Last year North Carolina and Michigan State made history when the two teams played the first basketball game ever aboard an aircraft carrier, and the military and NCAA are teaming up once again this year. Florida and Georgetown are slated to play aboard the amphibious assault ship the Bataan on November 9, Fox affiliate WAWS reports.

The event will take place as part of the Navy-Marine Corps Classic, and will mark the first time a basketball game has been played on an active amphibious assault ship. The Bataan will be situated in Florida's Naval Station Mayport, where it will be joined by two other ships. Aside from being a unique event, the Navy hopes it can help bring the local community together.

"This is a unique opportunity for the Navy and Marine Corps team, and to join together to honor our veterans and active-duty military," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus told the news channel.

The matchup between the Hoyas and the Gators won't be the only game to be hosted on a deck of a ship. The Carrier Classic will be held onboard the decommissioned carrier Yorktown and feature a doubleheader between Ohio State and Marquette on the men's side and Ohio State and Notre Dame on the women's side. That game is also set for November 9, Military Times reports.

Although many people who make significant contributions to veterans have a military background, such was not the case for Phillip Green. He has not served himself, but after being a successful businessman he decided he needed to give back. So Green, his wife and several friends recently donated $1.1 million to veterans' causes, The Christian Science Monitor reports.

While a substantial initial donation, Green does not want to stop there. He and the other donors hope to pledge as much as $30 million in the coming years. He was encouraged to donate largely as a way to demonstrate his appreciation for the sacrifice servicemembers and military families make. He has also seen the unique medical needs of some vets, something which will be especially important in the coming years.

"The fact is that the tax revenue will not be enough to support the need among today’s veterans generated by the wars of the past decade," he told the newspaper.

While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does provide healthcare, the costs will likely skyrocket in the coming years. According to the Congressional Budget Office, by 2020, the money needed by the VA to treat veterans would sit at about $85 billion, up from $69 billion in 2010.

Thousands of service members received a $12 million payout from Capital One on Thursday as an apology for violating a key provision of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The announcement comes after the credit giant wrongfully foreclosed on soldiers' homes, repossessed cars and failed to offer the interest rate relief provided to members of the Armed Forces, The Associated Press reports.

The payment is part of an agreement reached between Capital One and the Justice Department. Families who had their houses foreclosed upon will receive $125,000 each while those who had their car repossessed will get $10,000. The company also set up a $5 million fund for those denied benefits.

"Today's action makes clear that the Justice Department will fight for our servicemembers and use every available tool, resource and authority to hold accountable those who engage in discriminatory practices targeting those who serve," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act offers a number of protections for soldiers so that they can focus more on serving the country rather than their finances. For instance, the legislation can postpone a number of payments including outstanding credit card debt, some taxes and mortgage payments.

The threat of sequestration, the name applied to across-the-board budget cuts, has had many lawmakers concerned about what could happen to the Armed Forces. Now, some legislators say the possibility of a 100,000-troop reduction should make the Department of Defense (DoD) immune from the budget slashes, Military Times reports.

The new concerns come after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at a hearing that sequestration could have a substantial impact on unemployment among veterans. Rep. Buck McKeon echoed the worry, saying that the additional troop cuts, on top of ones that are already planned, may be too much.

"We know that there's high unemployment among our veterans, our young veterans, and we know that, with the $487 billion cut in defense, we will have 100,000 leaving the military," McKeon said at the hearing, according to the publication. "We will have another 100,000 if the sequestration takes effect.

There are a few ways to avoid the troop level reductions. Lawmakers have to come together to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion, or the White House can exempt military personnel cuts in light of reductions to other DoD programs.

As election day approaches, a federally-sponsored program aimed at helping wounded veterans vote more easily is moving forward. Known as Making Voting More Accessible for Veterans with Disabilities, the program is eyeing the use of innovative technology to make sure servicemembers can cast their ballot, Medill News Service reports.

While civilians might not encounter obstacles in voting, there are some challenges for veterans with injuries. Everything from vision and hearing loss to emotional distress and amputations can make it difficult. Among the solutions being considered is providing injured veterans with a web-based ballot if they have trouble accessing paper ones.

Changes may also make it easier for soldiers to vote at facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). There has been a call for the VA to work with state and local officials to create a uniform policy.

"The veterans come back with injuries that last [a] lifetime, but that does not mean they cannot become productive citizens," Rep. Ron Barber told the news source.

The need to offer easy access to voting will be especially great this November, as many wounded warriors have come home since the last presidential election in 2008.

There has been concern among veterans that the impending threat of sequestration, the name applied to across-the-board budget cuts, would reduce their benefits. However, in a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) convention, President Obama assured them that will not be the case, The Huffington Post reports.

The president's Monday speech in Reno, Nevada, reaffirmed what the White House budget office said earlier this year – that veterans need not worry about the potential for slashing the Pentagon budget.

"Your veteran's benefits are exempt from sequestration. They are exempt," he told the audience. "And because advance appropriations is now the law of the land, veterans' health care is protected from the budget battles in Washington."

Obama also used the speech to tout the progress being made in Afghanistan, stating that the United States is still on the path to withdraw its troops from the country by the end of 2014. The sentiment echoed that of U.S. General John Allen, who said the drawdown is about halfway complete. He told The Associated Press that Afghan forces are in the lead about 40 percent of the time, with 90 percent of coalition forces partnered with Afghan troops.

More and more states are making it easier for military spouses to find employment, and North Carolina is the latest to jump on the trend. The Tar Heel State recently passed a law that allows spouses to transfer licensing from other states as long as the former state has equal or higher standards, Stars and Stripes reports.

The law will apply to people who have certification in jobs such as teaching and will help remove an obstacle that often makes it difficult for military spouses to find jobs. North Carolina is the ninth state this year to pass such legislation.

"This bill helps streamline the procedures, so military spouses in North Carolina can get the certification they need to work," the state's governor, Bev Perdue, said in a statement. "We owe it to them, to provide this kind of support."

The law falls in line with the mission of Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative, which aims to have all 50 states pass similar laws by 2014. It is especially important for military families. As of May, the unemployment rate among spouses was 28 percent.

As countries around the world get ready for the Summer Olympics in London, some of the athletes on Team U.S.A. are familiar with representing their country – albeit in a different capacity. Sixteen servicemembers are heading to the games, continuing a long tradition of soldiers competing in the Olympics, Military Times reports.

Aside from serving their country in the Armed Forces, many of the competitors are no strangers to the Olympics, either. In fact, of the 16 warrior Olympians, 10 have competed in the games before, with two bringing home medals. It should come as no surprise, as the military is home to some of the best athletes in the world.

Among those competing for the United States is Sargent Spenser Mango, who is competing in wrestling. Mango is one of the athletes who has previously attended the games, making the trip to Beijing in 2008. According to Business Insider, he is a four-time U.S. national champion. SPC Justin Lester is also on the wrestling squad.

The long wait will soon be over for Lester, Magno and the hundreds of other American athletes. The opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics kicks off on Friday.

The Army is home to some of the fittest men and women in the world, but the branch recently made its body fat standards even stricter. Now, male recruits between the ages of 17 and 20 have to maintain a body fat percentage below 24 percent before beginning basic training, while female recruits have to be below 30 percent.

The change in policy brings the standard back to where it was in 2005. Officials felt that the youngest recruits were becoming more likely to be overweight. Male recruits between 17 and 20 are required to have a body fat percentage of 20 percent six months after they finish basic training, and this change is expected to help them get there.

"The change was made because it was found that soldiers in that category were over-represented in being flagged for overweight six and 12 months after training," said Lt. Col. Jennifer Peters, chief of Health Promotions Policy.

Aside from making the entry level body fat percentages more stringent, the Army has also instituted a nutrition-based initiative to help soldiers keep off the pounds. Dubbed "Go For Green," each food item gets labeled a certain color (red, amber, green) depending on how healthy it is.

Providing better mental health treatment to active duty troops and veterans has been a priority for the White House, and Dr. Jill Biden recently announced another program aimed toward that goal. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Joining Forces initiative have teamed up to allow social workers to earn certification to serve troops and their families, Military Times reports.

The collaboration will open up a new area of study to the nation's legions of social workers. Specifically, it will help them become familiar with military culture, making them better-suited to meet the needs of service members and their families. Additionally, it will touch on issues such as combat-related stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Our veterans and military families are among the most resilient men and women I have ever met, and I am always inspired by them," Biden said on Wednesday, according to the publication. "But they have shouldered a tremendous burden, and for those who need some additional support, we need to be ready to help."

Social workers are just the latest group of professionals to be educated on the unique needs of soldiers and their families. The agreement between NASW and Joining Forces is similar to one made by the organization with nursing and medical schools last year that was aimed at raising awareness of the specific needs of the military community.

Among those schools following the initiative is Elgin Community College near Chicago. The nursing program there has a renewed focus on teaching its students how to recognize the signs of many common conditions among veterans including traumatic brain injuries and depression.

"It's the right thing to do," Beverly Malone, CEO of the National League of Nursing, told the Chicago Tribune. "Soldiers are taking care of us in so many ways. We need to take care of them."

Having appropriately-trained medical and social professionals on hand to help veterans and their families may help remove some of the challenges in the transition back to civilian life. According to a recent survey from the American Psychiatric Society, about 38 percent of military members report feelings of anxiety while 40 percent experience feelings of depression. Additionally, about 60 percent of military spouses say they feel stressed about handling domestic issues.