Posts Tagged ‘Military Families’

In a bid to assist unemployed veterans who are no longer eligible for education and training programs, the Labor and Veterans Affairs departments are offering up to 12 months of paid training to veterans aged 35 to 60. “They may have had entitlement to education benefits at one time, but have either used them or the time frame to use them has passed,” said Curtis Coy, the VA’s deputy undersecretary for economic opportunity. “This generous new benefit geared toward this specific cohort of veterans provides them the opportunity to jump start a new career that they may not have otherwise been able to afford …

With veterans’ unemployment hovering at a record high rate and plans for 100,000 service members to leave the military over the next five years, the nation must make addressing the challenges of veterans a priority, according to a commentary in the Washington Post. Veterans offer valuable skills to employers, yet many companies do not appreciate how the skills veterans hone on and off the battlefield can benefit them. “We need to show them and offer them tools to better incorporate veterans into the workplace …

A survey released Wednesday by Blue Star Families found that 62 percent of military family members who believed their service member had exhibited signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, regardless of any official diagnosis, did not seek treatment due to doubts about the military’s support system. The finding demonstrates there is still much to be done to help service members and their families deal with the invisible wounds of war, concluded the nonprofit dedicated to supporting military families …

The Massachusetts Senate last week unanimously approved legislation extending benefits and increasing access to a range of services for military personnel, their families and veterans. The Valor Act would provide an array of benefits to help veterans and active military members obtain improved business, educational and housing opportunities …

In a letter sent in conjunction with the Month of the Military Child, Education Secretary Arne Duncan asks public school superintendents to better address the needs of military-connected students. “We want all military-connected school children to have an equal and fair opportunity for academic success. This requires that those individuals who make up our nation’s educational system — our teachers, principals, school nurses, coaches, and counselors — understand the unique situations the children of our service members experience …

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal last week signed legislation making the state the 42nd to adopt an interstate agreement ensuring the uniform treatment of military children transferring between school districts. The goal of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is to make transition easier so that military children — who typically attend from six to nine different school systems from K-12 — are afforded the same opportunities as other children …

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted Friday to move the Labor Department’s Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) to the Veterans Affairs Department, a far-reaching move that would bring together all veteran employment programs under one roof to provide greater access to programs and services for veterans. “For decades, as part of DOL, the VETS program has not been as effective as it should be and it is time to try a different approach …

To slash its end strength by 72,000 soldiers, the Army will be forced to discharge up to 29,000 personnel involuntarily, Thomas Lamont, assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs, told the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee Wednesday. Between 23,000 and 24,000 enlisted personnel would be asked to leave involuntarily, and between 4,000 and 5,000 officers would be forced out, reported CQ Today. The Pentagon proposed reducing the size of the Army from 562,000 to 490,000 by fiscal 2017 in its most recent budget request. As officials continue to look for ways to cut spending, the Army may decide to shift more of its capability to reserve forces, Lamont said.

Military families living on installations should have more flexibility to choose the schools for their children when they attend schools operated by local school systems, according to report language in the portion of the draft fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill to be marked up today by the House Armed Services’ Military Personnel Subcommittee. While some school systems allow families to choose the particular school their children attend through inter- or intra-district transfer programs, many do not and are assigned schools based on geographic boundaries …

The Veterans Affairs Department budget would be exempt from the automatic spending cuts slated to go into effect starting next January, the Office of Management and Budget ruled Monday in response to congressional inquiries. While the decision is boon for veterans programs, it means defense programs would be forced to absorb the brunt of the $500 billion in automatic cuts that would be imposed from 2013 through 2021 …