The U.S. is seeking to reduce terrorism in Africa by training military units in four African countries – Mali, Libya, Niger and Mauritania. According to The New York Times, the program is being financed by the Pentagon, and involves training that will occur under the tutelage of the Greet Berets and Delta Force – elite U.S. military units reputed to be among the best in the world. The army benefits to this program, according to the source, include diminishing the risk of terrorism in the region. An event such as Boko Haram's recent raid, which saw about 300 school girls being abducted, is an example of the type of event that African governments want to be able to prevent by developing military prowess.
Multifaceted task in training African militaries
"The host country has to have the political will to fight terrorism, not just the desire to build up an elite force that could be used for regime protection," said J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Center of the Atlantic Council, according to the source. "And the military has to be viewed well or at least neutrally by a country's population."
Many African countries have faced the menace of terrorism in recent years, with political circumstances unleashing potent forces that had previously been kept in check. For example, the overthrow of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi fomented anarchy in areas in Libya, causing problems for the region. Related instances have caused difficulties for the training mission in Libya. The International Business Times reported that military equipment was recently stolen in Libya, creating a temporary impediments to training in the country.
The training is being undertaken to make Africa a safer place. Organizations contributing to violence include Islamist groups like Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Al-Shabaab, a militant group linked to Al-Qaeda. The latter has been responsible for terrorism throughout Africa, including Somalia and Kenya.
"Training remains a critical part of our needs to further increase our men's readiness to face the many challenges of our regional environment," said Maman S. Sidikou Niger's ambassador to the U.S., according to The New York Times.
The instability reigning in many of these countries has precipitated America's training mission. Business Insider reported that Niger houses uranium reserves – the target of an Al-Qaeda attack in 2013. Meanwhile, Mauritania has allowed Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to reside within its borders, helping to foment unrest and terror.
Training reflects goals of the Obama administration
The International Business Times noted that the U.S. mission in African corresponds to the goals of the Obama administration. One of these is to help U.S. allies create formidable armies – forces that can work autonomously of the U.S. in the future. This allows the U.S. to shift its prerogatives, moving away from troop deployment to foreign countries in the hopes that indigenous forces can appropriately deal with terrorism and other problems.
"Training indigenous forces to go after threats in their own country is what we need to be doing," said Michael A. Sheehan, chair of the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, according to The International Business Times.
Life after service for many U.S. troops who have served in Africa will display a different approach to issues in the region – allowing the Obama administration the liberty to devise innovative ways to reduce terrorism. For example, Stars and Stripes reported that the U.S. has been using technology to diminish terrorism. This includes a surveillance aircraft based out of Niger, designed to help French troops combat militants in the region, according to the source.
Veterans face numerous options when it comes to life after service, from getting married to landing an exciting job. However, one of the best ways to elicit joy from life is by pursuing a beloved career. In some cases, former servicemembers may need to return to school to acquire the skills they need to land their preferred job. Thankfully, veterans can easily view their options for college.
U.S. News & World Report has compiled a list of the best colleges for veterans. The criteria for determining the best institutions for veterans are based on multiple factors that will hopefully allow servicemembers to choose a suitable college when military tenure ends.
U.S. News' methodology
According to U.S. News, a oft-used method of matching veterans with schools is the GI Bill, which was designed after World War II to help veterans who had fought for their country have an opportunity to receive a stellar education. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, it provided veterans with education and housing, leading millions of soldiers to enter academia. Without the GI Bill, the post-WWII world would have seen a deluge of veterans enter the job market, according to the source.
The source also noted that the bill was heavily contentious at the time, sparking arguments from various political figures. The source noted that this was due to the unprecedented nature of the bill – soldiers had rarely pursued higher education in the U.S. at this time and some thought the bill would not work successfully. However, many would think that these fears have proven to be unfounded, as numerous veterans have gone on to achieve success in higher education.
In this vein, a key component of the U.S. News compendia of excellent colleges for veterans is to ensure that the college a veteran is looking at also accepts benefits from the GI Bill. U.S. News also looks at more recent policy that effects veterans. This is done to ensure that veterans of recent wars the U.S. fought in realize the full range of the benefits veterans are entitled to. There have been many updates to programs assisting veterans over the years.
Many beneficial programs
For example, the post-9/11 yellow ribbon program is taken into account when U.S. News compiled its list. This program is an update to the original GI Bill, providing for the entire tuition at a public school of the veterans' choosing. It also lowers the cost of tuition at private schools, allowing a veteran to capitalize on years of service. The benefits for veterans from this program are innumerable – they allow a veteran to pursue an education that may have been unfeasible before military service.
Veterans interested in learning more about the requirements and benefits of the yellow ribbon program should visit the Veterans Administration website. The site has a page providing explicit information on eligibility requirements and a list of schools that participate in the program, excellent news for a veteran who has been hunting for the perfect school.
U.S. News reports list various schools that fulfill aspects of the rubric, with Pennsylvania State University topping the list. Some other notable schools that made the comprehensive list are the University of Texas- Austin, the University of Iowa and Drexel University.
There are 52 schools that U.S. News believes are ideally suited to veterans, so a soldier contemplating life after military should minutely investigate each school on the list to discover the best fit. College is a time of adventure and new experiences that will be both fulfilling and enlightening if a veteran is able to find a school that fits cultural interests and pursuits.
President Barack Obama recently declared his support for a continued troop presence in Afghanistan after 2014. According to USA Today, the principal goals of the U.S. military will be to ensure training and help the fledgling Afghan army buttress its counter-terrorism skills. The source reported that the troops, totaling 9,800, will give the U.S. enough power to establish six bases with the help of the Afghan army, which may lead to army benefits for the force. According to The New York Times, Obama will elaborate on his strategy regarding Afghanistan – which involves combating terrorist threats in other parts of the world – in his commencement address at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. The address is being given today.
"After all the sacrifices we've made, we want to preserve the gains that you have helped to win and we're going to make sure that Afghanistan can never again, ever, be used again to launch an attack against our country," said Obama, according to NBC News.
Obama's comments reflect the desire of the U.S. to remain committed to the Afghan people and government, given America's enormous involvement in helping the country transition to democracy. NBC News noted that the number of remaining U.S. troops in Afghanistan is based on the tacit assumption that Afghan leaders will agree to accept the troops. The source suggests that the current Afghan presidential candidates have said that they will allow the U.S. troops into Afghanistan – though the U.S. has quarreled with former President Hamid Karzai about troops within Afghanistan.
According to The New York Times, the president seeks to have all U.S combat troops out of Afghanistan by 2016. This lends credence to the stated reasons for sending U.S. troops to Afghanistan – training and developing an army that will eventually function as an autonomous entity.
Veterans who have seen horrific sights on the battlefield often need to find a space that provides solace and tranquility. This can be arduous, but there are potential opportunities for veterans in life after service. A recent pilgrimage to Lourdes was undertaken with the support of U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services and the Knights of Columbus, according to Catholic News Service. Various veterans visited Our Lady of Lourdes, a popular destination for devout Catholics, from May 13-19.
Pilgrimage a global event
The event is called Warriors to Lourdes, including an impressive array of both nations and troops. According to The Catholic Register, 36 nations and over 12,000 troops took part in the journey. Catholic News shared the sentiments of U.S. Army Maj. Derrick Mitchell, who expressed the difficulty at attending church during time spent overseas. Hopefully the pilgrimage will succeed in allowing religious soldiers to worship in familiar ways at a historical site.
"We don't want to forget those who have sacrificed so much and still need our attention and support — our wounded warriors. So this is a way of increasing consciousness of their situation," said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, according to the Catholic Register.
Dedicated to bringing pastoral care and community solidarity to servicemembers
The source noted that the Knights of Columbus have a significant presence in the U.S., a presence that has long focused on providing troops with various forms of support since World War I. The pilgrimage was only pioneered last year, but has attracted a wide swathe of followers. The event features mass, sacraments and various other essentials of Roman Catholicism. This sect of Christianity is widely reputed for the significant emphasis it places on community and ritual – components that may be military benefits for a veteran who has been seeking solidarity and profound human bonds after military service.
Veterans interested in making the trip in the future should visit the Lourdes Volunteer's website to elicit more information about the trip. Those making the pilgrimage will have a significant amount of resources at their disposal, such as military chaplains, daily meals, guided tours and personal care insurance. The stated purpose of the trip is clearly elucidated on the website- a personal journey for soldiers and veterans suffering from spiritual turmoil from war. The trip seeks to create a warm community experience by providing pastoral care that is sometimes hard to find.
"The healing that is so necessary with our men and women who have worn courageously our uniform in battles, especially during the last 12 years of these wars, and now are suffering from their wounds. We pray for healing, patience and understanding," said Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer, according to The Catholic Register.
Church's dedication to the suffering
The Bishop's comments are emblematic of the church's devotion to helping those most in need, especially when times grow difficult. This mission in Lourdes has corresponded with a dedication to helping soldiers. According to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, U.S.A., the pilgrimage began in 1958 to offer a venue for German troops to atone after WWII.
Since then, the pilgrimage has occurred 56 times, generating a wide international following. The source noted that wounded veterans and soldiers may attend for free, due to the work of the Knights of Columbus.
Citizens looking to become involved in the pilgrimage should visit WarriorstoLourdes.com, which provides a page that allows donations to be made for the purposes of sending a pilgrim to Lourdes. This may be just what a veteran readjusting to civilian life, or current soldier in the military, needs. Benefits for veterans are far more then just health insurance – many would say that the human element must be in place for successful healing, an element Lourdes is imbued with.
Veterans returning to civilian duties as part of life after service have numerous ways to treat psychological scars inflicted on the battlefield. According to Yahoo News, even people in ancient societies faced problems after returning from war. While the parallels are not perfect, the source noted that ancient Greek tragedies like "Ajax" can have consolatory effects on veterans returning home from the battlefield.
The power of myth in diminishing PTSD
This particular Greek tragedy features a Greek war hero who's experiences subsequent to the war reflect isolation, mental illness and violence. According to the source, Ajax kills farm animals, operating under the misconception that they're his mortal foes. The themes the tragedy displays may be familiar to contemporary reports of the mental illnesses' that have effected veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For example, Nerd Wallet reports that more than 12,000 veterans from these wars were diagnosed with PTSD in 2013. About 5.2 million adults experience a form of PTSD each year, the source noted, so it's not merely an element of military life. However, the traumas inflicted in war increase the chance that a veteran will face some form of PTSD after leaving the battlefield.
"Everyone wants to tell their story," said Michael Meade, who runs a program called Voices for Veterans. "Even the most wounded people, given the chance, want to tell the story of that wound. A wound is like a mouth."
Nonprofit attempts to harness power of narratives
Meade's program "Voices for Veterans, Voices of War" operates under the broader auspices of the Mosaic nonprofit organization. This is a loose collection of artists, social workers and numerous other individuals who seek to transmit rich cultural resources to help people dealing with trauma. The special program dedicated to veterans gathers people from several wars to deal with their experiences by composing poems and narratives, in the hopes that the veterans can use this to deal with their past.
Mosaic's website suggests that this form of creativity can help banish some of the demons found on the battlefield, bringing military benefits in its wake. The ancient Greeks fought in a number of visceral combats, such as the Peloponnesian War, which pitted Athens against the militaristic island of Sparta. This spawned a slew of writings that attempted to comprehend the experiences of the war, most notably, Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War," a study of the conflict.
Hopefully, the study of Greek responses to war help veterans deal with residual problems from the battlefield.
For many, Memorial Day presents an excellent time for families and friends to gather together to celebrate the good fortune a long weekend brings. Many also use this time to honor veterans and the departed, with Monday formally recognized as a holiday for contemplation and reflection on the sacrifices the armed services have made for the U.S.
Life after military leads many veterans to re-adjust to civilian life, becoming absorbed in many of the same conflicts and obstacles facing new college graduates. Of course, many veterans face arduous factors, such as the traumas of war, that can bring difficult psychological issues. In this vein, a brief history of Memorial Day is in order.
Quick facts about Memorial Day
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Memorial Day began after the Civil War ended in 1868. Union soldiers wanted to consecrate a day to honor the dead, calling it "Decoration Day" and having it May 30. Since then, the source noted that the holiday has been catalyzed by numerous historical occurrences.
"If silence is ever golden, it must be beside the graves of 15,000 men, whose lives were more significant than speech, and whose death was a poem the music of which can never be sung," said President James A. Garfield, according to the Latin Time.
The source noted that Garfield was the one of the first presidents to speak about Memorial Day. His sentiments reflected the burgeoning loyalty and respect shown to veterans in the U.S. This trend continues to this day – as contemporary U.S. presidents continually speak warmly about the sacrifices veterans have made for their country.
In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson stated that Waterloo, New York, was the original site of Memorial Day celebrations in 1866. However, the source said that during the immediate post-Civil War U.S., Memorial Day had not yet become the official holiday it is today.
At this juncture in history, those who wanted to honor the dead visited graves and laid flowers, similar to contemporary Memorial Day observances. According to the source, Memorial Day officially became a holiday in 1971, at the behest of the U.S. Congress. Many see the holiday as an excellent chance to venerate the departed soldiers who served their country admirably throughout the conflicts the U.S. has become involved in.
Holiday continues to be robust
USA Today reported that the holiday still brings a significant amount of attention – leading to increased travel and leisure time for working people. There are also other positive elements besides honor on Memorial Day. Benefits for veterans include the chance to spend quality time with loved ones, especially family members. Due to hectic summer schedules and the demands civilian life places on veterans, the chance to get away for a weekend for tranquility is an aspect of the holiday appreciated by both soldiers, veterans and civilians alike. This holiday can also serve as an educational tool for families and their children, allowing parents to teach their young ones about the military history of the U.S.
The good news is that people who want to get away for Memorial Day this year will not likely face any major obstacles, at least from the climate or transportation industry.
"We're not seeing any major weather systems or anything that would disrupt travel," said AAA spokeswoman Heather Hunter. " We're not seeing any big movement (in gas prices) that would deter people from traveling or spur more travel. Prices remain relatively similar to last year."
Hunter's comments will please individuals who seek to observe the holiday by traveling to a cemetery where loved ones are buried, or those who travel to visit veterans. Life after military may position a veteran in new and unexpected crossroads of life – a time when the support of family and friends is absolutely indispensable.
Memorial Day brings a time for pondering what the sacrifices of the armed services mean, and how civil society should appropriately honor them.
A conference related to the items special operations forces use – such as weapons and gadgets – may be appealing to veterans interested in finding out how things have changed since life after military. The exhibition will be held this week from Monday to Wednesday, according to ABC News. The source noted that this event is essential for companies and suppliers of special forces equipment..
Military gadgets demonstrate prowess
The Tampa Bay Times noted that the event is not solely the province of the U.S. military – as 84 nations will have representatives at the Tampa Bay Convention Center. ABC News reported that the exhibition has featured impressive military devices – like the Highly Adaptive Robotic Vehicle, a device that is very small. According to the source, it only weighs 4 pounds, but has nifty attributes. For example, it is used via remote control, enabling the vehicle's user to have a significant amount of freedom in determining what the gadget will do. The military benefits of the vehicle include night-vision features and surveillance equipment, sure to be popular among the intelligence community.
CBS News noted that the event will have representatives from the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit project, an ambitious plan that is currently being worked on at MacDill Air Force base in Tampa, Florida. The source noted that the suit is similar to the infamous suit from the "Iron Man" franchise. Its currently being developed, and is slated to be released in 2018. According to the source, the suit will keep its wearer apprised of vital signs. It will also wholly encase a soldier with a bulletproof outfit. This concept, if developed and carried out successfully, could have a tremendous impact on battlefield safety.
Numerous technological advances
"We've lost a lot of guys to gunshot wounds and explosions," said James Geurts, the Deputy for Acquisition of the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill, according to CBS News. "If there's anything I can do to more rapidly field technology, give better protection, better capability, any progress, I think we've done well."
A prospective visitor to the 4-day event can expect to find many more items that reflect technological savvy. For example, ABC News reported the event exhibited a robot that is designed to work underwater, called Bluefin 21. It has the power to descend deep into the ocean, purportedly searching the ocean floor for the missing Malaysian airplane.
The special forces conference proves to be interesting – especially so for those involved in the inventions on display.
Life after service can be a trying time for a veteran, especially if a former servicemember has trouble finding a job in a fickle labor market. However, veterans are in luck. There are a slew of organizations and citizens ready to help veterans make the shift back to civilian life. According to the Muskegon Chronicle, a job fair tailored to veterans attracted a large crowd, with an estimated 400 veterans flocking to the delve into job opportunities and resume-building at the fair in Muskegon.
Fertile job opportunities for veterans
"The companies that come here are serious," said recruiter Robert Wells, according to the news source. "They're willing to hire you even if it's outside of your field."
Wells' comments are emblematic of the fears of many that the current job market is only geared to employment seekers with a trade that brings with it significant prosperity, such as engineering. To dispel misconceptions about the job market, a key component of the fair is a workshop dedicated to assisting with job hunting techniques. This workshop also helps to burnish the resumes of veterans.
The options found in life after military may seem radically different for some veterans, but there are many skills a soldier gains that contribute to success in the job market. These include hierarchical organizational skills, work ethic and fortitude. As the job market becomes more and more competitive these skills will become even more invaluable then they are now.
Many institutions dedicated to helping veterans
There are also many organizations dedicated to helping veterans obtain success in the job market. According to The Des Moines Register, Wal-Mart has pioneered a program called "The Veterans Welcome Home Commitment" which ensures that a servicemember will have a job, provided they were honorably discharged from service, within a year. This clearly demonstrated Wal-Mart's commitment to helping veterans readjust to the cadences of civilian life, in the process bringing them the stability a job offers.
"Veterans bring invaluable skills including leadership, commitment and hard work, which make our workforce even stronger," Bill Simon, Wal-Mart U.S. president and CEO, told The Des Moines Register.
The source noted that this program has lead to the hiring of 42,000 veterans since it started in 2013. This is an impressive number, all the more when the economic situation of the U.S. is taken into account. The recession has impacted both civilian and military life, making a job hard to find. While military insurance is provided by the Veterans Administration, getting a job is still a necessity for a veteran. Therefore, Wal-Mart's program may have the potential to install many veterans in suitable positions throughout the U.S.
Veterans can also make transition to public service
Another option veterans have after life in the military is to work for the federal government. Feds Hire Vets has an excellent website that provides information on federal job opportunities for veterans. The website displays pages on essential forms of information a veteran will have to know when tracking down federal employment. These include an agency directory, veterans employee, hiring officials and a page that describes the mission of Feds Hire Vets. This website serves as a handy tool for a veterans trying to find a job.
Administration assists veterans in finding jobs
Another excellent resource for veterans looking for jobs is the Veterans Administration's website. This has a page specifically dedicated to putting a veteran in touch with various organizations, such as Feds Hire Vets and VA for Vets, that will help a veteran build a flourishing career.
With a the great resources at a veterans disposal, now is the perfect time to look for a job.
Military Spouse Appreciation Day provides a way to show solidarity and support to veterans returning from life after service. The Huffington Post listed various organizations devoted to assisting the spouses of soldiers and veterans – in the process helping soldiers with life in the military and veterans adjusting to civilian life.
Ways to help build solidarity within military families
With a warm and loving family, it's possible for people to have a long and happy life. These bonds are severely tested due to the nature of military life – frequent moves around the country, soldiers being sent to war overseas and spouses spending significant time alone while soldiers are training. Thankfully, there are many organizations that seek to alleviate the burden placed on military families.
The Huffington Post offers a comprehensive list of civic organizations that seek to assist military families. For example, the National Military Family Association is an organization that helps military families obtain military benefits.
The Veterans Administration is working tirelessly to ensure that service members who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are given equitable army benefits. However, this does not lessen the commitments of civil society to help impart the great resources veterans' families often need.
Ways citizens can help
Citizens can help philanthropic and civic organizations devoted to assisting veterans by donating money and volunteering. Organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project and Fisher House Foundation are merely a few organizations among many that are dedicated to helping soldiers, veterans and their spouses.
Appreciation Day is on Friday, May 9. The day of veneration has the firm approval of the President of the U.S., issuing a Department of Defense letter officially denoting May 9 as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. The letter suggested that the Obama administration will try to help veterans obtain education and career opportunities – making the chances that a veteran will have a successful time in life after military.
The president also conveyed the sentiments of many who fear that the opportunities for veterans after they leave the military are insufficient to provide a flourishing life. The letter spoke about the Joined Forces initiative pioneered by first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, which seeks to bolster services for veterans and their families. Hopefully the many public and private institutions that are pushing for a greater focus on the families of veterans and soldiers produces tangible results that significantly help veterans.
Serving in the military is an often lauded career choice in the U.S. If you have been wondering how best to honor a veteran close to you, May is the perfect month to do so, as it is National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM), a time for veneration and celebration. Life after service presents interesting new opportunities for veterans – but it never hurts to have a special month dedicated to solidarity and support of the military community in the U.S.
Origins of National Military Appreciation Month
NMAM gained traction in 1999, when it was first championed as a serious cause. According to NMAM's official website, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Sen. Duncan Hunter of Arizona helped foster legislation that eventuated in May being reserved for showing honor to veterans. The source noted that this cause has gained bi-partisan support – both houses of congress passed a measure officially making May National Military Appreciation Month.
"There is no inopportune time to thank a military member or veteran for their service and sacrifice," said Joe Davis, spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, according to Army Times.
Many facets of NMAM
The month in no way seeks to detract from habitual warm treatment of veterans – which helps to assist in the transition from life after military. Instead, the holiday designated for May seeks to deliver a firm reminder of the sacrifice of men and women overseas. NMAM.org noted that this also helps to serve as an educational reminder of the role of the military in the U.S. throughout the years.
The source suggested that learning about the role of the Continental Army in the American Revolution and other military events can help catalyze interest and respect for the military – a respect that the source believes has diminished over the years. In this vein, the source noted that encouraging educators to teach more military-related history is one of the goals of the appreciation month.
The site also noted more recent military references – such as the 38th Parallel and Normandy. Perhaps accounts of Allied troops storming Nazi-occupied France and General Douglas MacArthur's savvy military maneuver at the Inchon landing in the Korean War will whet the appetite of a generation of students who are unaware of these events.
Various ways to show support to veterans during celebration
The Huffington Post noted that there are numerous ways to show a veteran support – excellent news for individuals eager to participate in National Military Appreciation Month. The source suggested that an arduous aspect of soldiers lives is their spouses' experience in encountering the job market, which has not been the greatest since the 2008 recession.This is further exacerbated due to the fear among employers that military families may move swiftly, making a hire look unfeasible to employers.
"It's the inevitable question from potential employers: 'How did you end up in Hawaii?' I'm never quite comfortable answering this question, for one I feel it's a screening question to find out if I am a military spouse," said Melissa, a military spouse, according to The Huffington Post, "While my instinct is to be direct with a potential employer, there's a fear that being found out as a military spouse could hurt my chances of getting a job."
Therefore, a way to help soldiers and veterans during the May celebration may be to ensure that wives and husbands are able to obtain gainful employment. This, of course, will be hard to deliver, but the month will bring many opportunities. NMAM. org followed this sentiment, exhibiting the onus put on employees and employers when troops head to overseas locations. Regardless, consider doing something special for a veteran during NMAM.