Although an ambitious veterans jobs bill was stymied on the Senate floor earlier this week, another program through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) moved forward. The organization recently opened up 54,000 spots for the second phase of its Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP).

The initiative, which has already filled the initial 45,000 slots, provides servicemembers with vocational training classes that provide them with skills to find jobs in certain in-demand fields. The program is open to veterans under the Montgomery GI Bill, which goes into effect on October 1 and pays recipients $1,564 a month if they are full-time students.

Soldiers who enroll in the program can take classes in 200 different fields, all of which are estimated to be adding 10,000 jobs over the next decade.

"The surge of Veterans applying for VRAP demonstrates this program's importance to provide unemployed Veterans the opportunity to find employment in high-demand fields," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.

The program is open to vets between 35 and 60 years old and is the brainchild of Rep. Jeff Miller, who wanted to provide middle-age servicemembers with job training opportunities, according to Military Times.

Though it may seem like something out of Hollywood rather than the Pentagon, some members of the military will soon be receiving training on how to respond in the event of a zombie apocalypse. The initiative is led by security firm HALO Corp, which will incorporate the training into its yearly counter-terrorism summit, according to Military Times.

The event includes a number of other scenarios soldiers and other emergency personnel might face, and organizers spare no expense in making the situation as real as possible with Hollywood sets and special effects around every corner.

While the zombie apocalypse may seem tongue-in-cheek, HALO Corp is not the only organization to use the fictional scenario as a way to highlight the serious nature of a pandemic. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used zombies as a way to encourage Americans to be prepared to every emergency situation, regardless of how far- fetched it may seem.

Despite the inclusion of zombies, the summit as a whole is a useful tool for troops and first responders. They will also get a crash course on cyber terrorism and practice drills in recreated scenes from Iraq and Afghanistan.

When first responders arrive on the scene, it can often be difficult for them to get an idea of what the inside of a building looks like. However, thanks to the development of a new program, firefighters at the University of Connecticut have helped solve the problem.

The program, known as CommandScope, gives first responders the opportunity to look at detailed information about the building they're entering via their smartphone or other mobile device. The software has access to everything from maps and photos to hazardous material information. According to UCFD chief John Mancini, the development could be a critical advancement.

"CommandScope will save us critical minutes that could save lives. The latest building data is instantly available on mobile devices in our vehicles so we can coordinate our efforts to quickly and efficiently take action," he said in a press release.

The use of CommandScope is the latest nationwide effort to provide first responders with more tools to perform their jobs. One of the most significant advancements has been the development of a public safety network, which was tested earlier this summer at the Republican National Convention in Tampa Bay, according to Politico.

Both deployment to and returning from overseas can put a great deal of stress on servicemembers and their families. Both transitions are difficult, but thanks to the Army Reserve Yellow Ribbon Program,the process may be a bit easier, Military.com reports.

The program was born out of the National Defense Authorization Act more than five years ago and has been viewed as a considerable success. The training addresses many common obstacles faced by members of the community including combat stress, employment assistance and overcoming marital issues. Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal recently paid a visit to an event in St. Louis, Missouri, to honor the work of Reserve officials.

"The Yellow Ribbon Program is testament to this never-ending commitment to our Soldiers and their families," he told the crowd, according to the website. "I applaud the contributions of the U.S. Army Reserve and thank you for your critical role as we reshape the Army of 2020."

The Yellow Ribbon Program is one of several initiatives aimed at smoothing the transition from combat to civilian roles. Among the most significant efforts is the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program, which is designed to help veterans find employment.

There has been some evidence suggesting that service dogs can help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues, and now some advocates are encouraging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to revise its policy on the helpful animals. Among the leading voices is Senator Chuck Schumer, who has called on the VA to include service dogs to treatments covered by health benefits, according to Military Times.

Under current guidelines, the VA covers service dogs for a number of conditions including mobility problems and visual or hearing disabilities. The VA covers many of the costs including veterinary bills and insurance. However, mental health issues are excluded from the coverage. Despite the research supporting the emotional benefits of service dogs, the VA maintains that it is only authorized to cover dogs for people who are physically disabled. Many advocates disagree.

"We owe it to these vets to provide them with every recovery option possible, including service dogs, prescribed by a doctor, to help them heal," Schumer said in a press release.

There are considerable benefits service dogs can offer soldiers suffering from PTSD. According to the Psychiatric Service Dog Society, canines can not only read their handlers moods, but caring for a dog can help take wounded warriors' minds off their mental illness.

The one-year anniversary of the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is fast approaching, and by all accounts the change has been an overwhelming success. Pentagon officials, the White House and throngs of advocates have hailed the smooth transition, The Associated Press reports.

The repeal, which allows gay and lesbian troops to serve openly, has been recognized as one of the key accomplishments of President Barack Obama's first term. Though there had been some concerns over whether soldiers would accept the change, thanks to pre-repeal training and monitoring after the fact, there have been no reported problems. In fact, the policy may have improved troop morale, a study from UCLA's Palm Center found recently.

"Contrary to expectations, the co-authors found evidence that repeal has improved trust among the troops, and has enabled service members to resolve problems in ways that were not possible while DADT remained law," the authors of the study wrote, according to the AP.

While there have been strides made for gay rights in the military, advocates say there is still work to be done. In particular, same sex couples do not yet have the same benefits and healthcare coverage as other troops.

For a year, the threat of sequestration, automatic across-the-board budget cuts, has loomed over the military. However, despite the concerns over the multi-billion dollar reductions, few specifics were known about what exactly would get slashed. But a new report from the White House removes some doubt by detailing what would be cut from the military should sequestration go into effect in January, Stars and Stripes reports.

The report, released on Friday, revealed that the Department of Defense would cut about 10 percent of its total budget. Though the plan did not go into specifics over which programs would be eliminated, it did identify how much money would be taken from certain areas. For instance, health programs would be cut by about $3.3 billion and the purchase of items such as military vehicles and weapons would drop by $505 million. The cuts would come to about $54.6 billion total, but are just the first step in a 10-year reduction that would total nearly half a trillion dollars.

Sequestration was included in last year's Budget Control Act because lawmakers thought it would give Congress an incentive to reach a budget deal and avoid the implementation of the cuts. However, a compromise has been hard to find and legislators are running out of time before the cuts take place.

Though the White House has come out with a report, some members of Congress have criticized it for lacking detail. Furthermore, the Pentagon said that even though the threat of sequestration inches closer, it will not be planning for cuts. However, some say doing so may be misguided.

"It's not too late for the Defense Department to start planning, but it's starting to get close," David Berteau, director of the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Stars and Stripes. "You can manage these cuts, but only if you plan for it. And they certainly aren't planning for it to the extent they need to."

Aside from hitting the military, there are some concerns that sequestration could also be damaging to the Department of Homeland Security. Among the most significant cuts will be a proposed $580 million to the Federal Emergency Management Administration and reductions to the Transportation Security Administration, according to Government Security News.

Congress has been working to construct a budget deal that will avoid sequestration, the $500 billion cuts in defense spending, but the most recent proposal has been met with a quick veto threat from the Obama administration. Though the bill would avoid the expensive cuts, the White House rejected it because it was not a balanced approach, Defense News reports.

The disagreement over the bill, the National Security and Job Protection Act, is one that has been fought in Washington over much of the last several years. Both parties agree concessions need to be made, but they have yet to agree on how to balance spending cuts with revenue increases.

Perhaps most significantly, President Barack Obama rejects the bill, which cuts about $19 billion from discretionary spending, because of what it would to do the United States domestically. Specifically, it contains "destructive cuts in investments critical to the nation's economic future, ranging from education to research and develop infrastructure," the White House said.

Though seemingly at an impasse, it's critical for Congress to reach an agreement to avoid the half-trillion dollar cuts. Aside from the sheer size, they would be applied by taking a percentage of each non-exempt area, which could have an impact on everything from health benefits to integral military programs.

The Military Officers Association of America recently hosted its annual Warrior-Family Symposium to gain some insight into what the priorities are among injured troops as they transition to their new lives. The discussion touched on a number of topics, but caregivers, reserve support and sports for the wounded came out as their biggest concerns, according to Armed Forces Press Service.

The panel was moderated by Retired Marine Corps Master Sgt. William Gibson, who has considerable experience living life as an injured soldier. Though he had his leg amputated above the knee after a 2005 injury he returned to a combat role three years after his amputation.

Also in attendance was retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Slaydon, who was there to talk about caregiving challenges. In particular, he discussed the stress his injuries placed on his wife, who was acting as a caregiver.

"There's no handbook that says when you should pull back as a caregiver and give them more independence," his wife Annette Slaydon said, according to the news source. "There is no instruction booklet about how to move forward on this."

The panel convened around the same time the Department of Defense announced it would be hosting a caregivers conference next year. There is a significant need as well, with approximately 49,000 troops receiving physical wounds in Iraq or Afghanistan, Military Times reports.

In the wake of an attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya that killed four Americans, the Department of Defense has moved two warships to the coast of the North African country. Though the two vessels enter with no specific strategy, the move underscores the seriousness of the brash attack on Tuesday night, according to The Associated Press.

One of the ships, Laboon, is already stationed off the coast and the McFaul should be there soon. Both of the ships are outfitted with cruise missiles and can quickly respond to the situation as it evolves. Though the Pentagon has yet to confirm the deployment of the two ships, spokesman George Little emphasized that it's somewhat of a routine exercise.

"Without commenting on specific ship movements, the United States military regularly takes precautionary steps when potential contingencies might arise in a given situation," Little told the AP. That's not only logical in certain circumstances, it's the prudent thing to do."

The attacks on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi come just less than a year after the United States offered Libyan rebels support in the toppling of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Though there has been some speculation surrounding the motives for the attack, there has been some investigation into whether it was timed to coincide with the anniversary of September 11.