Frank Bartlett, a World War II veteran in Largo, Florida, received replacement medals after his beloved awards somehow got lost during a move.
According to the Tampa Tribune, the 102-year-old man served in the Army as a surgical technician. While he never engaged in combat, he experienced a number of bloody battles as he traveled around Italy, France and Germany with the 9th Infantry Division. Not only did he provide life-saving care to a number of soldiers, but Bartlett also donated his own blood to a number of injured servicemembers during moments of extreme emergency. The source reported that the medic received an American Defense medal, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star during his time in the service.
While Bartlett is a New York native, he moved to Florida to live with friend and fellow veteran Carl Cabello and his family, who have helped take care of the aging vet in his life after service. When Cabello learned that Bartlett's medals had gone missing in the transition, he knew he wanted to help his friend out. While Bartlett tried to shake off the loss, Cabello knew the awards were important to him.
"He has a lot of pride, but he spoke of his medals, and they must have been important to him," Cabello told Bay News 9.
The source reported that Cabello reached out to Congressman David Jolly, who was able to procure replacement medals. He visited Bartlett at home, surprising him with the brand-new awards. Although the former soldier is now legally blind, he felt the medals with his hands and was practically speechless at the kind gesture. While he had been alerted that he might be able to get new medals, he had no idea he would receive a personal visit from the congressman, noted the Tampa Tribune.
When soldiers return from service, they are often faced with an uncertain employment situation. Even those who had workforce experience before enlisting usually return home to see that what they thought were some of their most marketable skills have become commonplace, or even obsolete.
To assist these veterans as they navigate the labor situation, an intern program, named "Soldier for Life," has been launched by the government with the goal of easing the transition. The initiative was especially priceless for Sgt. Richard Karlson, who worked in technology before entering the military in 2008.
According to the Kansas City Star, when the veteran returned to civilian life after six years of service, he realized his formerly impressive skill set was dated compared to recent technological innovations. Things like smartphones and tablets were only starting to appear in the industry when he left to serve his country. After connecting with Soldier for Life, however, Karlson feels confident he will be able to regain his footing and continue to find success in the field he loves. He currently holds an internship with the city of Olathe, Kansas, courtesy of the program.
The source reported that Karlson, who has eight children, is able to work as an intern in the city's information technology department two days a week. Not only does he get to catch up on everything he needs to know about the field, but the flexible hours allow him to remain employed outside the program while still gaining experience and building his resume.
"A lot of soldiers get out of the military and end up unemployed and even homeless, a program like this can really help prevent that," Karlson told the Kansas City Star.
According to a press release, Kentucky's Gov. Steve Beshear has named 2015 the Year of the Woman Veteran.
The Courier-Journal reported that the Southern state is home to 33,000 female former servicemembers. Women make up 10 percent of the overall veteran population. Over the next 12 months, Kentucky will introduce a number of programs and initiatives specifically geared toward helping this demographic of veterans achieve success in their life after service.
In April, the state will hold a conference to identify the needs of female veterans and to discuss issues of importance. Some of the topics that will be covered include mental health, physical health, employment, housing and education, reported the Courier-Journal.
The source noted that even though Kentucky's overall number of veterans has been declining in recent years, the number of former servicemembers who are women has been steadily on the rise. Female veterans are much less likely to seek benefits and services, however. Currently, less than 6 percent of Kentucky's women soldiers have filed claims with The Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Throughout the year, KDVA will reach out to both women veterans and the general public to honor our heroic women veterans and connect them to veteran benefits and services," Beshear stated in the release.
The Milwaukee County War Memorial Center recently raised over $800,000 to build a new memorial, which will be known as the "Ring of Honor."
According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the new project will honor all conflicts that have occurred since World War I. It will be located in the center of the building, near the downtown lakefront area. While visitors peruse the new memorial, which will be built from granite, they will also be able to enjoy views of picturesque Lake Michigan.
Significant portions of the funds that were raised came from The Milwaukee Rotary Club, as well as the Bradley Foundation, noted the source.
The Memorial Center is housed in the Milwaukee Art Museum, which was created after World War II with a space devoted to honoring veterans. The center also features a mural commemorating servicemembers. The MCWMC is a nonprofit organization that operates inside the building and is committed to honoring veterans, both after they have passed and continuously throughout their life after service. Some of its current exhibits include a memorial for soldiers who perished during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Milwaukee Business Journal noted that the project is expected to be completed near Memorial Day 2015.
President Barack Obama announced on Sunday, Dec. 28, that the 13-year war in Afghanistan is officially over, reported NBC News. A ceremony was held in Kabul to symbolize what the president referred to as a "responsible conclusion."
According to Military Times, the ceremony was an exclusive event, with only hand-picked officials present. The International Security Assistance Force's green-and-white flag was taken down, rolled and sheathed. It was then replaced by a new banner meant to represent Resolute Support, the new international mission currently in place in the nation.
Speeches were given, mostly commemorating those whose lives were lost during the war. NBC reported that 2,200 U.S. troops were killed since the fighting began in 2001. Approximately 10,000 civilians lost their lives, while 5,000 Afghan soldiers died this year alone. Military Times noted that U.S. Gen. John Campbell, the current commander of ISAF, gave a speech in memory of the nearly 4,000 international troops who perished during the war as well.
"Thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, our combat mission in Afghanistan is ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion," President Obama said in a release.
Veterans looking for employment in Minnesota will now have an edge when it comes to federal, state, county and city positions.
According to KTSP, the recently passed 2014 Veterans' Preference Act makes it easier for former servicemembers to be hired for positions like police officers and firefighters. In Minneapolis alone, the last 53 people hired by the fire department have been veterans. The source reported that civil service employers are largely satisfied with the arrangement, since the skills acquired by soldiers are useful in these types of jobs.
This initiative comes as a large number of troops return home from Iraq and Afghanistan in search of employment. KTSP noted that the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans in their life after service sits at about 10 percent in Minnesota – 3 percent higher than the state's jobless rate among non-veterans. Officials hope that the hiring advantage will help close this employment gap, especially among young soldiers returning home.
The law states that servicemembers who served in active duty for 180 days and received general or honorable discharge qualify for the advantage. They must take the standard civil service test, but receive an extra 10 points on their passing grade due to their veteran status. Disabled veterans get an additional five points.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has partnered with Gov. Rick Scott and Building Homes for Heroes in an effort to provide disabled veterans with mortgage-free housing in their life after service. WXLTV reported that establishing this initiative was especially important for the governor, who is a Navy veteran.
According to the Pensacola News Journal, the DEO has approved a $2 million grant that will allow Building Homes for Heroes to construct or update the houses of servicemembers who sustained injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan. The nonprofit organization has already made an impact on the lives of veterans in the Southern state, building 13 mortgage-free homes over the past year.
Each residence is designed to fit the specific needs of the injured veterans, many of whom need special adjustments due to a permanent combat-induced disability. With increased support for state organizations, Homes for Heroes expects to build an additional 20 houses during 2015, reported the Pensacola News Journal.
"The state's support enables us to make a meaningful and memorable difference in the lives of our injured servicemen and women. In addition, we're seeing an extraordinary spirit of patriotism and community support all across Florida," stated Building Homes for Heroes president Andy Pujol.
The Department of Defense revealed on Monday, Dec. 22, that the Military's Basic Allowance for Subsistence will go up 2.9 percent starting next month.
According to Military Times, the BAS rate, which has historically been subject to cuts or only minor increases, is intended to help pay for the meals of servicemembers. It is part of the Military's commitment to providing soldiers with room, board and food while they serve.
The Lemoore Navy News reported that servicemembers receive BAS pay as a nontaxable monthly cash payment. Its rate is directly linked to the cost of food, as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's index. Once the new year begins, enlisted soldiers will receive $367.92 each pay period, up from $357.55 in 2014, according to Military Times. Officers will get $253.38, increased from this year's rate of $246.24.
While these increases are significant, basic pay for servicemembers will only go up by 1 percent, noted the Lemoore Navy News. General and flag officers will maintain their current salaries for 2015. The basic allowance for housing will actually decrease by 1 percent, since a new law requires it to cover 99 percent of living costs when it previously covered 100 percent, noted Military Times.
Master Sgt. Ivan Ruiz, a pararescueman with the 22nd Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron, was recently awarded the service's second-highest award.
According to Military Times, Ruiz displayed courage and valor during a situation in Afghanistan during December 2013. He was in the Kandahar Province when he and his fellow soldiers came under attack. Things moved quickly, and somehow he and two of his teammates became separated from the larger group. The servicemembers managed to gun down some of the attackers, but were eventually circled by enemy forces.
The source reported that both of Ruiz's colleagues were struck and severely injured. In an effort to save their lives, the solider fearlessly left his relatively safe spot and rushed to his friends. He protected them by expertly firing back at the plethora of enemy forces surrounding the group. Eventually, backup arrived, and Ruiz was able to help drag the wounded soldiers to safety, where he gave them life-saving medical care – all while he was wearing night vision goggles, noted NWF Daily News.
The two men Ruiz helped save were in attendance at the awards ceremony, which took place Dec. 17 at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Iowa has launched an initiative to connect veterans with potential employers in their life after service. Named "Home Base Iowa," the act was signed into law in May 2014 and includes tax breaks for former servicemembers.
According to Military Times, eligible Iowa-based veterans can now pay no state income tax on their military pensions and obtain civilian licenses for skills they acquired in the military. They can also get a $5,000 grant toward buying a house, and have the home assessed for $1,850 less than its worth, for tax purposes.
The Home Base website features a customizable job search where veterans can search for positions by their military duties. There is also updated information about job fairs and job-search strategies. Military Times reported that there is even a singular email address where soldiers can send their resume and have it forwarded to military-friendly employers throughout the state. Currently, hundreds of organizations are participating, and have helped find work for over 600 veterans.
"What we're doing in Iowa can be an example of what other states can do. We look at it as a win-win for the veteran, for the companies and also for the communities in which they locate," Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad told Military Times.