While veterans are done with their time on the battlefield, a group called H.E.R.O. Child-Rescue Corps is training to combat a new enemy. The veterans from across the country who volunteered for this organization will spend three weeks learning how to identify child predators on the Internet. From there they will be taught computer forensics before they enter a year-long internship with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Once the veterans' training is complete, they will be able to take their education back to their home cities and perhaps pursue careers as police officers.
All of the veterans involved with H.E.R.O. Child-Rescue Corps are wounded warriors. Many of them had their service cut short due to a battlefield injury but are eager to continue serving their country.
Army veteran Jashua Cora told WDBJ 7 News, "If you can save lives it's like a second way to continue your service."
The veterans program is sponsored by the National Association to Protect Children, an organization dedicated to ending crimes against children and protecting children from any type of abuse. The NAPC has trained over 51 veterans to combat online crimes against children and raised nearly $2 million for their efforts.
On average, military families move once every three years. This can be stressful on the adults in a military family, but it can be even more difficult for military children. Kids need stability, and military life does not always allow for that. There are ways to reduce the stress and difficulties you put your kids through during your next transfer.
Communicate with them
Kids ask a lot of questions, but that is only because they want to understand the world around them. By communicating the possibility of a move as soon as you know there is a chance for one, you reduce the shock factor. You should also have an open dialogue regarding the move. Listening to your kids' questions and complaints about the move may be the last thing you want to do as you prepare, but try to be patient. The more you talk with them about it, the easier it will be on everyone involved.
Prepare them
Military transfer can happen relatively quickly, so you may not have much time to prepare your children for the move. If you have time, give them a taste of where they will be living. Show them pictures of the new base and the new city online and discuss things to do in the area. Try to give them enough time to say goodbye to their friends and make a few last-minute memories in their favorite hangouts. If you are moving to a foreign country, help them learn and practice the language as much as possible beforehand so they do not feel isolated upon arrival.
Support them
Remember that your kids are leaving behind the familiar, and they do not have a choice about it. If they seem angry or rebel against the move, respond with understanding. This can be difficult during a stressful move, but letting your children know that their feelings are valid can help them accept it easier. Military Youth on the Move is a helpful website that offers more advice and activities to help your children come to terms with relocation.
Put them first
You may have the urge to get rid of a lot of items before your move, but if possible, try to avoid getting rid of a bunch of your children's items. This can add to the sense of loss they are experiencing. Additionally, when you get to your new location, set up your kids' rooms before the other nonessential rooms in the house. This way they begin to feel at home in their new environment quicker. If they want to explore the new base, go with them and help them feel out their new setting. Even if you are still tired and stressed from the move, understand that your child has just experienced the same thing. Help them find ways to implement their old routines into their new life.
Moving is difficult for any family, but military families experience these stresses more often than most. Follow the advice above to help make these frequent moves easier on the children in your family.
For many veterans, chronic pain is something they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives. The Star Tribune reported that over 60 percent of returned servicemembers list chronic pain as their most common ailment. An organization called Pain Free Patriots acts as a mobile relief center for veterans experiencing chronic pain from injuries sustained in combat. This group assembles in the parking lots of schools, churches and shopping malls with its over $250,000 in medical equipment. Veterans are invited to receive free treatments like spinal balancing and muscle and nerve therapy.
Currently, Pain Free Patriots is operating independently of the local VA office, but the VA seems to be in total support of the charity's work.
Local VA spokesman Ralph Heussner told The Star Tribune, "If there is a grant available to our patients to access free, quality services outside the VA, we would welcome it with open arms."
Doug Huseby, a 72-year-old businessman, started Pain Free Patriots to help veterans get assistance without having to wait on the government. Thus far, Huseby's charity has serviced 450 veterans and looks to continue growing. The History Channel has even contacted Huseby about a program that would follow the progress of the veterans' treatments.
Phoenix resident Lance Greathouse holds a full-time job, but in his spare time he gives back to the veterans in his community. In partnership with the Phoenix Veterans Administration and Wheelchair Labs, an organization whose mission is to provide motorized wheelchairs and scooters to those in need, Greathouse began creating custom electric wheelchairs for veterans. When Greathouse's brother lost his life to Parkinson's before he could give him the custom wheelchair he had been working on, Greathouse dedicated his philanthropic mission to his memory.
All of the chairs Greathouse refurbishes are either donated or purchased from thrift stores, and they all go to a veteran in need. Many local businesses and suppliers have even begun to donate to Greathouse's efforts. When Greathouse needed a welder and a spool, the community stepped up and gifted the items to him. Every chair is given to a veteran or disabled person in need at no charge because Greathouse recognized the struggle of immobility.
"A lot of people think that if you're a veteran you get a wheelchair, but a lot of veterans wait several years to get a wheelchair," Greathouse told The Arizona Republic.
He wanted the men and women who served the country to have the quality of life they deserve.
During their service, military men and women develop skills that make them advantageous hires for any business. Their training crafts them into responsible people with qualities that set them apart from other candidates. Outlined below are some examples of those highly marketable skills.
1. Leadership
From day one, military personnel are trained to be leaders. They learn how to effectively communicate orders and delegate responsibility. Their leadership has often been tested in some of the toughest environments. If your business could use a management boost, consider hiring a veteran. They know how to lead a team to success.
2. Integrity
This quality is one that is innate to most veterans. It is part of what leads them to sign up to serve their country. Former servicemembers are not afraid of hard work, and they often hold themselves to a higher standard of conduct than others.
3. Teamwork
If anyone knows how to work efficiently on a team, it is a veteran. They understand hierarchy and when to allow someone else to take control. They are also trained to feel responsible for the other members of their team, so they can be counted on to promote group success.
4. Versatile
In combat, veterans were regularly faced with difficult situations that could quickly change. Life in the service, especially in battle, is rarely predictable. Veterans are equipped to handle uncertainties, and they are always prepared to make decisions quickly.
5. Efficient
You do not make it far in the military if you do not learn to be efficient. Drill training and combat preparedness teach servicemembers how to complete tasks quickly, sometimes under a large amount of stress. Tight schedules and tough deadlines are challenges that most veterans can overcome with relative ease.
6. Crisis management
The dangers of combat are very real, but military members are trained to handle any situation that may arise. This translates well to the workplace where issues like cyberattacks and budgetary problems can arise at any time. Veterans have the readiness and cool-headedness to deal with crises as they come.
7. Fast learners
Servicemembers must be able to learn quickly on the job. It is a matter of survival in combat. This skill comes in handy in a corporate setting where things may have to change regularly with the market. Veterans have proven capabilities to pick up new skills and procedures.
8. Structured
If you hire a veteran, do not expect him or her to show up to work late or leave his or her workspace messy. From the day veterans begin service, they are trained to follow regimens and taught strict organizational skills. Veterans will likely develop a productive schedule and stick to it.
9. Intuition
Some believe that this skill cannot be taught, but the military teaches its recruits to trust their gut instinct. Veterans have experience with intuition, which can make them advantageous players in careers where a lot of variables are at play.
Training and combat develop veterans into some of the workforce's most valuable employees. Former military servicemembers have the potential to be great assets for any company given the chance.
Many veterans have begun to use art as a way to heal emotionally and physically from the traumas of combat. Anthony LoBue, better known as Tony the Vet, is a Vietnam veteran, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and former member of the Texas National Guard. LoBue found that art helped him recover from post-traumatic stress disorder and deal with the spinal injuries he sustained in service. The 72-year-old veteran is now sharing his therapy with other former servicemembers around the San Diego area.
"I absolutely believe the self-evident healing power of the arts is at least equivalent to the doctor's scalpel, the psychiatrist's drug and the psychologist's talk as effective self-intervention," LoBue told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
LoBue partnered with the Veterans in the Arts Initiatives, a program committed to improving the lives of veterans through art programs, to bring creative writing, painting, music and sculpting classes to local veterans. He believes that art can serve two main purposes for veterans: It can help them communicate their story to their community, and it can help the community understand the veterans' experiences. To LoBue, there is no truer form of expression than art, and he wants to share the liberating activity with others.
Children of military servicemembers have a unique childhood. Their mothers or fathers may be absent from important events in their lives because of deployment. There is added pressure on these kids to help out at home and remain strong even if they are missing their parent. Camp Corral was created to give military kids the chance to be young and to let loose. It was founded in 2011 and caters to children between the ages of 8 and 15 whose parent is an active duty servicemember, veteran or fallen hero.
Camp Corral gives participants the chance to bond with kids whose situations are similar to their own and let go of their daily stresses for a week. Together, these kids engage in activities such as ropes challenges, horseback riding and canoeing. The camp also has a Military and Family Life Counselor on site at all times to help campers through any emotional difficulties. On its website, the camp stated that it has served over 6,500 military children in 23 camps across 19 states. Camp Corral is based out of Raleigh, North Carolina, and is free for military children to attend. For more information, visit the camp's website.
Republican presidential candidate and former governor of Florida Jeb Bush announced on July 28 that he would be attending the upcoming Veterans and Military Town Hall. The meeting is scheduled to take place on Aug. 17 in Columbia, South Carolina. The main issues that will be covered will include veterans' health care, federal spending reform, veterans' homelessness and VA reform. Bush is just one of the policy makers expected to lead the discussions at the town hall. The presidential hopeful is expected to discuss his statements regarding the privatization of some veteran health care.
The event was organized by The Concerned Veterans for America. This organization defines itself as "advocates for policies that – and support policymakers who – preserve the freedom and prosperity that veterans and their families so proudly served to defend." The CVA works to make positive changes for veterans through grassroots campaigns and public forums. The organization also works to gain a representative voice for veterans when it comes to military decision-making in Washington, D.C. The Veterans and Military Town Hall is part of the CVA's ongoing Defend and Reform Policy Series, a veterans advocacy movement that began in 2012.
To register to attend the event, click here.
Life in the military is challenging, but sometimes the hardest mission can be coming home. Many veterans fear leaving behind the brotherhood and camaraderie of shared combat experience. Some veterans may also be coping with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injury or a physical trauma of some kind. Community Rowing, Inc. launched a program in 2010 to help veterans navigate the choppy waters of life after service. This military rowing community was the first in the nation, and it was designed to unite veterans in a common activity and provide them with a community of support.
Marizia Lopez, the program's military outreach coordinator, told Row2K, "One of the more important parts of the program is forming that team bond, and striving together in the boat and supporting each other as that team. The rowing is kind of secondary."
CRI provides the equipment, facilities and training to veterans and their families at no cost. It teaches them to work together in an unfamiliar environment to overcome the challenges, both physical and mental, that may be holding them back from success. These skills can be applied to the veterans' daily lives as they transition to civilian life. CRI's program has inspired many other veterans' rowing programs across the country.
There are times when your patriotic nature needs a jumpstart. There is no better place to turn to rejuvenate your American spirit than Hollywood. For decades, films have embodied what it means to be an American. They have us cheering for our heroes and chanting, "USA!" See which movies made the most patriotic list.
1. 'The Patriot'
The title says it all. This movie tells the story of the brave men and women who fought so that our country could exist. "The Patriot" defines what it means to be an American. It depicts the sacrifice and courage it took to found this country.
2. 'Independence Day'
Even though this sci-fi was a little far-fetched, "Independence Day" still captures the grit of the American people. Our fighting spirit has never shined so brightly as when Bill Pullman shouts, "Today we celebrate our Independence Day," after stopping the alien invasion.
3. 'Glory'
This period drama may have been set during a divided time in American history, but the unity of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts is as American as it gets. These men were fighting together for their freedom.
4. 'Captain America: The First Avenger'
Marvel's comic-inspired character, Steve Rogers, is the personification of the American spirit. Rogers' determination to serve his country, even in the face of multiple rejections, is a testament to American tenacity. His star-spangled suit and commitment to ensuring that the American dream lives on makes Captain America one of the most patriotic characters of all time.
5. 'Red Dawn'
Depending on which version of this film you watch, either the Russians or the North Koreans invade the U.S. But a rag-tag group of high school students, self-titled the Wolverines, stand up to the offending country. They defend the land and freedom that is theirs despite their fear and inexperience.
6. 'Top Gun'
Thousands of Americans felt the "need for speed" after watching this 1986 classic. In fact, Naval enlistment increased by 70 percent after the movie's release. The adrenaline-packed aerial dogfights and troop camaraderie showed a more exciting side to American military service.
7. 'Annapolis'
This movie involves another underdog, Jake Huard, who aspires to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, but a life of poverty and self-doubt threaten to hold him back. It is hard not to get goose bumps when Huard's commanding officer asks him why he is at the academy and Huard responds stoically, "To serve my country, sir."
The next time you are looking for a jolt of patriotism, turn on one of these films. The struggles and triumphs of the movies' heroes will surely revitalize your American spirit.