career in IT. These ALPs take no more than six months to complete and allow you to learn online or in the classroom. You will also receive job placement services to connect you with IT employers. All ALPs are available to Veterans of all service eras, at no cost and without using GI Bill(r) benefits.
You can choose the ALP that is right for you based on your experience, location, and learning style.
Applications will be accepted beginning August 17, 2015, but seats are limited so apply early!
To learn more and apply visit here.
At the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), their primary focus is helping people get to work.
This includes military on active duty, veterans of our armed forces and their spouses.
DBPR has several military assistance programs in place to assist these individuals with the licensing process in Florida, whether a spouse needs help applying for a state license after being transferred to Florida, an active duty military member plans to keep his or her license current during a deployment, or a veteran is trying to obtain a license with experience earned during his or her years of service to our country.
This message is to help spread awareness about the many military assistance programs offered by DBPR, including temporary licenses for military spouses, various fee waivers, exemptions from renewal requirements and license testing offered at military bases worldwide.
Please feel free to share this short DBPR Military Services video highlighting the programs DBPR has in place for active duty military members, military spouses and veterans of our armed forces.
For more information about all of the military assistance programs in place, visit www.myfloridalicense.com/Military.
Together, we can make Florida the most military-friendly state in the country.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly, and helping improve the lives of our brave service members and their families is the least we can do repay them for the endless sacrifices they have made for us.
Contact Ken Lawson (DBPR Secretary) for any further information:
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 3239
(850) 413-0755