While the families of soldiers may never see combat, they fight a battle of their own.

Previously available to soldiers, their spouses and civilians involved in military operations, the military's resilience training program is now available to teenage children of servicemembers, the Army reported. After requests for the service to be broadened to include teenagers, the Army has accepted the new participants into courses at bases in Kentucky, Texas and Hawaii, with a fourth base about to begin the new program as well.

"Resilience is something that can be taught and the sooner you learn it, the better you are throughout your life in managing adversity," said Julie Broad, a key civilian member of the new teen program.

The soldier-centric curriculum – the largest and longest running portion of the program – has stratified lessons for every soldier in the service. The training educates soldiers on how to best adapt to the stresses of combat situations as well as the general pressures of life in the military. The program is staggered so soldiers receive relevant training at certain stages of their careers.

"This is a way that the Army is really using the knowledge it has accrued to do good within the community and further strengthen the Army family," Broad said.

Before Andrew Pike turned 20 years old, his ability to enjoy his favorite pastimes of hunting and fishing were taken away after a wartime injury in Iraq. But with the help of a few Idaho volunteers, companies and a high-tech wheelchair, Pike can once again enjoy the outdoors with as much freedom as before.

A belated Christmas gift
KTVB Boise reported that Pike, now a 28-year-old Army veteran, was honored at the Idaho Statehouse Jan. 22. After a speech on his behalf by Governor C.L. Otter, Pike was presented with a specialized all-terrain wheelchair – complete with a gun rack – that will allow the paralyzed serviceman to hunt and fish again.

The motorized wheelchair has special treads that can move through the difficult terrain normally encountered on a day of trekking through the woods. Most importantly, though, is an automatic system that moves Pike from a seated to a standing position, making it much easier for him to spot game and aim steady. For ease of use, it also features hand-held controls and a flashlight.

Line of fire
Pike enlisted in the Army right after high school and was in Iraq as a Specialist with the 82nd Airborne Division on his first ever deployment. He was patrolling the northern city of Baiji when a sniper's bullet paralyzed him for life from the waist down.

It was during his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center that Pike was introduced to the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), an organization that not only assures that soldiers receive their military benefits in a timely manner, but also supports medical research for spinal cord injuries.

Cooperative support
While Pike's path toward regaining his mobility began with the PVA, it took a few more organizations full of dedicated volunteers to help it along.

The wheelchair was created and donated by Higher Ground, an Idaho-based firm focused on adaptive recreation.  Through therapy or mechanical assistance, Higher Ground seeks to "enhance quality of life through inclusive therapeutic recreation and education for people of all abilities," according to the company's website.

The funds for the wheelchair were raised in tandem by the PVA and The Independence Fund, a non-profit organization that supplements the normal aid and support available to wounded servicemembers through veterans benefits programs.

Sitting in his new wheelchair, Pike can't help but be hopeful.

"The only thing you can do is look to what's in the future, look to what you can do, and take those things and build on them, and if somebody says you can't, then find a way to do it," he told KTVB

For military retirees and those soon to leave active duty, the fight continues against budget cuts to the cost of living adjustments in veterans benefits packages.

Representatives from the Pentagon met again with congressmen Jan. 28 to resist cuts to veterans' pension plans. In addition to opposing the cuts outright, acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine Fox and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. James Winnefeld proposed a plan to exempt current retirees and soldiers soon to leave the service from the proposed cuts, Military Times reported. They also argued to the Senate Armed Services Committee that any proposed cuts should only come after an exploratory group within the military had a chance to review the numbers and any effects that may result from proposed cuts.

"Because of the complex nature of military retirement benefits, we recommend that the Congress not make any additional changes in this area until the commission provides its report," Fox said.

The current round of proposed cuts has its roots in a 2011 report by the Defense Business Board that argued the current system of veterans benefits for retired soldiers was too expensive and would eventually hamper the Pentagon's ability to fund military operations.

If not amended, the cuts will go into effect Dec. 1, 2015.

With more and more troops coming home from extended deployments, there was a strong focus on how best to integrate soldiers back into life after service at the Army's quarterly meeting between top officials and several representatives of veterans groups.

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno and Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho were among the highest ranking officials on hand at the Jan. 24 meeting to ensure that soldiers are being supported in their returns to the U.S., the Army reported. Several veterans organizations were represented, from those focused on finding post-military employment for servicemembers to those helping soldiers work through traumatic experiences from combat.

"When leadership comes in to talk to the veterans' service community, it demonstrates to veterans that they are interested in the soldiers after they get out of the service," said Genevieve Chase, an Army reservist and founder of American Women Veterans.

Among the leadership present was Col. Adam Rocke, director of the Soldier for Life initiative. Founded only a year and a half ago, the program functions as an all-inclusive support system for veterans in search of health care, certification for skills gained through military service and general advice on how to ease back into civilian life.

"These [meetings] are paramount because at the end of the day, it's not about any one individual," Rocke said, "it's about the collective group – the service members and their families as a whole."

With the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the Middle East in its final stages, the House Armed Services Committee held a series of hearings to discuss the next major strategic move of the country's military might: the Asia pivot.

Stars and Stripes reported that several Congressmen on the committee voiced their concerns over a China grown economically and militarily confident and the need for U.S. forces to protect the interests of various allies in the region.  

"The trajectory for our relationship with China is uncertain today, where we're going to go in the future," said Frank Kendall, an advisor to the Secretary of Defense. "One of the reasons we're focused on the Asia Pacific is we want to do our best to influence that trajectory to go in a positive way."

Part of that uncertainty comes from a lack of hard intelligence on China's military capabilities. In 2012, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published a report that cast doubt on the reported figures of China's military spending. While China itself reports that it spent over $100 billion on its armed forces, the SIPRI report alleges that contributions from other branches of government most likely push that number upwards of 50 percent higher.

With a lack of details surrounding the U.S.'s role as a player in the Pacific, many see the rebalancing of armed forces as the first step in securing that future.

In an unexpected move, Italian customs agents have begun withholding packages and letters bound for U.S. troops stationed in the country unless the normally waived taxes and duties are paid on the incoming shipments.

Stars and Stripes reported that Italian officials are enforcing a new interpretation of a rule contained in the agreement between the two countries that allows the U.S. to station troops on foreign bases. Normally, mail meant for soldiers stationed at foreign bases is exempt from customs taxes and duties. The new interpretation applies to a host of odd items such as lottery tickets, roasted coffee, typewriter ribbons, nutmeg, hair products and playing cards.

Common items that fall under the heading of living necessities are taxed at a low rate, but for more obscure items, soldiers are now being forced to pay upwards of 22 euros – or about $30 – before the packages can be released from customs.

There are roughly 10,000 servicemembers stationed in Italy, according to CNN, though Italian customs have only held a dozen packages so far. 

Representatives from the Navy and the American embassy in Rome continue to meet with Italian officials to resolve the issue.

When Winter Storm Leon rolled across the southeast U.S., dropping ice and two and a half inches of snow in some places, many residents of perennially snowy northern states were confused by meteorologists calling it a major storm. But after grid-locked highways and thousands of stranded commuters, it's hard to call it anything other than a significant event.

The situation was so dire in South Carolina, the Army wrote, that the National Guard was mobilized to help motorists who had skidded off the road and even to get rolled-over tractor trailers back on the ground. The South Carolina guard deployed across the state in Humvees and an all-purpose, 10-ton vehicle called a wrecker that was used to right a capsized 18-wheeler.

Georgia had to call on its contingent of National Guardsmen as well when the storm caused such gridlock around Atlanta that commuters abandoned their cars on the road for the night, some even seeking refuge inside convenience stores on the side of the highway, NBC News reported.

Tim Dougherty is a regular commuter in the Atlanta area, but after a day on the roads, he barely made it out of the city when the storm hit.

"What took me 30 minutes [Tuesday] morning took me 26 hours to get back," he said. 

Weather.com reports that at least a dozen deaths have been attributed to the storm's effects.

The newest addition to the Navy's fleet of submarines, complete with all the bells and whistles, is set to begin testing.

The Department of Defense reports that the first of eight new Virginia-class submarines has completed construction and preliminary factory testing and is ready to stretch its legs in open waters. Construction was completed two months ahead of schedule, moving its estimated certification and delivery date up as well.

The new sub, christened the USS North Dakota, is the first of a new sub-section of the Virginia class. It features a host of technological upgrades including digital touch screens in lieu of mechanical controls and "photonics masts" instead of traditional periscopes, the Navy explains. The photonics masts are attached to the outside of the hull and contain high-resolution cameras that modify light sources to transmit a detailed, dynamic view of the sub's surroundings to the control room.

Still, the ship must pass a rigorous three-step testing process before being handed over to the Navy. Everything from its ability to dive and surface without incident to the amount of noise that escapes the dampening in the hull will be under intense scrutiny.

The submarine is being constructed and tested by Connecticut-based General Dynamics.

It can be easy to lose sight of the important things when politics get involved, but Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg's presence at the State of the Union address reminded the nation what true sacrifice and courage look like.

Injury and triumph
Near the end of his hour-long speech, President Barack Obama took a moment to draw attention to the 30-year-old Army Ranger as he sat in the gallery alongside the first lady and other dignitaries.

"On every issue," Obama said in a transcript of the address provided by CBS News, "the world turns to us, not simply because of the size of our economy or our military might – but because of the ideals we stand for, and the burdens we bear to advance them."

Those ideals are perseverance, determination and optimism – qualities which Remsburg needed in spades after he suffered a catastrophic injury in Oct. 2009, NBC News reports. Remsburg was on his 10th tour of duty, this time in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when a roadside bomb threw him into a nearby canal and peppered him with shrapnel.

Doctors watched as Remsburg remained in a coma for three months, but after years of surgeries and grueling rehabilitation, Remsburg was able to attend the State of the Union as an honored guest of the President, epitomizing the ideals that Obama mentioned when he first introduced the wounded veteran.

Stars and Stripes reported that Remsburg and the President had met once before as the soldier was in recovery, relearning how to walk, talk and eat without assistance after his injury.

"He wanted to show me something," Obama said. "And he leaned out of his chair. And he reached out and grabbed his walker. And with the help of his parents, he pulled himself forward and he stood up. And he looked at me, and he gave me a sharp salute."

"He said, 'Rangers lead the way.'"

Benefits for veterans still a sticking point
Remsburg wasn't the only mention of the military during the much watched speech. With the legislative fate of recent proposed cuts to cost-of-living-adjustments included in veterans benefits still uncertain, Obama took a moment to weigh in on the issue. While some lawmakers have proposed recouping some federal revenue from the cuts, Obama disagreed.

"We'll keep slashing [the deficit] so our veterans receive the benefits they've earned," Obama said, "and our wounded warriors receive the health care — including the mental health care — that they need."

Since their announcement, the COLA cuts have been criticized by legislators, active duty servicemembers and a cadre of the top enlisted retirees from around the country.

The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will square off Feb. 2 for Super Bowl XLVII, but some players took a break from the media hustle to thank the troops for making it all possible.

The Department of Defense had a correspondent at Media Day ahead of the big game Sunday in New York and they were very busy. Forty-two videos were uploaded to the DOD's YouTube channel with a wide variety of players, coaches and even cheerleaders from both teams thanking all members of the armed services for their sacrifices and wishing them a safe return to the States.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning took some extra time to explain how head coach Jon Fox, raised in a military family, has reminded his players throughout the season to maintain a military mindset – an effective strategy given his team has made it to the Super Bowl.

While the troops are surely appreciative of the players' well-wishes, they're not sitting idly by as the game plays. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports on the preparations taking place among troops at For Carson, Afghanistan.

While alcohol is prohibited for troops stationed in the country, the troops will have "a wide selection of near beer," said Maj. Tony Noce, who is in charge of the preparations, as well as 1,200 donated pizzas, hot wings and fried chicken.

"We're definitely going to eat," Noce said, even though kickoff is schedule for 3:30 A.M., local time.