A North Carolina hospice held a memorial service this week for current veterans and those the facility once cared for.
The Daily News, Jacksonville reported that family members, area residents and caregivers at the Onslow County Home Health and Hospice gathered at a local cemetery for a Veterans Day ceremony that honored veterans by sharing memories of the late servicemembers while also recognizing the county's aging veterans population.
"Some veterans made the ultimate sacrifice so we can do things in life that we probably take for granted," staff member Joseph Durgin told the news source. "I think it's important that the veterans be honored and shown the respect they deserve because they provided us all with the freedom to be able to take those things for granted."
According to the news outlet, former servicemembers who fought in World War II and the Vietnam War attended the ceremony.
While the average age of veterans in the U.S. is 58, data from the Department of Veterans Affairs shows that more than 35 percent of the veteran population is over the age of 65. Currently, several organizations, such as We Honor Veterans, connect hospices and home-health workers with aging veterans to provide them with the proper care.
The Navy's deepest-diving submarine, which conducted both research and covert military operations along the ocean floor during the Cold War is making its return to Connecticut.
According to The Associated Press, the NR-1, a nuclear-powered submarine that was commissioned in 1969, will be on display at the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Conn. Having been disassembled in 2008, the museum will only display the sub's restored pieces.
At 140-feet long, the news source stated that the NR-1 was a powerful underwater vessel unmatched in the Navy. While carrying a crew of 10 men, the sub was able to dive to 3,000 feet below sea level, where it could grab items from the ocean floor with a mechanical claw.
While some of the submarine's missions are known to the public, including its task of retrieving particles from the space shuttle Challenger after it exploded over the Atlantic, the news source reported that much of its military operations still remain classified. According to the source, mission records could not be traced by the Navy's History and Heritage Command in Washington, D.C., and even veterans are remaining quiet about their past experiences until the files are declassified.
Also on display at Groton's submarine museum is the historic USS Nautilus, the first operational nuclear-powered submarine in the world, as well as the first vessel to travel to the North Pole, according to the museum's website.
Following the devastation caused by a massive typhoon that hit the Philippines last weekend, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has commissioned a Naval aircraft carrier to provide disaster relief to the country and its residents.
The Christian Science Monitor reported that the USS George Washington, which carries a crew of 5,000 sailors, is making its way to the Philippines this week, where the Naval members will join about 90 Marines who already landed there last weekend.
According to a statement released by the Pentagon, the aircraft carrier is currently at a port in Hong Kong and will take up to 72 hours to arrive at the South Pacific nation. In addition to the large number of crew members, the USS George Washington also carriers more than 80 planes, including Carrier Air Wing Five, an aircraft unit specially designed for disaster relief scenarios.
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told members of the press that several other aircraft carriers are already on their way to the Philippines. Supply ship USNS Charles Drew is currently traveling to the location, as well as the missile destroyer USS Lassen.
Little added that the purpose of these ships' deployment to the weather-battered nation is to provide medical care, supplies and other assistance.
In a partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, NBCUniversal launched a new career website designed specifically for former servicemembers. Called Next Steps for Vets, the website will provide veterans – especially those who are recently transitioning into civilian life – and military spouses with a variety of employment and educational resources.
According to NBC News, which is also hosting the website, the online portal features a resume builder on its front page, designed to help former servicemembers figure out where and how their past military experience and skills can be applied to the civilian workforce. The website also includes a searchable job-finder index, listing openings culled from the National Resource Directory's Veteran's Job Bank.
"Our returning servicemen and women can be a vital part of the U.S. workforce, putting the skills they've learned in the military to work for companies or their own business enterprise," Beth Colleton, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at NBCUniversal, told the news source.
Next Steps for Vets comes at a crucial time for just-returning servicemembers. According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for Gulf War era-II veterans is more than 11 percent – much higher than the overall national unemployment average.
In time for Veterans Day, Victory Media released its 11th annual report of the most military-friendly private-sector companies in the U.S. According to Forbes, the index takes into account the long-term hiring practices of more than 5,000 companies, as well as veterans, military spouses and National Guard and Reserve members recruiting programs.
"We hear from veterans that it's impossible to research the thousands of companies that might be military-friendly," Victory Media CEO Sean Collins told the news source. "Our objective is to present a transparent, data-driven list of pre-vetted institutions for service members to start their job search and find the best fit for them."
The news source stated that to make the list, private companies must have a yearly revenue over $500 million.
Union Pacific Railroad, Verizon Communications, ManTech International Corporation and AlliedBarton Security Services were among the top 10 most military-friendly companies. According to the news outlet, about 20 percent of the Union Pacific Railroad workforce is made up of veterans. Meanwhile, a statement released by Verizon claims that it currently employees 12,000 veterans. The company has also set up a special website equipped with a military skill matcher for former servicemembers looking for employment opportunities.
Victory Media's military-friendly index can be beneficial for veterans attempting to re-enter the workforce, considering that the unemployment rate for Gulf War era-II veterans is currently at 11.6 percent, according to data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In honor of Veterans Day, first lady Michelle Obama, along with Dr. Jill Biden, thanked members of the military for their service in an Op-Ed featured in several military newspapers. According to the Department of Defense, the article, titled "Joining Forces with you on Veterans Day," addresses how the military, federal government and private sector can work together to expand the first lady's veterans initiative.
Obama launched the "Joining Forces" initiative more than two years ago as a way to bridge the gap between veterans, nonprofits and private businesses through employment directives, educational programs and wellness and care services.
"We've been overwhelmed by the courage of our wounded warriors and the devotion of the caregivers who stand by their side," Obama and Biden wrote in the Op-Ed. We've been inspired by the military spouses and children who've endured move after move, deployment after deployment with such strength and grace."
Veterans unemployment remains one of the initiative's largest concerns. The first lady stated that while major companies such as Starbucks, AT&T and Facebook have hired thousands of veterans over the last two years, many veterans still face obstacles when it comes to credentials and training. According to the Op-Ed, Obama and the "Joining Forces" initiative is currently working with politicians at the state level to streamline the credentialing process.
Military families are currently preparing for the worst, as housing allowances for servicemembers might be on the chopping block if cuts to defense spending continue, the Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the news source, the military is bracing for massive spending reductions that will strip the Defense Department of $20 billion more in the 2014 fiscal year than in 2013. Now, many military families are worried that there might be changes to the military housing allowance policy, which so far has been protected from the sequester.
While no authorized statement has been made regarding military housing allowances for 2014, Defense Department officials told the news outlet that every aspect of the military is being looked at for potential cuts except for active-duty salaries.
Most families of active-duty servicemembers rely on military housing allowance to live. According to the Department of Defense website, the basic allowance for housing can vary greatly depending on geographical location. When calculating the rate of the allowance, the DOD considers the median rent of the current housing market, price of utilities and average renter's insurance, the website states. Rent typically accounts for at least 70 percent of the housing allowance.
"Rate cuts really make these people nervous, because they're banking on rates staying the same…to cover their mortgage," military spouse Amy Bushatz told the news source.
While the unemployment rate for veterans is lower than that of the overall population, certain states are faring better than others when it comes to hiring former servicemembers. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals some staggering variations in veterans unemployment rates, USA Today reported.
Numerous states have a veterans unemployment rate that's higher than the state average. For instance, 10 percent of former servicemembers in New Jersey are unemployed, compared to the state's 8.5 percent nonveterans unemployment number, according to BLS. New Jersey currently has the highest veterans unemployment rate in the nation, followed closely by Massachusetts at 9.9 percent and Arizona at 9.3 percent.
The news source reported that the states with the highest veterans unemployment rates had lower numbers of unemployment for nonveterans, with the exception of California, which has an 8.9 percent unemployment rate for both veterans and nonveterans.
Conversely, Virginia and Oklahoma have the lowest unemployment numbers for veterans, at 4.1 percent. According to the news outlet, Virginia veterans most likely benefit from the state's many military installations and facilities, including the Pentagon, which is located in Arlington County.
Several of the Pentagon's top military chiefs addressed members of Congress this week to outline the ways defense spending cuts enacted by the sequester will harm the military in the long run, The Washington Post reported. Representing the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, the chiefs addressed the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is helmed by chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
According to the news source, the weakening of the military's manpower, weapons and overall readiness were among the major concerns of the defense officials. Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Amos called the budget cuts "unsustainable," while Admiral Jonathan Greenert, who oversees Naval operations, told the committee the Navy was "tapped out" in its number of deployed ships.
While the sequester, which is set to reduce defense spending by $480 billion by 2011, has already taken effect, several members of the committee were sympathetic to the chiefs, including Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo.
"We in Congress created this monster, and we keep dragging you up to the Hill to tell us how much damage it has done," Udall said during the hearing.
Within the next eight years, the sequester is expected to impact nearly every facet of the military, save for the Department of Veterans Affairs and pay and allowances for active-duty troops, Military.com stated.
Military families are sticking to a budget this Thanksgiving, according to a new survey conducted by First Command Financial Behaviors Index. After canvassing middle-class military families with household incomes of $50,000 or above, the investment adviser company found that 62 percent of respondents were planning to reduce their Thanksgiving dinners and travel this November.
"Middle-class Americans are changing the way they celebrate Thanksgiving," First Command CEO Scott Spiker said in a statement. "Affected by the economic issues of the past several years, they are making frugal spending a year-around habit. Notably, these changes are turning Thanksgiving into a more intimate holiday."
Spiker added that, overall, four out of 10 Americans are celebrating the national holiday with only immediate family members, a trend that has been spreading in recent years.
According to the survey, 29 percent of military respondents are reducing their travel expenses, while 22 percent plan to spend less on dinner preparations. Another 23 percent have created a budget.
Given the recent setbacks impacting defense spending, it's likely that military families are making some financial changes. Most recently, the Nov. 1 termination of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cut the food stamps program by $4 million, ultimately affecting nearly 900,000 veterans, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Military.com reported that an estimated 5,000 active-duty servicemembers will also be impacted by the food stamps reduction.