As a part of the Soldier Enhancement Program, Army members will be involved in testing potential new gear in both Hawaii and Alaska.
According to Military Times, this program is in place to help test the quality of readily available gear instead of developing new gear, saving the service time and money.
As winter approaches, servicemembers will be examining the efficiency of cold-weather gear in Alaska. Items like stoves, tentage, gloves and sleep systems will be put to the test in the freezing temperatures. According to a statement made by Col. Tim Wallace, head of the SEP, at the Association of the United States Army's annual exposition, the military branch is in dire need of quality cold-weather items. He described the Army's current inventory as "very old."
The tropical climate tests will include trying out water purification systems, uniforms made from fast-drying material, uniforms with fewer pockets and a variety of new lightweight boot designs. These new products are being tested for troops who may deploy to humid, jungle regions such as Southeast Asia, noted the source. These trials, which will be done in Hawaii, are expected to begin January 2015.
A recent report issued by Military Times revealed the top technical and career colleges in the nation for veterans.
The publication reached out to a variety of post-secondary institutions and asked them to fill out a survey detailing their relationship with and services for former servicemembers. Factors included in the survey ranged from financial aid and academic reputation to the overall culture of the school. While a college report will be released next month, these findings focused on institutions committed to taking technical skills learned in the military and helping veterans apply them to a stable career in their life after service.
The top-rated school was Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico. The school accepts American Council on Education-recommended credits, meaning it offers some academic credit for military service. It also costs within the tuition assistance program cap, which means that its per-credit-hour cost does not exceed $250. Additionally, no post-9/11 GI Bill recipient at Santa Fe CC had to pay more than what that bill accounts for, making it an affordable option.
The school was also rated highly in terms of academic and staff support, extracurricular activities and student-to-faculty ratio.
Other highly rated institutions included Fayetteville Technical Community College in North Carolina, Virginia College and Golf Academy of America in Alabama, The Los Angeles Film School in California and Thomas Nelson Community College in Virginia.
Two months ago, a report issued by the Merit Systems Protection Board cited a growing concern among civilians that veteran hiring practices within the federal government were contributing to an excess of under qualified staff members. According to the report, 6.5 percent of federal workers saw the hiring practice as being unfairly advantageous for veterans.
According to Military Times, the current standard gives preference to former servicemembers due to their military experience and takes into account war-induced injuries. These hiring rules have contributed to the employment of many veterans. The source reported that one-third of federal workers are veterans.
National Commander of the American Legion Michael Helm disagrees with the idea that a veteran's preference is unfair. He noted that while civilians have years to gain professional experience, veterans often spend those formative years on the front lines. Adding weight to their applications evens out their sparse resumes, many of which only include military service.
In a press release issued by the American Legion, Helm said, "To any civilian workers who have problems with veterans preference, The American Legion's message is simple: Become a veteran. Those who have served in uniform have earned such preference."
A group of 95 World War II veterans recently flew from Michigan to Washington, D.C., to view the memorial dedicated to their service.
The journey was part of the "Legends Flight" initiative, which aims to send Michigan-based veterans to the nation's capital at no charge to them. The flights are supported via donations and volunteers eager to connect former servicemembers with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, according to the Muskegon Chronicle.
The vets arrived early in the morning, and were taken to the Air Force Memorial for an opening speech and the singing of the national anthem. They were then brought to the Vietnam and Korean War memorials, the Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where they watched the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Eventually, the men were taken to the World War II Memorial, where they spent most of the time reflecting at the Michigan monument, noted the Muskegon Chronicle.
After a long day remembering their sacrifices, the men returned to Michigan that night. According to the source, many of the men had never been to Washington, D.C., before, and were humbled by the experience.
While there are a number of services and benefits available for military families, many of them do not know how to access them – or that they exist at all.
On Tuesday, the Department of Defense Military Readiness Council met with Congress to discuss this issue and how to overcome it, according to Military Times. This council, which is comprised of military spouses, DoD officials, reserve component members and representatives of military family support organizations, wants to make sure the loved ones of servicemembers are getting all the help they are eligible to receive.
Military Times reported that the council wants to see more DoD officials reaching out to military families during the transition to life after service – a time when many people feel lost and could benefit from a number of social, financial and medical services. They also requested that communication practices be reevaluated, since current processes have proved inadequate for delivering important information. They are requesting a push toward a more social media-driven, technological mode of communication.
While this meeting discussed the goals of the council, they will officially submit a report to Congress early next year.
As the Ebola epidemic in Liberia continues to spread, the Department of Defense extended the speculated time U.S. servicemembers will spend helping in Liberia from six months to one year. They have also increased the number of troops from 3,000 to 4,000, noted Military Times.
While the highly contagious disease has been rampant in West Africa since the summer, measures are being taken to eliminate the risk of American soldiers contracting the virus. Although the troops will be housed in tent cities, their food and water will be tightly monitored. Military Times reported that, as of now, U.S. servicemembers will not be in direct contact with Ebola patients, but will be working to construct health facilities and help existing medical workers. The source noted that U.S. officials are open to changing the roles of these soldiers as the situation evolves.
According to Politico, a select few Americans who are trained in chemical and biological warfare will be interacting with the virus in controlled lab settings. These troops will be in charge of diagnosing patients whose symptoms also resemble malaria or the flu in order to expedite necessary isolation and treatment. The source noted that if a servicemember does contract the disease, he or she will be taken home to be quarantined and treated in an American hospital.
Six veterans received the Légion d'honneur, France's highest honor, for their service in World War II. The former servicemembers all moved to Colorado in their life after service and were rewarded at a ceremony at the state capitol in Denver. They were recognized for their roles in helping to liberate France, according to 9 News.
The award can be presented on five different levels, from Grand Cross to Knight – all the men being honored received the highest honor, and were officially knighted. Pfc. Wesley B. Ferguson, Cpl. Lawrence C. Farnan, Cpl. Joseph F. McCluggage Jr., Tech. Sgt. Charles W. Blaney and Staff Sgt. Claude John C. Corbridge all posses other honors for their service, including Purple Hearts, noted the source.
Staff Sgt. Robert Burrows was deeply humbled by the honor, especially since he had no physical combat in France. According to the source, he intended to accept the medal for all his friends and colleagues who had passed.
According to The Consulate Generale of France in Boston, the recipients of the award must meet strict criteria and are evaluated by an official committee in France. The process for selecting American soldiers is highly selective and can take months.
The National Marine Corps Museum, located in Triangle, Virginia, has opened a temporary exhibit honoring those lost in 9/11.
According to Military Times, the display, which has been named "9/11 – We Remember," specifically honors the 17 New York City firefighters who were also Marines and were killed in the attacks 13 years ago.
The museum's website noted that the memorial will show actual debris from the attacks, including an I-beam and a piece of the Pentagon. It will also display a Marine Corps flag that was found standing up in the wreckage near the Pentagon after the attacks.
Military Times noted that The Fire Department of New York branch of the Marine Corps Association will hold an event on Sunday outside of the museum to honor the new memorial.
Currently, the museum has another temporary exhibit entitled "War and Peace Tintypes Show." The exhibit features Civil War-style tintype photographs of modern-day soldiers. It displays nine women and 15 men of various racial backgrounds, ages and military positions and was shot by photographer Melissa Cacciola. This exhibit will be open until December 2014.
After their son, Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009, Jim and Carla Hogan found comfort in his friends from 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
According to Military Times, the couple wanted to give back to the soldiers who showed them kindness as they dealt with grief. When they asked what they could possibly send overseas to show their gratitude, the answer was overwhelming – socks, socks and more socks. Soldiers are required to purchase their own socks before deployment, and after being overseas for a while they tend to run low on their supply.
After personally buying a number of socks for these servicemembers, the Hogans founded Socks for Heroes, a nonprofit dedicated to their cause, noted the source. Since the couple began this initiative, they have helped send over 330,000 pairs of socks overseas to two Marine Infantry Battalions, many Marine Support Units and Army Units.
According to the organization's Facebook page, the group partners with retailers to cheaply provide large amounts of black and brown socks to soldiers. Socks for Heroes is located out of San Clemente, California, and is always looking for volunteers and donations.
Over the next year, the Obama administration will put $270 million toward ending veteran homelessness, according to The Washington Post.
This funding comes as part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' initiative to find housing for all veterans by the end of 2015. According to the VA, it will be combining resources dedicated to housing assistance, mental and physical health care and job training to get former servicemembers off the street.
The Post noted that in the past week, the VA announced it would be giving $207 million to programs that would help 70,000 veterans and their families find permanent housing. This money would also help vets in danger of losing their homes stay in their current residences. The VA will give an additional $62 million to the cause, in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. These funds will be used for a rental-assistance program.
With the addition of this money, the VA will have given more than $1 billion this year toward the fight against veteran homelessness, according to The Post. The source noted that rates of homeless veterans have been steadily decreasing since efforts to help soldiers in their life after service increased in 2010. Numbers have dropped 33 percent and continue to decline.