Amid all the pageantry surrounding the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, there was one event that paid tribute to America’s military families. On the day before the ceremony, first lady Michelle Obama and second lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted a concert that was broadcast to thousands of military children around the country, American Forces Press Service reports.
The show, which featured performances from the likes of Usher and Katy Perry, was organized in honor of the national day of service. Aside from musicians, those in the audience, as well as those watching at home, were treated to appearances by everyone from David Letterman to “Dancing With the Stars” winner and former servicemember J.R. Martinez. Obama also spoke about the challenges facing the youngest members of military families.
“Think about how hard it is for military kids to be apart from the people they love most – how they miss their moms and dads every day and would do anything to have them back home,” Obama said. “And that’s just a glimpse of what it means to be a military kid. It means always thinking about things that are so much bigger than yourself.”
Looking out for military families has become one of Obama and Biden’s chief concerns. The duo launched the Joining Forces initiative, which has helped servicemembers and their loved ones get jobs.
The Department of Defense (DOD) operates a wide variety of programs designed to improve the life of military family members, and a task force is slated to begin an extensive review to measure the effectiveness of such initiatives. The 120-day study will investigate whether there are any gaps and will account for shifting demographics in the military community, reports American Forces Press Service.
Analysts say the biggest reason for the review is that many military families no longer live on bases. In fact, about 75 percent of families live in the communities surrounding military installations, rather than on the base itself. Investigators will look at everything from recreational programs to some that serve young children and teens. Researchers will rely heavily on feedback from servicemembers to measure how effective the programs are.
“What we’re looking at now [in that review] is building effectiveness measures on those programs [to see] which ones are effective, which ones are moving the needle, which ones have an impact,” Charles E. Milam, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy, told the news source.
Whatever the review finds, it’s undeniable there are many programs that play a vital role in the lives of military families, many of which they can access through recently revamped Military OneSource website.
The existing GI Bill makes it easier for veterans to earn a college degree, and another bill making its way through Congress may extend some of the benefits. The legislation, which has support from both parties, would require all public institutions to offer resident tuition rates, even to veterans who do not live in state, according to Military Times.
Known as the The GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act, the new law would go into effect in August 2014, and could open up a number of new educational opportunities to soldiers separating from service. Under the current rules, veterans who attend a public school outside their home state have to pay the difference between tuition and the funds offered by the GI Bill. The new law would help an estimated 40,000 troops save a considerable amount of money.
“The men and women who served this nation did not just defend the citizens of their home states, but the citizens of all 50 states,” the bill’s cosponsor, Rep. Jeff Miller, said in a statement. “The educational benefits they receive from the taxpayers should reflect that.”
Aside from helping veterans save money, the bill also addresses the fact that many soldiers have trouble distinguishing residency in a particular state due to frequent moves.
The Super Bowl may be more than a week away, but the weekend before NFL fans get to see some of the best players who didn’t make the championship when they hit the field in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. Earlier this week, a group of soldiers and their families got a preview of the all-star game when they got front row seats at practice, reports The Associated Press.
The practice was held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, which is located just a short distance from Pearl Harbor. Despite persistent rain, thousands of military families showed up to see their favorite stars, ranging from Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald to this year’s rushing leader Adrian Peterson. For Fitzgerald, the opportunity to meet with the country’s soldiers was one he cherished.
“It’s an honor to be out here and to be able to meet all the servicemen and women – it makes it special,” Fitzgerald told the AP. “It’s important that we come out and play well this year.”
Sports and the military have a long-standing relationship. Many teams throughout the four major leagues hold events for soldiers, most notably the San Diego Padres, who hosted the MLB’s first-ever military appreciation day back in the 1990s.
From reducing the deficit to addressing gun control, Congress undoubtedly has a long list of issues to tackle, but helping veterans find employment opportunities is close to the top. Lawmakers got to work quickly on the initiative with the Senate introducing a bill that would make it easier for veterans to find civil service jobs, encourage employers to hire servicemembers as first responders and extend the availability of small business loans, reports Military Times.
The bill’s sponsor is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but it has many other supporters. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, for instance, said that the bill is an important step in helping reduce the unemployment rate among post-9/11 vets, which currently stands higher than the 7.8 percent facing the civilian population.
“At a time when one in 10 post-9/11-era veterans are unemployed, this bill honors the sacrifice of the men and women who served in our Armed Forces by providing them with training to find jobs or helping them get their own small businesses off the ground,” said Sanders, chairman of Senate Armed Forces Committee.
Among the most significant provisions in the bill is one that helps strengthen employment and reemployment rights for veterans. Specifically, it would help identify employers who are violating the important law.
Between frequent moves, the stress of deployment and financial concerns, the lives of military families are fraught with hardship. This is especially true for children, who sometimes may not be emotionally equipped to deal with the challenges. However, a website offered through the Department of Defense, MilitaryKidsConnect.org, recently added new features aimed at providing parents and educators with the tools necessary to help youngsters navigate the obstacles of being in a military family.
The latest updates
The website already has a long history of success, having helped more than 125,000 visitors and won numerous awards for its services, and the new updates make it even more helpful. Among the changes is a series of videos and lesson plans that can provide educators with training on recognizing the different needs of military kids compared to their civilian peers. Other new features include graphic novels and documentaries made by military children about their experiences as well as new modules meant to help families process grief.
“After watching the interaction with kids on MilitaryKidsConnect this past year, we saw many conversations about trying to understand the issues they live with,” said Dr. Kelly Blasko, a psychologist for the DOD’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology. “We developed the added features to help parents and teachers answer the questions the kids were sharing with each other.”
A necessary resource
Given the higher levels of stress they face, it should come as no surprise that military children encounter many more emotional challenges than other kids their age, and a recent RAND Corporation study revealed just how true that is. The research was focused on 1,500 military children of parents who were both deployed or stationed at home. The team found that both groups of children are more likely to experience behavioral or emotional problems than their peers. Researchers also found that the longer a parent was deployed, the more likely it was for their children to experience problems.
“Much more work is needed to better understand these challenges and to improve ways to support children throughout the deployment cycle,” said Anita Chandra, the study’s lead author.
Experts estimate there are about 2 million children with a parent who is either in active duty or in the reserves, so websites such as MilitaryKidsConnect can reach a large audience.
In December, former President George W. Bush announced he was putting his famed truck up for auction, with the proceeds going to support military families. Over the weekend, the 2009 Ford F-150 King Ranch 4×4 SuperCrew brought in an impressive $300,000 when it was sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction house, according to Reuters.
The truck will certainly be a standout in the car collection of whoever purchased it. Though he didn’t take it out on the road, Bush used the truck around his famous ranch in Crawford, Texas, while entertaining friends and family. Not only did it play an important role in history, but Bush also autographed its right airbag panel, the news agency reports.
The funds from the sale will be donated to the Fisher House Foundation. The organization, which was founded in 1990, helps provide housing for veterans and military families during stressful times such as hospitalization, injury or illness. Today, the Fisher House serves around 17,000 members of the military community.
Bush is no stranger to lending support to veterans. In addition to his Warrior 100K bike ride, he has hosted the Warrior Open, a 36-hole golf tournament that welcomes soldiers who have been injured in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Both active duty troops and veterans undoubtedly have a number of concerns about the future of the Armed Forces. Everything from budget cuts to troop reductions to employment opportunities will likely come into play in the near future, and a group of soldiers recently got the chance to voice their concerns to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, The Associated Press reports.
The soldiers were from 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, one of the most frequently deployed units in the military. They have been sent to war five times over the last 11-plus years, and 84 members have been killed during that span. However, it wasn’t the deployments that were most on their mind, it was the impact that budget cuts and a still-sluggish job market could have.
What does it mean for families?
During the protracted fights in Congress over spending and budget cuts, one of the common refrains among the military community is asking what impact any changes could have on their loved ones. For instance, will civilian spouses of servicemembers be able to find jobs on bases if there are budget cuts? Additionally, there are concerns over whether there will be changes to everything from medical benefits to schools for their children.
Answers are hard to come by
Although Panetta, who is set to leave his post as Defense Secretary in the near future, sympathizes with the troops’ concerns, there is little he can do to quell their worries. He has been a harsh critic of Congress in recent months as lawmakers continue to hold the threat of sequestration over the head of servicemembers. As it stands, they need to reach an agreement on spending cuts to avoid automatic $500 billion slashes over the next 10 years.
“You guys go out and you put your lives on the line, you take the worst risk of all – which is that somebody may shoot you and you may die,” Panetta told the crowd, according to the AP. “All we’re asking of our elected leaders is to take a small part of the risk.”
Concern, and with good reason
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that sequestration could hollow out the capabilities of American Forces faster than most people realize. Specifically, he said that such deep budget cuts could limit training and other integral parts of the military.
When President Barack Obama heads to the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, one of the two celebrations after his second inauguration, he’ll get to share his first dance with one of America’s bravest civilians. Obama, along with the first lady, vice president and second lady, are all slated to take the dance floor with servicemembers who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, The New York Times reports.
The president’s dance partner will be Air Force Staff Sergeant Bria D. Nelson, who has served in the military since 2002. She was deployed to Afghanistan where she earned the Air Force Commendation Medal. She is still active in the military, serving on Washington’s Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
Nelson is not the only soldier who will have the honor of sharing the first dance with the country’s highest elected officials. Army Staff Sgt. Keesha N. Dentino is slated to dance with Vice President Joe Biden, while Gunnery Sergeant Timothy D. Easterling and Petty Officer Patrick Figueroa are paired with Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, respectively.
The four honorees were chosen from a pool of more than 50 servicemembers. Addie Whisenant, a spokeswoman for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, told Military Times that the soldiers were selected based on their combat experience and volunteer efforts.
Healthcare costs for the military have skyrocketed over the last decade with the United States embroiled in two wars, and recent figures from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reveals costs related to disability benefits have also seen a sharp increase. Since 2000, the amount the U.S. has paid to disabled vets has risen from about $14.8 billion to $39.4 billion, USA Today reports.
The reason for the sharp increase over the last 12 years has a lot to do with the repeat deployments, experts say. Starting in 2000, disabled veterans made up about 9 percent of the total population of former servicemembers, but by 2011 that figure had jumped to about 15 percent, a statistic indicative of the ongoing toll of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I would point first and foremost to multiple deployments,” Allison Hickey, a retired Air Force brigadier general and the VA undersecretary for benefits, told the publication. “I would call it unprecedented demand.”
The significant number of injuries from Iraq and Afghanistan is certainly a large contributing factor. According to the Armed Forces Surveillance Center, between October 2001 and June 2012, more than 891,900 troops were hospitalized.