A historic lodge in Maine, formerly owned by cosmetics mogul Elizabeth Arden, will soon become a retreat location for veterans. 

The Associated Press reported that the home, located in Rome, Maine, was constructed by Arden as a summer home in the 1920s. She built an on-site spa and hosted many famous guests, including Judy Garland and Mamie Eisenhower. It was originally situated on 1,200 acres, but the source explained that the land was subdivided following Arden's passing in 1966. Last summer, the property was placed up for sale at $765,000. The Travis Mills Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to provide support to disabled soldiers in their life after service, bought the lodge on Tues., March 2. 

According to the Bangor Daily News, the organization was able to buy the building, along with 17 acres of land, for $460,000, since it requires significant repairs. The nonprofit plans to completely renovate the lodge, making it the country's first "smart" retreat center, meaning it will come equipped with state-of-the-art technology that will allow disabled veterans and their families to fully enjoy their stays. 

The Travis Mills Foundation plans to offer a number of activities to visitors at the Maine facility. Some of these include adaptive sports, spa treatments, fishing, boating, swimming and yoga. 

Veterans in St. Louis will now get hiring priority for city jobs. St. Louis Public Radio reported that Mayor Francis Slay recently signed the employment initiative into law in an effort to eradicate veteran joblessness. 

The priority will come in the form of five extra points on the city's civil service exam for former servicemembers. The source noted that disabled veterans will get an extra five points on top of that, for an additional 10 points. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, voters approved the measure back in November. It was strongly supported and advocated for by Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, a veteran himself who wanted to ease the return to civilian life for local soldiers.

"Having served on active duty and returning home, I have first-hand experience of how difficult it can be when a soldier comes from active duty, matriculating back into the work-force in their hometown," he told St. Louis Public Radio. 

The legislature, dubbed the Veterans Preference Bill, aims to serve veterans in the same way they serve the country, by protecting and supporting them. Some of the positions that will be more accessible to honorably discharged members of the military who successfully pass the exam include working in the parks and recreation department, becoming firefighters or joining the police force. 

St. Louis Public Radio reported that the mayor hopes this initiative will not stop with local government. He told the source that he wants to encourage private employers throughout the city to implement similar hiring standards. Not only will they be helping the men and women who serve the U.S., he explained, but they will be bringing on staff members with important skills learned in the armed forces, like dedication, integrity and leadership. 

A group of injured veterans and supporters are currently cycling from Atlanta to New Orleans on a six-day, 470-mile bike ride in an effort to raise money and awareness for soldiers with both physical and mental disabilities. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that the funds raised by the ride will go toward rehabilitation programs, particularly those that use cycling as a form of therapy. 

Coming together for the health of veterans 
WTVM explained that for those participating, the ride is the experience of a lifetime. In addition to injured vets riding for their peers, the group of 200 cyclists is comprised of many active-duty soldiers. Many of them discovered cycling as a way to exercise their physical and mental injuries and want to help others do the same. 

"When I first found out about ride to recovery, I was still in the depressed mood of me being hurt, so I was trying to figure out what I can do to possibly get out on my own and what better way than ride 600, 400, 300 miles with a bunch of other wounded veterans," Eric Murray, a veteran with a foot injury, told WTVM. 

Vets tout cycling as an alternative therapy 
The Montgomery Advertiser explained that to help the participants prepare for the challenge, Ride 2 Recovery, sponsored by United Healthcare, assisted them by offering indoor spinning classes and long outdoor rides. It was during these training sessions that many of the veterans were able to view cycling as a form of mental and physical rehabilitation. 

For veteran Tim Brown, getting on a bike was more about clearing his head than building muscle. He is one of the former servicemembers riding for psychological health, and he points to cycling as a healthy way for him to manage his anger and depression. Many of the other soldiers participating are amputees, and one vet even praises cycling as a therapeutic way for her to deal with an injury that left her blind. 

Many of the disabled veterans cite the healthy exercise as an alternative to medicine or invasive treatments and want to spread the word about staying active. 

"I wish people knew how good cycling was. This is the best way to medicate yourself. If I wasn't doing this, I would probably be taking three or four pills, honestly," veteran Carmen Vega told the Montgomery Advertiser. 

A new study released by the American Heart Association revealed that female veterans seeking cardiac care from Veterans Affairs facilities tend to be much younger than their male counterparts. They are also more likely to be obese, depressed or experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Study explores the unique demographic in relation to cardiac disease 
The median age for female vets seeking care for heart issues was 57, while the median age for men with cardiac problems in their life after service is 63. This is interesting, noted the Minneapolis Star Tribune, since in the general population women tend to develop heart disease at older ages. Typical non-veteran women also tend to have a number of risk factors, such as hypertension and diabetes, contributing to their cardiac issues, while female veterans had far fewer risk factors. 

The study revealed that 55.3 percent of women with the health problem were also dealing with depression, compared to 31.4 percent of men. About 20 percent of them are also experiencing PTSD, versus 16 percent of men. The Star Tribune noted that these figures could be important for establishing a more solid connection between mental health and cardiac wellness, especially in soldiers. 

Female soldiers and the push toward better care 
Psych Central explained that this study was done largely because there have been few reports focusing solely on female veterans. As this demographic continues to expand, however, it is crucial that medical professionals know their unique health challenges so that they are better able to provide quality care. The source explained that women are typically underrepresented in heart health research in general, so many times physicians are unaware that female patients might show different symptoms or require different treatments than men. 

Within the veteran population, the number of women looking to obtain health care from VA hospitals has doubled in the past 10 years. The study was published in an issue of the AHA's journal, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, in a section dedicated to taking a closer look at the way women experience heart disease. 

"In the future, if we really want to answer all the questions we have about gender differences, then we need studies that are large enough, focused enough, and with the intent from the start to illuminate the issues around sex differences," stated Harlan Krumholz, M.D., S.M., editor of the journal and director of the Center of Outcomes Research and Evaluation at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

A website was recently launched that reveals the nutritional facts for most MREs, or ready-to-eat military meals. 

The site, named The Combat Rations Database, was implemented by the Defense Department's Human Performance Resource Center, reported Military Times. It contains every piece of information about soldiers' meals, from exact calorie count, to fat content, to cholesterol statistics. Currently, people can search for MRE information dating back to 2012. In the future, the database will include meal trackers and calorie counters for soldiers to input their dietary information and get an idea of how healthy – or unhealthy – their food choices are. 

To show just how thorough the information available to soldiers currently is, Military Times investigated the nutrition facts of the crackers typically included in MREs. They found that these crunchy snacks contain 170 calories, 208 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 3 grams of protein and 0 grams of added sugar. 

Military Times noted that the idea behind the website is to provide servicemembers with all the information they need to make nutritious choices, even with limited options. 

"This new website provides military dietitians with up-to-date, accurate and easily accessible nutrition information on ration components, which is essential when educating warriors on proper fueling during missions," Julie Smith, a senior food technologist at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, in Massachusetts, told Military Times. 

Military chefs and dietitians support the site, the source noted. They acknowledge that while many soldiers know it is important to eat well to stay in top shape, they are not always able to make the best decisions without having complete, transparent dietary information at their disposal. They hope that giving soldiers all the tools they need to make healthy choices will encourage them to do so and improve the health of the armed forces in general. 

Homegrown for Good, a startup company owned by brothers Tommy and Tim Gibb, is trying to teach veterans how to manufacture products and adapt their military-learned leadership skills to civilian managerial positions. And it is doing all this by making flip-flops. 

Forbes magazine reported that the Gibb brothers, who were raised by a father previously employed by shoe companies Nine West and Marc Fisher, are no strangers to the footwear industry. After spending time working in the field themselves, both became disillusioned with rising production costs and a shift toward outsourcing labor to China. In order to stay competitive while remaining domestic, the brothers decided to create flip-flops. A popular product that can also be manufactured inexpensively, it seemed like the perfect solution to their issues. 

After pooling their savings, establishing investors and taking out loans for the most cutting-edge technology on the market, the Gibbs opened their factory, which Forbes described as being more like an experimental laboratory, in New Rochelle, New York. As they were getting things off the ground, Tommy learned about Heroes in Transition, an organization that helps raise funds for veterans of recent wars. The organization works with those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to help them get necessary home modifications for their disabilities, find local therapy for mental health issues, get paired with service dogs or simply help them support their families. 

Inspired by the group's mission, the brothers decided to start a veteran hiring initiative. Not only are they looking to employ soldiers in their life after service, but they are also looking to implement specific job training programs that would give these servicemembers managerial experience. Forbes explained that the Gibbs will have five vets working at Homegrown for Good by next month. 

When college student and photographer Devin Mitchell started to create a portfolio for graduate school applications, he was immediately drawn to snapping shots of military personnel. These are not traditional battlefield images or formal armed services portraits, however. Mitchell's pieces aim to capture veterans as they see themselves from both a personal and professional perspective in their life after service.  

The Huffington Post reported that the unique pictures feature two images, both shot by Mitchell and then pieced together. One picture features the veteran dressed in civilian clothing, looking in a mirror in his or her home. The picture looking back at him or her from the mirror is the soldier dressed in military garb. Mitchell's portraits are not only stunning because of their unique composition, but because he chose a wide variety of subjects to truly illustrate how diverse the veteran population is. 

The former servicemembers featured in Mitchell's images are supportive of the project, saying that it really gives them the opportunity to display their lives behind their uniform. 

"It's really giving back to us veterans in allowing us a chance to actually speak out and show who we are," Taralyn Goldman, one of the soldiers photographed by Mitchell, told ABC 7 News.

Many soldiers have difficulty returning to civilian life after spending time in the service, finding it hard to strike a balance between their former military life and new personal life. Additionally, a number of soldiers exit the service facing new obstacles, like mental and physical disabilities. Mitchell's photos shed light on all aspects of the veteran experience, featuring people dressed in traditional religious clothing, sporting prosthetic limbs and even showing off a mohawk hairdo. 

After receiving positive feedback from fans of his work and the veteran community, Mitchell has started raising money to compile his pieces into a book. 

Despite a growing number of measles cases being reported throughout the U.S., the armed forces has managed to only have three cases of the illness since 2008. According to Military Times, strict immunization rules implemented by the Defense Department are responsible for maintaining this health standard. 

Current guidelines indicate that both recruits and active-duty soldiers must be vaccinated with any immunizations recommended by the Human Services Department's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Servicemembers must either provide proof of immunization or undergo blood tests before arriving at basic training. Military Times explained that while there are medical exemptions, soldiers must have their reason reviewed by a verified physician in order to qualify for this exception. 

If soldiers would like to argue religious exemption from immunizations, they need to present their case in front of a board comprised of chaplains, medical doctors and armed forces commanders. While every branch has slight discrepancies in their policies, it is typically a difficult process for servicemembers to gain – and keep – exemption. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained that the current outbreak of measles in the U.S. has spread largely due to a growing population of unvaccinated people. The outbreak started at Disneyland in California, and there have been cases reported in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Nebraska. 

A recent survey released by the Orange County Community Foundation revealed some of the financial, housing and health issues encountered by soldiers who call this California region home in their life after service. 

Work and education 
According to the report, servicemembers in this area encounter numerous obstacles as they transition back to civilian life. This is especially true for post-9/11 veterans – 61 percent of this demographic stated that they had difficulty making the switch, as opposed to only 30 percent of pre-9/11 soldiers. Much of this has to do with uncertainty – about 61 percent of these younger vets stated that one of the most challenging components of the transition was figuring out what they wanted to do with their lives. Finding work was a concern for both younger and older veterans. Almost 74 percent of post-9/11 veterans said they did not have a job upon leaving the service, while this statement was true for almost 70 percent of pre-9/11 soldiers. 

The Orange County Register explained that although job hunting was an obstacle faced by nearly all the veterans surveyed, many of them did not anticipate it to be such a large problem. While these vets acquired a number of transferable skills during their time in the military, like leadership, teamwork and organization, a significant portion of them lack the education to achieve full-time or high-paying jobs. Additionally, many of them felt that only being able to apply for jobs online was hurting their chances of securing work.

Health 
Medical care for both physical and mental disabilities has recently come to the forefront of veterans issues as the government looks to improve the quality of care offered through Veterans Affairs. While about 70 percent of veterans surveyed felt they were in good health, nearly 50 percent of them tested positive for some level of post-traumatic stress disorder. The majority of soldiers who took part in the report were without physical disabilities, but those who were cited their arms, legs and joints as bothering them the most. 

Housing 
Most Orange County veterans had somewhere to live upon leaving the service, explained the report, but significant portions of them did not. About 71 percent of pre-9/11 vets had secured housing for after their transition, while almost 65 percent of post-9/11 servicemembers had somewhere to live. The survey noted that many of the veterans who reported having housing were actually moving in to temporary situations with friends or family members as opposed to their own residences. 

Homeless rates for veterans in the area remained fairly low and were higher among pre-9/11 veterans. About 17.5 percent of this older demographic reported being homeless in the past 30 days, as opposed to 10.3 percent of pre-9/11 vets. 

"There were some gripping statistics from the study that echoes what we've seen in our work over the past couple of years," Shelly Hoss, president of the Orange County Community Foundation, told My News LA.

On Friday, Feb. 13, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced its plan to house the homeless veterans of Los Angeles.

Getting LA's veterans off the street 
According to Stars and Stripes, the plan proposed the use of a 387-acre plot of land in West LA, which will be used to create a facility to house former soldiers in their life after service. While this is being constructed, however, other plans are being put into action to get vets into temporary and permanent housing. Over the next 100 days, the VA will be focusing a number of efforts and resources into finding shelter for former servicemembers. The department will be hiring people to find available housing, increase funding and create temporary homes for veterans and their families. The ultimate goal is to provide at least 650 vets with permanent residences by April. 

Additionally, the VA will be reaching out to the Department of Labor and a number of other governmental organizations to create job training and employment opportunities for these individuals in an effort to keep them from returning to the street. Stars and Stripes noted that since permanent housing is the goal for all veterans, a strong focus will be placed on offering them therapy and other support beyond simply handing them keys. 

A history of homelessness 
The New York Times reported that there has been controversy surrounding the West LA land that will be used for veteran housing. While it was originally deeded to the government in 1888 to be used for housing disabled vets, it has not been used for this purpose. Most of the businesses currently leasing the land, which range from a car rental organization to laundry facilities, serve the nearby affluent neighborhood of Brentwood. After a group of veterans filed a lawsuit against the VA for misusing the land, the organization decided to draw up this plan for housing local vets. 

The source explained that the land in question is nearly half the size of Central Park and has the potential to house almost all of LA's homeless veteran population, which is roughly 4,000 people. The facilities will include special resources for female vets, servicemembers with severe disabilities and those who are aging. Overall, the project is expected to cost the VA around $50 million.