Since it first launched in 2011, the Hiring Our Heroes campaign, which is operated by the Chamber of Commerce and Capital One, has worked tirelessly to help veterans and their spouses find jobs. In a little under two years, it has certainly been successful, with approximately 85,000 people finding employment in the last seven months, according to Army News Service.

Events such as the one held recently at Nationals Park, which brought veterans and their spouses face to face with 87 employers, have been a large part of the initiative. Kevin Schmiegel is the executive director of the program and says that employers are often eager to hire veterans because they possess unique skills that make them ideal workers.

"We know there are close to 4 million jobs in America that aren't being filled right now because we lack the skilled workforce but we believe the skills that young men and women learn in the military can be repurposed for the private sector and we should direct veterans and military spouses to those jobs because they have unique skill sets," Schmiegel told the news source.

Hiring Our Heroes is indicative of the concerted effort on behalf of the government to help veterans and their loved ones find jobs. Most notably, the White House's Joining Forces initiative, which is led by first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, has already succeeded in finding jobs for more than 100,000 vets or their spouses. Additionally, about 2,000 companies have participated in the program.

With the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy on the line, Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds took over Saturday's game. The standout freshman led the Midshipmen on a late touchdown drive to edge out Army 17-13, beating  the Black Knights for the 11th consecutive year, according to The Associated Press.

The game was one of the most competitive in recent memory, and it looked like Army was poised to defeat the Midshipmen for the first time since 2001, when they entered the fourth quarter with a 13-10 lead. Paced by senior quarterback Trent Steelman, the Black Knights controlled much of the game and their once-porous defense kept Navy at bay.

However, the momentum swung late in the fourth quarter when Army missed a field goal and Navy quickly took the ball for a score to go ahead 17-13. Army had time to regain the lead, but a fumble deep in Navy territory removed any chance at a comeback.

"I feel like we deserved that game in every way possible but it just didn't happen," Steelman told the AP.

The game ends a disappointing season for Army, who finished at 2-10. Navy, who improved to 8-4, still has one game to play – the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against Arizona State on December 29.

When soldiers separate from service, part of the process includes a physical examination, and now Department of Defense (DOD) officials are looking to make the process a bit more thorough. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki hope that a more comprehensive exam will eliminate issues with medical benefits and disability claims later on, according to Military Times.

Implementing a more comprehensive physical exam could avoid trouble stemming from an inability to connect disabilities with injuries sustained during service. Part of the issue is tied to poor record keeping, but over the last 10 years officials have been working on a joint DOD and VA system. This new initiative will help ensure that medically accurate records are kept in the first place.

"This will help ensure that if a service member wants to file a claim in the future, the VA will have the health information they need from DOD at their fingertips and more quickly process that claim," Panetta said at a joint press conference with Shinseki on Thursday.

The need for a more streamlined process is especially great now that military officials expect a large number of troops to separate from service in the coming years. In fact, around 300,000 soldiers will leave each year over the next four years.

The national unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent in November – its lowest figure in four years – but the news was not quite as good for the country's veterans. For former servicemembers of all ages, the rate rose to 6.6 percent while the jobless rate for post-911 vets stayed around 10 percent, according to Military Times.

Approximately 12 million people are still unemployed, but the United States did add about 146,000 jobs during November. Experts say the majority of the jobs came in retail, professional and business services. While vets did not make the same gains, there are a number of programs slated to begin soon that could make a big difference.

One of the most anticipated initiatives is a revamping of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Specifically, a three-day class designed to help soldiers separating from service find jobs that recently became available at all worldwide military installations.

"This is in many ways a national security issue. It gets to the heart of taking care of the people who fight for us, and ensuring that we can then recruit the very best force that is possible," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at a recent press conference.

A trio of servicemembers made history earlier this week when they were honored as the first women to become fully qualified submarine officers. The three soldiers were recognized after a lengthy process that cleared one of the last remaining obstacles for women in the military, according to Navy News.

Among those who earned their submarine "dolphins," was Lt. j.g. Marquette Leveque, who has been assigned to serve on the USS Wyoming. While her place in history is important, Leveque humbly accepted her promotion.

"I am honored to be joining the long tradition of the submarine force by earning my dolphins and excited for the journey to come," Leveque told the news source. "I could not have accomplished this without the help of the wardroom and crew of the USS Wyoming."

Whether male or female, becoming a fully qualified submarine officer is no small feat. Leveque, along with Lt. j.g. Jennifer Noonan and Lt. j.g. Amber Cowan, were given the honor after a year of training followed by a year at sea.

Despite the recent strides being made, there are still some areas unavailable to women in the military. Most notably, women are still excluded from many combat positions, according to Fox News.

The holiday season is a challenge for military families for a number of reasons. Being separated from loved ones is always difficult, and for some families, financial struggles make it hard to have the Christmas celebration they're dreaming of. However, a program known as Trees for Troops has been helping provide some holiday cheer to military families most in need.

The program, which is run by the Christmas Spirit Foundation, has been in operation since 2005. In the last six-plus years, the organization has provided more than 103,000 farm-grown trees to troops and their families all over the world.

Among those who have contributed to the program are Maggie and Joe Keris, who run an Allentown, Pennsylvania, tree farm. They have been longtime supporters of Trees for Troops, according to the Times of Trenton.

"We just feel like it's our way to give back to people in the military," Maggie told the newspaper.

Trees for Troops has been successful so far this year, officials say. The program has donated about 18,000 trees to families on 62 different military bases.

A group of airmen who recently deployed to Afghanistan are certainly used to heading into danger. The four servicemembers, who are part of the New York Air National Guard, are all firefighters when they're not deployed overseas, according to Air Force News.

Capt. Shaun Cullen, Capt. Tripp Zanetis, Tech. Sgt. Erick Pound and Tech. Sgt. Jim Denniston recently arrived at Afghanistan's Camp Bastion, and their duties somewhat resemble their jobs in civilian life. They are all members of the 101st Rescue Squadron, which means they are called on to assist in medical evacuations or personnel recovery missions. Though they all serve at different firehouses, they felt a common bond almost immediately.

"From day one we gelled," Denniston told the news source. "There's something different about firefighters. You can walk into any given situation when you're called up (on active duty) and meet another airman that you have never seen a day in your life and within minutes can say, 'What ladder are you on? What department?'"

Denniston and his three fellow firefighters highlight the indelible link between the Armed Forces and first responders. The two often work side by side on the home front, something which was on display earlier this year when the National Guard played a vital role in the response to Hurricane Sandy.

With the debate surrounding the fiscal cliff earning much of the attention from the military community, some people may have overlooked the fact that the Senate recently unanimously passed a sprawling $631 billion defense spending bill for 2013. The 98-0 vote highlights the increasingly loud call to pull out of Afghanistan and includes potential cuts to the Pentagon budget, according to The Associated Press.

The bill included about $525.3 billion in base defense spending, which is just slightly less than what the Obama administration requested earlier this year. However, it was the bill's language about the United States' involvement in the world that sent the loudest message. The fact that the Pentagon budget has not increased like it has over the last decade of war signals the fact that Congress may encourage the White House to speed up the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

There are still some areas of contention in the bill, according to the AP. For instance, the bill increases spending on things like weapons, aircrafts and ships and also calls for a 1.7 percent pay raise to troops. Such provisions could derail plans to balance the budget.

Despite the unanimous passage, a House-Senate conference committee still needs to draft a final version to give to President Obama.

The GI Bill is one of the most useful benefits available to veterans, but there have been an increasing number of cases of misuse and misrepresentation by universities and colleges looking to attract servicemembers. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs has taken a step to prevent potential abuse by trademarking the phrase "GI Bill," according to Stars and Stripes.

It may seem like a small move, but it's an important one. By being awarded the trademark, the VA now has more leverage to bring cases against schools that may be participating in unscrupulous misrepresentation to reap the benefits of the GI Bill. The trademarking comes after President Barack Obama laid out plans to limit deceptive marketing earlier this year.

"We will continue to support our veterans by helping them obtain the best education of their choosing – a right for which they have bravely served, and which they have truly earned," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We all want veterans to be informed consumers in their educational pursuit."

The Post-9/11 GI Bill has some of the most far-reaching benefits for troops. Among its most helpful aspects is that it pays full tuition and fees for public, in-state schools.

As the country moves closer toward the fiscal cliff – the name given to automatic spending cuts and tax increases triggered should Congress not reach a deficit deal – there has been a sharp focus on what it could mean for the Armed Forces. However, lost in the fray has been the impact on the families of servicemembers and it turns out many of them are concerned about what the impending crisis could mean, according to Military.com.

The biggest source of concern is what the fiscal cliff would do to federal spending. While certain programs, such as Medicare, are likely to be exempt from the extensive budget cuts, those that help military families are not so lucky. Aside from paychecks, federal spending is responsible for important services such as schools on military bases and the important commissaries.

The impact of the fiscal cliff has already been felt in some places, where officials have taken steps to prepare for the possibility a deficit reduction deal is not met. For instance, at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, the school system has already eliminated a number of positions in preparation for the expected cuts.

"We've done our best to prepare for the cuts, and I could not in good conscience mortgage the fiscal future of our district on the notion that the federal government may come through, and that sequestration may or may not happen," Billy Walker, the Randolph district school superintendent, told Stars and Stripes.

Of course, the discussion may be moot should lawmakers reach a compromise by the December 31 deadline. However, early discussions by Republicans and Democrats have made little progress. An initial offer presented by the White House was quickly rejected by Speaker of the House John Boehner, and a Republican counter proposal has been met with criticism as well.

The central issue of the debate is whether the wealthiest Americans should be taxed at a higher rate. President Barack Obama has steadfastly maintained that Americans making $250,000 or more a year should be taxed at Clinton-era levels, while Republicans counter that cutting loopholes and deductions is the best method of reducing the deficit, according to CNN.

Whatever the case may be, members of Congress have less than a month to reach an agreement or the Department of Defense will see an additional $500 billion in spending cuts over the next 10 years.