As election day inches closer, most Americans don't have to think twice about where and when they will cast their ballot. However, it is not quite that easy for soldiers stationed overseas. Luckily, the Federal Voter Assistance Program has put several provisions in place to make the process a bit simpler, according to American Forces Press Service.
The cornerstone of the program is a website that includes an easy-to-navigate section where servicemembers can easily go over the absentee voting rules for their home state. Additionally, troops can register to vote online and there is a mobile app available to make the process even more streamlined.
"We firmly believe that voting assistance for our absentee voters is absolutely the best that it’s ever been," Federal Voter Assistance Program manager Pam Mitchell recently told reporters. "There are a lot of tools in our arsenal to help those voters both register, get an absentee ballot and to exercise their right to vote."
Despite the improved access, some election officials have been alarmed at the lack of absentee ballot requests among soldiers. In Virginia, there has been a 92 percent drop in requests compared to 2008, local radio station WMAL reports.
The Post 9/11-GI Bill provides servicemembers with a great chance to go on to college after leaving the service, but the benefits have led to some for-profit schools seeking out vets to take advantage of their unique position. However, that's expected to come to an end soon, as the House of Representatives recently voted to limit the amount schools can pay in bonuses to people who recruit vets attending college on the GI Bill, according to Military Times.
The provision is part of a larger veterans bill, HR 4057, and tackles an ever-growing problem. For-profit schools often target veterans receiving benefits from the GI Bill, which can sometimes leave the students on the hook for costs they didn't know were there. The new bill would not allow schools that provide bonuses to recruiters that target vets to receive any funds from the GI Bill.
The issue was highlighted by a recent report from the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, which found that, while for-profit schools took in 37 percent of funds from the GI Bill, they only provided an education to 25 percent of veterans.
Along with protecting students from unscrupulous recruiters, the legislation also created a process to better educate veterans on their options when applying to school. Specifically, it aims to provide vets with information on everything from student loan debt to career counseling opportunities, according to the publication.
With September being recognized as National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, the Department of Defense (DoD) is taking the opportunity to encourage the military community to be on the lookout for potential warning signs of depression and suicide. In an effort to help, the DoD recently shed some light on some of the symptoms of suicidal thoughts.
Many soldiers face mental health hurdles when they return home from overseas, and with tens of thousands of troops leaving Afghanistan over the next two years, the need for a focus on psychological well being is especially high.
"I think the first key factor is to understand the signs and symptoms of suicide, and not to be afraid to ask the question," Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, told the American Forces Press Service. "It’s a myth that if you ask somebody, ‘Are you feeling suicidal?’ that you’ll put a thought in their head. And that’s just not going to happen."
Garrick says that some behavioral changes can be indicative of something more serious. For instance, increased risk taking, substance abuse or changes in insurance coverage may all be hints.
The need for suicide awareness is especially great right now. According to The Associated Press, the U.S. military suicide rate doubled from July to June.
Finding jobs for veterans has been a priority for the Obama administration, and it looks like one of its landmark bills may soon move forward in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recently called for a debate on S 3457, which would create the Veterans Jobs Corps to hire former service members as first responders, Military Times reports.
The bill, which has been met with considerable Republican opposition, was first introduced July 30. Republican lawmakers have voiced concerns over the legislation because it did not make its way through a Senate committee before being introduced on the floor. Reid says passing the bill is unquestionably the right thing to do given that similar programs have worked in the past.
"We have tried this once before, and we were really struggling as a country during the Great Depression," Reid told reporters. "We have the [Works] Progress Administration; we had the Civilian Conservation Corps."
Reid's announcement that he'd bring the bill up for discussion comes more than four months after President Barack Obama called on Congress to create the legislation. Back in May, Obama also ordered the formation of the Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force to provide servicemembers with greater access to certification and licensing exams for new jobs.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan presented doctors in the United States with a number of new challenges. Injuries and amputations from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) required new treatments, and after a decade of war the medical community has made use of some unique methods in treating wounded warriors, according to The Associated Press.
Thanks in large part to research conducted by the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM), doctors have been able to help injured troops in a variety of ways. For instance, in several cities across the U.S., an innovative spray made from skin cells has helped treat burns. In others, doctors have been able to regrow lost tissue or rebuild damaged ears and noses.
"The whole idea is to bring all these researchers together to develop these great technologies that were in early science to eventually be ready for the troops,"Terry Irgens, the former director of AFIRM, told the AP.
Among those who have benefitted from the advancements is Army Staff Sgt. Michael Mills, who was gravely injured in 2005 due to a bomb blast. Though still on a long road to recovery, surgeons managed to rebuild his nose by using part of his forehead, according to the AP.
"I'm very happy with the new look I have now," Mills told the news agency. "I don't let my disability run my life. I run my disability."
Such advancements are critical in helping improve the lives of wounded warriors once they return home, and there are many soldiers who need medical attention. According to Department of Defense statistics, more than 49,600 troops have been wounded as the result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
There are many initiatives across the country contributing to the goal of AFIRM including UCLA's Operation Mend. In addition to Mills, many other soldiers have received treatment from Operation Mend, and they were recently honored at a Los Angeles Dodgers game, Yahoo! Sports reports.
The two who were honored, Joey Paulk and Louis Dahlman, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on July 4. The accomplishment was certainly impressive for Paulk, who suffered burns over 40 percent his body, had his hands amputated and had to re-learn how to walk after his convoy hit anti-tank mines.
On the 11-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, first responders and those who lived near Ground Zero will finally receive coverage for cancer. The announcement comes from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which recognized there was a link between living and working near the World Trade Center site and the development of certain kinds of cancer, FoxNews.com reports.
The move will be hailed a victory by many advocates for first responders who had struggled for years to get coverage for illnesses sustained as a result of the work they did in the aftermath of the attacks. The Zadroga Bill created a $2.8 billion fund several years ago, but until recently cancer was not among the illnesses covered.
"It’s a bittersweet thing," John Walcott, an NYPD detective who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2003, told the New York Post. "It took 11 years to do what should have been done a long time ago."
Though there are no hard statistics, experts estimate that around 400 people have died from cancer since 9/11, according to the Post. Currently, about 20,000 people receive medical treatment as a result of the legislation.
The Paralympics kicked off in London toward the end of August, and with them came a host of inspiring stories and astonishing accomplishments. Among the athletes who has put on one of the best performances is swimmer Brad Snyder, a blind Navy lieutenant who has already taken home a gold and silver medal, reports The Associated Press.
Snyder lost his eyesight just over a year ago due to an explosion in Afghanistan. Ever since the 2011 blast, Snyder has made it his mission to overcome his blindness, and thanks to a large support network he has done so in a relatively short amount of time. In addition to winning medals in the pool, Snyder wants to inspire other wounded warriors.
"I hope that my generation, the warriors coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq who are lying in bed missing a limb or whatever and they don't know what's next, can see my story and say: 'Hey, that's for me. If he can do it, I can too,'" he told the AP.
Snyder is certainly not the only former soldier to earn a spot on the U.S. Paralympic team. There are 20 injured servicemembers who have competed in London this Summer, and six of them are veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The accomplishments of Snyder and the other vets on the Paralympic team highlight the importance of supporting the recovery of injured soldiers. There are many charitable efforts across the country aimed at providing wounded warriors with assistance, and at Fort Knox, military officials are planning to open a facility to help injured vets heal and recover, Fox affiliate WDRB reports.
Sumner Warrior Battalion Complex includes a number of services designed specifically with injured troops in mind and is ready to care for them for up to six months. About 200 soldiers are slated to move into the newly-created center. Among them is Sgt. Austin Westerman, who is being treated for shrapnel still in his arm from a 2008 enemy attack.
"I got a case manager, I got the hospital right across the street – we've got a bus that can take us right there," Westerman told the news channel.
The Department of Labor released its August jobs report on Friday, and though it showed some gains for veterans, the news was not quite as good for the youngest servicemembers. The statistics show the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans rose to 10.9 percent, Military Times reports.
The findings come amid modest job gains across the country as a whole. The U.S. added just 96,000 jobs in August, and while the nationwide unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, some analysts say it could be due to fewer people actively looking for work. Still, there was some good news, the overall veterans jobless rate fell to 6.6 percent – the third straight month it has decreased.
The results come just one day after President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention, where he asserted his commitment to helping veterans find work once they return home from serving overseas.
"When you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you've served us – because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they need when they come home," he told the audience in Charlotte.
To this point, he and first lady Michelle Obama have been successful. Just last month, the first lady touted that her Joining Forces initiative had helped find a job for 125,000 vets since the program started.
American civilians pay tribute to the troops in a wide variety of ways. Whether it be a cross-country bike ride, a community fundraiser or volunteering, their efforts rarely go unnoticed, but one Texas man may have one of the most unique methods. Norm Duggleby, 72, has been restoring old military vehicles for more than 10 years to help honor servicemen and women, according to the Kerrville Daily Times.
His interest in military vehicles began in the mid-1990s when, while he was visiting a client, he noticed an old Jeep parked under a tarp. The vehicle had belonged to his client's late father and, intrigued by the relic of a bygone era, he bought the Jeep for just $300 and began work on restoring it several years later.
Duggleby's operation has grown considerably since then. He has also worked on the likes of a 1962 Dodge M37 and 1970 M561 Gama Goat, which was used during the Vietnam War. His restorations are more than just a hobby, however. Duggleby, who served in the Army Reserve for seven years, uses his passion as a way to pay tribute to his fellow veterans.
"My whole goal is, I want to honor the veterans," Duggleby told the newspaper. "Those guys sacrificed so much."
Duggleby's efforts represent a much larger nationwide effort to support the troops who have fought for the United States. Perhaps the most high-profile effort is the Joining Forces initiative, which is led by Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. The first and second lady have made helping veterans a priority, which recently exceeded its goal of 100,000 jobs, and helped 125,000 vets land employment in its first year of existence.
Michelle Obama is certainly not the only member of her family who regularly pays tribute to America's servicemembers. Most recently, President Barack Obama has been emphasizing his appreciations of the troops as the two-year anniversary of the end to combat operations in Iraq just passed.
"As we turn the page on a decade of war, it's time to do some nation-building here at home," Obama said in his weekly address. "Today's veterans have the skills, the discipline, and the leadership skills to do the exact same thing – and it's our job to give them that chance."
With the November elections rapidly approaching, much of the nation's attention is on the candidates' positions on everything from healthcare to taxes. That's the same for the country's veterans, who have a specific set of expectations of their own. According to a recent survey from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), there are certain things servicemembers expect from all candidates.
Among the most important issues to recent veterans is the Post 9/11 GI Bill. This useful benefit has helped many soldiers or their family members receive an education, but it has become threatened by predatory for-profit institutions. According to the IAVA, servicemembers expect lawmakers to work to stop for-profit schools from targeting veterans.
Mental health is a significant concern among soldiers, and it's easy to see why they want prospective legislators to place an emphasis on addressing the issue. The topic has become especially important as of late, given that there were 38 military suicides in July – the highest rate ever recorded.
According to the IAVA, veterans also want their candidates to support a revamped Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA has become bogged down by backlogs and is not meeting the mental health needs of today's servicemembers. Modernization, including paperless and electronic claims systems, would be a significant step forward.