Military Members Can Get Their College Degrees Using the G.I. Bill

Here is a guest post from MilitaryDegrees.org written by Cyn Brinks:

The G.I. Bill makes it easier than ever to get an education if you’re in the military. Whether you’re on a Navy ship, working overseas or simply stuck in the barracks in the night, you have a lot of time on your hands to do something greater for your future.

You can start working on a real college degree even if you’re not finished with your service. Your full tuition and fees can be paid for, and you receive a stipend for books and housing.

You can also start a degree at any time while you’re in the military thanks to the development of online degree programs by public and private universities.

There are all sorts of viable online courses and programs for military personnel even if you don’t have any college experience or you just want some vocational training to help transition into civilian life.

There are also some major benefits to registering for online courses and degree programs while still in the military or if you have veteran status.

Online courses and programs are just like those that you find at a traditional school. You still have to put in the work, which includes reading, lectures, taking texts, turning in assignments and talking to your professors.

The only difference is that you don’t have to report to a specific classroom, change your schedule or live in a certain area to go to school. Sophisticated technology has allowed online education to transcend multiple barriers.

For instance, you can talk to face-to-face with professors and other students, receive online tutoring, and schedule study groups with other students over the Internet. You simply follow the syllabus, turn in your work and finish your exams at the end of the semester, like any normal class from your own computer.

There is some finesse to doing well with online degree programs. For one, you have to be self-motivated and hardworking, otherwise you simply won’t get the work done on time.

In addition, you have to keep up with discussions and continue to read, studying when you have a chance.

You won’t spend all of your time in front of the computer. The class will still require book reading and completion of assignments, some of which may need to be turned into a professor by mail or campus visit, though this is becoming a thing of the past.

Not all degree programs are created equal, and some institutions do not have the same accreditation. You should make sure to research a degree so that you know exactly what you’re getting into and what kinds of colleges offer your degree.

There are plenty of military service members who share concerns about the validity of an online program. But both public and private universities make these accommodations for military personnel because it’s understood that you have extreme circumstances that require flexibility from a work-anywhere atmosphere.

For that reason, many fully accredited and prestigious schools offer business, healthcare, computer and engineering programs over the web. It is simply a question of do you want to wait to get a degree or do you want to distinguish yourself now?

Students who are in the military can come out with so many advantages, already graduated and on to a career or heading straight into a higher degree program and starting a civilian life once finished with active duty. These students didn’t put their futures on hold to get started on an education.

Now there is some complexity surrounding G.I. Bill Benefits, who is eligible for the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill and the Montgomery G.I. Bill. And more importantly what is the difference between the two?

Simply speaking, your Post 9/11 benefits kick in after your honorable discharge, and no other discharge is applicable for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. On the other hand, the Montgomery G.I. Bill is available to active duty solider who contribute $100 a month into the Montgomery G.I. Bill fund.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Pentagon Pulls 10,000 Troops From Europe

Reprinted from the blog at www.PhyllisZimblerMiller.com:


While for the last several years news of U.S. troops in Iran and Afghanistan may have taken the lion’s share of U.S. troop news, U.S. troops are stationed in many places throughout the world.

One such place that I am personally familiar with is Germany. Yes, the United States has been part of an occupying force in Germany since the end of World War II.

The February 18th Wall Street Journal article “U.S. to Cut Europe Forces in Remake” by Julian E. Barnes began:

The Pentagon will pull some 10,000 troops out of Europe in a broad reorganization that will shrink the number of Army and Air Force personnel stationed in Germany and close a number of bases.

Why is this news of troop reduction in Germany of such interest to me?

Here is the end of a blog post about how Facebook unexpectedly provided historical information for my work-in-progress novel CIA FALL GUY:

I originally thought that I would write a sequel to my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT, which is partly based on my experiences as a new Mrs. Lieutenant in the spring of 1970 right after the Kent State shootings. I wanted to write about being part of the occupying force in Germany only 25 years after the end of World War II.

Recently, though, my younger daughter has recommended that I write a memoir instead of fiction. I have all the official documents from that time and many other documents, including a copy of the letter I wrote to the Anne Frank House donating money from the very small Jewish military community in Munich when the memorial was in danger of closing from lack of funds.

I agree with my younger daughter, who has suggested the memoir’s title as IF IT IS SEPTEMBER, IT MUST BE OKTOBERFEST. (My husband and I arrived at the train station in Munich on a Sunday in September in the midst of Oktoberfest and did not even know where we were supposed to go.)

I believe it is important that Americans with no connection to the U.S. military know that U.S. troops and their families stationed abroad are part of the global effort to protect the U.S. And although 10,000 troops and their families may be coming home from Europe, the U.S. continues to have a presence where needed.

As this Wall Street Journal article stated:

Pentagon officials took pains to emphasize that despite the cuts, the U.S. will have approximately 70,000 troops stationed in Europe, including those in Germany.

© 2012 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Project M.O.T. Prepares to Send Passover Packages to Deployed Troops

Reprinted from the blog at www.OperationSupportJewsintheMilitary.com:

Project M.O.T. has announced the packing date for Passover packages this year is March 4th. All donations must be received by February 26th.

If you are not in Los Angeles where Project M.O.T. is based, you can still send donations to be included in the packages (or funds to help with expenses).

Some of the items wanted (and these items must fit into boxes that are 8.5″ x 11″):

Small puzzle and game books

Small packages of Passover candies, cookies, gum and treats

Kipot

Matzah covers

(Haggadot are NOT needed.)

Email projectmot@aol.com if you would like to participate on March 4th and/or send donations.

Reminder: Donations must be received by February 27th to be placed in the assembly line on prep day.

Visit www.projectMOT.org to learn more.

P.S. This year the first seder is Friday evening, April 6th. Read the Passover chapter from the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Wall Street Journal Reports Army Suicides Level Off

According to the news blurb "Army Suicides Level Off After Years of Surging" by Julian E. Barnes in the January 20th Wall Street Journal:

The Army believes it has halted the rise of suicide in its ranks, saying that improved treatment of brain injuries and post-traumatic stress has helped stem years of increase. But officials said Thursday that other problems tied to post-traumatic stress, such as sexual assault and domestic violence, continue to rise.

As I have often written about PTSD, it can occur long after the incident or incidents that cause it. Plus the symptoms of PTSD may not be recognized by the sufferer or his or her family members.

This is why it is so important to know about the symptoms so that help can be sought at the earliest opportunity.

To learn about PTSD, read this information now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which is now WBENC certified. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

SPCA International Works for Evacuation of the “Baghdad Pups”: No Buddy Gets Left Behind

Guest post by Susan K. Becker -- see info at end of post:

Readers of the "Mrs. Lieutenant" blog may be interested in the efforts of SPCA International to evacuate the canine comrades of U. S. troops now that the military assignment is done.

I began supporting this initiative last fall in response to stories about the harrowing logistical problems involved in evacuating the dogs of troops who may be geographically separated from their pets at departure (read the story of Sadie at http://bit.ly/yhnaZ0).

This work, which benefits soldiers as well as dogs, continues urgently, as described in SPCA’s January 12th mailing:

“…Over 16,000 Americans and their animals still remain in Iraq working to train Iraq security forces … and the FBI and CIA also have a continued presence there. And, as you know already, many U.S. troops were forced to leave their animals behind.

SPCA International is committed to helping all Americans in Iraq get their animals to safe, loving homes in the U.S. We will not stop until all these patriot pets are safe….”

Learn more and view pictures of soldiers and their pups at http://bit.ly/z3WXad

Animal lover Susan K. Becker provides consulting and coaching in marketing communication and presentations for financial and professional services firms at Manhattan-based Becker Consulting Services. Follow her on Twitter @SKBeckerCoach and view her work at www.slideshare.net/SusanKBecker

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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Wall Street Journal: Happy Hanukkah to Marines and Marines Still Deployed on Christmas

The Wall Street Journal had two poignant stories this week about Marines.

The first one, on December 20th, titled "Happy Hanukkah, Marines! Jewish Leathernecks Light the Way," by William McGurn begins:

When Jews begin their Hanukkah celebrations this week, they will commemorate a 2,200-year old revolt led by Judah Maccabee against a Greek empire attempting to crush the Jewish faith. For some, the holiday holds an added resonance, linking their military service to one of the greatest Jewish warriors of all time.

These are the Jews of the United States Marine Corps.

In the popular mind, a Jewish Marine may sound exotic. In fact, Jews have their own chapters in the history of the Corps. In his book "Semper Chai!" Howard J. Leavitt explains the compatibility with a refreshing lack of nuance: "[M]any Jews were—and are—Marines, and the basic and lofty precepts and spiritual underpinnings of the United States, the U.S. Marine Corps and Judaism are one and the same, without any differences or conflict."

The second article, on December 24th, titled "Military Families Soldier On: Christmas Homecomings From Iraq Touch a Nerve for Kin of Troops in Afghanistan," by Tamara Audi begins:

This Christmas, Donna Jones is doing her best to avoid heartwarming scenes of military homecomings. It's not easy: Thousands of troops are reuniting with their families in a blur of on-camera kisses, and she works on a military base.

"There are all these holiday homecomings, and I'm happy that people get to see their loved ones. I just can't watch," Mrs. Jones said. "It hurts when the situation is: Your Marine isn't coming home."

Mrs. Jones's husband, Marine Maj. William Jones, is still deployed in Afghanistan—along with 91,000 other U.S. troops.

Thousands of service members have come home from Iraq, with the last U.S. troops exiting from the country in mid-December. But tens of thousands are still deployed elsewhere, many on the front lines in Afghanistan.

That means many families are facing a holiday season with a loved one still in a combat zone. As the nation celebrates the holiday homecomings, some fear these family members are being forgotten in the frenzy.

The second article also includes these statistics:

2.3 million -- Combined total of U.S. service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan

164,000 -- Peak number of troops based in Iraq, reached in 2007

91,000 -- Troops remaining in Afghanistan

The one thing we back home can do is grant the wish of a military spouse reported in the second article:

We can acknowledge this holiday season that U.S. troops -- men and women -- are still in harm's way serving our country. And we can be grateful for their service and sacrifice as well as the service and sacrifice of their families.

Read the entire "Happy Hanukkah, Marines!" story now.

Read the entire "Military Families Soldier On" story now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.

Vet.efactor.com Helps Unemployed Vets

See vet.efactor.com for discounts for vets.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the eBook technothriller LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS. Phyllis is the co-founder of the marketing consulting company Miller Mosaic LLC, which works with clients to attract more business. Read her posts at the company's social media marketing blog.