Military Life Archives

Senior Chief Petty Officer Edward Byers received the Medal of Honor at a ceremony that took place in the White House on Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, according to USA Today.

Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Byers is only the sixth Navy SEAL to ever receive a Medal of Honor, the highest honor you can receive according to USA Today. This award was presented by President Obama to this 36-year-old Navy Seal for his honorable actions and display of military valor during an operation in Afghanistan, according to Stars and Stripes.

Many details of the mission are classified. What is certain, though, is the heroism displayed during a mission in Dec. 2012. A group of Navy SEALS, a group that included Byers, rescued American aid worker Dr. Dilip Joseph, who was held hostage in a hideout by Taliban fighters.

In an article in Stars and Stripes, Rear Admiral Brian Losey, Commander Naval Special Warfare, stated, “Senior Chief Ed Byers’ actions on the battlefield reflect the highest ideals of our profession: bravery, selfless dedication to duty, and above all, the highest level of commitment to protect the lives of others and the freedom for which our nation stands.”

Byers, who has served 11 deployments overseas, demonstrated hard work while facing extreme measures to fight for the United States, according to Stars and Stripes. He has toured Afghanistan and Iraq and has been acknowledged for his good work. Byers has also been awarded with two Purple Hearts, two Combat Action Ribbons and the Bronze Star.

Byers dedicated his Medal of Honor to his friend, Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas Checque (and his family), who sacrificed his life on the mission.

While many veterans across the country receive assistance from the VA to deal with a number of health care issues, one group has found a surprising lack of help with one type of medical problem. Those rendered infertile by the wounds inflicted during their service often find that they are prohibited from receiving assistance with in vitro fertilization.

In fact, this is because federal law bans the VA from providing access to in vitro treatments, and the high cost of such procedures – well into the five figures – may prevent some veterans from having children altogether, according to a report from the New York Times. The VA will pay for their sperm or eggs to be frozen prior to their deployment, but the former servicemembers must pay for the treatments in question out of pocket in many cases.

"At that time you're not thinking about kids," Sherman Gillums Jr., deputy executive director of Paralyzed Veterans of America, told the newspaper. "Having a kid is the least of your worries. You don't even know how your body is going to turn out."

Many organizations exist to help veterans cover health care costs when needed, so those affected by such issues may want to reach out and ask for help.

One of the biggest problems that many veterans may face when returning home from service is re-acclimating themselves to civilian life. Now, another organization exists to help them with that goal.

The group is called Recovery and Reintegration of Veterans and operates out of Ohio, according to a report from the Marysville News. Its focus is on helping former servicemembers with post-traumatic stress disorder or brain injuries better integrate back into society by assisting them in finding places to live, jobs, and crucial health care.

"We have a complete vision dedicated to services for veterans and not only know first-hand what it's like to be separating from the service and come out with skills very applicable to service to your country, but what it's like trying to get those skills to translate to the private sector," Rich Johnson, a veteran of the Air Force who set up the new organization, told the newspaper. "There are a lot of barriers to that. A lot of obstacles."

These kinds of efforts go a long way for many veterans, because not every wound they suffer during service is visible, and transitioning back to civilian life isn't always easy for a number of reasons.

Ruth Fairchild, a veteran of the Gulf War and the former State Junior Vice Commander of the Pennsylvania Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars, on Feb. 28, will speak at the 70th anniversary celebration for the VFW Post in Titusville, Pennsylvania, reported The Titusville Herald. Fairchild was the first female, statewide VFW commander and led all of the organization's Pennsylvania-based initiatives from 2012 to 2013.

She served as a combat medic in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1994 and did multiple tours of duty in Asia and the Middle East, including Operation Desert Storm. Fairchild is the recipient of the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal and other commendations. She was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant.

According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, over 40,000 female servicemembers served in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. During these conflicts, women filled a variety of frontline positions. They worked in mobile medical units and weapons-assembly groups and performed other support duties. Soon after American troops withdrew from the Persian Gulf, the Secretary of Defense permitted female servicemembers to fly combat aircraft.

In the years since Operation Desert Storm, which concluded in 1991, female ex-servicemembers have become fixtures in the VFW community, reported The Associated Press. A group of female veterans, in 2011, formed the first women's VFW post in Buffalo, New York. And, in 2014, Congress altered the organization's charter to recognize female veterans. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are almost 2 million women ex-servicemembers in the U.S.

"We didn't change our congressional charter to be politically correct," VFW National Commander John Stroud said in a statement. "We changed it because being an eligible servicemember or veteran is what's important to our great organization."

Two hard-working Army Ranger veterans-turned-entrepreneurs joined forces to take on a new challenge: good fashion for a great cause.

It all started while Matthew Griffin was on duty. He visited factories located across from his station in Afghanistan, according to Men's Journal. While walking through one of the factories he noticed a flip-flop thong attached to a combat boot. That's when it dawned on him – he had a vision to create this exact product. After pairing up with veteran and friend, Donald Lee, the two (who both served tours in Afghanistan), created the company "Combat Flip Flops." This was just the start of what their business would turn into.

The two were inspired by similar circumstances. While serving in the U.S. Army, Griffin and Lee were exposed to people struggling. Even if people in these countries were hard workers, they had nowhere to use their creativity or earn money. The men decided to take it upon themselves to tackle these issues and make a change. They used their business to provide these people with job opportunities. Combat Flip Flops products are manufactured in the U.S. as well as in Bogota, Colombia and Afghanistan.

All products were designed to portray life in Afghanistan, from the Men's "AK-47" flip-flop featuring heat stamped poppies, cast bullet casings and a yellow leather to the Women's "Bombshell Dark" with straps of Afghan patterns and chrome grenade detailing.

Though their vision started with flip-flops, the merchandise has grown even more and now an array of clothing and accessories are available. On the website. each item has a short summary, explaining where it was made and what the proceeds from your purchase will be supporting. A portion of the funds for each accessory, like the "CFF Shemagh" scarf, made out of local materials and embroidered in Kabul, Afghanistan, are donated to a charity. The proceeds of this scarf in particular are donated to the Aid Afghanistan for Education Foundation, which allows women in Afghanistan to attend secondary school.

This dynamic duo, have come a long way since they first started. From making the flip-flops in Griffin's garage to being featured on a February episode of "Shark Tank," ABC's reality show that gives entrepreneurs a chance for success, these veterans have been changing people's lives one flip-flop at a time.

Matthew Miller, a 12-year-old Boy Scout from Pike Road's Troop 8, is embarking upon an ambitious Eagle Scout project. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, his goal is to collect at least 100 of the most respected symbol of the United States: the American flag. Miller's family's Air Force background inspired him to begin collecting old, worn-out flags.

Miller has lived all over the world and currently resides in Montgomery, Alabama, where his lieutenant colonel father attends Air War College on Maxwell Air Force Base.

Since my dad is in the military, we move around a lot and I've seen the American flag flying in lots of different places, like Hawaii and Japan…Also the American flag is an important symbol of our nation and we should treat it with respect, just like someone who is serving the nation," Miller told the Montgomery Advertiser.

Not only is Miller close to accomplishing his end goal – as of Feb. 20, he received 81 flags from all over the U.S. – but he has also learned the right way to dispose of it. The American flag is respected because it stands for freedom and symbolizes patriotism. When an American flag is worn-down, it should never be tossed aside or carelessly burned. Properly disposing of an old flag is known as retiring and should be done so with dignity. You can either donate, recycle or burn it, according to Scouting Magazine. When retiring a flag, it must be folded into a triangle and burned until it is reduced to ashes. Miller plans to conduct a ceremony to properly retire the flags he has collected at a ceremony at St. James United Methodist Church in April.

Suicide among veterans is significantly more common than it is for the rest of the U.S. population, and it's a problem that needs serious attention. To that end, a number of veterans in chilly Duluth, Minnesota, took a drastic step on a walk to raise awareness.

Dozens stripped to their underwear for an outdoor walk to raise awareness and money for veteran suicide prevention, according to a report from Duluth television station KBJR. Part of the event, known as the Nearly Naked Ruck March, involved putting weight into the packs of those who raised more money, to symbolize the need to carry more weight for veterans who feel they can't do it themselves.

"It's so important because on average 22 veterans commit suicide today," Carl Huber, a volunteer for the nonprofit 23rd Veteran, told the station. "We will probably have over 120 people marching today. Men, women, children, veterans and non-veterans. It's just here in order to bring that awareness."

This kind of help, as well as other types of support organizations and individuals can provide, will go a long way toward helping reduce suicides among veterans nationwide.

On Feb. 25, over 100 community members attended a funeral for two Louisiana veterans, reported the The Times-Picayune. Neither man had living relatives.

Claudie Ray Shiflett enlisted in the Army in 1959 at the age of 19. According to friends, he was stationed in Europe for two years and during that time worked as a military electrician. Shiflett was honorably discharged in 1965. He died Dec. 15. Shiflett was 74.

John Henry Huber joined the Army in 1964 at the age of 17. Huber served in the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged in 1969. He died Nov. 28. Huber was 69.

Both men lived out their post-service years in the New Orleans suburbs of Slidell and Metairie, respectively.

Friends, community members and local veterans honored the men during a brief service at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell, reported The New Orleans Advocate. Members from a number of nearby veterans groups also showed up to pay their respects. The Women Veterans of Louisiana and the Marine Corps League both sent representatives. Cemetery employees organized the service and collaborated with St. Tammany Parish President's Veterans and Military Affairs Advisory Council to publicize it via social media.

"The turnout was unbelievable," Stephen Austin, a lawyer and one of Huber's friends, told The Times-Picayune. "This is far more than I expected. I think he would have been very pleased."

Members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a local veterans motorcycle club, led the funeral procession. Ex-servicemembers commemorated the men with a three-volley rifle salute while a lone bugler played Taps. Austin accepted his friend's burial flag while St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister received Shiflett's. She plans to put the flag on display at the St. Tammany Courthouse in Covington, Louisiana.

Finance company JPMorgan Chase & Co. donated $13.8 million to Syracuse University's higher education and employment program for veterans and their families, reported The Post-Standard. The initiative, called The Institute for Veterans and Military Families, provides educational and job support to former servicemembers enrolled at Syracuse University.

This is the second time JPMorgan Chase & Co has contributed to the program. The finance company partnered with Syracuse University to establish the IVMF back in 2011 and offered an initial investment of $7.3 million. This latest donation will fund the program through 2020.

"Partnering with Syracuse University to create the IVMF is a natural extension of our firm's long history of support to military service members," Matt Zames, the company's chief operating officer, told The Post-Standard. "The past five years have seen improvements across the board in how our nation understands and supports veterans and military families, in no small way due to the work of the IVMF."

The program offers services that impact veterans, nationwide. In 2012, the IVMF, in cooperation with Hire Heroes USA, developed VetNet, an online networking portal that helps veterans transition into fulfilling careers in life after service.

In the last few years, many veterans have sought assistance in a number of ways from private organizations and government agencies. However, one type of help that these former servicemembers often don't seem to be seeking these days is among veterans' organizations like the VFW and American Legion, and those organizations now say they'd like to see more participation.

The average member of the VFW these days is 70 years old, and enrollment is waning as thousands of World War II veterans die of old age every week, according to a report from Madison, Wisconsin, television station Channel 3000. Indeed, it seems that heavy enrollment really came to an end around the Vietnam era, and many are looking to younger veterans to help fill the gaps.

"I'm not sure what their feelings are," Commander Sonny Swangstu, of American Legion Post 328, told the station. "I think coming out of the situations they've been in they've had enough and they just want to back off until they get themselves ready."

The more veterans can do to look into how these groups might be able to help them in their daily lives, the better off they will be when it comes to having a strong support system whenever they need it.