Nov. 11, otherwise known as Veterans Day, is fast approaching. This is a time for Americans to appreciate our military servicemembers, both active and veteran, for their commitment to the country. Many businesses have announced that they will be offering free or discounted services to veterans and servicemembers as a show of gratitude. Below is a list of companies participating in Veterans Day discounts. 

Restaurants

• IHOP  – The International House of Pancakes is offering free red, white and blue pancakes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 11. Proof of service is required. The restaurant will accept "US Uniformed Services ID Card, US Uniformed Services Retired ID Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), veterans organization card (i.e. American Legion, VFW, etc.), photograph of yourself in US military uniform, wearing uniform, DD214, military dog tags, and citation or commendation."
• Golden Corral – Veterans and former servicemembers can get a free meal and beverage at most Golden Corral locations from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Red Lobster – Nov. 9 through Nov. 12, active-duty servicemembers and veterans can receive a free appetizer or dessert from a special menu. Proof of service is required to receive this special. 
• On the Border – This tex-mex restaurant is inviting veterans and servicemembers to enjoy a complimentary "Create Your Own Combo" at their restaurants on Nov. 11. 
• Applebee's  – During regular business hours on Nov. 11, Applebee's will have a special Veterans Day Signature Menu. All former or active-duty servicemembers are invited to enjoy a free meal from this menu.
• Texas Roadhouse – All active, former, or retired military can come to any Texas Roadhouse location on Nov. 11 to receive a free lunch and beverage. 

Services

• Western Union – When you use the promo code "HERO" on Nov. 11, Western Union will give you free money transfers to and from U.S. military bases around the world. There is no dollar limit.
• Great Clips – Veterans can receive a free haircut from any Great Clips location from Nov. 11 through Dec. 31. Veterans must come in to a store on Veterans Day to receive their free haircut card. 
• Sleep Number – This mattress supplier is offering discounted products to veterans and active-duty military personnel through Nov. 15.

There are many more retailers and restaurants that are providing goods and services free or discounted for veterans and active-duty servicemembers in honor of Veterans Day. The best way to find out all the participating businesses in your area is to do a region-specific search for Veterans Days discounts in your city. 

Growing up in the Bronx, Sgt. Katina Tsahalis always knew that she wanted to help people. She joined the Army and spent five years working in difficult areas. Tsahalis told Pix 11 News that her time in the military gave her many skills that she used to become a physicians' assistant, but it also encouraged her to continue serving others.

"My whole life I've been proud of doing service for people. So in the military I was providing service and now in the medical field that's what I do," veteran Tsahalis told the news source.

Tsahalis recently decided to take her service further by helping other veterans in her area. One of her patients, Rocco Moretto, was a soldier in World War II. He was one of the soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

Tsahalis bonded with Moretto while she served as his physicians' assistant. Their friendship inspired Tsahalis to promote social interactions between civilians and veterans. She told the news source that coming back from military service was one of the most difficult things she had ever done because she felt alone and had to deal with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

She hopes that more people will be willing to listen to veterans stories and form friendship like she did with Moretto.

Most people turn on their porch light every night when they go home. Walmart has decided to take that one simple task and make it a show of support for veterans across the country. The corporation is calling its project "Greenlight a Vet."

The mission is to get people to change one of their visible outside lightbulbs to a green-colored bulb in hopes of communicating support to a nearby veteran. Walmart picked the color green because it symbolizes action and makes people think of the term "go," according to AdWeek. Veterans have taken action for the country, and the superstore conglomerate wants people to return the favor. 

The company's website said that even though veterans spend their service in uniform, they are more camouflaged than ever when they return to life after service. The light will illuminate veterans issues and let them know that there are supporters all around them. Walmart hopes that struggling veterans will see a green light on a neighbor's house or at a local business and know that they have somewhere to turn if they ever need help. 

According to the project's page, the campaign will officially launch on Veterans Day, which is Nov. 11. 

When a career comes to an end and it is time to retire, many people worry that life will not be as fulfilling as it previously was. This can be especially true for military servicemembers because they have spent their entire work life serving others. Military members may worry that their life after service will be bland and lackluster in comparison. However, there are plenty of ways to enrich your life during retirement. Check of the five examples below of ways to get the most out of your retirement. 

1. Have a hobby
One of the worst things you can do during retirement is sit around twiddling your thumbs. That is not to say that some downtime is not acceptable or enjoyable. In fact, you should take time for yourself. Yet, having a hobby can help you spend your time in a more enjoyable way. Consider taking up fishing, sewing, writing or music. Anything you find fun and relaxing can make your retirement that much more special. 

2. Consider a part-time job
Some people are programmed with infallible energy. If you are one of these people and retirement is not an appealing idea to you, perhaps you should think about taking a part-time job. This will allow you to keep busy and continue working all while leaving you enough time to enjoy your life after service. Good part-time jobs for retirees include retail work, volunteerism and paid tutoring. Click here for a look at more part-time jobs that are great for retirement.

3. Focus on family and friends
You have spent your entire life working and serving others. Retirement is your opportunity to commit your time and energy to the relationships that make your life special. Get to know your grandkids better, take a family vacation and get together with your friends on a regular basis. Maintaining good social relations can make retirement an extremely fun and enriching time. 

4. Travel
The world is a thrilling place full of life and culture. Spending your entire life working makes it difficult to get out and travel. However, retirement is the perfect chance to see the world. Use your free time and some of your savings to explore new cities and make memories with the ones you love most. There are also many places that offer vacation discounts and travel packages to military veterans and their families. 

5. Make some investments
You have saved money your entire career, but it is always nice to have some extra money to pass on to loved ones and to make your life in retirement comfortable. Consult a financial advisor who can help you make your nest egg just a little better off. Extra money can mean a more exciting retirement and a better legacy for your family. 

Retirement is a time for enjoyment and relaxation. No one, servicemembers especially, should be able to let go of the reins and make the most of their retirement. Perhaps the advice above could help you make your life after service the best time. 

A student group called Family, Career and Community Leaders of America encourages young adults to be active proponents for a positive community. An FCCLA sector in Tracy, California, recently answered their club's calling by planning a luncheon for local veterans. 

"It is a day thanking them for their service, and now it is our turn to serve them," Marlee Baker, 15, a sophomore and secretary of the club, told Tracy Press.

Baker and the members of her student organization will open up the cafeteria in their high school to host former servicemembers, share a meal and listen to their stories. The event will take place right before Veterans Day, making it even more relative to the service community. 

All VFWs are encouraged to join the West High School FCCLA for the BBQ, which will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Nov. 7. Veterans will be served beef, chicken, coleslaw, beans and dessert free of charge, according to Tracy Press. There will also be a special half-hour ceremony dedicated to veterans.

The students of the FCCLA did a large portion of the fundraising for the event themselves, however, local businesses and donors were actively involved in making the veterans' lunch happen.

Transitioning to life after service can be difficult for veterans. There are many decisions to make, a lot of new challenges to overcome and tons of questions that need answering. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help make the transition from military life a little less daunting for former servicemembers. Let’s examine a few of these helpful programs.

Veterans’ Employment Training Services
As stated in the infographic below, VETS is an independent agency geared toward helping veterans make the shift to civilian life. The organization’s main areas of focus are job training, transition assistance, veterans’ rights and veteran hiring. VETS helps former servicemembers get a jumpstart on their careers using resume assistance and interview coaching. The agency also protects veterans who are currently in the workforce by ensuring fair and equal treatment.

Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program
Sometimes veterans sustain injuries in combat that leave them disabled, but that does not mean they do not deserve an equal opportunity at employment. The DVOP trains specialists who are then sent to employment offices, military bases and veterans’ outreach centers across the U.S. These specialists are in place to help disabled veterans find suitable work and to maintain the fair treatment of disabled former servicemembers in the workplace. Read more about this program in the infographic below.

Local Veterans Employment Representative Program
This program organizes workers that act as advocates for veterans in the civilian workforce. LVER makes sure that all veterans in the area are informed of the services available to them. The program also reaches out to local former servicemembers interested in job training and social services counseling. To learn more about LVER, check out the infographic below.

When veterans transition to civilian life, it should be a time of excitement not stress. The programs listed in the infographic below were created specifically to make the transition a little easier for former servicemembers.

OperationsLZ is a group committed to making up for the treatment of Vietnam-era veterans when they first returned from service. The organization hosts free events for these veterans, during which members of the community are invited to come and thank the servicemembers. Brooke Anderson, a junior from West Hancock High School in Britt, Iowa, participated in the event. Anderson and her boyfriend volunteered to hand out the commemorative coins and a pins given to each veteran. 

The pins have a special design on them to show gratitude for their service.

"The heart shows our love for them," Anderson told Globe Gazette. "The crack in it shows how heartbroken the veterans were because people didn't respect them after the war. The Band-Aid shows we're finally recognizing them and respecting them."

At the OperationsLZ event in August, Anderson met a Vietnam veteran named Duane Thomas. Thomas told the news source that he had been sitting alone for most of the event when Anderson and her boyfriend came up to him and asked for a photograph with him. He said their kindness stayed with him. After the event, he continued to search for the pair so he could stay in contact with them.

Thanks to the help of a local newspaper, they were reunited on Oct. 25. Anderson told Globe Gazette that they were now like family. 

The Vietnam War was a challenging time for servicemembers. As one of the most difficult wars that America has ever been involved in, servicemembers were challenged in battle and when they returned home. For Charles Kettles, the whole experience was just part of his duty to his country. Kettles served as a commander of the 176th Assault Helicopter Company's first platoon.

According to Mlive.com, he was given a mission to rescue a group of soldiers who were trapped by the North Vietnamese army. Kettles' actions on May 15, 1967 saved many of his fellow servicemembers' lives. The military recently decided to give Kettles the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism.

"This decision was made because of Kettles's heroism in Vietnam which resulted in saving many lives," Alvin Rudisill, president of the Ypsilanti Historical Society, told Mlive.com. "There are many witness statements in the documentary notebook in the display from individuals whose lives were saved because of actions taken by Kettles during the Vietnam War."

It has been 48 years since Kettles saved the lives of those men, but the ones who spoke to the news source said they were still as grateful as they were the day of the event. Many told Mlive.com that they knew they would not be alive today if it was not for Kettles. 

With so many veterans entering life after service in the coming years, many government agencies are working to recruit these former servicemembers to fill open positions. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is one of these agencies actively seeking veterans for employment.

In fact, nearly 30 percent of all the CBP employees are veterans, according to Military Times. This agency wants to put special emphasis on the hiring of female veterans. Many of the female former servicemembers who were recruited by the CBP found the transition easy, as border protection jobs use many of the same skills that they learned in the military.

"My training helped me gain confidence – it helped me become a leader," Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephanie Anaya told Military Times. "So for me, it wasn't a matter of being male or female, it was a matter of joining an organization that had a sense of purpose."

The CBP is so interested in bringing female veterans into its ranks that it even posted jobs in 2014 that were "Restricted to Female Applicants Only," as reported by the news source. Many of the females already employed with the CBP told Military Times that the work was rewarding and they were happy with the job.

There comes a time in every servicemember's life when it is time to leave the military. Like any civilian career, retirement is inevitable. This is a time in your life when you should be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor, and retirement planning can help make the retirement process a little easier.

1. Create a retirement plan
Most successes have one thing in common: good planning. It is never too early to begin making decisions about your financial future. The American Savings Education Counsel reported that individuals who calculated how much they would need in retirement saved five times as much as those who did not. You can either consult a financial planner to assist you with retirement efforts or use your military resources to plan on your own.

2. Take advantage of transitional counseling
The military requires servicemembers to attend pre-separation counseling within 24 months of retirement. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about things like relocation assistance, life insurance, medical insurance and Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. Take this chance to ask the questions you have and get them answered by professionals.

3. Begin saving as early as possible
Most financial experts recommend that you start saving for retirement around the age of 40, if not before. However, it is never too late to start saving. Some emergency funding is better than none, after all. Even if you have no retirement funds set up, begin setting aside funds the moment you decide to leave service. 

4. Know how to calculate your retirement pay
Understanding how to calculate your retirement pay is a crucial part of planning. The military has two programs called the Final Pay and High 36 retirement systems. These calculation methods will help you determine how much you will be making in retirement. This knowledge can help with budgeting and other financial planning. Click here to learn more about the calculation methods.

5. Consider a retirement job
Military.com reported that there are two benefits from working during retirement: added financial security and emotional health. Sometimes retirees getting a feeling of being obsolete. However, by maintaining a job in retirement they can continue to feel like a part of society. The added financial benefits of a retirement job can make life a little less stressful.

6. Remain positive
While retirement can be an opportunity to experience new things in life, it can also be a time of a little sadness. You will be leaving behind close military friends, familiarity and a job you probably love. It is important to focus on the positives involved with separation from service. 

Retirement is an exciting time when you can take trips, pursue new hobbies and spend time with family. To make this time in your life less stressful, you should begin planning for retirement as soon as possible. Use your military connections to get assistance when you need it, and plan your finances wisely to get the most of your life after service.