A variety of community issues were raised in Jacksonville this week during the second of four military summits North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue is holding around the state. At the outset, the governor said the state could do a better job of helping personnel exiting the military transition to the civilian world …
Vermont, North Dakota and Nebraska over the past week adopted an interstate agreement intended to smooth the transition between school districts when military children move, bringing to 39 the number of participating states. The Interstate Compact for Educational Opportunities for Military Children addresses key educational transition issues encountered by military families, including enrollment, placement, attendance, eligibility and graduation …
First Lady Michelle Obama mentioned numerous ways faith and community groups can participate in the Joining Forces initiative, during a call last week with 1,800 group leaders. Obama said community volunteers don’t have to be experts in military family issues to make a difference …
Community leaders from the Midwest and West met with Army One Source community support coordinators to discuss ways to get more local organizations involved in supporting military families on issues related to behavioral health, finance and faith. Representatives from Michigan, for example, said their greatest needs were training resources for community-based chaplains working with military families in rural areas, and first responders and mental health professionals to improve their ability to communicate with personnel and family members in crisis …
The Army Strong Community Center that formally opened Saturday outside of Portland, Ore., is not located on or near a military installation, making it the first of its kind in the western United States. To underscore the facility’s importance to military families, Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz Jr., commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve, and his wife attended the grand opening of the one-stop center designed to replicate the type of assistance normally provided on base …
All service members leaving the military would be provided broad jobs skills training, under a bill introduced Wednesday by Sen. Patty Murray, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The measure is intended to address the high unemployment rate, more than 27 percent, among veterans from the ages of 20 to 24 …
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency is offering military families a one-half-percent interest reduction on home mortgages. Active-duty military, reservists who have been called to active duty for at least 180 days, National Guard personnel, retirees and their spouses are eligible for three mortgage options with lenders approved by the authority …
The Pentagon and the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks are fighting a measure in the North Carolina legislature increasing the maximum fees lenders can charge on short-term loans, saying it allows lenders to take advantage of young service members and their families. The changes in House Bill 810 would double the annual interest rate charged on a 12-month, $1,000 loan from 37 percent to 76 percent …
An interstate compact providing for the uniform treatment of military children transferring between school districts now has 36 member states, accounting for 78 percent of the nation’s military student population. DOD continues to work with the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, state governments and national organizations to bring the remaining states on board …
While service members and their families face a number of unmet needs, sometimes families are “overwhelmed with support,” hampering their ability to take advantage of available resources. “There’s so much information …