Children with parents in the military often face many more challenges than their peers. Aside from the stress of having a parent deployed, they also tend to move around the country much more, which can be equally problematic. Experts say that schools may want to implement exit interviews with children going through a permanent change of station (PCS) to help alleviate some of their concerns, Military.com reports.

The recommendation comes from Building Capacity, a partnership between the USC School of Social Work and eight school districts with military connections in southern California. The initiative was launched to help make schools in the area more military friendly.

Few schools make use of exit interviews, but experts say they can play an important role in a child's well-being. The meetings, often between the parent, child, teacher and or counselor, touch on everything from the youngster's fears about moving to their academic performance. The eventual goal is to make the transition as smooth as possible.

There are around 2 million children of military parents, according to Department of Defense statistics, and they often go to between seven and nine schools before they graduate.

The story of Osama bin Laden's capture captivated the American public, and the movie detailing the decade-long search for the al-Qaida leader behind the September 11 attacks has earned recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "Zero Dark Thirty," the gripping and controversial thriller, was announced as a Best Picture nominee on Thursday.

The film, from "Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow, has caused some controversy as of late. The movie has come under fire for everything from its depiction of torture to whether it may have disclosed any potentially classified information about the Navy SEAL mission. However, Bigelow and the other filmmakers have been steadfast in defending the movie.

"The research was over there in a pile, and I had to write a screenplay, make a movie," writer Mark Boal told ABC News recently. "The goal was to capture the essence of the underlying reality."

Despite the controversy, "Zero Dark Thirty" has earned rave reviews from critics, and it also earned several other nominations outside of Best Picture. Jessica Chastain, who plays a young CIA agent involved in the search for bin Laden, is considered a frontrunner for the Best Actress award for which she was nominated. The story also earned a nod for Best Original Screenplay.

Most football fans recognize "Camp Carroll" as the home of the Seattle Seahawks and their enigmatic coach Pete Carroll, but the real Camp Carroll serves a much more important role. Located in South Korea, the camp is home to about 600 soldiers who are tasked with maintaining delicate peace. Despite the significant difference, not to mention distance, between the two camps, they are closely linked, reports the Army's official website.

The relationship was formed when former NFL star Riki Ellison, the chairman and founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, reached out to Carroll to provide some Seahawks gear to the troops stationed in South Korea. The T-shirts, flags and other items were given to the winning team of the camp's annual 11-on-11 flag football game, a small gesture that went a long way.

"When Pete and the Seahawks sent that gear to my unit and we snapped those pictures with our football trophies, it made my soldiers feel appreciated and it meant a lot coming from an organization like the Seahawks that is world class and all about the team and winning, just like us here in Korea," Lt. Col. J M. Rose Jr., the battalion commander at Camp Carroll, told the news source.

The Seahawks' gesture strengthens the bond between professional sports and the military, a relationship that has always flourished. For example, the San Diego Padres of the MLB have been active in supporting the troops, hosting an annual military appreciation game since 1996.

While most government officials have agreed that the United States will end formal operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, what has been less clear is whether there will be any contingent of troops left after that date. Some experts have said a small group of American forces is necessary to protect against al-Qaida, but on Tuesday the Obama administration hinted it might consider leaving none at all, The Associated Press reports.

The suggestions that there should be no American troops left in Afghanistan past 2014 is at odds with top Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who has recommended leaving as many as 9,000 soldiers in the embattled nation. However, some White House officials don't feel quite the same way as Panetta.

"The U.S. does not have an inherent objective of 'X' number of troops in Afghanistan," Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser, told the AP. "We have an objective of making sure there is no safe haven for al-Qaida in Afghanistan and making sure that the Afghan government has a security force that is sufficient to ensure the stability of the Afghan government."

There are currently an estimated 66,000 troops in Afghanistan, which is down considerably from the peak number of 100,000. No dates are set in stone, but some experts estimate as many as 20,000 troops could be home by June, according to The New York Times.

The Department of Defense (DOD) is always looking for new ways to improve soldiers' abilities to do everything from gather intelligence to avoid battlefield hazards, and the DOD has teamed up with Duke University to make life easier for troops. The DOD sponsors research performed at Duke that encompasses mathematics, engineering and biology, among many other subjects, reports American Forces Press Service.

The many projects undertaken by Duke researchers range from identifying illnesses early to developing cochlear implants that allow soldiers to hear better. One of the most ambitious studies involves metamaterials, which are sometimes more commonly referred to as an "invisibility cloak." Scientists believe the technology could be put to good use in a military setting.

"It's one thing to have a stealth fighter that’s hard to see," Dr. Jim Siedow, Duke's vice provost for research, told the news source. "It' s another thing to have an aircraft that literally can't be seen – by radar or the naked eye, depending on how you align it – even though it's there."

Duke is not the only big name to earn sponsorship from the DOD. Recently, Microsoft signed a $617 million contract with three agencies in the department to develop new software.

When the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell" was officially repealed in 2011, it marked a significant victory for gay and lesbian troops, but soldiers who were discharged before the policy was removed felt somewhat slighted, especially when it came to separation pay. However, a new settlement will pay around $2.4 million to 180 soldiers, The Associated Press reports.

At the heart of the issue was a policy instituted in 1991 that allowed the Department of Defense to only give half of separation pay to soldiers who were involuntarily honorably discharged if they met certain criteria, including being homosexual. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued it was unconstitutional to cut the benefits owed to homosexual soldiers.

"There was absolutely no need to subject these servicemembers to a double dose of discrimination by removing them from the armed forces in the first place, and then denying them this small benefit to ease the transition to civilian life," Laura Schauer Ives, the managing attorney for ACLU of New Mexico, told the AP.

The settlement marks another step forward for gay and lesbian troops. In 2012, Tammy Smith became the first openly gay general in the Armed Forces when she was promoted to brigadier general, reports NPR.

Last month President Barack Obama began to fill some upcoming Cabinet vacancies when he nominated Massachusetts Senator John Kerry for Secretary of State. On Monday, he worked toward filling another one when he tapped former Senator Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense, reports The Associated Press.

The official announcement of Hagel's nomination confirms rumors that have been circulating for the last several weeks. Analysts say the choice is an interesting one given that Hagel, a Republican, may face a tough road to confirmation due to concerns from his own party on his stance toward Iran and Israel. However, he has an exemplary record and worked with Obama when they were both in the Senate.

"Chuck Hagel is a tremendous patriot and statesman, served incredibly in Vietnam, served this country as a United States senator," Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat from North Dakota, said on ABC's "This Week."

Along with Hagel's nomination, Obama also announced he would ask John Brennan to head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Brennan, who is currently a national security advisor to the president, spent more than 25 years working in the CIA.

Servicemembers and first responders have two of the most important jobs out there, and while protecting the country at home and abroad is critical, the responsibilities also come with stress. In fact, according to CareerCast.com, the two fields have been ranked more stressful than most others.

Active duty soldiers face most stress
The rankings took a variety of factors into consideration including physical danger, having responsibility for others' lives and how much a certain job is in the public eye, all of which certainly apply to enlisted military personnel, who came in at number one in the list of most stressful jobs. In addition to being in the line of fire, soldiers often have to spend long stretches away from their loved ones, which can only add to the stress.

"This should come as no surprise that enlisted military personnel is the number one most stressful job," Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com, told NBC News. "These are the folks on the front lines. Whether they're in a battle environment or here helping out after Hurricane Sandy – military personnel are always at risk."

Firefighters close behind
Few people put their lives on the line on a more regular basis than firefighters, and their rank as the third most stressful job of 2013 is certainly well deserved. In addition to the stress caused by fires, experts say a lot of stress could be tied to the fact that they feel such a large responsibility to protecting the general public.

The high stress levels firefighters face can take their toll. A recent study from the National Fire Protection Association found that 44 percent of firefighters' deaths were caused by heart attacks, a condition commonly brought on by stress.

Long-lasting impact of stress
The high intensity environment of soldiers and firefighters could have consequences that last long after they leave their careers. Most notably, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects an estimated 20 percent of servicemembers, and it is also common among first responders. In fact, some studies have found that as many as 37 percent of firefighters could exhibit symptoms of PTSD.

The good news is that there is a growing call to understand how PTSD operates and devise strategies to treat the condition. Most notably, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Maryland, has employed some of the latest therapies and treatments to address PTSD.

Service dogs have proven to be helpful to disabled soldiers as well as those suffering from traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Several programs have sprung up across the country enlisting the help of inmates to train the dogs, and now one Maryland institute is turning to incarcerated veterans to help out their fellow servicemembers, reports The Associated Press.

The program is operated out of Western Correctional Institute and uses canines provided by New York-based America's VetDogs. Aside from a twice-weekly visit from a trainer, the inmates are largely left alone to work with the dogs on obedience and tasks such as turning on lights and picking up objects. Only the most trusted inmates are allowed to train the dogs, and by most accounts the program has been a big success.

"We’re putting them [dogs] through some very stringent training – 90 percent of their time is training – so it gives me great joy just [to] see them romp and roll around and be puppies," Hazard Wilson, a former military police officer, told the AP.

Whatever the method of training is, it is clear that therapy dogs play a vital role in helping wounded warriors. However, despite considerable anecdotal evidence, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently paused a study analyzing the benefits service dogs offer vets with PTSD, CNN reports.

President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013 on January 2, and while he said that he agrees with much of the $633.3 billion bill, he does have some issues with it. Chiefly, he contends that the blocking of increases to TRICARE health insurance fees could lead to deep spending cuts elsewhere in the military budget.

The proposed increase to health insurance fees were meant to be part of a larger plan to cut personnel costs, and the failure to pass the key part of the bill worries Obama because it could reduce the size of the military. He also opposes a measure in the legislation that blocks the retirement of old ships and aircrafts.

"In a time when all public servants recognize the need to eliminate wasteful or duplicative spending, various sections in the Act limit the Defense Department's ability to direct scarce resources towards the highest priorities for our national security," Obama said in a released statement.

The signing of the bill into law comes as the threat of sequestration still looms in the distance. Despite the fact Congress avoided the fiscal cliff, they still need to reach a deal on raising the debt ceiling or else the across-the-board spending cuts could go into effect on March 1.