The Navy has placed an emphasis on finding alternative fuel sources, and its latest effort is focused on one of the most plentiful resources on earth – sea water. Scientists from the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Office of Naval Research are working on converting sea water into jet fuel, something that could put the Navy one step closer to its goal of a "Great Green Fleet," reports Military Times.

It may be 10 years before researchers are successful with their ambitious project, but a victory in this field could greatly change the way the Navy operates. For starters, it would allow aircraft carriers to stay deployed longer without having to worry about refueling.

"The key is funding research to reduce the power needed for the process, so more fuel can be made," said Heather Willauer, a NRL chemist and one of the writers of a study on the impact of the research. "In addition, research focus should be directed toward reducing the size, weight and footprint of the technologies to make it feasible for a sea-based process."

There have been mixed feelings about the growing effort to make the Navy more eco-friendly, but Navy Secretary Ray Mabus wants 50 percent of the fleet to operate on renewable energy sources by 2020, according to Forbes.

Financial worries can cause a great deal of stress for soldiers and their families, and that is especially true when they are deployed overseas. In an effort to limit any significant concerns, the Department of Defense has launched a campaign aimed at helping military families maintain their financial security.

The effort is being championed by Barbara Thompson, the director of the DoD's Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth. She points to a number of common sense steps military families can take to ensure their finances are taken care of during deployment, including having ample savings and limiting any debt they carry. Furthermore, she says it's a good idea for military families to meet with financial planners to help address their individual situations. She says being more secure about money matters can help soldiers serve better.

"When people are worried about their financial situations or worried about their families at home, they're not focused on their mission, so that impacts readiness," she said, adding that some soldiers have lost their security clearances due to financial problems.

Financial planning is especially important given that it can be difficult for military spouses who frequently move to find a job. According to CNN, approximately 35 percent of spouses work in a field that requires state licensing, and their unemployment rate stands much higher than the national average.

The ongoing conflict in Syria has attracted attention from the global community, and as tension rises between Syria and neighboring Turkey, the United States has sent troops to Jordan in the case war escalates. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta recently spoke with Jordan to discuss the increasingly volatile situation, according to The Associated Press.

Only about 150 U.S. soldiers have been sent to Jordan thus far, and are currently stationed in capital city of Amman, but they are moving back and forth between the city and the Syrian border. The placement of U.S. troops in Jordan comes amid growing concerns that the conflict in Syria could spill over into NATO countries. The military has also provided Jordan with supplies that are being handed over to the Syrian rebels.

"We have a group of our forces there working to help build a headquarters there and to insure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan [is] a strong one so that we can deal with all the possible consequences of what's happening in Syria," Panetta told reporters, according to the AP.

The conflict in Syria began last March, and has been escalating ever since. Some experts estimate more than 32,000 Syrians have been killed.

Identification cards are an important aspect of military life, and a new online destination makes it easier for families to apply for the useful items. Known as the Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIS), the website was developed by the Defense Manpower Data Center, and makes it easier for military families to update their personal information, The Birmingham News reports.

The new destination makes things much more streamlined for servicemembers. Previously, they would have had to make the trip to the Defense Manpower Data Center, submit an application in person and wait for their ID to be made. Now, they can enter all their information from the comfort of their own homes on the computer, and only have to visit the office in person to pick up the finished product.

"This is a big project," Mary Dixon, the center's director, told the newspaper. "It takes away time from your work, and if you are separated – maybe the spouse is out on a ship or on deployment or your child is away at college – it makes it a huge problem."

The online destination could help approximately 3.7 million families, Dixon says. Maintaining an up-to-date ID card is essential because it provides families and servicemembers with access to benefits and other privileges.

Servicemembers who are returning from overseas, upon retirement or completion of a tour, are sometimes faced with little to no job prospects back at home. However, businesses and governments alike have been working to make sure veterans have a fair chance at employment. Now, the state of Texas is stepping in to make sure veterans find a job.

Although the state has not released its unemployment figures for veterans yet, the Dallas News reports that veterans across the U.S. have a higher unemployment rate than the rest of the country, as 9.7 percent of those who served after 9/11 were out of a job in September. September's national unemployment rate dropped last month to 7.8 percent, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting it was actually due to companies adding more jobs, rather than people dropping out of the job search.

As a result of this, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced his Hiring Red, White & You! program. According to the Dallas News, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will work with the Texas Veterans Commission to host job fairs across the state. These events will take place on November 15.

According to the Liberty County Vindicator, Perry met with troops who were stationed at Fort Bliss to thank them for their service and tell them about the program.

"The talent and experiences our veterans bring back from their service in the military are an important, and, all too often, untapped resource for our communities," Governor Perry said, according to the news provider. "The Hiring Red, White & You! campaign is a great opportunity to help veterans utilize their skills to get a job in Texas, and help employers find talented and experienced individuals to fill open job opportunities."

Ronny Congleton, the commissioner representing labor for TWC, told the news provider that the organization believes they owe it to the veterans to make sure they find stable employment. He continued that the job fairs are a great way for veterans to find employment close to home.

The news provider reports that these job fairs could provide employment opportunities to an estimated 922,000 servicemembers.

"These job fairs will feature an unprecedented statewide employment effort aimed at making the transition of our veterans to the civilian labor force a successful one. I also encourage our veterans to take advantage of the services available to them at Workforce Solutions offices across the state," TWC chairman Andres Alcantar told the news provider.

There has been a growing amount of evidence suggesting service dogs can play a vital role in the recovery of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but there are a number of obstacles in the way of getting these helpful animals to the servicemembers who need them most. An increasing number of non-profits and mixed messages from the Department of Veterans Affairs has led to frustration for some vets, according to The Associated Press.

One of the biggest obstacles comes from the VA, which said it will not cover the expenses for services dogs for veterans with traumatic brain injuries until there are more studies proving their effectiveness. Additionally, the VA requires that all service dogs be trained by groups that have been approved by the Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or the International Guide Dog Federation.

Service dogs certainly aren't cheap, and that's why non-profits are so helpful. But they aren't without their problems. Many of them rely on dogs from shelters, and it can be difficult to know how they will react to troops with PTSD. Experts say it's crucial for canines to be bred specifically with the unique training in mind.

"We want to place a dog that makes them more independent, not dependent," Corey Hudson, secretary of ADI, told the AP. "Accreditation is a safeguard."

Despite the considerable anecdotal evidence supporting the idea that troops with PTSD can benefit from service dogs, there have been no double-blind, randomized control trials on whether there is a substantial impact, and a study currently underway could be years away from completion, according to NBC News. Still, there are some who stand by the benefits regardless of the lack of scientific evidence.

"The results are very immediate, they're very quick," Carol Borden, the executive director of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, told NBC. "It's not a cure, but they are able to manage their challenges much better than they have in years."

While widespread use of service dogs may years in the future, the issue shines the spotlight on the importance of addressing PTSD and traumatic brain injuries in the most recent troops. According to Time magazine, about 21 percent of the more than 500,000 troops who have visited the VA post-9/11 have PTSD.

A Senate candidate from Washington has done something that few politicians do in the middle of a heated campaign – suggest a tax hike. While people up for office usually shy away from such talk, Republican Michael Baumgartner hasn't and suggests using the additional revenue to provide better veterans healthcare, according to The Seattle Times.

Specifically, Baumgartner's plan involves increasing the federal gas tax by one cent to 19.4 cents per gallon. Though it may seem like a small increase, he said it could raise an additional $2 billion. Currently, the money from the tax goes toward improving infrastructure, but Baumgartner believes it could be better spent.

"Right now, we're charging ourselves a very high cost for infrastructure because of high labor and environmental regulations," he told the newspaper.

While the proposal may not come to fruition, it does underscore the importance of finding new ways to pay for veterans healthcare, especially with 68,000 troops still waiting to come home from Afghanistan. According to a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office, the total cost of providing healthcare to all veterans could reach between $69 and $85 billion by 2020.

Servicemembers are some of the most athletic and in-shape people in the United States, and one Marine is getting ready to show just how true that is. Staff Sgt. Derek Dowell is going to run the Southern Odyssey Relay in Georgia, which starts on October 11. The nearly 200 mile race is usually completed by teams of 12, but Dowell is doing the entire length of the course by himself, according to Military Times.

Dowell is running for a number of reasons, not the least of which is raising money for his fellow soldiers. He set out to raise about $5,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, and he was about halfway there earlier this month. His training regimen for the race is certainly impressive, and is unlike even the most dedicated runners.

"I also like to run back-to-back races to get used to running when I'm depleted," he told the publication. "I've done two marathons in one week, and this summer I ran Leadville on a Sunday then six days later I was in Beaufort, S.C., for a 50-miler."

Dowell picked a worthwhile cause to run for. The Wounded Warrior Project is not only meant to raise awareness of the challenges of injured troops, but also to provide resources for vets to assist each other.

The South Carolina-Georgia  football game this past weekend was one of the most anticipated of the season, but the SEC match-up has gained attention for reasons other than the play on the field. A video of the unexpected reunion Sgt. 1st Class Scott Faile staged with his family at Williams Brice Stadium has gone viral.

The idea came from Faile, who had spent the last 12 months stationed in South Korea. A big South Carolina fan, Faile had long been planning to surprise his family at the game, and worked with the university to make it happen, according to CBS affiliate WLTX. He told his family he entered them to win a military appreciation day, and when they were being honored on the field he came out of the tunnel to their complete surprise.

"I knew how good it was going to get them. I mean I like playing jokes on my kids a lot. But I really didn't expect it to do all this," Scott told the news channel.

Since it happened on Saturday, the reunion has been viewed more than 875,000 times on YouTube.

One of the most significant benefits available to the servicemembers is the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which helps troops head to college after separating from service. It can be a big help for vets who planned on getting their degree, but there are some steps they need to take to ensure they get all they're entitled to, The New York Times reports.

The most important thing for veterans to do is to apply for their benefits as soon as possible. While it may be common sense, applying early is key because it can sometimes take longer than one might think for the request to be processed.

"It takes the V.A. anywhere from two to six months to process these benefits because they’re backlogged," Michael Perry, director of undergraduate admissions at the Florida Institute of Technology, told the Times. "So apply early. Get that stuff going."

In a similar vein, it's also important for veterans to begin their college search early. Some institutions have veteran services and programs designed to help them transition to civilian life, according to the Times.

Being familiar with all of the ins and outs of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is important as well. The benefits can vary from school to school, but in most cases it pays full tuition and fees for public, in-state students.