Many know country music star Kip Moore for his songs "Something Bout a Truck" and "Beer Money," but lately the artist has focused his attentions on a new project. In partnership with CASE Construction, Moore will kick off a music festival to honor veterans. The event is called the Labor of Love Music Festival and will take place Sept. 7 during the Labor Day events in Festival Park in Racine, Wisconsin. Moore hopes the concert will draw attention to the importance of hiring veterans when they leave the military for life after service.
CASE Construction especially hopes to promote the hiring of veterans in skilled labor jobs, such as manufacturing and construction.
"There is a very real skilled labor shortage in America today, from welders and machinists to heavy equipment technicians and operators. It's important we help develop that next generation of talent and our veterans may be our greatest resource," the vice president of CASE Construction, Jim Hasler, said in a press release.
In addition to promoting veteran hiring, Moore has dedicated all the proceeds from the festival to the Wounded Warrior Project. Tickets for the event are $14 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com.
Thanks to a new law, veterans who use their G.I. Bill benefits to attend college will be given in-state tuition rates at any public university in the country. According to The Shreveport Times, many veterans avoid returning to school when they enter life after service because they cannot afford out-of-state tuition. The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill only covers up to $20,000 of a veteran's higher education costs. The College Board reported that the average cost of out-of-state tuition at a four-year public institution is about $23,000 per year. The average cost for in-state at the same institution was only slightly over $9,000 per year.
The Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, which officially became a law on Aug. 7, 2015, requires public universities to offer veterans in-state rates no matter which state they hold residency in.
Jason Hansman of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America told The Shreveport Times that the new law is a win-win for states and veterans.
"[This law] will benefit both states, by allowing them to retain new veteran residents who end their period of active service and decide to remain local, and veterans, who will no longer face financial constraints in attending the public school of their choice," Hansman said.
When military members enter civilian life, they bring with them the wide range of skills they learned in their service. Aside from being well-disciplined, highly organized and excellent team players, military servicemembers learn specialized skills in their specific roles. These abilities are useful in civilian careers, but it is important to translate them into terms that civilian employers understand. Otherwise, you may be passed up for a position you are highly qualified for due to lack of understanding on the company's end. Below are some examples of military careers, which civilian careers they relate to and how to translate the skills involved to civilian terms.
1. Infantryman
Instead of writing that your military job was to shoot machine guns, you could say that you were responsible for operating dangerous technology in high-stress situations. Infantrymen are good at taking orders but also have the ability to think quickly on their own. This could be translated to strong team skills with an ability for self-direction.
2. Communication strategist
Roughly equated to a civilian career, a military communication strategist could pursue a job as a public relations manager. These individuals are highly organized with excellent communication skills. For your resume, you could write that you are gifted with planning, event coordination and public communication.
3. Commanding officer
When civilian employers see this title on your resume, they might be able to guess that you are a strong leader. However, it is your job to communicate what kind of leader the military has shaped you into. Give them an idea of how many people you were in charge of. Describe your demeanor under stress and pressure. You could also mention that your time as a CO gave you the ability to train a wide range of personalities to work together as a team.
4. Interpreter
A servicemember with this job title could pursue a civilian career as a translator or cultural awareness coordinator. Experience with learning and applying new languages and cultural customs makes these individuals excellent candidates for serving companies who do a large amount of overseas business.
5. Cyber warfare operations manager
The CWOM is responsible for planning and creating a security infrastructure for his or her unit's network. In a digital landscape that is constantly being threatened with cyberattacks, these individuals could pursue jobs as information security professionals. On your resume, mention that you have knowledge of the international threat landscape and experience with protecting highly sensitive information.
6. Corps engineer
Servicemembers who spent time as corps engineers have a vast array of technical, mechanical and infrastructure knowledge. Corps engineers have experience with building planning and development, flood prevention, hydropower and communication improvement. You could apply these skills to careers in construction or city planning.
7. Logistics officer
These individuals should have no trouble finding a civilian job as a logistician. On your resume, be sure to communicate that you are capable of analyzing and coordinating logistical functions of a unit that depends on accurate information. You could write that your experience working logistics with the military taught you the important of thorough analysis and accurate interpretation. Logistics officers also help the daily processes run smoothly and efficiently, a skill which may be appreciated in a civilian company.
The time and effort you put into learning the skills required to do your military job should not be wasted. Remember that they translate into skills that can be applied to civilian careers. You only need to write them on your resume in a way that employers outside the military will understand. The Military to Civilian Occupation Translator is a great resource for helping you with this process.
In January 2014, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that nearly 50,000 veterans were homeless. While that number has been steadily decreasing since it was released, veteran homelessness is still an issue. On Aug. 24, a group of former servicemembers in Phoenix decided to help other veterans who were experiencing homelessness.
Over a dozen veterans from the area gathered at The MANA House, a transitional housing facility meant to assist homeless veterans with finding employment and permanent housing. These individuals cooked a meal for their homeless counterparts and spent the evening talking with them.
Rachel Gutierrez, one of the veterans in charge of the event, told The Arizona Republic that there could never be enough awareness on the issue of veteran homelessness. Gutierrez and The MANA House work together to host evenings like Monday's at least once a month. Their goal is to help local veterans get back on their feet in life after service and help lower the number of homeless veterans in the area. According to The MANA House website, the facility helps by providing services like free showers and Internet access as well as clothing and transportation to help make the job search easier for veterans.
To date, The MANA House has helped over 600 veterans, 70 percent of whom leave the facility with a permanent job and housing.
Elysburg is a quiet town nestled just east of central Pennsylvania. The community is best known for hosting a Labor Day Weekend celebration called All Home Days that honors the service of local military members. The event features a parade, a car show, sumo wrestling and live performances. However, this year's celebration will feature a patriotic new addition.
Teenagers from the Shamokin's juvenile delinquent program paired up with local veterans to create a display called The Field of Honor. The boys, all low-level offenders, participated in the project as part of their community service commitment. In partnership with the local veterans, they planted 5,000 flags in Ralpho Township Community Park. Each of the flags is meant to represent the nearly 90,000 veterans from the surrounding areas.
The boys' supervisor, Timothy Vincent, told WNEP News that the young men were happy to help out with the project.
"It gives them a new-found respect for not only veterans, but it gives them respect for other adults that they normally are coming down at," Vincent said.
The Fields of Honor will be a featured attraction at the town's All Home Days celebration.
Women have served the country as long as men. They may not have always had the option to take up arms, but since the American Revolution women have been crucial to military success. Now, the women who have served in the military are getting new recognition with a monument in the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort, Alabama. The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a nonprofit organization for women with direct lineage to those who fought for American independence, organized the fundraising and development for the new monument.
The Daughters of the American Revolution raised and donated nearly $2,000 for the project in addition to a grant from a Mobile chapter of the organization. The monument will be dedicated to every woman who has ever served the country. It will be built in Texas and take almost eight weeks to complete before it is shipped to Alabama. The Daughters of the American Revolution have yet to release the design of the monument or when the dedication ceremony will take place. They have announced that the site will be called the Women's Veterans Memorial.
When Oregon Boy Scout Bryce Nurding began planning his service project, he had no idea how successful it would be. Nurding started Bike for America, in which he, two fellow scouts and a local Vietnam veteran would ride their bicycles from the Peter Iredale shipwreck in Hammond, Oregon, to the Hudson River in New York City. Along the way, the group would collect money and raise awareness for Operation Comfort Warriors, a nonprofit organization that provides wounded or ill veterans with comfort supplies that the government may not supply.
Nurding and his team set an initial goal to raise $10,000 on the journey, a 3,521-mile stretch that included multiple days riding in triple-digit heat. By the time they reached NYC on Aug. 15, the group had more than doubled their goal. Nurding and the others were invited to a local American Legion post where they were thanked for their service to the country's veterans and honored by some of the highest officials in the AL.
Nurding told the American Legion that before his trip he did not know anything about the organization or all the work it did for veterans. Along the way, though, the AL was one of his greatest assets. He stated that he would not have been able to do the journey without their help along the way.
Children of active duty servicemembers and veterans experience difficulties that their peers may not have to deal with. They go through long periods without one of their parents, and this can sometimes mean they have to assume more responsibility than other children their age. AFBA has compiled a list of camps for military children where they can relax and be with other kids who understand what they are going through.
1. American Wanderer Summer Camp
Children of active duty personnel and veterans who are between the ages of 11 to 17 have a chance to camp out and explore the national parks in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. For two weeks, campers are able to enjoy the wilderness and bond with children of other military personnel.
2. Camp Corral
Founded in 2011, Camp Corral has served over 6,500 children of active and former military servicemembers. Kids aged 8 to 15 have the opportunity to spend a week engaged in outdoor activities like canoeing, hiking, fishing and horseback riding. The camp also offers counseling sessions and group therapy.
3. Military Teen Adventure Camps
These camps, which take place in a variety of locations across the nation, are designed for older children of military personnel. Military teens ages 14-18 can bond and participate in archery, rock climbing, backpacking and whitewater rafting.
4. Operation Purple Camp
This camp is specifically for children who have a military parent who is about to be or is currently deployed. Operation Purple Camp is designed to help children cope with the pressures and stresses of dealing with a parent's deployment in a safe, fun environment.
5. Air Force Space Camp
For 12- to 18-year-olds with an active duty military parent, the Air Force Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, is a great distraction during deployment. Campers will get the chance to participate in things like simulated Space Shuttle missions, rocket building and launches, training simulators, scientific experiments and discussions on the past, present and future of space exploration.
6. Camp C.O.P.E.
Offering therapy sessions and alternative coping methods, Camp C.O.P.E. was created to help children of active duty servicemembers, veterans and fallen military personnel find healthy outlets for their emotions. This weekend-long camp is free for military children.
7. HomeFront Equestrians, Inc.
This camp is for military children and their families. It allows them to relax and enjoy themselves while engaging in horseback riding and equestrian bonding. The camp also offers leadership courses and horsemanship classes.
8. Sisters Under Sail
Girls aged 13-18 who are members of the Daughters of U.S. Military and Canadian Forces can participate in this camp. Daughters of military personnel will learn leadership, bonding and coping as they learn to sail on the Great Lakes.
9. The First Tee
This program was created to teach teens the value of hard work and how to make healthy life choices. There is a specific camp for children of active duty military personnel and veterans where they learn to release their stress through the game of golf.
10. Camp Trotter
Located 7 miles east of Newaygo, Michigan, Camp Trotter is the VFW's program to assist children of military veterans. The calming environment along the shores of Lake Michigan is the perfect place for children to learn about things like post-traumatic stress disorder and how to deal with changes in their parents. Campers are also given the chance to be carefree while boating, swimming and hiking.
Being children of active duty military personnel or veterans can be difficult. Situations like deployment and issues like post-traumatic stress disorder can put a strain on military children. The camps above give these kids a chance to let loose and bond with other children in similar situations. For more camp options, check with your local base or VFW.
When a servicemember is deployed, his or her family members experience many different emotions. Deployment is especially difficult for children, as they will be faced with feelings they likely do not understand. AFBA has compiled five tips to assist you in helping your children cope with deployment.
1. Establish a routine
By bringing back an established pattern into your children's lives, you can help alleviate some of the stress that they are already experiencing. Having a parent leave for service can be a confusing time. A routine will give your children some sense of control and regularity. Try to stick to the same bedtimes and wake-ups if possible. You can also give your children daily chores to keep them busy and on-task. While routines may seem tedious, they can be a lifeline for children coping with a major life change like deployment.
2. Open lines of communication
The deployment of a parent may inspire some strong emotions in your children. It is important to let them know early on that you are available to talk about these feelings. You should also share your own emotions with them, so they realize that they are not going through the experience alone. Your chats do not have to be formal or scheduled. Just check up on them from time to time or ask them how they are feeling over dinner.
3. Allow for emotional outlets
One of the worst things you can do for your children during their parent's deployment is chastise them for expressing their emotions. This does not mean you should allow them to throw tantrums to get rid of their anger. Instead, you should help them find healthy ways to deal with their reactions to missing their parent. Buy your children journals and encourage them to write or draw what they are feeling.
4. Put them in a peer group
There will be times when your children do not want to discuss things with you. Instead of getting frustrated with them, understand that this is normal. Give them the chance to communicate with their peers who may be experiencing the same thing. There are a number of summer camps and activity programs designed specifically for children of military personnel. Your children may find strength and support by surrounding themselves with other children whose parents are also deployed.
5. Work through it together
It is important to let your children know that they are not alone in missing their mother or father. Deployment is a time you should help one another through. You can make your children feel important by explaining to them that you will need extra assistance around the house now that you are without your spouse. Additionally, there are a variety of activities designed to bring you closer, even during a tough time like deployment.
There are a wide range of emotions your children may experience during their parent's deployment. Your children may be unable to cope with all of these feelings on their own. That is why AFBA outlined some helpful ways for you to make sure your kids can work through these emotions in a healthy way.
When your spouse is deployed, it is not only tough on you, but it is also a difficult time for your children. They will be missing their mother or father, and they sometimes counteract these feelings by pushing away the parent at home with them. By doing activities together, you help them realize that you are all in the same situation but you are going to face it together. These experiences may even bring you closer and help your children learn coping skills that will benefit them later in life.
Visit a museum
Your bonding activities can also be a great time for your children to learn. Take the family to an art museum and discuss which pieces you liked best. This will teach your kids to form their own opinions. You could also take them to a war museum, so they can learn the history of their mother's or father's military career.
Scavenger hunts
This activity is fun for both you and your children, and because you can do it indoors and outside, it is perfect for any season. Create a series of clues and watch as your children look for the prize. This will help them develop problem-solving skills, and it will distract them from missing their deployed parent for a few hours. If your children do chores, you could make the reward a free pass from them for a day.
Go to a park
Whether it be an amusement park, a water park or a playground, getting outdoors is an excellent activity to bond with your kids. The fun and carefree atmosphere can be a relief from the stress of deployment and gives your children a chance to be young.
Keep a reading log
Reading is a tried-and-true form of distraction. Sit down with your children and create a list of books you want to read together every month. Try to stick to a reading schedule. For example, set goals like a chapter a week and log them together. Not only is keeping a reading log a great way to keep your children from worrying about their deployed parent, but it also teaches them to set attainable goals.
Have a 'date' night
This is an easy way to make your children feel special and alleviate some of their loneliness. Make them the center of attention and spend an evening having a nice dinner out and follow it up with a funny movie. Keep it casual and lighthearted so that everyone can enjoy a stress-free evening.
Do arts and crafts
During your spouse's deployment, your children will likely be dealing with many emotions. Arts and crafts are a good activity to help them communicate those emotions. PBS has some excellent projects for children that are designed to help them work out their thoughts and feelings.
Take a trip
Pack up the kids and the car for a small weekend trip. A change of scenery can give your children a small reprieve from missing their deployed parent. Road trips are also an amazing opportunity to bond with your children.
Make a video
For an activity that will benefit everyone in the family, consider recording a video together for your family's deployed servicemember. The kids will get a kick out of making a video for their mom or dad, and your spouse will appreciate getting to see them.
Deployment will come with challenges, but there are many activities you and your children can do together to help you get through it. More than a few of these will help your children express the difficult emotions they may be experiencing and teach them important life skills. Additionally, the activities you do together during your spouse's deployment can bring you closer to your children.