If you’ve spent enough time in the military, you’re probably used to moving from one duty station to another—not to mention taking some extended trips overseas. But once you’ve moved on from your active duty military career and are finally getting to decide for yourself where to go, which location should you choose?

That’s the question a new report from Military Times attempted to answer. The magazine evaluated over 599 American cities based on: employment and population figures obtained from the 2016 Census; military installation locations documented in a Defense Department report; VA health and benefits information taken from the Veterans Affairs website; FBI crime reports; school ratings and area health data drawn from a variety of sources. After synthesizing all of that information, the publication came up with a list of the six best places for veterans to live.

The best big cities for veterans

Among the 83 large cities—defined as those with populations exceeding 250,000—that were examined, there were three cited as particular standouts.

Taking the top spot was Colorado Springs, Colorado, which was also just named “the most desirable place to live” by a 2018 U.S. News and World Report. While U.S. News praised the city’s easy access to mountain hiking and nearby resort skiing, Military Times cited the over 10,000 servicemembers and 53,000 veterans living there, as well as the large number of veteran service organizations present.

The sunny waterfront town of Virginia Beach, where veterans make up 17 percent of the population and earn more on average than nonveterans, was next on the list. Rounding out the top three was San Antonio, the historic home of the Alamo and the current home of Joint Base San Antonio. Last year, the populous Texas city actually trademarked itself as “Military City USA.”

The best medium-sized cities for veterans

Service members who don’t love the overwhelming feel of big cities or the slower pace of life in small towns may feel “just right” in the best cities for veterans with populations of at least 100,000 but fewer than 250,000.

Two of the top cities sit across the river from Washington, D.C. – Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia. The former boasts an unemployment rate for veterans and civilians below the national average, while the latter owes its spot to the Pentagon, the Iwo Jima Memorial and a fantastic area health rating.

Another mid-sized highlight is Olathe, Kansas, where veteran growth has outpaced overall growth by 17 percent to 5 percent, driven in part by the convenience of 16 nearby VA health centers.

The best small cities for veterans

With a population of 95,000, Portsmouth, Virginia, may be a small city, but it is located next to the world’s largest naval base, Naval Station Norfolk. It’s also near 11 Veterans Affairs facilities and 10 military installations, and on average, former servicemembers make nearly double the salaries of nonveterans.

The Baltimore suburb of Glen Burnie, Maryland, is another diamond in the rough. The town of 69,500 boasts 26 VA health facilities within 25 miles, and although the unemployment rate is 7 percent higher than the national average, veterans make almost $20,000 more a year than nonveterans do.

New Braunfels, Texas, completes the list, thanks largely to having some of the best-rated schools around. With a population under 80,000, available housing, a good economy and small-town charm to spare, this is a great place to raise a family.

Whether you are looking to settle down in a sleepy little town, experience the bright lights of the big city, or do anything in between, there are plenty of great locales ideally suited to veterans excited to start living their life after the military.

When servicemembers transition to civilian status, they must deliver their medical records from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, no solution exists to seamlessly transfer this information – a fact that has vexed both the Pentagon and the VA. Because the two medical systems are incompatible with one another, it's possible that important information gets lost in the shuffle.

To remedy this situation, the VA is now undertaking the largest transition to electronic health records ever attempted in the U.S. Its goal is to create a system compatible with the Pentagon's.

Creating a new EHR system: A process that's taken decades

Lawmakers have pressed both organizations to create compatible EHR systems since at least 2000, according to Military.com. The VA has attempted this process many times, but each trial ended in costly failure. 

The latest attempt was an integrated electronic health record (iEHR) system known as the Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture Evolution, or VistA Evolution. However, a 2017 audit from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found the VA spent about $1.1 billion between 2011 and 2016 on this project.

Despite the significant investment, former VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin determined VistA wasn't achieving its goals and needed replacement. Before he was removed by President Donald Trump, Shulkin began looking into off-the-shelf solutions, eventually settling on health information technology provider Cerner Corp. of Kansas City, Missouri.

Though Shulkin was never able to complete a deal with Cerner, his replacement, acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, awarded Cerner a 10-year, $10 billion contract. Additional costs could drive these expenses up to $16 billion. 

Monitoring the EHR process

Such an expensive project requires immense oversight to ensure funds are being allocated efficiently – something members of Congress know all too well.

"As the department embarks on the nation's largest overhaul, it is critical that we ensure veterans and taxpayers are protected throughout the transition," said Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee Rep. Phil Roe, R-TN, in a statement, per Military.com. "I know how much potential there is for a project like this to be a costly disruption. Congress has a duty to conduct rigorous oversight every step of the way."  

To maintain this efficiency and transparency, the House created the new Subcommittee on Technology Modernization. One of five such bodies within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, this new group is tasked solely with overseeing the new EHR implementation. 

It's not the only new group doing so, however. Now that the Cerner deal is in place, the DoD, the VA and the IPO are working to establish joint modernization governance bodies. These interdepartmental groups will improve interagency communication, promote sharing of resources and create a more collaborative decision-making process, according to EHR Intelligence. 

"If successful, it will be one of the lynchpins of a more responsive, agile, and efficient VA," said Subcommittee on Technology Modernization Chairman Rep. Jim Banks, R-IN, per EHR Intelligence. "If mismanaged, I fear a daunting and disappointing setback."

Given the amount of money involved, along with a history of failed attempts, it's safe to say that many different parties concerned with veterans' affairs, the DoD and government spending will watch this EHR project closely as it develops. If successful, the new technology will give servicemembers and veterans piece of mind, as they can rest assured that their health records will remain complete as they transition.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time for mental health providers, advocates, survivors and allies to promote suicide prevention awareness. This idea encompasses everything from reducing mental health stigma, promoting treatment and supporting intervention strategies. 

Suicide in America

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Rates have increased by more than 30 percent since 1999. In fact, Nevada was the only state to see a decrease in suicides during this time period.    

Suicide isn't just a mental health issue. Per the CDC, other contributing factors include relationship issues, substance abuse, stress and more. Yet it's important to understand how depression, anxiety and other emotional or behavioral issues contribute to such tragic circumstances. Rates of suicide may finally decrease if the stigma around mental health care disappears for good.

Events like Suicide Prevention Month – as well as Suicide Prevention Day and Suicide Prevention Week – were created to reduce this stigma and offer support to those who may be suffering. 

Veteran suicide statistics

Unfortunately, veterans are more likely to die by suicide than the general population. A report from the Department of Veterans Affairs found that although retired servicemembers make up 8 percent of people in America, they account for 14 percent of all suicides. Overall, nearly 21 veterans die by suicide every day, which translates to a rate that's 2.1 times higher than that of nonveteran adults.

There are numerous possibilities for why veteran suicide rates are higher than civilians'. One study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's JAMA Psychiatry, found timing may have an effect. Researchers found that veterans who had little down time between deployment or who were initially deployed within the first year of service were at higher risk of suicide. 

Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder are also culprits that may affect veterans more strongly than the general population. As the VA noted, veterans who suffer combat trauma, especially multiple wounds and/or hospitalizations, are at a high risk of suicide. The more times the person was subjected to trauma, the greater that risk increased. Similarly, one study found that PTSD and suicide had a strong correlation – more so than other anxiety disorders.

Resources for friends and family

The VA understands that suicide is a serious problem affecting veterans and servicemembers, and the department knows it's in a position to help. Veterans who receive mental health assistance through the VA are less likely to commit suicide than those who do not.

In 2007, the VA launched the Veterans Crisis Line to help veterans, servicemembers and their loved ones who may be having mental health issues or suicidal thoughts. The Crisis Line offers 24/7 support, 365 days a year, even if the caller isn't registered with the VA or enrolled in its health care services. 

Friends and loved ones should keep an eye out and look for signs of crisis among the veterans in their lives. Vets themselves should also look for these red flags so they can take themselves to treatment. Signs of possible self harm include:

• Continuous sadness or depression.
• Feelings of hopelessness.
• Agitation or mood swings.
• Sleeplessness.
• Excessive guilt, shame or sense of failure.
• Rage.
• Substance abuse.
• Neglecting personal care.
• Withdrawing from friends and family.
• Giving away cherished possessions. 

The Crisis Line, in collaboration with the VA and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, also created a handy tool called the Veterans Self-Check Quiz to help former servicemembers determine if they need treatment. Users can decide what to do after they take the assessment, whether that would be chatting with a responder, getting a referral for an in-person visit or nothing at all. 

While suicide and mental health issues affect veterans at a higher rate than the rest of the population, it's important to remember that help is available. National Suicide Prevention Month is the time for veterans, servicemembers and their families to spread awareness and end stigma once and for all.

Cancer is still one of the most complicated diseases health care researchers all over the world struggle to cure. This devastating illness can take a particular toll on former servicemembers. The U.S. Veterans Administration records nearly 50,000 incidents of cancer every year, per a report from the Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Durham, NC.

That said, the rate of cancer-related deaths among the U.S. population as a whole is declining steadily, according to the American Cancer Society, falling 26 percent from its highest in 1991. Similarly, cancer diagnoses fell about 2 percent per year in men over the past decade (rates remained the same for women, however). These declining rates are the result of fewer people choosing to smoke and earlier detection.

Still, over 4,700 people are diagnosed with cancer every day. Innovative treatments are absolutely necessary to continue this rate of decline, especially among the veteran population. The VA already conducts cancer research, but it has problems combining its findings with external sources, according to the Military Times.

Thankfully, a new partnership may correct that problem.

Addressing cancer among veterans

The VA and the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, are working together to help veterans with cancer access new treatments and experimental trials. By working together, the two hope to both improve outcomes for veterans and contribute to overall cancer research. 

The partnership is named the NCI and VA Interagency Group to Accelerate Trials Enrollment (NAVIGATE) and will help veterans access the NCI's national clinical trials network and the CNI Community Oncology research program. Per a press release from the NIH, NAVIGATE launched at 12 VA sites across the country:

• West Haven, CT.
• Bronx, NY.
• Durham, NC.
• Atlanta, GA.
• Charleston, SC.
• Hines, IL.
• Minneapolis, MN.
• San Antonio, TX.
• Denver, CO.
• Portland, OR.
• Palo Alto, CA.
• Long Beach, CA.

"NAVIGATE is an opportunity for VA and NCI to partner at the national level to make clinical trials more accessible to veterans," said deputy director for NCI Clinical and Translational Research James Doroshow, M.D., in the NIH press release. "This agreement will not only provide veterans greater access to NCI clinical trials, it will enhance accrual to NCTN and NCORP trials, resulting in more timely completion of these studies. This interagency collaboration will also work to help veterans overcome barriers they've faced trying to access clinical trials as part of their cancer care."

Both the VA and the NCI will manage NAVIGATE together for up to three years. During that time, the 12 initial sites will share their knowledge and outline best practices so other VA operations can work with veteran patients to enroll them in clinical trials. Eventually, the two government groups hope the partnership will continue bringing opportunities to veterans and highlighting the unique challenges they face even after NAVIGATE ends. 

Given that veterans may have been exposed to various cancer-causing agents during their time serving, this partnership is all too necessary. Hopefully the research will help veterans get the care they need and offer promising results for patients across the country.

Dogs are loyal, intelligent and devoted to their families, so it's no wonder these pets are chosen to help people with physical disabilities and chronic mental health issues. Many veterans use dogs to help them adjust to combat-related ailments. However, getting a service dog and understanding what the VA will cover can be complicated. This guide will help veterans understand how to get their own service animal and what the VA does to support dogs as a mental health treatment.

The VA and service dogs

The VA classifies dogs into two types:

• Guide dogs assist blind veterans.
• Service dogs assist veterans with a physical or severe to profound hearing impairment. 

Vets who enroll in VA healthcare may be eligible for either type depending on their condition. That said, the government doesn't provide a dog to everyone who asks. Veterans must demonstrate a medical need, as evaluated by a physician, for a guide or service animal. The process summarized looks like this:

• A vision, hearing or physically impaired veteran talks to their primary care provider, who refers the veteran to a specialist.
• A VA medical team conducts a complete evaluation to see if a dog is the best type of treatment for the veteran.

Additionally, the VA doesn't provide service or guide dogs itself. Rather, it works with accredited non-VA agencies — organizations that specialize in training service animals. Veterans will go through an educational process to learn how to communicate with their service dog, after which the canine will become the veteran's property. 

That said, the VA does pay for veterinary care — though not other expenses like food, grooming and boarding — through VA Prosthetics and Sensory Aids.

Service dogs and mental health

Currently, the VA doesn't provide service dog assistance for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental health issues. This type of help is offered by independent veterans groups and nonprofits. Advocates are pushing for VA-funded mental health service dogs, and their efforts might pay off in the next few years. 

Many individual success stories show the positive effects service dogs have. For example, a study from Purdue University found both current servicemembers and veterans with a trained service dog showed significantly lower signs of PTSD and related symptoms such as social isolation, absenteeism and depression. They also displayed higher signs of psychological well-being like social functioning and quality of life. 

However, as the study's author noted in a conversation with The Washington Post, this research is still preliminary. The VA also wants to be certain that service dogs truly help veterans from a mental health perspective. If benefits are clinically proven, the VA wants to create a thoroughly researched checklist of what skills these animals should learn before considering paying for their care. 

To that end, the government is currently conducting a $12 million, multi-year study on the benefits of mental health service dogs. Originally, this research drew a lot of criticism. Per The Washington Post, the dogs were provided by contracted groups, and some of the animals bit participants' children. The animal trainers also potentially biased veteran opinions (and thus the outcome of the study) by saying how helpful the dogs could be. The study has since been redesigned to include VA-hired trainers and a control group of veterans with emotional support dogs. The initial results are expected in 2019.

That said, the VA also launched a service dog pilot program limited to 100 veterans, according to Military.com.

"I've seen the impact that these dogs can have on veterans and so I'm a believer," VA Secretary David Shulkin said of the pilot, per Military.com. "I don't want to wait until the research is there. If there's something that can help our veterans, we want to be pursuing it." 

If results from the pilot program and study are positive, veterans may be able to receive VA assistance for their service dogs within the next few years.

Veterans advocates unveiled a new mantra on June 14. Named the Veteran's Creed, it was designed to promote camaraderie and public service among former servicemembers and help them adjust to civilian life.

Many veterans feel disconnected from their communities and their fellow servicemembers after leaving the military. Pew Research found that 27 percent of veterans have a hard time returning to civilian life. That number increases to 44 percent when focusing solely on those who have served since Sept. 11, 2001. Researchers wanted to know why only a certain subset of veterans had such difficulties, so they used a statistical technique called logistical regression to discover six variables that led to difficult reentry, listed below:

• Having an emotionally traumatic experience while serving. 
• Suffering a serious service-related injury.
• Serving in a combat zone.
• Knowing someone who was killed or injured.
• Served during the post-9/11 period while married.
• Served during the post-9/11 period and didn't attend religious services after retirement.

This struggle may be part of the reason why approximately 22 veterans commit suicide every day. The Creed will hopefully remind veterans of the good they've done and can do, helping them create communities with one another and better adjust to life outside the military.

"It can serve as a unifying concept to remind veterans of the value of their military service, to inspire veterans to continue to serve and lead at local, state and national levels, and to push them to continue to excel," said retired Gen. George Casey, one of the leaders of the Creed discussions, to Military Times.

Many groups supporting veterans

The Veteran's Creed is backed by several advocate groups, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Project and The Military Order of the Purple Heart. The latter published a press release noting that each element of the Creed is rooted in military tenets, the missions of the participating organizations and the altruism shared by many veterans. The Creed should also remind American civilians that the values veterans learned while serving (teamwork, integrity, leadership and selfless service) can benefit the entire country.

The Veteran's Creed reads:

1. I am an American Veteran.
2. I proudly served my country.
3. I live the values I learned in the military.
4. I continue to serve my community, my country and my fellow veterans.
5. I maintain my physical and mental discipline.
6. I continue to lead and improve.
7. I make a difference.
8. I honor and remember my fallen comrades.

Per Military.com, the Creed was officially adopted at a Flag Day event at the Reserve Officers Association. It is the result of many discussions that began last fall at Georgetown University.

"In the Army I lived both the Soldier's Creed and the NCO Creed," John Towles, Director of National Security and Foreign Affairs for the Veterans of Foreign Wars told Military.com. "As veterans, we must realize that our service does not stop simply because we take off the uniform. Many of us struggle to find our place once we leave the military, but now we have a new set of watchwords to guide and remind our brothers and our sisters in arms that our mission is far from over."

While these words may not be enough to prevent every single veteran suicide in future years, they're certainly a good first step toward building community among former servicemembers. Hopefully, with these words in their hearts, veterans will have an easier time transitioning to civilian life. 

Richard Overton celebrated his 112th birthday on May 11, 2018. This in itself is remarkable, but Overton is more than one of the oldest men in the world. He's also America's oldest living veteran. 

The birthday celebration started a month earlier, after Overton spoke with Austin businessman Robert F. Smith. The centenarian mentioned that he wanted to see the recently opened National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Smith, who had donated approximately $20 million to the museum, flew Overton to visit on a private jet. There, Overton was greeted by former secretary of state Colin Powell and treated to a private tour. 

A life of experience

Many people never fly privately in their lifetimes, let alone get to avoid the crowds at a Smithsonian museum. Yet, Overton's done a lot more in life than most. He's visited the White House several times and met numerous people of influence, including comedian Steve Harvey and former president Barack Obama.

The secret to his age? Overton credits his love of cigars, whiskey, coffee, fried catfish and butter pecan ice cream. He also refuses to think about death. 

"I don't think about [dying]," he said on the TODAY Show in 2014, according to an NBC News article. "You can't do anything about that. It's going to come, whether you want it or not. I just think about living."

Overton celebrated his 112th birthday proper with a block party. The event wasn't unusual; he lives on a street in East Austin, Texas, named after him, and people often visit after hearing his story. The frequent guests don't seem to bother him.

Buying it in the 1940s for $4,500, Overton's lived in his home for more than 70 years. Per USA Today, his home underwent several repairs provided by Austin Energy, Home Depot and Meals on Wheels to make his home more accessible, adding heat and air conditioning, fixing the plumbing and wiring, and bringing the house up to code. 

As for his daily life, Overton's various family members help him often. Additionally, thanks to online fundraising, he's able to live independently with round-the-clock health care. Overton is surprisingly mobile for a man in his second century of life. Per the NBC article, he was still driving and tending to his lawn at age 109. His veteran's benefits would allow him to stay in an assisted-living facility, but Volma Overton, his 70-year-old cousin and caregiver, thinks the experience would be bad for him. 

"His front porch is his everything," Ms. Overton told the Washington Post. "It's his throne. He's outlived almost everybody in his family."

A family legacy

Overton's grandfather was a slave in Tennessee. After receiving his freedom, he moved to Texas to set roots. Overton himself was born May 11, 1906 in Bastrop County, Texas. He forwent college to join the U.S. Army at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He served in the Pacific Theater from 1942 to 1945 as part of the all-black 1887th engineer aviation battalion. As part of his service, Overton was stationed in Palau, Guam, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Overton retired in 1945 as a corporal technician fifth grade. He received the Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge, a Meritorious Unit Commendation and the American Campaign Medal, among other distinctions. 

Yet it wasn't until 2013 that Overton gained a bit of fame. Two East Austin filmmakers, Matt Cooper and Rocky Conly, began filming a documentary about his day-to-day life. Overton quickly became a nationwide sensation, and he plans to keep living with the same jovial attitude. 

Minnesota legislators recently passed a bill that greatly benefits first responders. As a local Fox News affiliate reported, first responders such as police, firefighters, paramedics and corrections officers are no longer required to prove what events caused their employment-related post-traumatic stress disorder in order to receive worker's compensation. 

This bill can do much to help first responders get the care they need. Consider the story of Brian Cristofono, a firefighter who suffered from job-related nightmares and panic attacks. According to an NBC station from Minneapolis, Cristofono became irritable, started drinking and his marriage ultimately fell apart. The firefighter also saw three coworkers succumb to suicidal thoughts and thought about taking his own life.

Luckily, Cristofono was able to get help – a psychologist diagnosed him with PTSD and drafted a list of events believed to have caused the condition. Creating this list couldn't have been easy, as PTSD symptoms can manifest months or years after the trigger event occurred. Cristofono used his diagnosis to apply for worker's comp, but his claim was denied.

"There was no physical injury associated with any of those calls," Cristofono told the news station, relaying the response he received from the city. "So it could not be PTSD."

The burden of proof is now shifted thanks to this bill, and PTSD is now an assumed side effect of being a first responder. This news comes just in time for National PTSD Awareness Month.

PTSD among first responders and veterans

The Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as a mental health condition resulting from experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. The disorder is difficult to cope with, especially if it's left untreated. Symptoms include nightmares, uncontrollable thoughts, flashbacks and severe anxiety. 

Some occupations are more prone to possible PTSD than others – particularly military and first responder roles. A 2017 survey from the University of Phoenix found 84 percent of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and nurses have suffered symptoms related to mental health issues. Furthermore, 84 percent have experienced a traumatic event on the job, but only 34 percent were diagnosed with a mental health disorder. This isn't to say that traumatic experiences only affect a small percentage; it's more likely that people have PTSD but aren't diagnosed.

Why might this be true? Unfortunately, there remains a pervasive stigma against mental health services, especially among first responders. Seventy-four percent of survey respondents said they have therapy, counseling and similar opportunities available, but only 39 percent actively sought them out. Reasons for avoiding such services included fears that supervisors would treat them differently, that coworkers would perceive them as weak and that they'd be passed over for promotions.

Such stigmas are, in part, why Congress named June 27 PTSD Awareness Day back in 2010. What's more, the Senate designated all of June as PTSD Awareness Month just four years later in 2014. 

The goal of these measures, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, is to promote awareness of PTSD and its effective treatments. The VA provides many helpful aids to assist veterans and their families in understanding PTSD and seeking help, and first responders may benefit from these resources as well.

One booklet, titled "Understanding PTSD and PTSD Treatment," helps you define PTSD, lists possible PTSD-causing traumatic events, describes various symptoms and answers common questions about treatment. Another tool, the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid, helps you make the best choices for your life and health when addressing your condition. 

If you suspect yourself or someone you love suffers from PTSD, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. If you don't yet have a counselor, look for one who specializes in PTSD. Reach out to loved ones, and call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) if you're having suicidal thoughts.

 

Now that your time in the military has come to an end, you may be concerned about your next steps. Civilian life seems daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With a solid strategy and the support of family and friends, you can feel just as fulfilled as you did during your service.

Here’s what to do when your time in the military has come to an end and you’re ready to create a civilian life that you love:

Know your value

Now that you’re not in the Armed Forces, you may feel like you have no skills that apply to the civilian job market. That idea couldn’t be further from the truth. The military, in fact, gave you qualities that are impossible to acquire in any other format. You learned soft skills like teamwork and communication as well as specific knowledge related to technology, machine maintenance and medical care.

Consider how your military experience translates to the modern job market. Doing so helps you find an appropriate employer and make the transition easier. Make a list of all your skills and research what jobs apply to them. If, for example, you served in a leadership position in the military, you could be a great fit for management or corporate training.

Remember that jobs are not careers

A career is your passion, while a job is a stepping stone. Jobs give you financial stability while you search for (or develop the skills for) your dream career.

You may have to work whatever jobs you can find after retiring from the military, and they may make you feel discouraged, apathetic or even depressed about your situation. Don’t let this discouragement consume you. Your first post-military job doesn’t have to be your career, and you can use the experience you get to help you find a better position.

Review your finances

Check all of your bank accounts and credit statements to see how much money you have and how much you need. At minimum, you should have a checking account with money already deposited, a savings or emergency account with a year’s worth of expenses, and a retirement account. If you don’t have any of these, don’t panic, but create them as soon as you can.

Also, look over your debts and start taking measures to pay off all that you owe. There are several debt relief programs specifically for servicemembers and veterans, including:

• The Servicemember Civil Relief Act, which regulates interest rates for credit cards, auto loans and other financial services.
• The Military Lending Act, which keeps interest rates for credit products from exceeding 36 percent.
• The Veterans Housing Benefit Program, which offers veterans home loans with low interest rates.

You can also use a credit counseling service to help you manage your debt and boost your credit, allowing you to make major purchases like cars and homes.

Know your health insurance options

A medical crisis can strike anyone at any time, making health insurance a necessity. Luckily, you’re eligible for TRICARE between your military retirement and before getting a new job. The Continued Health Care Benefit program is another temporary coverage option, but you’ll need to find your own health care eventually. Look into possible VA benefits, and try to find a job with employer-provided insurance options.

Connect with your family and build a network

Having personal freedom may feel odd after years of taking and giving commands. It’s not uncommon for veterans to feel depressed after the rigid structure of the military, which is why a support network of peers and loved ones is so essential. Make connections with other veterans, open up to your family, and consult a therapist if you need to.

You may suffer some growing pains when transitioning to life after the military, but you’ll come through with the right plan.

To learn more about preparing for retirement, download our 2018 Financial Planning Guide.

 

When people hear the words “Memorial Day,” they often think of sales and three-day weekends. While the holiday is a nice way to welcome warmer weather, it’s important not to forget the day’s history and meaning.

Memorial Day was first celebrated after the end of the Civil War, which concluded May 5, 1868. It was started by an organization of Union veterans known as the Grand Army of the Republic. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, the head of this organization, declared what was then known as Decoration Day would be observed May 30. Celebrations involved laying flowers on the graves of dead soldiers.

There are two possible reasons for the choice of date. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs suggested that May 30 was a day when flowers were likely blooming across the nation, so everyone could participate. Meanwhile, the History Channel noted that May 30 is one of the rare spring days that wasn’t the anniversary of a major Civil War battle.

Recognizing fallen soldiers before Memorial Day

Regardless of the true reason, it’s likely that Maj. Gen. Logan got the idea for such a holiday from other groups. One of the first such commemorations was organized by recently freed slaves as a way of thanking Union soldiers.

Near the end of the war, thousands of captured Union servicemembers were transferred to camps in Charleston, South Carolina. Conditions at one of the camps were so bad that over 250 prisoners died from disease or exposure, and their bodies were simply buried in a mass grave. After the confederate surrender on May 1, 1865, over 1,000 former slaves, accompanied by a few white Charlestonians and regiments of the U.S. Colored Troops, gathered in the camp to consecrate a new, proper burial for the soldiers.

Another commemorative service was sponsored by a Mississippi women’s group. On April 25, 1866, these women visited cemeteries in Columbus to decorate the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers who died during the battle at Shiloh.

With so many separate memorials occurring across the nation, it’s difficult to determine which city is the true birthplace of Memorial Day. Many claimed the title, but President Lyndon Johnson and Congress ultimately decided that Waterloo, New York was the official place of origin in 1966.

Memorial Day was finally expanded to commemorate all soldiers after World War I. Congress declared it a federal holiday in 1971, transitioning the date to the last Monday in May and unofficially launching the tradition of the three-day weekend.

Memorial Day in 2018

Today, many people use Memorial Day to celebrate the unofficial start of summer. Pools open, barbecues are fired up, and people everywhere take road trips. AAA expects over 41.5 million Americans will travel for this year’s holiday, with the busiest days being May 24 and 25.

The holiday is also incredibly commercial. A quick online search reveals page after page of sales advertisements. While sales are great for the economy, people shouldn’t forget the true reason for the holiday.

The real symbolism of Memorial Day is much deeper than a discount. It commemorates all of the fallen soldiers who fought for this country.