Servicemembers are some of the most physically fit people in the world, so as the military looks for ways to combat unemployment, it should come as no surprise that many vets are looking to put their experience staying in shape to good use. The American Council on Exercise recently took steps to make this process a bit easier by announcing an initiative that will provide $1 million in scholarships to help veterans earn the certification they need to become personal trainers, according to Military Times.
Vets are a good fit
The effort by ACE will provide scholarships for as many as 1,000 servicemembers, who need to take a 10-week course to be certified. Earning recognition from ACE is seen as the gold standard in the personal trainer field, and there are often many positions available. ACE officials say that, aside from being in top physical condition, troops are a good fit for personal trainers largely because they are used to a similar lifestyle.
"Dedication and perseverance is also important, because working with people can be a little challenging," ACE chief Scott Goudeseune told Military Times. "People who have been to Afghanistan and Iraq have spent a large amount of time working with people to rebuild their lives, so in many ways these people are already qualified to help others rebuild their lives [through fitness]."
The latest effort
This new push by ACE to bring down unemployment among veterans is just one of many efforts dedicated to the same cause. There has been considerable success as of late, with the post-9/11 unemployment rate dipping to 7.3 percent in May – even below that of the national average. However, there is still much work to be done, especially as hundreds of thousands of troops are expected to separate form service in the coming years.
One of the most visible efforts is being championed by the White House. The Joining Forces initiative, which was created by first lady Michelle Obama more than two years ago, has seen some impressive success in its short existence. In that time, it has helped 290,000 servicemembers and military spouses find private sector jobs.
Many options available
Of course, troops separating from service have options outside of the Joining Forces initiative and the ACE. For instance, AFBA's Career Center, which helps connect servicemembers with private companies looking to hire new workers.
Congress and the White House are often at odds with one another, and it is no different when it comes to the proposed military budget. This was certainly the case recently when the House Armed Services Committee released its proposed 2014 budget. Although White House officials agreed on some of the bill's components, there are a number of areas they took issue with, including concerns surrounding veterans benefits and healthcare costs, Military.com reports.
TRICARE causes friction
The Pentagon has to cut hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade, and an increase to TRICARE fees is one of the ways officials have proposed reducing spending. The new bill from the HSAC ran counter to urges from the DOD and the White House to implement a slight increase in the enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime, as well as implementing similar fees for TRICARE Standard/Extra and TRICARE for Life. In its response to the HSAC's bill, the White House said that while it recognizes veterans have earned these helpful health benefits, it's also important to take advantage of the substantial savings that exist.
"The projected fiscal year 2014 TRICARE savings of $902 million and $9.3 billion through FY 2018 are essential for DOD to successfully address rising personnel costs," White House officals wrote. "DOD needs these savings to balance and maintain investments for key defense priorities, especially amidst significant fiscal challenges posed by statutory spending caps."
Lower pay raises an issue
Increased TRICARE fees weren't the issue where government officials disagree. The Pentagon also floated the idea of lowering the annual pay raise active duty troops receive to 1 percent instead of the 1.8 percent that would put them in line with civilian pay. The White House says the original plan both recognizes the work of servicemembers while dealing with the reality of sequestration and budgetary concerns.
What lies ahead
It remains to be seen whether the HSAC's bill moves forward through Congress, but experts speculate that it would likely be vetoed should it reach the president's desk. Still, something needs to be done about healthcare costs. According to The Associated Press, military healthcare costs could hit $65 billion by 2017 and then reach $95 billion by 2030. In 2001, those figures stood at just $19 billion.
Transitioning from the military to civilian life can certainly be a challenge. Many servicemembers struggle with adjusting to the different lifestyle, but a new program from the Department of Defense aims to make it easier for troops to find employment opportunities, return to school or start a business, according to Military.com.
Known as Transition GPS, the program features several different components. For instance, the 5-Day Core Curriculum gives servicemembers the chance to sit in on classes focused on financial planning, what benefits are available to them and how to transition their skills to the civilian workforce. Additionally, the Pre-Separation Assessment and Individual Counseling component gives troops the chance to talk about their career goals and what they expect out of their transition.
The effort on behalf of the DOD may help make life after the military a bit easier for servicemembers. According to a 2011 study from Pew Research Center, approximately 44 percent of post-9/11 veterans had some difficulty re-entering civilian life.
Researchers also determined that there were a number of factors that made transition harder. Those who experience emotional or physical trauma during their service often encountered the greatest obstacles. Additionally, knowing someone who was killed or injured also had an impact.
Many servicemembers make use of the GI Bill to help them achieve their educational goals after leaving the military. In fact, nearly 500,000 people took advantage of this popular benefit in 2012, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Now, a new proposal is making its way through Congress that would help troops out even more, but it is meeting some pushback from schools. The two bills would require public universities to offer servicemembers and veterans in-state tuition, but critics claim that could cause a significant blow to the schools' revenue, according to Military Times.
Tuition changes have support
There are two bills that are causing issues. The first, the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act, would require schools to reduce tuition rates for military students, while the other, the Veterans Education Equity Act, focuses on schools offering non-resident students resident tuition rates. So far, only the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act has been approved by a congressional committee. Even still, any efforts to make it easier, and more affordable, for veterans and servicemembers to return to school have been applauded by advocacy groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars. They point to the fact that having to pay out-of-state rates often takes a significant toll on veterans' finances.
"This oversight forces veterans to either drop out or find other ways to pay for college through financial aid programs, full-time employment or amassing student loan debt even when they make a good faith effort to legally reside in a state and attend a public school," Ryan Gallucci of the VFW told the news source.
Not everyone's on board
Although the schools do not question the fact that troops deserve their well-earned education benefits, some of their criticisms stem from the fact that there isn't enough time to implement significant changes in their state laws. The biggest issues stem from the fact that the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act requires states to change their laws by 2014. In testimony before the Senate, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities said that's simply not enough time.
A far reaching impact
Changes to the GI Bill could have an impact on a large number of troops in the near future. The U.S. is still on course to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and the Army is looking to trim thousands of soldiers over the next several years.
There's no denying that servicemembers are among the most physically fit people in the world, but do their skills translate to the football field? One Navy officer is about to find out. Eric Kettani is trying to find his way on to the roster of the Washington Redskins, and the team's coaches feel good about his chances, according to The Associated Press.
An unusual path
Although the service academies have storied gridiron traditions, especially with Navy being a postseason staple in recent years, it's not all that often that you see servicemembers in the NFL. However, Kettani has been close for the last several years. He began his career with the New England Patriots but was on the team's reserve list because he was serving three years of active duty. Last season, he was on the Patriots' practice squad, but after being released he found his way to Washington. Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan is certainly impressed with his work ethic both on and off the field.
"It's quite unusual to do what he's done," he told the AP. "To have that type of drive [to do] what he does for the service [and] what he does on the football field keeps him pretty busy. He's got a chance to compete for a position."
Kettani, who played running back at Navy, is confident he can make the final cut as well. He says he understands the game better now than he did when he was in school, and anticipates being added to the final 53-man roster when the season begins in September.
Select company
While he has yet to make the final roster,Kettani is already breathing rarified air. Not many graduates from the service academies have achieved NFL stardom in recent years. Perhaps the most famous Naval Academy graduate to make it big in professional football, Super Bowl MVP Roger Staubach, retired from the Dallas Cowboys more than 30 years ago. The last Naval Academy graduate to play in the NFL was also a running back. Kyle Eckel, who graduated in 2005, enjoyed a brief but successful career with the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints, where he won a Super Bowl in 2009. He last played in 2010 with the Denver Broncos.
As the economy continues to improve and a number of programs begin to take hold, the unemployment rate among post-9/11 veterans has been steadily dropping in recent months, and that trend continued in May. Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the unemployment rate among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan fell to 7.3 percent last month, which may be an indication that the concerted effort to help vets find employment opportunities is paying off.
Significant progress
To truly appreciate how much the unemployment figures for young veterans have improved recently, the public need only look back one year. In May 2012, the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan vets sat at 12.3 percent. Ever since, that number has been steadily dropping, and although some critics suggest the sample size is too small to draw any substantial conclusions, the continued improvement suggests it's a long-standing trend. In fact, for veterans of all ages, the unemployment rate in May stood at about 6.6 percent – lower than the national average of 7.6 percent. Advocates are encouraged by the success, but say there's still more work to be done.
"This is an extremely positive step," Tom Tarantino, chief policy officer for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told NBC News. "It's the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people both in and out of the government. But this isn't the time to take our eye off the ball."
A collective effort
Bringing down the unemployment rate among the youngest veterans has been the result of collaboration between both private businesses and the government. At the center of the effort is the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which made its way through Congress in 2011. The legislation included language geared toward making it easier for vets to find employment opportunities after separating from service. It aimed to expand education and training, improve transition assistance and help troops transfer the skills they learned in the service to the civilian world.
However, efforts to reduce unemployment weren't just limited to Congress. Servicemembers could also head to AFBA'S Career Center, which not only helps connect veterans with companies that are hiring but also offers assistance with networking and other important aspects of the job search.
After more than a decade of war, it's become readily apparent that post-traumatic stress disorder is one of the most pressing issues facing servicemembers upon their return home from the battlefield. An estimated 20 percent of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan experience PTSD symptoms, and it can have a far-reaching impact on everything from their personal lives to their physical health, but new research suggests it may be preventable. Scientists from Emory University believe they have developed a drug that could alleviate many of the common symptoms associated with the disorder, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Mice hold the key
The findings are based on an extensive analysis of mice that had been subjected to a traumatic experience. Afterward, researchers administered a drug targeted at the receptors in the brain that respond to fear. The team found that mice who had been treated with the drug, which focused on a gene known as OPRL1, experienced less fear once they underwent a similar traumatic experience. Interestingly, researchers found that humans with a specific kind of OPRL1 also exhibited symptoms of PTSD. Experts hope that targeting this gene could provide a breakthrough in treating the condition.
Some experts are critical
Although some are hailing the findings as a success, others are not quite as convinced. Specifically, there are concerns surrounding what impact targeting the fear centers of the brain could have on a soldier's safety. Some point to the fact that feelings of fear keep troops vigilant in some instances.
"Some of these responses are there to protect the body and mind," neuroscientist Rachel Yehuda told the TImes. "I am not sure that I would want a soldier in the field to go to combat without his fear response, because this might actually kill him."
A problem that needs addressing
The findings highlight the pressing need to understand and treat PTSD, and it's one that has received a considerable amount of attention in recent weeks and months. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama asked for an additional $235 million in his proposed budget to study mental health, according to ABC News. He also opened a conference earlier this week to address the issue, and help remove some of the stigma attached to mental illnesses.
As servicemembers prepare for their transition from serving their country to civilian life, financial planning may be on their mind. After all, going from the structure of military life to a routine that is much more casual can be jarring for some individuals and, as a result, slow down their job search.
Fortunately, many employers, such as the American Red Cross, are ready to help servicemembers better transition from the military to the workforce. The Red Cross recently joined forces with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Human Resources and Administration and the Veteran Employment Services Office to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to help more veterans join the humanitarian organization.
Through the VA for Vets initiative, veterans will receive high-tech career readiness services that will connect qualified individuals with employment opportunities within the Red Cross.
"For all the initiatives we have supported in the past five years, we are most passionate about the VA for Vets initiative," said Melissa Hurst, chief human resources officer for the Red Cross. "It gives the Red Cross the opportunity to contribute directly to the mission of veteran employment."
Among the biggest concerns related to cuts from sequestration were fears that veteran benefits could be slashed in the process. These vital services, which include healthcare, are often viewed as some of the most important programs offered by the government. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives took the first step toward preserving these benefits by passing a spending bill for the budget year beginning in October, The Associated Press reports.
Overwhelming support
The measure passed the House with nearly unanimous support, 421-4, but it is not without controversy. The White House has said that President Barack Obama may potentially veto the bill due largely to the fact that Republicans in Congress plan on balancing the spending for veterans by cutting other vital programs used by millions of Americans. Still, that move may be largely unpopular especially given the fact that there will be a growing number of veterans in the coming years as thousands of troops separate from service and the war in Afghanistan winds down.
More than just benefits
Although the main focus of the bill was to maintain benefits for veterans, it also included funding to help reduce the disability claims backlog that is currently plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs, notes the AP. According to figures from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, more than 865,200 vets still have claims pending with the VA, and well over half of them have been waiting for 125 days. Many advocates have called on Obama to take a more proactive approach at shrinking the backlog.
"The Commander-in-Chief must offer them clarity on how the backlog will end by 2015, what they should do while they wait to hear from the VA, and what concrete steps he will take to end the bureaucratic logjam that has helped cause this problem," IAVA founder Paul Rieckhoff told Yahoo News.
Will it be enough?
Should the bill make it through the Senate and to Obama's desk, it will run counter to what Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has been saying in recent weeks. In May, he hinted that increasing copays or fees to TRICARE – the healthcare plan for veterans – could be one of the best ways to slash the hundreds of billions of dollars necessary under sequestration, notes U.S. News and World Report.
Addressing mental health issues is one of the greatest challenges facing the military community, and President Barack Obama recently announced his latest attempt to meet those concerns. From July through mid-September the Department of Veterans Affairs will host mental health summits in an effort to streamline coordination between the department and local community health providers, reports Marine Corps Times.
The program will bring together experts from several different organizations including mental health specialists and government officials. The plan is to not only develop new methods to treat mental health but also improve veteran outreach. Obama's announcement is just the latest step forward in addressing the issue. The VA recently hired more than 1,600 additional mental health professionals.
"We lose 22 veterans a day to suicide, and we have to do a better job than that of preventing these all-too-often silent tragedies," Obama said during the National Conference on Mental Health at the White House on Monday.
Obama's announcement comes as a greater focus on mental health and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder has surfaced. A growing amount of research has been centered around potential treatments for PTSD, which range from therapy dogs to meditative breathing, according to Forbes.