Veterans Report - Week of September 22, 2014

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Veterans Report - Week of September 22, 2014

Women Veteran Survey Results Released
The results of the 2013 California Women Veteran Survey, a biennial survey of women veterans living in the state, was recently released. The survey found that overall awareness about state veteran benefits was low among respondents and knowledge varied across demographic and service-related characteristics. More than one-third of respondents who reported not using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare indicated they did not know they were eligible for coverage. This conclusion is consistent with results from previous iterations of the California Women Veteran Survey as well as recent reports by the California State Auditor and Little Hoover Commission. The full report is available (http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/14/14-002.pdf) online.
For more veterans benefits info and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


Organizations Help Veterans Transition
Two organizations help veterans as they transition to the workplace. Silhouettes for VETS Inc. in West Hills, Calif., is an organization which, at no cost to veterans, empowers them from transition until they settle into the civilian workplace. Jobless Warrior is an all-volunteer operation in Cumberland, R.I. that matches veterans with coaches. Jobless Warrior also does not charge veterans for its services. For more information, visit the (https://www.facebook.com/silhouettesforvets) Silhouettes for Vets Facebook page and the (http://joblesswarrior.org) Jobless Warrior website.
For veteran job fair listings, job postings and transition advice, visit the (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs) Military.com Veteran Jobs Center.


Veterans Parade Participants Sought
The 2014 Connecticut Veterans Parade is seeking participants for this year's parade. The 15th annual procession will begin on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 12:30 p.m. near the Connecticut State Capitol Building in Hartford and will march through the downtown area. Approximately 3,000 people march or ride every year in the parade making it the largest veterans' parade in New England. To register to march or volunteer in the parade or learn more about becoming a parade sponsor, visit the 2014 Connecticut Veterans Parade website at (http://www.ctveteransparade.org) www.ctveteransparade.org or call the Parade Info Phone at 860-986-7254.


Discounted Tickets for Seaworld
Seaworld Parks and Entertainment is offering a special discount to active duty, retired and honorably discharged military members through its "Waves of Honor" program. Through Oct. 26, eligible military members can purchase single-day tickets to any Seaworld Parks and Entertainment park, including (http://www.military.com/discounts/) Busch Gardens Williamsburg, at a 50 percent discount. Active duty, retired and honorably discharged military members, may purchase up to six tickets at the discounted price. The discounted tickets may be purchased online through the (http://www.military.com/discounts/) Military.com Discount Center or at MWR locations. Valid ID is required.


Sources for Suicide Prevention
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death for Americans, and military veterans make up 20 percent of suicide deaths each year. Vets4Warriors is a free, confidential peer-to-peer support service. The Vets4Warriors call center is staffed by veterans and family members representing all branches of the services. You can connect with them anytime by phone (1-855-838-8255), by online chat on the Vets4Warriors website at (http://www.vets4warriors.com/) Vets4Warriors.com, or by e-mail at (mailto:Info@Vets4Warriors.com) Info@Vets4Warriors.com. In more urgent situations, if someone you know is in distress or may be contemplating suicide, they can contact the Military Crisis Line immediately via phone, online chat, or text message. Just call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1; visit (http://www.militarycrisisline.net/) www.militarycrisisline.net; or text 838255. Trained professionals are always there -- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For more mental health guides and tips, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/vetera ... d-wellness) Military.com Mental Health and Wellness section.


Match Your Skills with Jobs at Office Depot
Integrity, Accountability, Innovation, Teamwork and Respect. These values are deeply embedded into Office Depot's corporate culture. They drive our actions on a daily basis and set the foundation for what we seek in the people we hire and in the teams we build. And that's why, now more than ever, we want you to join our team. (http://www.military.com/veteran-employe ... =vr0922.nl) Learn more.


Veteran Hall of Fame Deadline Extended
The deadline to submit nominations for the Connecticut Veterans' Hall of Fame has been extended to Oct. 1. To be nominated, a nominee must have been born or have resided in Connecticut for at least five years and must have received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces, among other requirements. For more information about the Connecticut Veterans' Hall of Fame, its nomination guidelines, and to nominate someone, download (http://www.ct.gov/ctva/lib/ctva/Veteran ... 2_2014.pdf) the Connecticut Veterans' Hall of Fame nomination packet.
For more military news updates, visit the (http://www.military.com/daily-news) Military.com News Center.


8 Great Care Package Ideas
We often receive questions asking for advice and help with ideas for care packages: what to create, what to put in them, and how to ship certain items. With input from military spouses and significant others, we've put together a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. For more details, see (http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2014/09/care ... ideas.html) this article in Spousebuzz.


VA to Release Apps
This fall, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to release new mobile health applications aimed at helping veterans access and manage their health records. The two mobile applications will be versions of desktop applications currently available via a VA health portal, called My (https://www.myhealth.va.gov/index.html) MyHealtheVet. The soon-to-be-released apps are (1) Summary of Care, which gives veterans access to their electronic health records; and (2) the mobile Blue Button, which will allow veterans to create a PDF and share their health data with providers. VA plans to launch an app store this fall that will house all of the new mobile apps.
For more veterans benefits info and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


New PTSD Guidance May Allow Benefits
The Department of Defense has announced that some veterans may be allowed an upgrade of "less than honorable" discharges if undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may have been a factor in problems during their time of service. Supplemental guidance will be issued to Military Department Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records (BCM/NR) when considering petitions for discharge upgrades made by veterans claiming PTSD. This may especially affect Vietnam veterans who have petitioned BCM/NR to upgrade discharges based on unrecognized PTSD, which may not have been diagnosed until decades following the veteran's period of service. The supplemental guidance is available (http://www.defense.gov/news/OSD009883-14.pdf) online.
For more mental health guides and tips, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/vetera ... d-wellness) Military.com Mental Health and Wellness section.


Discharge Upgrades for Vets with PTSD
As many as 80,000 veterans who suffered from post-traumatic stress and received Other Than Honorable discharges can use evidence of their PTSD to petition service boards to upgrade the bad paper discharge. At stake for individuals is removal of lifelong stigmas that have scarred reputations, limited job prospects and blocked critical veteran benefits.
(http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2 ... -upgrades/) Read this week's Military Update for more details.


VA Reform Law May Lower Tuition for Vets
A federal law passed earlier this month directing a massive $16.3-billion overhaul of the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs health care system also aims to put pressure on colleges to lower education costs for veterans. The law, called the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act, bars the VA from paying education assistance to colleges that charge veterans more than in-state tuition rates.
(http://www.military.com/education/2014/ ... ition.html) Read more in the Militaray.com Education Center.


$400k Financial Security from $36 a Month
Protect your family's financial future for just $36 a Month. Get $400k Coverage from just $36 a month. (http://www.military.com/insurance/?lpid ... rvr0922.nl) Could your family survive if something happened to you?


Use Your VA Loan Now, While Rates are Still Low
Now is the time to use your VA Loan. You don't have to pay PMI or have a large down payment. Plus you can get financing up to $417,000. (https://secure.military.com/leads/VALoa ... rvr0922.nl) Use your VA Loan Benefit today.
(http://www.military.com/money/va-loans?ESRC=mrvr0922.nl) Want more information about this great benefit?


Fitness Careers for Veterans
Many fitness clubs are reaching out to veterans to fill important job positions. Gold's Gym partnered with the Veterans Fitness Career College two years ago to assist veterans looking for jobs in the fitness industry. One of the top 100 military-friendly employers, 24 Hour Fitness publically lauds veterans for their ability to motivate and hires them whenever they can. Veterans also have access to the Salute You Scholarship, a program started by the American Council on Exercise which provides 1,000 veterans each year free materials, tutoring, and registration to become a certified personal trainer through the organization. For more on fitness career options, see (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/ca ... reers.html) this Military.com article and visit the (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs) Military.com Veteran Jobs Center for more veteran job tips and job postings.


Veterans' Stand Down in Delaware
The Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs has announced the Delaware 2014 Veterans' Stand Down on October 3, Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Walter L. Fox Post #2 American Legion on 835 Bay Road, Dover, Delaware 19901. The stand down will provide services to homeless veterans such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services. There will be a hot lunch at the event and transportation is provided at key pick-up locations.
For more veterans benefits info and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


VA Secretary Outlines Improvement Plan
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert A. McDonald met today with the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees to affirm his commitment to working together to better serve Veterans. McDonald outlined his (http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/wp-cont ... _Final.pdf) Road to Veteran's Day, a series of strategies and actions that will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to rebuild trust with Veterans and the American people, improve service delivery, and set the course for long-term excellence and reform. A Veterans Day Fact Sheet is available on the (http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/wp-cont ... _Final.pdf) VA website.
For more veterans benefits info and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


Report Looks at Veteran Smoking
A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that veterans are less likely to implement rules about having a smoke-free home when compared to nonveteran civilians. Smoke-free home rules are policies adopted by household members or landlords that restrict or ban cigarette smoking inside the home. This finding, combined with the higher rates of smoking among veterans may contribute to a prior finding that veterans are more likely to report poor or fair health and experience two or more chronic conditions than their non-military peers. The report is available on (http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/fu ... 014.301975) the American Journal of Public Health website.


Best Colleges for Veterans
To provide military veterans and active-duty servicemembers with data on which top-ranked schools offer benefits that can help them pursue a college education, U.S. News has produced the (http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandrevie ... s/veterans) Best Colleges for Veterans rankings for a second year. There were ​​​​​​​​​​311 ranked schools across 10 separate ranking categories. The Best Colleges for Veterans rankings are available (http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandrevie ... s/veterans) online. For more information, visit the (http://www.usnews.com/education/best-co ... ethodology) U.S. News and World Report website.
For more on military education benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/education) Military.com Education section.


Accelerated Learning Programs for Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is introducing a plan to incorporate Accelerated Learning Programs (ALP) as a way to bridge the gap between veterans' separation from service and successful civilian employment outcomes. ALP learning is a non-traditional form of education that employs, and incorporates, varied learning styles. Preliminary research by VA which focused on information technology (IT) training as an in-demand, high-growth industry, suggests that accelerated learning could provide a viable alternative that may yield employment opportunities for some veterans. VA is developing a strategy to leverage accelerated learning and test its effectiveness for veterans in projects over the next two years.
For more veteran job fair listings, job postings and transition advice, visit the (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs) Military.com Veteran Jobs Center.


Tee Off and Support Veterans
The Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) is hosting a golf tournament on Monday, Jan. 26 at Black Gold Golf Club in Yorba Linda, CA. The event will take place during CCME's 2015 Professional Development Symposium. Tickets can be purchased as an individual, or with golf package and sponsorships. All proceeds raised will go to Volunteers of America of Los Angeles/Supportive Services for Veteran Families. To learn more about the golf tournament and sponsorship opportunities, please visit (http://ccmeonline.org/) ccmeonline.org or email tournament chair Joycelyn Groot at (mailto:events@ccmeonline.org) events@ccmeonline.org.


Saving Lives: Suicide Prevention in the Military
Recently Military.com, with the support of Disabled American Veterans (DAV), hosted a video conference with experts from DAV, VA, the American Legion and the Army to address the critical issue of suicide prevention, including how to reach out for help, and details on services available to all who suffer from emotional distress. The full session is available online at (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mje321WNySc) YouTube and available for all to view.
For more mental health guides and tips, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/vetera ... d-wellness) Military.com Mental Health and Wellness section.


DoD Offers Hotline
The DoD Inspector General (IG) operates a Hotline that has been instrumental in changing policies, uncovering fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement and in helping the government save money. Those using it can identify themselves or remain anonymous. The hotline is 800-424-9098(Toll-Free), 664-8799(DSN). For more information, visit the DoD Inspector General Hotline webpage at (http://www.dodig.mil/hotline/) www.dodig.mil/hotline.


Marine Corps Announces Ribbon
The Secretary of the Navy has established the Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon which will be formally announced soon. This special duty assignment ribbon will recognize the service of drill instructors, recruiters, and Marine Security Guards. To be eligible for the ribbon, Marines serving in an MOS 0913 billet must remain qualified as a combat instructor and successfully complete a tour of duty. Additionally, School of Infantry billets containing the word "instructor" are eligible if they possess and maintain the 0913 MOS for the duration of their tour. Other specifically listed billets in the Advanced Infantry Training Battalions, and specific leadership billets in SOI East or West, including subordinate battalions, are also eligible. The new ribbon may be awarded retroactively to all Marines with qualifying service beginning on or after Oct. 9, 2002.
For more Marine Corps news updates, visit the (http://www.military.com/daily-news) Military.com News Center.