Many veterans come home from combat with serious physical and mental scars, and those are issues that need to be addressed on an ongoing basis. As such, many groups have cropped up in the last several years to help ease that transition back to civilian life, including an unconventional one in Indiana.

Operation Combat Bikesaver helps connect with veterans by giving them something very practical to do: rebuilding beat-up, old motorcycles, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune. The organization has only been open for about a year, and was started by a veteran who found that rebuilding a bike of his own relieved his stress and gave him something to focus on.

"I know it helped me," Jason Zaideman, an Army vet and president of Operation Combat Bikesaver, told the newspaper. "It lit a fire. This helped me, it could help someone else. We would like to be a resort or retreat where people battling PTSD, [traumatic brain injury] or depression can come out when they need to."

The group crowdfunds its efforts to buy and restore old motorcycles, and has already drawn significant interest from donors and veterans, the report said. Right now, there are 15 people on the waiting list to rebuild a bike, but there is not enough space for the organization to accommodate them. Because of the demand, it is hoping to expand in the near future, into a garage space that can house more than one project at a time. Right now, the space the organization uses is the garage at Zaideman's house.

The more that can be done to help veterans deal with the effects of combat after they leave the service, the better off they will be as their lives move forward.

Legislators in Kentucky have introduced a bill that would help veterans in the state start small businesses, reported The Associated Press. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, calls for state administrators to waive registration fees and reduce annual report-filing payments for veterans looking to start small businesses in life after service.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes pitched the legislation to Richards and promoted the bill, HB 367, in front of the Kentucky House Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety. The group, on March 2, authorized HB 367 and passed it along to their colleagues in the House of Representatives for review.

"Kentucky is proud to be the home of 50,000 active military men and women, and importantly, over 300,000 veterans," Grimes told The State Journal. "A top priority of mine as secretary of state has been to honor the service and sacrifice of our military women and men." 

The legislation, if passed, would form the basis for a veterans business initiative tentatively called "Boots to Business." 

"When the Secretary came to me with the idea for this legislation, I immediately agreed to shepherd it through the House," Richards said in an interview with WBKO. "We owe a great debt to our veterans, and this is the perfect opportunity for the Commonwealth can say, 'Thank you.'"

Currently, Kentucky charges $40 to prospective business owners looking to obtain articles of incorporation. Annual report-filing fees are $15.  

The state offers help to veterans who wish to start a small business under its Veterans Business Assistance Program. Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs, in partnership with Business USA, provides startup resources to former servicemembers.

According to the Small Business Administration, veterans make up around 10 percent of all U.S. small business owners. 

A documentary portraying Tlingit veterans of the Vietnam War won the Big Sky Award at the Big Sky Film Festival in Missoula, Montana this past week.

This noteworthy documentary, titled "Hunting in Wartime," was chosen as the winner among the other 140 shown at the Big Sky Film Festival, according to Indian Country Today Media Network. In this film, directed by Samantha Farinella, 28 Tlingit veterans from Hoonah, Alaska open up about their time spent in Vietnam during the war. Their touching stories revealed how they survived, how they served their country with pride and how they handled living in a society that oppressed Native people.

"Their stories give an important human face to the combat soldier and show the lasting effects of war on individuals, families and communities," Melinda Booth from Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Kathy Kasic, a filmmaker and Eileen Rafferty, a photographer/media artist, remarked about this film.

Through this documentary, viewers are able to see the challenges and painful times these men endured during their experiences in Vietnam, including how taking the lives of other men impacted them. It also narrows in on the struggle to get back to normalcy once they were finally able to return home. These men dealt with unimaginable circumstances that drove them to change.

Job security is at a premium in the United States, which makes getting a job difficult in this competitive market. However, there is good news for Americans. 2016 has started off on a positive note with the rate of employment increasing, according to Military Times. For the nation as a whole, unemployment rates have dropped. This fortunate decrease in unemployment is reaching the veteran demographic as well.

Information gathered by a monthly survey, known as Current Population Survey, concluded that for veterans who served from Sept. 11 up until this point have been among a group that has seen a decline in the unemployment rate. Veterans from post-Sept. 11 have experienced an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent, which has been the lowest since 2008, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America stated. It is important that veterans have job opportunities for a greater chance at success and the ability to support a household and afford an education after the military. The hope is that veterans will continue to have a high rate of job stability after serving in the military.

On Feb. 27, almost 200 veterans gathered at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts to show support for local Muslims, reported The Boston Globe. The participants, many of whom belonged to the group Veterans for Peace, said they believed the divisive 2016 presidential race had engendered a troubling undercurrent of Islamophobia within the country.

"When you listen to what's going on in presidential politics there is a lot of misinformation and some people are really misrepresenting what this religion is," Bob Funke, an Army veteran and coordinator for Veterans for Peace, told the newspaper. "They're using it as a wedge issue and they're scaring people. It's the politics of fear."

Many in the U.S. echo Funke's sentiment. According to the Pew Research Center, 48 percent of Americans believe the relationship between followers of Islam and Westerners is damaged.

The veterans who attended the rally carried homemade signs that read "Muslims Are Not our Enemies" and "Stop The Bigotry." Members of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the largest mosque in New England, mixed in with the ex-servicemembers and offered similar sentiments.

"We really appreciate that someone is standing up during this time to reflect what's right and stop bigotry," Mariam Mahmoud, a local mosque-goer, said in an interview with The Globe. "It takes a lot of courage and bravery."

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans also attended the rally and reassured local Muslims that his department would do all it could to protect them in the face of culturally-motivated violence.

The mosque prepared lunch for the supporters and hosted an informational session for those who wanted to learn more about Islam. Some even participated in afternoon prayer.

"It's like breaking walls down," Armida Commesse, a Muslim from Foxborough, told The Globe. "My heart is just so filled with love."

Sewing the seeds of conflict
The rise of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations has led many Americans to fear Islam and its followers, reported The Wall Street Journal. In December of last year, collective trepidation over the religion seemed to hit a fever pitch when self-radicalized followers of the Islamic State carried out large-scale attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California. Soon after, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump floated the idea of banning Muslims from entering the U.S. until federal agencies could improve domestic security and institute harsher immigration policies.

According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted at the time, almost 57 percent of Americans objected to Trump's proposal while 25 percent supported it. However, nearly 40 percent of conservative voters agreed with the plan.

Muslims, allies react
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which supports the estimated 2.75 million Muslims who live in the U.S., called Trump's remarks "outrageous" and "reckless," reported Reuters. Groups like the United Nations and the Southern Poverty Law Center expressed similar reactions. President Barack Obama also offered criticism and told Americans to be tolerant of their fellow citizens.

The veterans who showed up at the mosque in Roxbury last month offered similar thoughts and emphasized that they were protesting an ideology, not a single individual.

"Hate speech is not acceptable," Barry Ladendorf, president of national chapter of Veterans for Peace, told The Globe. "We're not against Trump. We're against the speech."

People remember loved ones who have served our country and fought for our freedom in different ways. Charlie Thompson commemorates and cherishes the memory of his son, Army Staff Sgt. Jacob Thompson, by handcrafting memorabilia. According to Panama City News Herald, Thompson began creating quilts almost eight years after Jacob passed away at the age of 26 while on a tour of duty in Iraq.

The memory of his son continues to live on with these quilts made out of cloth from Jacob's military uniform that Charlie received from the Army after his death. So far he has made two patchwork blankets in honor of Jacob's duties in the U.S. Army. Jacob enlisted in the Army as a high school student in the late '90s. The quilts exhibit camouflage print along with Jacob's portrait, his dog tags and the words "Army Strong." 

In an article in the Panama City News Herald, Charlie Thompson said, "I have this desire to never forget Jacob… I want to see him as much as possible."

Thompson continues to be reminded of Jacob with many pieces of memorabilia placed throughout his homes in Minnesota, where he stays for a few months with his wife Barb and in Panama Beach City, where he resides most of the year. As of right now, the quilts are in the hands of Jacob's brothers, Jon and Jason. Thompson's hope is that these quilts will be admired and passed down to future generations, so that his son is remembered forever.

One of Thompson's quilts was featured in The Quilt Show 2016 hosted by Saint Andrew Bay Quit's Guild and held at Florida State University Panama City Holley Academic Center.

The military, as well as governments, businesses and hospitals, all greatly depend on cybersecurity. Confidential information stored on computers or shared through the Internet to other networks must be protected from unauthorized outside parties, according to the University of Maryland University College. Unfortunately, cyberattacks have been on the rise, with an abundance of hackers trying to get unlawful access to destruct or alter information. Because of this, there is a demand for cyber protection and jobs in this industry. However finding the best and most qualified person for this position is not easy, Military Times stated. This comes as an opportunity for military veterans, who may very well be the solution.

For those interested in pursuing this career, veterans now have the opportunity to receive free training. Eligible veterans can partake in a training program, sponsored by Solutionary, an Omaha Internet security firm. To be admitted into SANS CyberTalent Immersion Academy, promising candidates that may be the right fit for a future successful career in cybersecurity will be screened, according to SANS Institute. Once the screening is complete, the candidate can fill out an application, followed by a SANS CyberTalent Enhanced Assessment, an exam online that tests different skills and the proficiency pertaining to information about security. Following this assessment, the Admissions Committee will interview the candidate.

Once accepted, this intensive program lasts for a total of six weeks. Solutionary is sponsoring this program to offer the best training in the proper and necessary skills for veterans to have a successful career in cybersecurity. Before committing to this program, veterans are asked to work for the company, Solutionary, for two years.

Tails of Valor seeks to provide love and support to those who are in need of it the most: abandoned puppies and disabled military veterans. Finding the solution for these two big issues in America, Tails of Valor selflessly gives the opportunity for dogs to find a home and for veterans to be healed through therapeutic companionship. This nonprofit program, founded by Heather Lloyd, is fully dedicated to training rescued pups to become service canines. It also trains dogs to eventually be able to accompany disabled veterans living with physical injuries, traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder, according to Critter Corral.

These dogs are taken in and trained by volunteers and trainers at a facility in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania, according to Stars and Stripes. The training program begins for puppies at the age of 8 to 14 weeks and lasts between a year to 16 months. Plenty of doggy treats are given out while commands are being taught and the pups are exposed to real-life, everyday situations that they will eventually deal with once fully trained. Because of this organization, dogs are able to learn how to provide protection, love and companionship. Every exercise the pups practice is correlated to a particular symptom that a veteran may experience.

Tails of Valor is changing the lives of people and animals. The dog that are trained are able to accomplish physical tasks to ensure an easier life for veterans who are in of help need. These furry friends are also able to provide emotional support for those suffering.

In an article from Stars and Stripes, Ray Rosenberger, a veteran who served in the Marines as a combat medical operator, described how his dog, Bella puts him at ease.

"When I'm having [PTSD] triggers, Bella will calm me down and bring me around," Rosenberger said. "A little puppy lick, or having someone to talk to, it gets me away from thinking about the war."

Psychological issues that military veterans experience can now be treated in a way that does not involve medicine but rather, a dog's company.

For a veteran to be a part of Tails of Valor, before applying to the program, he or she must provide proof of a disability that affects daily life and discharge papers, as well as a completion of inpatient rehab or a year since the injury occurred, Stars and Stripes mentioned. The candidate must also show he or she is a dog lover, through an evaluation that shows a happy relationship with a dog.

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.