Military veterans can qualify for over $3,000 in benefits from the VA. If you're a disabled veteran, use the following disability compensation rate table to determine how much financial assistance you can receive from the VA. These rates took effect on Dec. 1, 2016. Rates (No Dependents): 10% - 20% Basic Rates - 10%-100% Combined Degree Only Without Children With Children 30% - 60% 30% - 6… Full Article
"To prosper economically and to improve relations with other countries, Americans need to read, speak and understand other languages," Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, declared at the Foreign Language Summit, in 2010. Only about 18 percent of Americans report speaking a language other than English, while 53 percent of Europeans can converse in a second language. Learning another language is hard work, … Full Article
Everyone on active duty and many guard personnel and reservists are enrolled in Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI), but, after the military, how do you guarantee that your family is financially secure if something were to happen to you? Below are a variety of life insurance policies to consider in the civilian world after you've separated from the military. Veterans Group Life Insurance When you sep… Full Article
Celebrate the New Year knowing that it is becoming much more difficult for fraudulent educational services and schools to scam veterans out of their GI Bill benefits. Last month, the VA officially announced their ownership of the term GI Bill, which will greatly cut down on the ways in which non-government affiliated companies can use the term in marketing. The Problem Why all the hubbub about for-profit schools … Full Article
Basic allowance for housing (BAH) got a boost for 2013. Starting Jan. 1, 2013 BAH will rise an average of 3.8 percent. For service members, that means an average increase of about $60 for BAH. BAH is paid to service members who live in the U.S. off base or in privatized base housing. About one million service members receive the allowance, which is in place to cover the total cost of housing for median rental housin… Full Article
Today, as I prepare to graduate from college, I decided to sit down and reflect on the journey I took to get here. I want to share my story with you in the hopes that you find inspiration. When it came time for me to transition out of the Army I was like any other soldier — nervous and a bit lost. I had no job lined up and no place to move to after ETSing. My now ex-wife had decided that working in Iraq as a contr… Full Article
The nearly 70-year-old VA home loan program hit an incredible milestone recently, guarantying its 20 millionth mortgage since 1944. The historic loan guaranteed a home in Woodbridge, Va., for the surviving spouse of an Iraq War veteran who died in 2010. "The 20 millionth VA home loan is a major milestone and is a testament to VA’s commitment to support and enhance the lives of veterans, service members, thei… Full Article
Any legislation aimed at helping veterans is good legislation, especially those veterans who struggle with homelessness. The House of Representatives has passed the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2012 (H.R. 6361). The act, introduced by Representives Joe Heck, R-Nev., Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, Judy Biggert, R-Ill., and Al Green, R-Texas, "would remove an unnecessary barrier that prevents our disabled … Full Article
Face paint isn't just for looks anymore. Recently, U.S. researchers have developed a camouflage face paint that can withstand the heat from a bomb blast and protect soldiers from severe burns during combat. The face paint that soldiers have used makes the radiative heat from bomb blasts worse because it contains oil and wax, according to a Gizmodo article. Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi wer… Full Article
As many active and veteran service members know, navigating the claims process at the Department of Veterans Affairs can be a confusing and daunting process. Jeff Stoffer, director of the magazine division at the American Legion, said “one of the biggest issues facing the VA right now, and frankly our service officers, is the heavy volume of benefits claims applications due to the drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan… Full Article