Of the fifty states, Florida may be one of the most proactive in welcoming veterans to its region. In fact, the state has even launched a massive marketing campaign to attract former servicemembers, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Florida is already home to 1.58 million veterans, but state officials want to encourage even more to become residents.
"We want to show them Florida's great economy, the high quality of life here and our great schools," Bobby Carbonell, Veterans Florida executive director, told the news source. "There are a lot of benefits for veterans in our state, but many people don't know about them."
Carbonell and his agency, Veterans Florida, are using $4.3 million in state funding to reach veterans through various channels and encourage them to relocate to Florida. Their efforts began in January 2016 and have been steady since.
The agency told the Orlando Sentinel the state is home to the largest VA Medical Center in the country, some of the nation's best beaches and a patriotic spirit, all of which make Florida a great place for veterans seeking a new place to call home.
Deployment is a significant part of military service. Though it can be emotionally challenging, military families can make this time a little less stressful by getting their financials in order before the servicemember ships out. Take a look at AFBA's pre-deployment checklist below:
Prepare and safeguard records
Before your servicemember leaves, gather all the important family financial documents, such as insurance records, bank account information, personal identification documents and other important paperwork. It is a smart idea to make a copy of these documents and place them in a safety deposit box or fire resistant home safe. Knowing that this vital paperwork is secure can bring peace of mind to your deployed servicemember.
Set your accounts up for growth
If you plan to try to save a little money while your spouse is deployed, look into savings deposit programs. These high interest accounts will help you grow your savings quickly and with little effort. If you or your loved one is about to be deployed, consider investing a chunk of your nest egg into the Department of Defense's savings deposit program. Once the servicemember in the family is overseas, you can take your predetermined amount of money, place it into one of these accounts, and watch as it grows at 10 percent interest. This will allow you and your spouse to have a sizeable savings to tap into when he or she returns home.
Expect the unexpected
Though unfortunate, the reality is that some servicemembers do not return home from deployment. You and your spouse should prepare your finances for these circumstances. Make an appointment to talk with financial advisor to ensure that all of your end-of-life insurance is finalized and in good standing. You should also consult with a legal professional to draft a will that clearly outlines inheritance and Power of Attorney.
Ask questions
You may feel overwhelmed with all the things you have to do to prepare your finances for a deployment. Know that this is completely normal. Use your military resources, professional advisors, and trusted family and friends who have experienced deployment before you as sounding boards for your plans. These individuals may have the answers to the questions plaguing you.
Deployment is something every servicemember can expect to experience at some point during his or her service. Being financially prepared for the event, can take a significant deal of stress and worry off the loved one's left behind.
Service dogs have repeatedly proven themselves to be very effective in helping veterans with a variety of disabilities, but access to them hasn't always been easy. To that end, the U.S. House of Representatives is now moving to address the issue with a new bill.
The Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act would create a five-year pilot program, according from a report from political news site The Hill. With $10 million in funding, the VA would pair veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and service dogs to help them cope. The bill would allocate a maximum of $27,000 per dog, meaning thousands of veterans could be helped over the five-year pilot.
"The PAWS Act is a simple bill that could have a dramatic – and potentially life-saving – effect on the lives of many," said Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Florida Republican, according to the site. "As we face an epidemic of veteran suicides, we must make sure that all of our returning servicemembers are honored and taken care of, no matter the wounds they bear."
This kind of help should provide many veterans with the assistance they need, especially if the program is so successful that it gets broadened after the pilot ends.
In recent months, the quality of veterans benefits as it relates to health care has come into question, but as is often the case in these situations, lawmakers are moving quickly to remediate these issues. Already, a bill is being hustled through the U.S. Senate to address the problem.
Specifically, Senate bill 2633 would create a new single entity for dealing with a number of health care initiatives that previously existed under the VA, according to a report from the Military Times. Additionally, the new Veterans Choice program will use third-party administration to help streamline the way in which it schedules appointments and bills veterans, hopefully easing some of the issues that have plagued the VA for some time. A similar bill was sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, and would further reform payment systems so veterans have an easier time dealing with the cost of care.
"We must get it right for our veterans," Burr told the newspaper. "In North Carolina, we have seen hospitals stop taking veterans under the Choice program because VA has consistently failed to pay veterans."
However, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee chairman Johnny Isakson said that this bill will likely be folded into a broader omnibus bill that the Senate hopes to pass before Memorial Day, the report said. Specifically, it would also join legislation to help get more assistance to people who were wounded in combat prior to 9/11, which many current aspects of VA health care does not.
The more that can be done to help veterans get all the care they need, not only for physical scars but mental ones as well, the better off veterans will be going forward thanks to a growing number of choices for quality treatment.
Home Base is an organization created in 2009 and has been providing service to over 8,000 post 9/11 veterans ever since, according to The News-Press. This national organization helps families and veterans deal with serious problems like post traumatic stress disorder, after serving in the U.S. military through clinical care. Home Base offers veterans a chance to recover. Home Base has raised awareness for the organization as a whole and for the Warrior Health and Fitness Program, which helps veterans address their struggles and issues through physically and mental activities.
This year, Home Base hopes to raise enough money for veterans to enjoy the fitness program in Southwest Florida, according to The News-Press. It's not only offered to veterans for free, but it gives them a chance at improving their overall lifestyles. From knowledge about a healthy diet to managing stress and providing guidance on proper exercise, this program aims to create a positive experience for these men and women who are in need.
"(The program) makes a big difference because we know from all the newest research that we have to stop separating mind and body," said Armando Hernandez, the Warrior Health and Fitness program manager for Southwest Florida."Once we have them doing fitness, we can help them with the mental skills, diet and sleep."
In previous years, a golf tournament and gala have been held to raise awareness and raise funds, The News-Press stated. This year there will be an additional golf outing held. The proceeds of each ticket sold will go to the Warrior and Health Fitness program to make a difference in the lives of veterans.
Lawmakers in New York have introduced legislation that would add the state to the list of U.S. territories that celebrate K-9 Veterans Day, a national holiday to honor military and law enforcement service dogs, reported The Associated Press. Republican Sen. Kathy Marchione and Democratic Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara sponsored the bill.
"Today, police dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs and search-and-rescue dogs are hard at work: loyal, brave, dependable," Marchione told The AP. "K-9 Veterans Day is about recognizing our heroes for all that they do."
Eleven other states recognize K-9 Veterans Day, which takes place March 13, reported WRGB. The U.S. Army established its K-9 corps program on the same day in 1942.
The military has used working dogs in the field for decades. Even before 1942, canines saw action in combat zones around the world. During World War I, a Boston terrier named Stubby garnered national attention for helping Allied forces on the Western Front, reported Slate. Stubby detected mustard gas and barked warnings to entrenched doughboys. He also helped round up cornered enemy soldiers and comforted the wounded. Stubby was discharged from the Army in 1919 with the rank of private first class.
In the years since, thousands of dogs have followed in Stubby's footsteps. Now, highly trained bomb-sniffing canines search the Hemland Province in Afghanistan for improvised explosive devices. Other animals help Marines and soldiers in Iraq clear bombed-out, bullet-riddled buildings. Working dogs are now an essential part of America's fighting force.
"He's like my quiet partner," Jose Armenta, a Marine veteran and former working dog handler, said of his canine Zenit, in an interview with National Geographic. "He bridges three worlds: the person I was before Afghanistan, the one I was there, and the one I became after."
A charity by the name of M.A.S.H. Pantry puts food in the bellies of hungry homeless and low-income veterans and their families.
Amber Hudson – a Navy veteran – started the M.A.S.H. (Military and Service Heroes) Pantry in an effort to put an end to hunger among the veteran community. Though she is currently tackling Ohio's Franklin County, Hudson hopes to spread awareness of this issue and one day make a change nationwide.
"Everything we have in this country we owe to our military veterans. They shouldn't return home and go hungry, but there just aren't any food pantries around, and our country does not provide the resources our veterans need," Hudson said to This Week Community News.
The nonprofit, located in Columbus, serves veterans and families in the area. Those who are in need of food as well as clothes and toiletries have the chance to collect these items every Saturday morning at the pantry, according to the source. Potluck dinners are also held on some weekends during the month.
Hudson is extremely dedicated to the cause. She sold her car and prized possessions to get the pantry off the ground.
"The feeling you get when you know you're making a difference in someone's life, that's a treasure that's invaluable," Hudson told This Week Community News.
Thanks to Hudson and other volunteers who help make a difference in the lives of veterans and their families, the M.A.S.H. Pantry has grown. In fact, it had to move offices because it became too big for its original location, the source stated. Hudson will continue to work hard and plans to grow even more. She wants to make a difference and reduce the number of veterans and their families who have to go to bed hungry every night, not only in the state of Ohio but all over the country.
A tragic accident left Bobby Henline, a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, severely wounded. But that hasn't stopped him from pursuing his dreams and helping others.
Henline was the only survivor after an explosion occurred while on tour in Iraq in 2007, according to PEOPLE magazine. He faced hardships and became fearful while recovering from burns and an amputated arm. Henline endured over 40 surgeries and plenty of days of rehabilitation, but despite the turmoil, he has persevered.
Despite the injuries, he mustered the strength and courage to heal physically and emotionally, Wide Open Country stated. There were many hesitations and doubts that got in his way but as soon as he started to tell his story, he began to see life in a different light.
"I'm trying to give back. This is a great way to do it, through empowerment and food," Henline told PEOPLE magazine.
Henline realized that the best way to deal with what happened was by helping others, the source stated. Because he had firsthand experience struggling to find a job in life after service, he wanted to find a way to empower veterans and enable them to avoid this issue. He's heading in the right direction, pursuing his passion for helping others and his love for food, specifically burgers.
He is planning to open a burger restaurant that will offer employment to veterans. He looked to his friend and former Korean War veteran, Richard Brown, owner of Biggie's Burgers and Great Shakes, for guidance on this endeavor, Wide Open Country reported. Brown also has a dedication to supporting veterans, who happen to be a majority of his loyal customers.
Brown enthusiastically agreed to assist Henline to open and run another Biggie's chain in San Antonio, according to PEOPLE magazine. As of right now, Henline is trying to raise enough money to get things running smoothly. Once his goal is met, he will hire a staff of those who have served our country. Brown and Henline are an unstoppable dynamic duo who will continue to do their part in the community and hope to serve good food with their great hearts.
French representatives, on March 10, honored three Boston-area veterans for their service during World War II, reported The Boston Globe. Former U.S. Army personnel James Baker, Leo De Filippo and Michael Maglio were nominated to the Legion of Honor, receiving the rank of chevalier.
"Their struggle and efforts occurred at an extremely hard and dark time in both French and European history," Valéry Freland, the Consul General of France in Boston, said soon after presenting the awards. "By celebrating their courage this morning, both the French Republic and the people of France remember the American soldiers who helped them recover their freedom, their pride, and their honor."
Baker, 91, worked as a military truck driver in southern France during the conflict. De Filippo, 96, helped operate a power plant and Maglio, 95, was a cook.
The ceremony took place at the Chelsea Soldiers Home in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
"For me, the real heroes are in France," Maglio said in an interview with a local ABC affiliate. "My friends, my brother friends, I will always remember them."
The Legion of Honor is France's highest award, reported USA Today. Famed military leader Napoléon Bonaparte established the honor in 1802. More than 10,000 American artists, servicemembers and thinkers have received the award over the years. A large portion of these recipients were World War II veterans who helped liberate France from Nazi Germany.
Many feel the award strengthens the relationship between the U.S. and France.
"It shows the enormous gratitude of the French Republic to Americans," Lawrence Kritzman, a professor of comparative literature at Dartmouth College and Legion of Honor recipient, told the publication. "There are times in the media of misrepresentation of the relationship and even in the greatest of relationships there are moments of disappointment, but it doesn't mean that the sense of recognition and gratitude is not there."
A bill that would help veterans in Colorado obtain service dogs has passed through the state's House Public Health Care and Human Services Committee, reported a CBS affiliate in Denver. The bill, House Bill 1112, aims to establish an initiative for former servicemembers in the state who wish to train their own service animals. If the legislation passes, state officials will select approximately 10 veterans for a pilot program.
Rep. Lois Landgraf, R-El Paso County, sponsored HB 1112 in January. Landgraf's intention was to help local veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"These veterans that have these dogs have told me the dog has saved their lives many times; kept them from committing suicide," she told CBS. "My only regret is only reaching out to 10 veterans, but it's a start and then hopefully they will be able to turn around and do the same thing for other veterans and the program will be self-sustaining and it can branch out to police and fire."
Local dog trainers and mental health workers have already agreed to volunteer for the program. And, Landgraf intends to acquire partially trained animals from the state prison system.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, around 15 percent of all veterans who served in the last four major conflicts suffer from PTSD. The VA advises servicemembers dealing with the condition to consider owning a dog. The animals act as loyal companions and reduce stress.
Navy veteran Jeremy Turrell adopted his 7-year-old golden retriever Chaos after he was discharged. Turrell, who suffers from PTSD, eventually trained Chaos to act as his service dog. In January, the veteran came to the Colorado General Assembly to show his support for HB 1112.
"My life in general, he's what's kept me going because if I'm not going to change my life for me, then I'll at least do it for him," Turrell said in an interview with CBS. "The best thing he does is come to your aid. He's there for you to love on him so he can love on you."