Pets often have a major impact on how successfully military veterans heal after physical or mental injuries while serving. However, many retired military servicemembers do not get to keep their beloved four-legged friends due to financial reasons upon returning from deployment. Two military vets, Marine Sgt. Dan Spangler and Army Ranger veteran Joe Trainor, have set out to change this.

Pets give military vets unconditional support after injuries
Spangler and his dog Spanky, along with Trainor and his furry companion C.T., recently started a 6,000-mile trek across the country. According to Fox8, the pair was last seen in Cleveland, Ohio. As a Cleveland native, Spangler is hoping that their journey will resonate with his friends, family and residents in the area. 

The two veterans are out to support military families struggling to keep their pets through a program called Operation Keep Your Spanky. Spangler started the nonprofit organization after returning home from deployment in Iraq in 2003.

He was severely injured after jumping from his truck during gunfire and was sent back to the U.S. for medical treatment. During the painful months of recovery, Spangler adopted his dog Spanky from an animal shelter. They quickly became best friends as Spanky stood by his side while he recovered.

"I don't know where I would be without the companionship that my dog, Spanky, gave me when I came home from Iraq," Spangler explained to Fox8. "I want all veterans to have a Spanky, but it's a sad fact that military veterans often experience financial difficulties where they face the heartbreaking choice of giving up their pets."

Trainor also experienced a traumatic injury while serving in Afghanistan. He was impacted by brain damage which has caused him to go partially blind. Trainor told the news source that he was severely depressed before he met his loyal companion C.T. He feels strongly that his dog saved his life. 

Vets aim to ease financial strains for military families and pets
Spangler and Trainor are hoping that their journey across the U.S. will raise awareness of the positive impact that dogs can have on injured vets and how many are unable to keep theirs because of factors like having to buy food regularly. The vets are aiming to raise money for these families to cover a lot of expensive necessities that come with having a pet.

According to NewsNet5, Spangler is currently focusing specifically on providing food and affordable veterinary care for retired servicemembers and their families. Those who want to donate can contribute a set amount or make per-mile pledges as low as 1 cent. 

"It's going on journeys like this that will do nothing but raise awareness to save more lives in the end," Spangler told NewsNet5. "It all goes back to that sacrifice that we all signed up for in the military to begin with. You know, selfless service. Our duty, our honor, and all we're looking for is the American public to simply look at it and say that this isn't something we're out trying to say it will help veterans, it has," said Trainor.

Trainor and Spangler do not plan on using any of the money they make to help them buy food or shelter along their journey, pledging to give every cent they make to benefit the military families and their pets. Kurgo, a company that provides pet accessories, has already donated harnesses, seat covers and other useful products to Spangler's program. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to hear the nation's best ideas for how to use technology to improve quality of life for veterans with disabilities. 

The VA's new Innovation Creation Series for Prosthetics and Assistive Technologies is a two-month campaign that seeks to gather ideas for innovative ways to solve problems that disabled veterans face every day.  

 "We're reaching out to technology leaders in the corporate world and to the public in order to find creative new solutions to help transform care and quality of life not only for our veterans, but for the public at large," VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald said. "The innovations that come out of this challenge will benefit the veterans we care for and will be open source to help advance American medicine."

The series launched on May 15 in Palo Alto, California. According to Stanford University, guest speakers at the launch included Beijing Paralympics gold-medalist Oscar Sanchez, director of the Center for Women Veterans Elisa Basnight, and White House Maker-In-Residence Stephanie Santoso. 

According to the VA, the organization is calling for innovators to submit ideas to address the following five challenges: 

1. Develop a device that can be put on the end of an upper or lower extremity prosthetic for use in daily life.
2. Create a pillbox with a built-in reminder system that can be used for pills that need to be taken up to eight times a day.
3. Design technology that would change the speed and grip strength of an upper extremity prosthetic. 
4. Develop a video game controller that would provide alternative access for veterans who are using them in therapy. 
5. Create an apparatus to dampen tremors during the performance of tasks that require fine motor skills. 

Solutions to these challenges would give disabled veterans greater autonomy and reduce some of the stress they deal with every day. They could also provide aid to members of the general public who face the same struggles. 

The launch was the beginning of a tour that will cross the country en route to Washington, D.C., where the National Maker Faire takes place on June 12 and 13. The series will then conclude with final judging on July 29 at the Richmond VA Medical Center.

  

Communication is key for families trying to successfully handle deployment. Failing to talk to one another can make separation stressful and overwhelming, especially for the spouses of military servicemembers.

It is important to work together as parents through frequent conversations. Part of the challenge in ensuring that this happens is planning out times to talk. This can require flexibility for those deployed and their families at home. The other task is finding a means of communication that works for everyone. Here are five effective ways to talk with your loved one regularly to feel close to each other and make deployment less stressful. 

1. Letters
Communicating through writing is often thought of as a more traditional form of keeping in contact with someone. However, there is sentimental value in sitting down with a pen and paper and sharing your thoughts and stories. Have the kids write a letter with you and include a drawing that your spouse can hang up while away from home.

Military.com noted that numbering each letter so your spouse knows which ones to read first will prevent any problems from occurring if the mail arrives at a slower pace than you write, as this is one of the reasons why people tend to choose other forms of communication during deployment.

2. Skype or FaceTime
If your spouse has access to a laptop or smartphone with Wi-Fi, FaceTime and Skype are effective ways to communicate regularly. They are completely free and combine the personal touch of a phone call with face-to-face interaction. Plan a time when all of the kids can gather around the computer and say hello to their mom or dad. Even a few minutes a day can drastically improve how up to date you are with each other's lives.  

3. Phone
There's nothing more personal than hearing your loved one's voice after being away from each other for a long time. Phone calls are the perfect form of communication for special occasions, such as birthdays or holidays. Children will also get very excited at the idea of hearing their parent's voice and catching him or her up on their lives in real time.

However, as long-distance phone calls can be very expensive, it may be best to save them just for these occasions. It is also a good idea to check with your phone company for military discounts, as many major businesses offer these to make communication less expensive for military families.

4. Email
Email is one of the fastest ways to communicate with your loved one during active duty. You and your children can quickly share experiences that he or she missed. They can also attach photographs and videos to give him or her visuals. Just make sure that your spouse has service wherever he or she is deployed. Many email servers show when the message has been opened and read so you can confirm that your spouse received your note.

5. Care packages
Parents magazine recommended care packages as another great way to keep in touch with loved ones on special occasions. On your spouse's birthday, for example, it can be nice to send a care package filled with his or her favorite snacks and items that he or she may miss while away, such as home-baked cookies.

Including pictures of the family can serve as a pleasant surprise for your spouse who may not have seen the children in a while. Be sure to send the package with plenty of time to arrive if you are sending it for a special date to make sure it gets there in time.

Life after the military can be challenging. But innovative individuals and companies are creating apps that make it a little easier to be a veteran in the U.S.

1. POS REP
Short for Position Report, the goal of this app is to connect veterans with other service members in their area. According to the POS REP website, the creators were inspired to create the app to combat the isolation many veterans experience upon reentering civilian life. Former and current members of the military can use the app to chat with, meet and even just stay connected with those dealing with similar challenges after reentry. 

2. Rx Refill
Implemented by the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Rx Refill app is an easy and convenient way for veterans to request prescription refills from their phones. The VA reported that any requested prescriptions will be delivered through the mail by the VA Mail Order Pharmacy. In addition to Rx Refill, the VA offers a number of other mobile apps focused on providing better health care to veterans.

3. Claims Coach
Benefits for veterans can be difficult to navigate. But the Claims Coach app by the American Legion wants to change that by providing step-by-step instructions to filing for VA benefits. The app walks veterans through the application process, helping to ensure that they receive the benefits to which they are entitled. 

4. Hiring Our Heroes
Veterans and their spouses can use the Hiring Our Heroes app to easily access all of the resources provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Hiring Our Heroes' website, as well as any partner websites. The app helps veterans by providing up-to-date resources on brand-building, job searches, mentorship and interviews, such as information on job fairs and helpful tips for every step of the job-searching process. 

Despite the success of recent box-office hits like "Lone Survivor" and "American Sniper," many former and current members of the armed forces find that Hollywood films often rely on stereotypes and dramatic action that give a very limited picture of military life. The GI Film Festival seeks to combat that problem by featuring a large collection of films that testify to the diverse experiences of the American soldier. 

Film festival for soldiers
The 9th annual GI Film Festival began on Monday, May 18, in the D.C. Metro Area. The week-long festival features film viewings, panels and various other events for attendees, according to the GIFF website. While the festival officially began on Monday and will feature events throughout the week, most of the action is scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The GIFF is the first festival in the nation to exclusively use film to share the military experience. With films of varying lengths examining a medley of topics both in and out of war, the GIFF provides a more complete picture of the experiences of servicemembers than what may be seen in more traditional Hollywood-style films. The hope is not only to provide films that past and current military members can relate to, but to better educate the public. 

 "… in a nation where less and less people actually serve in the military, most people don't know what it means to serve," GIFF co-founder Laura Law-Millett told the Washington Post. "By educating the public, it's going to help veterans who are transitioning and returning home and looking for employment. Maybe the person interviewing them or hiring them will have a better understanding of what that veteran has been through. It's really just to bridge that divide between people who have served and people who haven't served." 

A full agenda
This year's festival will include more than 60 films, according to Military Times, and will address everything from historical battles to life after service. Attendees will be able to view projects like "The Haircut," a short film on one of the first women to attend West Point, "Craft in America," a documentary that looks at the healing role of crafts in the military, and the North American premiere of "Kajaki," a film that portrays the true story of the bravery of young British soldiers on Kajaki Dam.   

Over 400 people gathered at the 9/11 Responders Remembered Park in Nesconset, New York, to honor the lives of the first responders who passed away from injuries they developed from serving that day. The granite walls that stretch across the park were engraved with 100 additional names on May 16 as a ceremony took place for all those whose loved ones sacrificed their lives at Ground Zero. 

First responders honored with 9/11 memorial
According to Newsday.com, the memorial wall surrounds 20 feet of the park and reaches 6 feet high. As each name was added to the wall, it was read aloud followed by the ringing of a bell to properly recognize each life sacrificed for the safety of others. The ceremony was established five years ago and has since occurred twice a year, bringing together first responders, families and friends.

"We should be giving thanks to the 100 names we added and the 500 that are on the wall, because they give us validity," John Feal, president of the FealGood Foundation, a nonprofit that helped raise money to build the park, told Newsday.

Throughout the day, visitors stopped by to grieve and reminisce with loved ones during the ceremony, which included acoustic performances, a bagpipe rendition of "God Bless America" and the playing of "Taps."  

Families gather to remember loved ones
Jeanne Stelmok of North Babylon, New York, was one of the many visitors at the ceremony. It was her first time seeing the park where her husband, Scott Stelmok, a retired New York Police Department captain who died after searching for survivors under the debris at Ground Zero, is included in the memorial. He had developed several forms of cancer and passed away in December 2014. Stelmok, her daughter and her mother drew over Scott's name with crayon on paper to take home as a special keepsake. 

"This park stands for the principle that while so many of those first responders no longer stand among us, they will always be remembered and honored for standing up and responding at our nation's most dire moment," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone explained to Newsday.

Long Island News 12 noted that many of the families present said they would be returning to the park regularly to honor their family or friends, emphasizing how important the park is to those who lost someone on 9/11.

One of the major struggles that veterans face during life after service is finding a job. With this is mind, lawmakers in Midland, Michigan, have created a bill that will assist retired veterans in familiarizing themselves with their employment benefits. The bill was established by Sen. Jim Stamas and is currently being passed to Gov.Rick Snyder for consideration. 

A bill to assist veterans after deployment
The legislation would push Michigan's Veterans Affairs Agency to send "welcome home" letters to veterans returning home to Michigan from deployment. The letter would include information, including benefits, that will not only assist them in more smoothly transitioning to civilian life, but also remind them of how the state appreciates their sacrifice.

"Our veterans and their families make tremendous sacrifices to protect our freedoms and way of life, yet many of them face real challenges when returning home from duty," Stamas told MLive. "This reform is part of our ongoing effort to show our appreciation to Michigan's 650,000 veterans by ensuring our state is doing its best to assist their transition into civilian life and new careers."

According to MLive, the Michigan Senate passed Stamas' Senate Bill 52 in March and was recently approved by the Michigan House of Representatives on May 12. The bill is expected to greatly assist veterans, as the letters sent out by the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency will provide useful tools that will lead retired servicemembers to veterans service organizations. The Veterans Affairs Agency is relatively new to the state, as it was established by Executive Reorganization Order 2013-2, which Stamas implemented in 2013.

"We created the state's Veterans Affairs Agency as a one-stop-shop for veterans, and it just makes sense that our outreach to veterans returning home comes from the agency dedicated to them," Stamas explained to the news source.

Stamas has high hopes for new bill
The executive order established in 2013 also assigns the agency the responsibility of serving as the coordinating office for all of the agencies of the executive branch that handles the service programs for veterans. 

"I sponsored this legislation to help better connect veterans with the benefits they earned and employment and education opportunities that can help them live the American Dream that they honorably served to protect," Stamas said.

Both chambers of the Michigan Legislature passed the bill unanimously. Stamas, who represents Michigan's 36th District, including Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Gladwin, Iosco, Midland, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle counties, is confident that Gov. Snyder will show his support for the bill as well. Stamas represented the 98th District in the Michigan House of Representatives for three years and was then elected in 2014 to take the place of U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar for his first term in the Michigan Senate.

Michigan veterans who want to learn more about the bill or have questions pertaining to how the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency works can visit the agency's website for assistance. 

It can be difficult for a military spouse to find work. Whether it is the regular moves, single-parent duties or an attempt to go back to school, spouses often need flexible hours if they are looking to add extra income, something that can be difficult to find in this economy. Luckily, Uber wants to help. 

What it is
Uber is a technology company that matches drivers with people who are seeking rides. Unlike a traditional taxi service, drivers can use their own vehicles and choose their own hours. This makes the company a desirable option for people looking for extra income who are unable to work 9 to 5. 

After announcing its UberMILITARY program, which aimed to help vets and inactive military members earn extra income, in September 2014, Uber is now partnering with military families through the UberMILITARY Families Coalition. The new campaign seeks to help people in this demographic take advantage of the flexible hours offered by the company to earn additional income for their families. 

According to the Uber blog, the company is partnering with Hiring Our Heroes, Blue Star Families, National Military Family Association and American Military Partner Association in the effort to assist military families in the U.S.

"Military spouses face significant challenges with employment due to their service members' frequent moves, and the UberMILITARY program is a unique and innovative way to help address these challenges," said American Military Partner Association President Ashley Broadway-Mack in the AMPA blog. "AMPA is proud to partner with Uber for this program, helping make a difference in the lives of our modern military families who sacrifice so much for our nation."

How it can help
In addition to employment, the Families Coalition will provide rides for military spouses and family members to career fairs and other events, establish alliances with local chapters of the partner organizations and collaborate with the partners to discover new ways to support and empower these families across the country. 

Since initiating the UberMILITARY program eight months ago, Uber reported that drivers in the initiative have already taken home over $35 million and now earn over $1 million a week collectively. 

Military spouses can easily sign up on Uber's website and will be contacted by a company representative.   

Like many soldiers, Desert Storm veteran Phil Ruddock came home from deployment diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. According to his testimonial, the symptoms became so severe that he could no longer work and would just sit at home, angry at the world. But his life changed when a friend brought him a scared, abused pitbull named Mia, and a partnership began.

As Ruddock trained Mia and gained her trust, she in turn would wake him up from nightmares and watch his back when he started to venture off his property again. Through this relationship, Ruddock realized that other vets dealing with PTSD could also benefit from incorporating service dogs into life after service. 

Inspiration from experience
According to Small Business Revolution, Ruddock first started working with existing organizations that provide service animals. But the dogs were often expensive, sometimes carrying a price tag of up to $25,000. It did not make sense to Ruddock that soldiers returning from war with little money should have to pay such an extravagant sum for help. That is where the idea for Brothers and Sisters in Arms Dog Training began.

The nonprofit, founded by Ruddock, is based in Louisiana and aims to improve the life of military veterans, active duty soldiers and any special-needs dependents by providing them with trained service dogs, according to the Brothers and Sisters in Arms website. 

Rather than breed dogs specifically for training, the organization uses calm, teachable shelter dogs that otherwise might be put down. It is a beautiful partnership between a person and a dog who are both looking for healing, and allows for the dogs to be given at no cost to the recipient, reported Small Business Revolution. 

Unlike the majority of service animal organizations, Brothers and Sisters in Arms actively involves the veterans in the training of their animals. By letting the owners train the dog, a stronger bond is created and the owner comes away with a sense of accomplishment that he or she may not have felt since coming back from active service. 

Classes typically run eight weeks and involve the typical training for service dogs, as well as additional commands specifically aimed at helping combat veterans, reported Time magazine. These extra commands include teaching the dog to "block," or create space between their owner and others, and to "cover," or stand at their owner's side or back facing away as a kind of lookout. All classes are one-on-one and taught by veterans, creating a safe environment for the soldier. 

Easing the transition
"When a soldier is deployed or on base, they feel secure because they have all the other soldiers there watching their back. But when they are out of the military, when their spouse goes to work, their kids go to school and they're left alone, they have nobody watching their back," Ruddock told Time. "It makes them very anxious, paranoid. A dog turns out to be their battle buddy and watches their back. It never leaves them, it never judges them, it never asks questions that they don't want to answer. It gives them unconditional love."

Through his work, Ruddock hopes to make a difference in the lives of military families, one soldier and dog at a time. 

You served your country, and now it is time to come home to a different type of duty: your family. Dynamics with your loved ones can be difficult to navigate when returning from deployment. Consider one of these retreats created specifically for military families to help ease the adjustment period. 

Operation Purple Family Retreats
The retreats put on by Operation Purple allow families to learn new communication skills, enjoy the outdoors together and bond with others in similar situations. According to the website, families can take part in a variety of fun activities, from canoeing to birdhouse building, while creating new memories together. The National Military Family Association provides each family with a $200 stipend to help with travel costs. For more information or to apply, visit the NMFA website.

Operation Purple Healing Adventures
These retreats are specifically geared to help families to rediscover fun and intimacy after a member is injured in the line of duty. Through outdoor adventures and specially developed communication strategies, these three-day retreats aim to guide your family after a parent is injured. The healing adventures are free to military families and include food and lodging. Applications can be submitted on the National Military Family Association website. 

Lone Survivor Foundation Retreats
The Lone Survivor Foundation organizes retreats that focus on supporting veterans and service members who struggle with invisible injuries. These can include battles with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and military sexual trauma, among others, that have devastating effects on both the individual and family.The five-day retreats focus on coping skills, education and reducing the stress symptoms. All military backgrounds and branches are welcome, but there is an emphasis on service members and veterans of Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Learn more and fill out the application form at the Lone Survivor Foundation website.

Active Heroes Military Family Retreat Center
If you and your family enjoy camping, consider taking advantage of the Active Heroes Family Retreat Center. Located in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, the 144-acre retreat area is open to the public, as well as military families, allowing current and former servicemen to begin integrating into the public with the safety of military-only "Healing Areas" to retreat to for solitude. Starting in the summer of 2015, the retreat center will be free to military families and outings include a large meal, entertainment and seminars. 

Project Sanctuary
Retreats put on by Project Sanctuary take advantage of the beauty of the Colorado wilderness to help you and your family connect and bond over six days and five nights. Free to military families, the retreats use recreational therapy methods to help bring down walls through fun activities, according to the group's website. Attendees also have access to professional counseling and family support services, such as classes devoted to improving your finances and marriage. Start the application process by visiting the Project Sanctuary website and filling out the initial application.