Anyone Want to help Our Troops?

IgnoranceisBliss · Jul 17, 2012

Mushroom said: ↑

Oh don't even get me started on the VA. That is a gigantic fustercluck that to me is a perfect example of "Government Care".

I sent off my paperwork in April so I could start school. It is now mid-July, and still nothing. No monthly payments, no response, no nothing. And it is the same for the other 4 guys in my class who are in school. We are starting our second month, nobody has anything back yet. And with bills starting to back up, even the school is starting to call me in constantly to find out when they are going to get paid.

I am about to go to my Congressman to try and get something done. I think this is the biggest reason why the idea of "Government run anything" scares the crap outta me.
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Your school definitely shouldn't be calling you wondering where the money is. They have a veterans rep (someone given authority by the VA) to determine your eligibility before you even step foot in your first class. In essence, the school knows your 100% qualified to receive benefts and if your NOT getting those benefits it's up to the school to get the money. We've had guys go 6 months before getting any money and the school never contacted them once....because they knew it was the VA that owed them money. Your BAH payments should be tied directly to your tuition payments so the school should also be acting on your behalf. I'd still reccomend calling the VA because it's possible the school messed up.

IgnoranceisBliss · Jul 17, 2012

Herkdriver said: ↑

Aside from the disabled veteran, the Government can't hold your hand forever. It's tough all over, for any job seekers. My advice is to correlate what you did in the service to the civiilian equivalent and downplay the combat experience. HR departments are predominantly female, and detest the notion of hiring a combat veteran...for fear of liability.

Consider the Reserves/Guard also, if you are eligible. You'll have a leg up with prior military service.
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I disagree with this statement, at least in the Finance world. I didn't leave any of my military experiences out (it was blatant I was a grunt in Iraq) and I think if anything it helped to set me apart. As long as you present yourself as a sane and down to earth person, most people aren't going to think twice about it. Perhapes it's different in other industries, but it seems to set you apart in most white collar jobs.

Herkdriver · Jul 17, 2012

IgnoranceisBliss said: ↑

I disagree with this statement, at least in the Finance world. I didn't leave any of my military experiences out (it was blatant I was a grunt in Iraq) and I think if anything it helped to set me apart. As long as you present yourself as a sane and down to earth person, most people aren't going to think twice about it. Perhapes it's different in other industries, but it seems to set you apart in most white collar jobs.
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PTSD.

Don't think HR departments don't read the papers.

Plus, I said downplay the combat experience, including mil. speak...
I never advised to lie on a resume'.

If a person was an 11Bravo, don't beat around the bush about it...just don't dwell on it.

I've been in the civilian work world longer than you, take my advice or leave it.

Combat veterans are often viewed as potential medical liabilities to an employer.
Reservists/Guard are often viewed as potentially being deployed leaving the employer in search
of a temporary replacement.

You are interviewing to solve an employer's problem, not add to it.

Stress how your work experience in the military can help the employer.

Mushroom · Jul 18, 2012

IgnoranceisBliss said: ↑

Your school definitely shouldn't be calling you wondering where the money is. They have a veterans rep (someone given authority by the VA) to determine your eligibility before you even step foot in your first class. In essence, the school knows your 100% qualified to receive benefts and if your NOT getting those benefits it's up to the school to get the money. We've had guys go 6 months before getting any money and the school never contacted them once....because they knew it was the VA that owed them money. Your BAH payments should be tied directly to your tuition payments so the school should also be acting on your behalf. I'd still reccomend calling the VA because it's possible the school messed up.
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I am going to a private technical school, not a traditional college or university. And yes, they have been pretty understanding, but I am currently on "self pay", meaning I am ultimately responsible for my bills until the VA steps up to the plate. And in talking to my fellow classmates who are vets, out of the 6 of us (that I know of) not a single one has gotten anything yet. One is about in the position I am in, that he is going to have to drop out soon because the payments are not coming to us, and we just can't afford to go to school with no income.

I actually called my Congressman yesterday over this and one other issue that has been unresolved for months (over 2 months post-seperation, still no seperations pay). Even his VetRep has told me that there is almost nothing they can do, because the VA is simply ignoring their requests. There is an Ethics Requirement that all Congressional Inquiries be answered within 30 days, but they do not even follow that, or even respond to 2 or 3 followup requests from a Congressman. Even he is frustrated because the VA has not processed a single request from them since May, and will not answer why.

And no, the school did not mess up, I filled it out myself. And I have called them, all they will tell me is that it is "in processing", and that it should be complete in "7-14 days". They have been telling me that since May. And that is the answer all my buddies in class are getting also. One guy I know in another class is dropping next month when the semester ends, because he can't continue with nothing other then unemployment. To me this "Post 9/11 GI Bill" is turning into nothing but another government waste, full of lies, broken promises, and broken dreams.

And no, I was not looking for "Middle Management", it is actually pretty much an entry level job as far as Computer Tech goes. And it is temp work, rarely lasting more then 3 months. A company will bring in dozens of techs to work such a project (I have worked with crews of 125 before). You come in, get a 2 hour brief and folow the steps, and I have been keeping up with technology. You don't have "computer techs" at the Battery level in the military, but I was our unofficial computer tech for my battery. The real S-6 guys loved me cause I would call them in after I diagnosed the problem, eliminating most of the basic work for them. If I called them in saying "this computer needs more RAM" or "this computer has a fried hard drive", they knew that was the problem.

And no, I was going through multiple sources. Job fairs, CraigsList, SF Examiner, San Jose Mercury-News, tons of them. My actual resume count is probably around 600, but I did not count the fairs and "gigantoboard" submissions because I know those are mostly crap. But when even 3 Headhunter recruiter agencies that I have worked with and had a good relationship for years tell me that being military makes me hard to sell, I know there is a problem (I was told that by the rep at Adecco, a company I have worked with since 1995).

Remember, I live near and am trying to find work in "Baghdad By The Bay" (San Francisco). There are not many places more hostile to the military in the country then this.

IgnoranceisBliss · Jul 18, 2012

Mushroom said: ↑

I am going to a private technical school, not a traditional college or university. And yes, they have been pretty understanding, but I am currently on "self pay", meaning I am ultimately responsible for my bills until the VA steps up to the plate. And in talking to my fellow classmates who are vets, out of the 6 of us (that I know of) not a single one has gotten anything yet. One is about in the position I am in, that he is going to have to drop out soon because the payments are not coming to us, and we just can't afford to go to school with no income.

I actually called my Congressman yesterday over this and one other issue that has been unresolved for months (over 2 months post-seperation, still no seperations pay). Even his VetRep has told me that there is almost nothing they can do, because the VA is simply ignoring their requests. There is an Ethics Requirement that all Congressional Inquiries be answered within 30 days, but they do not even follow that, or even respond to 2 or 3 followup requests from a Congressman. Even he is frustrated because the VA has not processed a single request from them since May, and will not answer why.

And no, the school did not mess up, I filled it out myself. And I have called them, all they will tell me is that it is "in processing", and that it should be complete in "7-14 days". They have been telling me that since May. And that is the answer all my buddies in class are getting also. One guy I know in another class is dropping next month when the semester ends, because he can't continue with nothing other then unemployment. To me this "Post 9/11 GI Bill" is turning into nothing but another government waste, full of lies, broken promises, and broken dreams.

And no, I was not looking for "Middle Management", it is actually pretty much an entry level job as far as Computer Tech goes. And it is temp work, rarely lasting more then 3 months. A company will bring in dozens of techs to work such a project (I have worked with crews of 125 before). You come in, get a 2 hour brief and folow the steps, and I have been keeping up with technology. You don't have "computer techs" at the Battery level in the military, but I was our unofficial computer tech for my battery. The real S-6 guys loved me cause I would call them in after I diagnosed the problem, eliminating most of the basic work for them. If I called them in saying "this computer needs more RAM" or "this computer has a fried hard drive", they knew that was the problem.

And no, I was going through multiple sources. Job fairs, CraigsList, SF Examiner, San Jose Mercury-News, tons of them. My actual resume count is probably around 600, but I did not count the fairs and "gigantoboard" submissions because I know those are mostly crap. But when even 3 Headhunter recruiter agencies that I have worked with and had a good relationship for years tell me that being military makes me hard to sell, I know there is a problem (I was told that by the rep at Adecco, a company I have worked with since 1995).

Remember, I live near and am trying to find work in "Baghdad By The Bay" (San Francisco). There are not many places more hostile to the military in the country then this.
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Seems like you're in the perfect (*)(*)(*)(*) storm. The VA was slow for me, but my school handled pretty much all of it. It appears to be different for technical schools. I have to say the 9/11 GI Bill has been incredible for me here in Boston. I'm actually making more in BAH (tax free) than I was active duty in the Marine Corps...and all 45k of my yearly tuition is covered between the GI bill and YRP.

San Francisco seems to definitely be your problem. I know out here there are plenty of jobs and many employers look favorably on veterans, despite being a very liberal state. SF is in a world of its own though. Good luck to you.

NavyIC1 · Jul 18, 2012

When I was in I was a Departmental Career Counselor and had an agressive program to help sailors in the command who wanted to get out. Most Career Counsleors did not care about you once you specified your desire to become a civilian. After talking to the folks who ran the Transition Assistance Program at Naval Base Norfolk I made sure that my sailors were sent twice prior to getting out (Schedule permitting). They would be sent when they have one year left on their enlistment. They would be re-sent when they hit their 90 day mark. Most said that it worked great and that they learned more the second time. I also assisted them with their resume (is it no wonder that I am getting my B.A. in English in December) and made sure they had any problems documented in their medical record. I thank you for the work you are doing for our transitioning military members. I wish I lived closer to a base. I would love to put my experience as senior NCO and transitioned vet to help them make the move.

Ethereal · Jul 20, 2012

IgnoranceisBliss said: ↑

I think there are already some great programs out there. The real issue is getting the VA fixed. I just spent an hour and a half trying to set up an appointment for treatment for a service-connected disability. I have to fill out about 10 pages of forms then wait a month or two to even get in to a doctor, let alone the specialist I probably need. I just ended up calling a civilian physical therapist and made an appointment for next week in 3 minutes. Luckily I have private insurance, many vets don't. We also need to do more to teach guys about these programs and how to navigate them. Too many of these programs have silly red tape and less than motivated employees.
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Good old government medicine. If the disease doesn't kill you, the paperwork will!

NoPartyAffiliation · Jul 21, 2012

Mushroom said: ↑

The problem to me is not as much as the workshops (largely worthless), as it is the employers.

I can't tell you how many times people would see my military experience on a resume, and basically tell me that it would mean nothing to them. In short, telling me that I had wasted 10 years of my life. Most simply have no idea what being in the military is. Or even worse, have some kind of warped impression. I had one who saw that, and said he wanted people who could think on their own, not robots.

And I saw it recently also. Over 100 resumes sent out, very few responses at all. Some I contacted were looking for people to do something I specialized in for over a decade, roll-outs of new computer systems in corporate environments. But they look at the resume, see "5 years Army", and tell me they want somebody with "real experience" (guess they did not bother seeing before that was Boeing, Hughes, Disney, US Borax, Chevron, and others).

I pretty much write off civilians to be honest. I Most in HR are really detestible beings. The military can give all the Transition Assistance Programs and Resume courses it wants, it still will not help the problem. To be honest, to many simply see military as not desireable, no matter what they claim otherwise.

100+ resumes sent out
5 callbacks
0 interviews
0 offers

And I was sending out offers to all levels, from temp and contract work to entry level up to just team leaders positions. 2 of the callers actually admitted that they call back all military people, but I had the feeling they never hired them "because they lack the experience and skills needed".
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I'm really sorry to hear that. You're welcome to give me a call or drop me an and if there is anything I can do to help, I will. Our corporate website / my contact info is on my profile

NoPartyAffiliation · Jul 21, 2012

NavyIC1 said: ↑

When I was in I was a Departmental Career Counselor and had an agressive program to help sailors in the command who wanted to get out. Most Career Counsleors did not care about you once you specified your desire to become a civilian. After talking to the folks who ran the Transition Assistance Program at Naval Base Norfolk I made sure that my sailors were sent twice prior to getting out (Schedule permitting). They would be sent when they have one year left on their enlistment. They would be re-sent when they hit their 90 day mark. Most said that it worked great and that they learned more the second time. I also assisted them with their resume (is it no wonder that I am getting my B.A. in English in December) and made sure they had any problems documented in their medical record. I thank you for the work you are doing for our transitioning military members. I wish I lived closer to a base. I would love to put my experience as senior NCO and transitioned vet to help them make the move.
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If you have a desire to help, you can. I've always believed that all of us are smarter than any of us. My contact info is on my profile. Drop e an e-mail. If you have just one idea I don't, everyone does better because of it. Thanks for your service. FS

waltky · Mar 8, 2013

Army has doubled its number of behavioral health workers...

Report details flaws in Army's handling of PTSD
8 Mar.`13 — An Army report released Friday finds the service still has trouble diagnosing and treating soldiers for post-traumatic stress disorder, despite more than doubling its number of military and civilian behavioral health workers over the past five years.

Confusing paperwork, inconsistent training and guidelines, and incompatible data systems have hindered the service as it tries to deal with behavioral health issues, the report said. It's a crucial issue: After a decade of war, soldier suicides outpace combat deaths. Last May, the Army commissioned a task force to conduct a sweeping review of how it evaluates soldiers for mental health problems at all its facilities. The review came under pressure from Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, of Washington, who was upset to learn that hundreds of soldiers at Madigan Army Medical Center south of Seattle had had their PTSD diagnoses reversed by a forensic psychiatry team, resulting in a potential cut to their benefits and questions about whether the changes were made to save money.

About 150 of those soldiers eventually had their diagnoses restored. "I am pleased that the Army completed this review and has vowed to make fixes over the next year, though I am disappointed it has taken more than a decade of war to get to this point," Murray said in a statement. "Many of the 24 findings and 47 recommendations in this report are not new. Creating a universal electronic health record, providing better rural health access, and standardizing the way diagnoses are made, for instance, have been lingering problems for far too long. Our service members and their families deserve better."

The report noted that the Army had made strides in some areas, including cutting how long it takes soldiers to obtain a disability evaluation and publishing a guide to the process. The task force interviewed 750 people stationed around the globe, conducted listening sessions with 6,400 others and reviewed more than 140,000 records. The Army's Medical Command reviewed diagnoses for all soldiers evaluated for behavioral health problems from October 2001 until last April. Since September 2001, the report found, 4.1 percent of all soldiers deployed wound up with a behavioral health diagnosis such as PTSD or traumatic brain injury. Many can remain on active duty.

Nationwide, the report said, 6,400 soldiers had behavioral health diagnoses "adjusted" by medical evaluation boards, with approximately equal numbers having PTSD added as a diagnosis and removed as a diagnosis. Two locations where medical evaluation boards are held had slightly higher diagnosis changes than the Army-wide average, but the report did not identify them. Cases from those locations are being reviewed to ensure no soldiers were improperly affected, the report said. Last year the Army — and the military as a whole — suffered the highest number of suicides ever recorded, prompting then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to declare it an epidemic. The Army had 183 suicides among active-duty soldiers, up from 167 in 2011, and the military as a whole had 350 suicides, up from 301 the year before.

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See also:

This Man Memorized Every Soldier Killed In Afghanistan For An Amazing Tribute
Mar. 4, 2013, A man named Ron White is creating a memorial for all 2,200 U.S. military servicemembers killed in Afghanistan, writing their name and rank on a black wall — and he's doing it all by memory.

A Navy veteran of Afghanistan himself, White believes he's creating a memorial similar to the Vietnam Wall, for troops lost in Afghanistan. "I just set out to memorize all the names," White told ABC News. "The message I wanted to say is, you guys are not forgotten. I'm going to do my part to keep your memory alive, and so that is the message of the wall. You are not forgotten."

So last Thursday, White stood in front of a blank, black wall in Fort Worth, Texas, and began writing in white ink. The over 7,000 words took more than eight hours to complete. "I enjoyed watching him write the names," Marion Buckner, grandmother of PFC Austin Staggs, told ABC News. "It just gave me chills, really. You see how many families are affected."

White plans to continue traveling around the country and repeat his memorial wall, hoping to raise money for veterans charities such as the Wounded Warrior Project.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ron-white-memorizes-to-memorialize-2013-3#ixzz2MyscsryY
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Mushroom · Mar 8, 2013

Ethereal said: ↑

Good old government medicine. If the disease doesn't kill you, the paperwork will!
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The problem really is not with the Government at all, as it is with the civilian companies.

One thing I learned, the Military and VA and Government have 10,000 programs that are tailored to "helping veterans get jobs". But unless the companies themselves want to hire Vetarans, that will not change.

I am not over 1 year unemployed, and things do not look to get any better. I have sent out well over 1,000 resumes, had maybe 30 phone interviews, and that is where it always ends. I just finished the Army's IT course (A+, S+, N+, CCNA in 3 months), but still I get the "Oh, but that is Army training, it does not count!"

Sheesh, it was better training then I got at ITT Tech for TCP/IP, and what do they think we use? We use COTS Cisco switches and routers, with Solaris and Windows Server for goodness sakes.

And on the rare occasion I do find a company "hiring veterans", either the requirements are insane (4 year IT degree, 10 certs, 3 programming languages), or the pay is insane (IT Break-Fix/Help Desk, $11 an hour). That is why I really do not believe the "Hire A Vet" promos and nonsense I see. I spent an hour going through several today, and the only jobs they had offered without insane qualifications was washing trucks (and no, I am not kidding).

I am on the verge of starting to fake my resume so that my military time (and the 5 year gap it makes) no longer appears on it.

waltky · Mar 10, 2013

Video help for soldiers with PTSD...

Interactive Video Helps US Soldiers With Combat Stress
March 08, 2013 Soldiers around the world who fight in war zones often face similar issues once they return home, including trying to get back to their normal routines. They may have problems readjusting and experience severe anxiety known as post-traumatic stress that can even lead to suicide. Psychological counseling may help, but so may interactive videos designed to help soldiers deal with combat stress. One video is helping some US soldiers who return from war.

Army veteran Robert Menendez knows this scenario all too well. This video simulation brings back memories of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was always having dreams, you know, certain things that happened during deployments, especially my last one, that has to do with other people we may have lost, he said. Like the actor in the video, Menendez often felt anxious and angry. He became distant from family and friends. So I only told people that I felt comfortable with who had experienced it and may be going through it as well, he said.

So, a military friend suggested he download this free, interactive video called The War Inside. It dramatizes different scenarios about the challenges of coming home after combat. Menendez identified with a soldier experiencing post-traumatic stress who is trying to understand and control his behavior. I think, once I acknowledged that I did have issues, it actually helped me cope with it," said Menendez. The War Inside is produced by WILL Interactive. Sharon Sloane, the company's founder, said the scenarios are based on real stories. I think its very important to give someone something that he or she can use in the privacy of their own home when they can really get in touch with their feelings. They give people the opportunity to experiment with choices in what they want to do to handle a situation, said Sloane.

Those choices are in the form of questions that pop up on the screen during the scenes and users can think about how they would respond. Menendez said, depending on the answer he picks, the outcome will be different. It tells you what could happen and, if you had done something else, what would happen then. I started trying each individual reaction and some outcomes were better than the others, he said.

The War Inside has been viewed by tens of thousands of soldiers, individually and in groups. Its an effective tool, said psychiatrist Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, a retired army colonel. Sometimes it resonates with their war-time experiences. These are realistic. It brings them back to being in Iraq, but that engages them and draws them in, said Ritchie. Even though Menendez still struggles with post-traumatic stress, he said the video has helped him open up to family and friends, and control his anger. If somebody invites me somewhere, and I dont want to go, and they ask me again, I say I dont want to go. Instead of slamming a door in his face, Ill just say 'Im sorry,' said Menendez. While no video can erase the trauma of combat, The War Inside is helping ease its lingering effects.

Source
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SFJEFF · Mar 11, 2013

Mushroom said: ↑

The problem really is not with the Government at all, as it is with the civilian companies.

One thing I learned, the Military and VA and Government have 10,000 programs that are tailored to "helping veterans get jobs". But unless the companies themselves want to hire Vetarans, that will not change.
.
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Sorry to hear it Mushroom. From what you have posted seems like any company would be lucky if they got you.

Best of luck.

waltky · Mar 12, 2013

Air Force climbs on the bandwagon...

Air Force joins Army, Marines in cutting tuition assistance
March 12, 2013 - The Air Force has joined the Marines and the Army in dropping tuition assistance due to sweeping federal budget cuts.

Word of the decision began reaching airmen in the Pacific on Tuesday morning. During a commander’s call at Yokota Air Base, 374th Airlift Wing commander Col. Mark August told airmen that applications for tuition assistance submitted after March 12 likely would be rejected by the Air Force. “I suggest you call and see where your application’s at,” he said. Because the Air Force is also strictly limiting TDY, professional education at the service’s Non-Commissioned Officer Academy and Squadron Officer School, would also be limited, he said. Commanders would likely have to limit and prioritize airmen scheduled to attend those schools, August said.

At Ramstein Air Base in Germany, phones at the education center were busy Tuesday morning with callers ranging from the distressed to those in disbelief asking: “What do you mean, I can’t apply?” “It has been probably one of the craziest mornings of my career,” said Keith Davis, the chief of education and training at Ramstein, who fielded some of those phone calls. “It has been unbelievable.” The official message that the Air Force was suspending all new requests for tuition assistance effective immediately, came out “stateside time yesterday,” Davis said Tuesday. “We pushed an email out this morning from the education center,” informing airmen of the change, Davis said.

By the time airmen woke up Tuesday morning in Germany, they were shut out from submitting new requests for tuition assistance through the Air Force Portal. A message on the application site says in red letters: “Air Force Military Tuition Assistance Currently Not Available.” Capt. Nicholas Plante, an Air Force spokesman at the Pentagon, said Tuesday that Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley made the decision at about 5 p.m. Washington time Monday to suspend military tuition assistance. The service’s education offices were promptly notified, and the Air Force planned to put out a statement Tuesday on its web site, www.af.mil, Plante said.

Sequestration, he said, is having “devastating effects” on readiness, mobilization and the workforce. “We have to make difficult choices to preserve those types of things.” Plante said the suspension applies to all components, including the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard on extended active duty orders. Last week, the Army and the Marines announced similar moves and the Navy was expected also to announce changes to its tuition assistance program. As of Monday, airmen are not permitted to submit new requests for tuition assistance, Plante said. Airmen currently enrolled in approved courses are not affected, he said and are allowed to complete them. Applications from airmen submitted before the suspension but not yet approved will be processed normally, Plante said. The Air Force will evaluate the program in coming months, he said.

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Cuts could affect Army's mental health providers, limit soldiers' access to care
March 12, 2013 WASHINGTON — The Army could lose a large chunk of its mental health force to furloughs starting next month, limiting access to care for soldiers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues.

Although the Surgeon General’s office is looking at ways to exempt some personnel from the sequestration fallout, “right now the plan is that our [Department of the Army] civilians who are employed with us will be impacted across the board,” Col. Rebecca Porter, chief of behavioral health for the surgeon general, told defense reporters Tuesday at a breakfast roundtable. More than half of the Army’s 4,500 mental health professionals are civilian. Contractors are exempt from furloughs, but those civilians employed directly by the Army are subject to the cuts imposed by sequestration. About 251,000 Army civilians will have to take 22 days of unpaid leave from April 26 to Sept. 30. “It’s not the quality of the care that we expect to be impacted but the availability and access to it in a timely manner,” Porter said.

That’s something the Army already struggles with. Wait times for mental health providers have been a significant problem at installations across the service, leading the Army to double the number of mental health providers in the last five years – and the service is still understaffed. Last month Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno told Congress that sequestration means the Army will have to decrease its number of mental health providers, reversing the service’s concerted hiring efforts. Porter said to mitigate the impact of sequestration and maintain access to care, Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho has prioritized behavioral health, along with wounded warrior care, primary care and the disability evaluation system.

Porter said her office is approaching sequestration in a “measured and deliberate way,” analyzing usage data to aim cuts at less busy facilities and exploring the option of temporarily assigning uniformed providers to fill in at the affected facilities. Civilians play a key role in the Army’s mental health programs. One of the service’s newest initiatives is to embed providers directly with brigades. Each battalion has its own provider based with them, who is familiar with the commanders, noncommissioned officers and training cycle of the unit. That kind of close proximity of care proved successful in a pilot program at Fort Carson, and the concept is set to be service wide by fiscal year 2016, Porter said.

Those embedded teams are made up of almost entirely civilians, Porter said. The Army has worked for years to attract more mental health professionals to the service, but that effort could be undermined in the long term should shaky job security led the new recruits to look elsewhere. “If they start to go out the door, it will take us a lot longer to rebuild that force than it does for them to leak away,” Porter said. The Army has nothing to offer as incentive to stay, such as retention bonuses that were once available. Instead, Porter said, it’s just an appeal that “we’ll do everything we can to support you.”

Source
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waltky · Oct 5, 2013

Veterans left in limbo - again...

Government shutdown halts military tuition assistance
October 4, 2013 — While the “Pay our Military Act” spared military paychecks from the impact of a partial government shutdown, tuition assistance and other military educational programs fell victim to it.

Every military branch has stopped processing tuition assistance applications until either a continuing resolution — a stopgap spending measure — or budget to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2014 is passed. “Tuition Assistance funding for those classes starting after Oct. 1 will not be available until ... funding is released,” according to a post on the U.S. Navy’s official ‘Navy Live’ blog site. No tuition assistance documents will be processed, it said. All Navy College offices are closed. Marines and Sailors can still apply for tuition assistance online, but applications will not be processed until the government reopens, according to officials from both services.

The Air Force issued a statement saying all tuition assistance for classes starting on or after Oct. 1, the start of Fiscal 2014, would be suspended until further notice. “Airmen with approved TA for FY14 may incur debt with their school should they attend classes,” Kimberly Yates, with the Air Force force development office, said in the statement. “Students should take action to withdraw from their current class or pursue using another funding source, such as the Montgomery GI Bill or the Post 9/11 GI Bill.” The U.S. Army’s GoArmyEd tuition assistance website posted an urgent message on the suspension.

GoArmyEd “will reject all approved and pending TA requests for classes scheduled to start on or after” Oct. 1, until Congress adopts either a budget or Continuing Resolution. That means that any approved tuition assistance requests for classes that start during the shutdown are essentially void, and soldiers may incur debt if they attend those classes. Soldiers will be able to resume filing tuition assistance requests once the situation is resolved, but will not be able to request assistance for classes that started during the suspension, the website said. “These actions are unprecedented in the history of the Army’s TA program, but we are bound by budgetary law,” the Army posted on its GoArmyEd Facebook page.

While many soldiers posted comments thanking the Army for keeping them informed, others seemed befuddled. “You would have thought that money for courses starting next week would have been obligated before the 1st,” wrote one commenter. This is not the first time budget struggles have affected tuition assistance. In March, the Army, Air Force and Marines abruptly halted tuition assistance because of sequestration budget cuts, but the assistance was reinstated by Congress in an appropriations bill, amid an outcry from servicemembers, veterans groups and military advocates. About 300,000 servicemembers used the military tuition assistance programs last year. Tuition assistance provides eligible servicemembers up to $4,500 per fiscal year and a maximum of $250 per semester hour to cover tuition and allowable fees.

At the U.S. Navy Base in Bahrain, Marcus Johnson, a University of Maryland field representative, said he has been fielding questions from concerned sailors, who are expressing “a lot of worry about when they are going to be able to use their TA.” At least for UMUC classes, “there is still time,” Johnson said. The next semester of UMUC classes starts Nov. 3. Other educational benefits have also been affected. Navy officials say during the shutdown there will be no counseling or educational services available, including language and testing services. Even the Virtual Education Center is closed.

http://www.stripes.com/news/government-shutdown-halts-military-tuition-assistance-1.245065
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Veterans, impatient over shutdown, demand protection for VA benefits
October 4, 2013 WASHINGTON — Veterans groups, angry that they are being used as political pawns, are lashing out at lawmakers, telling them to find an end to the government shutdown and ensure that veterans benefits and services aren’t disrupted.

In a Friday press conference outside the World War II memorial, American Legion National Commander Daniel Dellinger called the partial government shutdown insulting and disrespectful to veterans. Department of Veterans Affairs officials have warned that an extended shutdown could stall disability and education benefits checks, as well as slow pending claims. “That a World War II or Korean War veteran now has to worry about their pension check defies common sense and morality,” he said. “They need to get this done.” When asked who was at fault for the shutdown, Dellinger replied “I blame them all: The president, the House and the Senate.” The news conference came as the shutdown entered its fourth day without any political solution in sight.

A continuing resolution to resume normal federal operations — even without a new, full federal budget — has been mired in disagreement all week over Republican’s insistence of changes to the new Affordable Care Act, and Democrats refusal to include the topic in a budget deal. Earlier in the week, leadership of the Veterans of Foreign Wars chastised the White House and Congress in a letter also demanding an end to the shutdown, saying it endangers both national security and veterans’ care. “We expect more from our elected leadership, and not a piecemeal approach that would use the military or disabled veterans as leverage in a political game,” wrote William Thien, commander of the group.

Leadership at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said Congress “needs to stop playing games” and end the shutdown before the effects on veterans worsen. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. — one of the last two WWII veterans in Congress — and former senator Bob Dole issued a statement saying the shutdown dishonors the “sacrifice and bravery” of all veterans. VA officials have said that most operations and employees are currently unaffected by the shutdown. Health centers remain open, benefit checks are still being sent out, and only about 5 percent of the department’s employees have been furloughed.

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waltky · Aug 25, 2014

Navy GI bill tuition benefits takin' a hit...

Navy is cutting benefits for tuition assistance program
August 22, 2014 ~ Beginning Oct. 1, U.S. Navy tuition assistance will reimburse sailors only for the tuition cost of the course.

TA funds will no longer pay for the following: additional fees for equipment, supplies, books/materials, exams, admissions, registration, fines and costs associated with distance learning. It is among several changes the Navy announced Thursday to its popular program.

The changes are meant to align the Navys TA program with the Defense Departments policy on voluntary education programs that was released last month, the Navy said in a release. The new DOD policy the Navy is adopting changes the definition of a successfully completed course. Under the new policy, which goes into effect Oct. 1, sailors will have to reimburse the Navy if they fail to get a C grade or higher in an undergraduate course, a B grade or higher in a graduate-level course, or if they fail a pass/fail course.

Sailors from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga read and take notes before beginning a Navy College Program for Afloat College Education course.

About 89 percent of courses paid for by Navy TA were successfully passed in fiscal 2013, with 72 percent of those courses resulting in an A or B grade, the Navy says. The Navy is also loosening the eligibility requirements for TA, effective immediately. Sailors with less than a year at their first duty station may get a waiver to the one-year requirement to become eligible for tuition assistance.

http://www.stripes.com/news/navy-is-cutting-benefits-for-tuition-assistance-program-1.299462
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Nightmare515 · Aug 25, 2014

waltky said: ↑

Navy GI bill tuition benefits takin' a hit...

Navy is cutting benefits for tuition assistance program
August 22, 2014 ~ Beginning Oct. 1, U.S. Navy tuition assistance will reimburse sailors only for the tuition cost of the course.
Click to expand...

In the schools I went to a C was the minimum passing grade anyway. I always thought that was how all colleges were?

Either way I don't really mind this. If the government is paying for your education then the least you can do is get a decent grade. When I was in college the system wasn't exactly rigged or anything. You had to test into certain courses. They didn't screw you by putting you in Calculus if you got a C in Pre-Algebra or something. They geared it to where they would test your experience level and put you in classes accordingly that they felt you would be able to pass.

Saying that, some classes are just flat out hard even on the basic level. At least they were for me. Physics kicked my ass from high school all the way through college. I don't think I got higher than a C- on any test ever in a Physics class.

As far as the books and supplies go I can understand why they are doing this. It is cutting the cost (we have to cut costs somewhere) and I'l be honest many people would take their $1000 for books and go on ebay or Amazon or something and spend like $100 bucks then pocket the rest. Not saying all do that and some may actually need all that money for supplies, but I know quite a few people who do that all the time.

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