Print & Post: Week of December 28, 2009
The new 2010 American Legion "Flag & Emblem" catalog has more than 70 new items for the entire Legion family, along with brand new offerings for American Legion Riders. Some of the new items available for 2010 include branch of service Challenge Coins, branch of service ties and caps, Lady Legion shirts, Legion Riders leather vests, chaps and caps, Boys State caps and polar fleece tops. Nearly 85,000 catalogs have been mailed to members. Additional copies of the catalog are available by calling toll-free, (888) 453-4466. Most catalog items can be ordered 24 hours a day online at the American Legion's (http://www.emblem.legion.org/) Emblem Sales webpage.
Social Security Benefits Wounded Warriors
The Social Security Administration (SSA) honors our nation's military personnel by offering expedited processing of disability claims from Social Security. Benefits available through Social Security differ from Department of Veterans Affairs administered benefits and require a separate application. If you, or someone you know, were wounded while on active duty in the military, find out more about what Social Security can do for you by visiting the (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors) SSA Wounded Warrior website. To learn more about Social Security for veterans, read a copy of the SSA publication, Military Service and Social Security. You can find it online at (blocked::http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10017.html href=) www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10017.html or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to request a free copy.
CCNY Helps Warriors Become Students
On Friday, January 8, City College of New York (CCNY) will welcome members of the famed "Fighting 69th" Infantry Regiment, a unit of the New York Army National Guard, to a "Veterans' Social," 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in The Great Hall. The event, which will also be attended by student veterans from CCNY and other CUNY colleges, is part of a CCNY initiative to reach out to servicemen and women eager to continue their education after military life. A highlight of the event will be a special presentation of The City College of New York Public Service Award to Jerome Kohlberg, a World War II veteran. For more information visit the (http://www1.ccny.cuny.edu/advancement/pr/Veterans-Social-with-69th-Regiment.cfm) CCNY website.
Tora Bora Hindsight?
Jamie McIntyre writes in The Line of Departure, "If only the United States had sent a few more troops into Afghanistan at the start of the war, Osama bin Laden would have been caught or killed in 2001. And the course of history would have been changed. The failure to dispatch special operations commandos to hunt for bin Laden when he was cowering in a cave in Tora Bora in December of 01, was 'one of the greatest military blunders in recent U.S. history,' argues my old colleague at CNN Peter Bergen in the current New Republic. Or maybe not." What do you think? Could U.S. troops have captured bin Laden, if they had been sent to Tora Bora? (http://www.lineofdeparture.com/2009/12/21/tora-bora-hindsight/) Read the full article and take the poll now.
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Tips to Making Your Voc-Rehab Plan
Learn from those who have "been there, done that," the best way to put your Voc-Rehab plan together is to work your way backwards from your career goal. This will help ensure you have fully honed your goal and education plan and are ready for your Voc-Rehab meeting. (http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,205650,00.html) Read Ben Krause's full article to learn more about how to achieve a Voc-Rehab win.
Berlin Airlift Exhibit Opens
Retired Col. Gail Halvorsen, the man known fondly as the "Candy Bomber" for his role in the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49, recently cut the ribbon on the Berlin Airlift Exhibit at the Travis Air Museum. "This museum and exhibit remind us of the cost of freedom for us and our friends," says Col. Halvorsen. After traveling to 29 different cities, the exhibit now has a permanent home at the museum. For more information on the museum, including visitor information, visit the (http://www.travisairmuseum.org/) Travis Air Museum website.
For more information on the Berlin Airlift, including educational materials, visit (http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2008/0508_berlin/index.html) DoD's Berlin Airlift webpage , the (http://www.trumanlibrary.org/teacher/berlin.htm) Truman Library website, the (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/airlift) American Experience's Berlin Airlift webpage, the (http://www.german-way.com/airlift.html) Berlin Airlift and Tempelhof Airport webpage, the (http://www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5979) Berlin Candy Bomber Fact Sheet, and the (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1891) Berlin: City Held Hostage Fact Sheet.
Bootcamp for Veterans Expands
The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) announced an expansion of its services to include veterans of the U.S. Coast Guard who have a service-connected disability as a result of their support of Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom. The EBV program is designed to offer training in small business and entrepreneurship to post-9/11 military veterans with disabilities. The program was created by the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in 2007. For more information, visit the (http://whitman.syr.edu/ebv/) Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) website.
Featured Job: Veteran Friendly Employers
Visit Military.com's veteran job board to search thousands of jobs in aerospace, defense, health care, nursing, government, law enforcement, teaching and more. Find the perfect career path for you and connect with military friendly employers today. (http://www.military.com/Careers/Home/0,13373,,00.htm) Click now!
Holiday Travel Stress & Joy
Financial stress doesn't make travel decisions any easier, especially where airfares are necessary. We've been told by the best, if you haven't booked plane tickets by now, prices are high and there are few deals left even for New Year's. (http://www.military.com/holidays/military-families/holiday-travel-stress-joy.html) Get tips on stress free travel.
Lifeline for Vets Extends Hours
The National Veterans Foundation (NVF) announced that it?s extending the hours of its Lifeline for Vets? to aid a growing number of veterans who need help with crisis intervention and resource referrals. The new Lifeline for Vets? hours will be 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., (PST) Monday through Friday. The Lifeline will continue to operate 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.(PST) on weekends. The Lifeline is staffed by trained veterans with access to extensive resources and information to help former servicmembers in need. The Lifeline's toll-free number is 888-777-4443. For more information, visit the (http://www.nvf.org/) National Veterans Foundation website.
Deal of the Week: Up to 87% Off
Limited time offer for US Military. Microsoft Office Standard 2007 for only $49.99. (http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/193507180/direct/01/) Buy now and save up to $349!
Post-9/11 GI Bill Tuition and Fee Rate
Unlike the Montgomery GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay your tuition and fees directly to the school. This payment rate is capped at the tuition and fees rate for the most expensive in-state public college undergraduate tuition and fees for the state of enrollment - the school's state not yours. (http://www.military.com/money-for-school/gi-bill/find-your-new-gi-bill-tuition-and-fee-rate?ESRC=mr.nl) Get the state breakdown here.
Need to find a military friendly school? Military.com has hundreds of schools that offer college credit for service and may offer tuition discounts and grants to servicemembers. () ">Search schools now.
If you only qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill, you can get the (http://www.military.com/money-for-school/veteran/gi-bill/veteran-gi-bill-users-guide?ESRC=mr.nl) GI Bill User Guide to make using your benefits even easier.
President Signs Veterans Health Act
President Barack Obama recently signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 into law. The new law will provide timely, predictable funding for the Veterans Health Administration one-year ahead of the regular appropriations process. The text of the new law is available (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1016enr.txt.pdf) online.
Armed Forces Licenses in Ohio
Veterans and servicemembers now have the option of displaying the U.S. Armed Forces symbol on their driver license (DL) or state identification card (ID) through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). There is no additional cost to have the symbol added, other than the normal fees associated with applying for or renewing a DL or ID. The Armed Forces symbol can be added to the DL or ID at any Deputy Registrar. The applicant must submit a copy of his/her DD-214 displaying their military service or honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces. For more information, visit the (http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/) Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website.
Taking the First-Time Homebuyer's Credit
Buy a first home and earn a tax credit of up to $8,000. This provision of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the "stimulus" bill, can put $8,000 in your pocket to help pay for your new digs. Better yet, under legislation signed into law in November 2009, the credit has been expanded and made easier to qualify for. (http://www.military.com/finance/taxes/tt/taking-2009-first-time-homebuyer-credit.html?ESRC=mr.nl) Learn more.
Debt Proofing the Holidays
Military spouse Tara Crooks interviews DebtProofLiving.com's May Hunt about debt proofing the holidays. Regardless of your financial situation, the mission at Debt-Proof Living is to provide hope, help and realistic solutions for those striving to be financially responsible. Check out the following Military.com Podcast to learn how you can debt proof your holiday season. (http://www.military.com/holidays/military-families/debt-proofing-holidays.html) Click here.
