Jerral Hancock, a wounded Army veteran, will soon receive a brand new home thanks to the students from Lancaster High School in Southern California. The group of dedicated students committed to building the home from scratch and finally presented their hard work to Hancock on his 29th birthday.

Students gather to help vet
Hancock was left partially paralyzed while serving in Iraq. The Star Tribune explained that the tank he was driving was attacked on his 21st birthday, causing him to lose his left arm and become badly burned. When Lancaster High School students learned about Hancock's experience, they chose him for their annual school project honoring veterans. 

He met the students at the school in 2013 when teacher Jamie Goodreau invited him to speak to her class. After seeing Hancock open up about his time in Iraq, his injuries and his current living situation, the students felt that they should give back.

New home changes servicemember's life
According to Stars and Stripes magazine, it took the group two years and a lot of fundraising to build the home. Hancock explained how grateful he was for their gift after living in a mobile home. He is well-known in the area, as he frequently participates in parades and other veteran events. 

However, due to his quiet and private nature, no one knew exactly what he was going through. He told the news source that his living space was so small, he could not get his wheelchair into the rooms of his son and daughter. 

His new spacious home will make things a lot easier for him and his children. Among those who helped the students was actor Gary Sinise, who attended one of the benefit concerts, and local prison inmates who held an art sale to contribute to the funding.  

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced on May 24 that the Navy's SSN 796, a Virginia-class attack submarine, will bear the title USS New Jersey. According to the Department of Defense, the name will honor the long history between the Navy and the state of New Jersey.

"New Jersey's relationship with our Navy has been defined by innovation, leadership, and courage – in conquest and in combat," Mabus said. "The name of our newest nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine will carry on that strong tradition."

New Jersey's ties to the Navy began in 1900 when the Navy's first submarine, the USS Holland, was designed and constructed in the state, the Department of Defense reported. 

The submarine will be the third vessel to bear the name USS New Jersey, but the only one that is still active. The first two were battleships commissioned in the first half of the 20th century. 

During a radio segment on New Jersey 101.5, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stated that he would "absolutely" push for the commissioning of the new sub to occur in its namesake state.

"From my perspective, having that submarine commissioned in the waters of the state that it is named for would be a great thing," Christie said. 

According to the Department of Defense, the USS New Jersey will be a next-generation attack submarine. Each Virginia-class submarine is designed with a reactor plant that allows the sub to complete its planned lifetime without refueling. They are 377 feet long, weigh 7,800 tons and have increased stealth and accuracy.     

Boston locals and visitors alike may notice that the harbor is a little emptier than usual this month. For the first time in two decades, the USS Constitution left the water to undergo restoration at a dry dock of the Charlestown Navy Yard. 

Restoring Old Ironsides
Fondly known by its nickname, "Old Ironsides," the USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the U.S. Navy. According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, the ship first came to fame during the War of 1812, when it helped the young nation become recognized as a world-class maritime power. 

Of the original six frigates commissioned by Congress for the U.S. Navy, it is the only one that still remains. Manned by active-duty officers and crew, today the mission of the USS Constitution is to educate the public about the Navy and its role in the U.S. 

Usually found afloat at Pier 1 of the Charlestown Navy Yard, the ship will be dry docked for about three years during the course of the restoration project. The transition occurred during the night of May 18, when the Constitution was safely transitioned from the water of the harbor to the dry dock. The project is part of regular maintenance done to maintain the ship. 

"There's been no damage to the ship," Navy Commander Paul J. Brawley told The Boston Globe. "This is done every 15 to 20 years."

According to The Boston Globe, the main focus of the restoration is to replace 3,400 copper sheets on the hull. The metal layers protect the ship's hull below the waterline. The sheets are currently being stored at the USS Constitution Museum, where visitors can sign the pieces with permanent markers, Brawley told the Globe. 

Continuing the legacy
Tourists to Boston who want to see Old Ironsides will not be disappointed. Despite the renovations, visitors can tour the ship Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All Hands, the magazine of the U.S. Navy, reported. 

The USS Constitution will be docked in Dry Dock 1 in the Charlestown Navy Yard until the restoration is complete, likely in the fall of 2017.

Leaving the military can be a difficult adjustment for most veterans, especially when so many face unemployment. But according to a new study, employment for female veterans is actually on the rise in the U.S.

According to the report released by the Council on Veterans Employment, in addition to trending down, the unemployment rate for women veterans is not significantly different from the average unemployment rate for all women. In 2013, the numbers were 6.9 percent versus 6.8 percent, and 6 percent versus 5.9 percent in 2014, respectively. 

Taking federal action
The study was established in response to the Veterans Employment Initiative, launched by President Obama in 2009 under Executive Order 13518, "Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government." The order called for the federal government to promote employment among veterans through leading by example. According to the report, 31 percent of new hires across the executive branch in the fiscal year 2013 were veterans as a result of the initiative.

While results such as these showed that the initiative was increasing employment opportunities among veterans in general, the Women Veterans Initiative was established to ensure that female veterans were also receiving opportunities at the federal level. 

The report revealed that the federal government performed well in meeting the employment needs of female veterans. Though women make up only 9.2 percent of U.S. veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, they comprised almost a quarter of new hires in 2013 across the executive branch.

A valuable demographic
Female veterans draw on their military experience to excel in the workplace.  

"The Nation needs traits veterans possess to keep America competitive," said Elisa Basnight, director of the VA Center for Women Veterans. "When women veterans surrender the uniform, they keep the intangible with them – resolute resilience and the unbeatable skills that they will use in business, entrepreneurship, industry, and public service at all levels."

The Women Veterans Initiative additionally reported that female veterans were nearly twice as likely to be enrolled in school as their male counterparts. They are also younger and more racially and ethnically diverse than male veterans.

To increase conversations about the needs of female veterans, the VA's Center for Women Veterans launched a campaign in March that focuses on honoring and supporting the women who served this country. 

On May 24, car racing fans were treated to a special Memorial Day tribute at the Coca-Cola 600. The usual drivers' names on car windshields were replaced with the names of servicemembers killed in the line of duty. 

According to the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, all 43 drivers participated in the "600 Miles of Remembrance" tribute. Many of the family members of the fallen soldiers being honored were in attendance, in addition to more than 6,000 active members of the military. 

 "In a lot of ways, we get more attention than we should, so this is a great way to redirect some of that attention," NASCAR driver Sam Hornish Jr. told the Air Force Times.

The tribute launched "NASCAR: An American Salute," a summer series of events that will run through Independence Day. The seven-week platform seeks to express respect, reverence and gratitude to the soldiers who served our country and continue to defend it today.

In addition to the Memorial Day weekend activities, NASCAR reported that "An American Salute" will include a national letter-writing campaign to encourage fans to send messages thanking military members for their service, a "Troops Welcome Center" for veterans, active duty servicemembers and their families in the Midway at the Coke Zero 400, and opportunities for families of former and active members of the armed forces to attend each race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 

In conjunction with the platform, NASCAR partner Goodyear launched a charity auction featuring signed memorabilia, blimp rides and special race experiences that will run through July 6, Goodyear reported. The funds raised will go to Support our Troops to help U.S. military members and their families. 

Fans can follow the stories and events around "An American Salute" through the social media hashtag #NASCARSalutes. 

The activities will culminate on 4th of July weekend at the Coke Zero 400, held at the Daytona International Speedway. 

Military uniforms perform an honorable duty when they are in use, but once they are no longer needed, they are often discarded or packed away. However, those looking for an alternative option are in luck. A U.S. Marine mom is turning old uniforms into treasured mementos for loved ones. 

Elsa Zarate, an Army veteran, operates Bands 4 Courage, a company that creates bands and bracelets from military uniforms. According to her website, Zarate was inspired when her son was on his first deployment overseas with the Marines.

Zarate took pieces of her son's boot camp uniform and fashioned them into a band in order to symbolically keep him close while he was away, Today News reported. People soon started asking about the bracelet, and the idea for Bands 4 Courage was born.

"The more compliments I received the more I wanted to show my appreciation to our servicemembers and find a way to uphold the honor of their used Military uniforms instead of it being trashed or misused," Zarate said on her Etsy page.   

Zarate uses fabrics, buttons, patches and any other salvageable part of the uniform to make each of her final products unique. Each item is delivered with a card containing information about the person who owned the uniform that was used to make the band, and free bracelets are given to anyone who donates a uniform. 

Bands and bracelets can be ordered from the Bands 4 Courage website or the company's shop on Etsy. While there are many options online, customization is also available.

It is common for military veterans to begin or continue their education upon entering life after military service. With this in mind, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has announced its plans for two new programs that will support military veterans and active duty members who want to enroll.

University starts new position to help veteran enrollees
According to WNCN, the two programs were announced on May 20 during a special presentation. Both programs, the Student Assistance Program and the UNC Core program, have already received a great deal of attention and support from staff, students and local military families.

The Office of the Dean of Students will be introducing a new position, the Student Veteran Assistance Coordinator, as a part of the Student Veteran Assistance Program. The full-time position will be filled this summer. The new employee will work closely with staff in the Office of the Dean of Students as well as higher education professionals throughout the local community and the state to assist veterans in the enrollment process and all additional tasks involved in becoming a student. The underlying goal is to reduce the stress that is often associated with navigating higher education and ensure a positive experience.

Active duty servicemembers receive support with online education 
The second program, the UNC Core, focuses on helping active duty members trying to complete their education online during deployment. There are many soldiers partaking in these online distance courses, but until now there has not been a service dedicated to guiding them through the process when help is needed. 

WKRG.com noted that the program assists servicemembers with any questions they have regarding their general courses and allows them to apply for follow-on undergraduate degree programs after completing their undergraduate program.  

Six bills passed by Congress aim to provide solutions to some of the problems that veterans face in everyday life. The successful votes bring the bills one step closer to becoming laws. 

According to the minutes from the floor proceedings, on May 18 the House voted to approve the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act, the Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act, the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act, the Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment Act, the Veteran's I.D. Card Act and the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act.

The bills aim to help veterans and keep the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable.

For example, the Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act would require the VA to keep a copy of any employee reprimand or admonishment on file, according to the Library of Congress. This would allow the VA to keep better track of each employee's work history, providing greater accountability.

To combat a problem that many veterans face, the Veteran's I.D. Card Act could help protect former servicemembers from identity theft, The Associated Press reported. Under current laws, many veterans must carry around official documentation in order to prove military service. Because some of these documents contain sensitive information, such as the veteran's Social Security number, it can make the vet vulnerable to identity theft. 

Homelessness is a problem that affects far too many veterans. The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act extends reintegration programs available to veterans through the year 2020, according to the Library of Congress website.

The Senate will vote on the bills next. 

Pets often have a major impact on how successfully military veterans heal after physical or mental injuries while serving. However, many retired military servicemembers do not get to keep their beloved four-legged friends due to financial reasons upon returning from deployment. Two military vets, Marine Sgt. Dan Spangler and Army Ranger veteran Joe Trainor, have set out to change this.

Pets give military vets unconditional support after injuries
Spangler and his dog Spanky, along with Trainor and his furry companion C.T., recently started a 6,000-mile trek across the country. According to Fox8, the pair was last seen in Cleveland, Ohio. As a Cleveland native, Spangler is hoping that their journey will resonate with his friends, family and residents in the area. 

The two veterans are out to support military families struggling to keep their pets through a program called Operation Keep Your Spanky. Spangler started the nonprofit organization after returning home from deployment in Iraq in 2003.

He was severely injured after jumping from his truck during gunfire and was sent back to the U.S. for medical treatment. During the painful months of recovery, Spangler adopted his dog Spanky from an animal shelter. They quickly became best friends as Spanky stood by his side while he recovered.

"I don't know where I would be without the companionship that my dog, Spanky, gave me when I came home from Iraq," Spangler explained to Fox8. "I want all veterans to have a Spanky, but it's a sad fact that military veterans often experience financial difficulties where they face the heartbreaking choice of giving up their pets."

Trainor also experienced a traumatic injury while serving in Afghanistan. He was impacted by brain damage which has caused him to go partially blind. Trainor told the news source that he was severely depressed before he met his loyal companion C.T. He feels strongly that his dog saved his life. 

Vets aim to ease financial strains for military families and pets
Spangler and Trainor are hoping that their journey across the U.S. will raise awareness of the positive impact that dogs can have on injured vets and how many are unable to keep theirs because of factors like having to buy food regularly. The vets are aiming to raise money for these families to cover a lot of expensive necessities that come with having a pet.

According to NewsNet5, Spangler is currently focusing specifically on providing food and affordable veterinary care for retired servicemembers and their families. Those who want to donate can contribute a set amount or make per-mile pledges as low as 1 cent. 

"It's going on journeys like this that will do nothing but raise awareness to save more lives in the end," Spangler told NewsNet5. "It all goes back to that sacrifice that we all signed up for in the military to begin with. You know, selfless service. Our duty, our honor, and all we're looking for is the American public to simply look at it and say that this isn't something we're out trying to say it will help veterans, it has," said Trainor.

Trainor and Spangler do not plan on using any of the money they make to help them buy food or shelter along their journey, pledging to give every cent they make to benefit the military families and their pets. Kurgo, a company that provides pet accessories, has already donated harnesses, seat covers and other useful products to Spangler's program. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to hear the nation's best ideas for how to use technology to improve quality of life for veterans with disabilities. 

The VA's new Innovation Creation Series for Prosthetics and Assistive Technologies is a two-month campaign that seeks to gather ideas for innovative ways to solve problems that disabled veterans face every day.  

 "We're reaching out to technology leaders in the corporate world and to the public in order to find creative new solutions to help transform care and quality of life not only for our veterans, but for the public at large," VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald said. "The innovations that come out of this challenge will benefit the veterans we care for and will be open source to help advance American medicine."

The series launched on May 15 in Palo Alto, California. According to Stanford University, guest speakers at the launch included Beijing Paralympics gold-medalist Oscar Sanchez, director of the Center for Women Veterans Elisa Basnight, and White House Maker-In-Residence Stephanie Santoso. 

According to the VA, the organization is calling for innovators to submit ideas to address the following five challenges: 

1. Develop a device that can be put on the end of an upper or lower extremity prosthetic for use in daily life.
2. Create a pillbox with a built-in reminder system that can be used for pills that need to be taken up to eight times a day.
3. Design technology that would change the speed and grip strength of an upper extremity prosthetic. 
4. Develop a video game controller that would provide alternative access for veterans who are using them in therapy. 
5. Create an apparatus to dampen tremors during the performance of tasks that require fine motor skills. 

Solutions to these challenges would give disabled veterans greater autonomy and reduce some of the stress they deal with every day. They could also provide aid to members of the general public who face the same struggles. 

The launch was the beginning of a tour that will cross the country en route to Washington, D.C., where the National Maker Faire takes place on June 12 and 13. The series will then conclude with final judging on July 29 at the Richmond VA Medical Center.