Education Archives

What Does Clinton Have Planned for Military Families?

June 13, 2016/in Government, Military, Military News, Military Spouse, Military Veteran

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton plans to strengthen services and support for military families who serve alongside our service members.

“It is little wonder that service members’ concern for their family’s well-being is a top consideration in whether troops stay in or leave the force,” according to Clinton’s military families agenda.

Mrs. Clinton said that members of the military should be able to easily switch between active-duty, National Guard and reserve service in order “to make decisions good for their family and maintain a career with the military.”

She believes nobody should have to choose between serving their country and taking care of their family.

Hugh Rodham, Mrs. Clinton’s father, was a chief petty officer at Naval Station Great Lakes during World War II. He instilled in her, at an early age, the importance of supporting our men and women in uniform, military families, and veterans, and empathy for the challenges that many service members and veterans face.

Additionally, since the number of married couples who both are in uniform has vastly increased, Mrs. Clinton wants the duty assignment process overhauled so that more spouses can serve near each other without either of them losing ground in their careers.

Several other elements of her military family platform include improved child care, both on and off base; expand maternity and paternity leaves; and expanded employment assistance for civilian spouses of service members.

Mrs. Clinton wants to ensure that the men and women who risk their lives for our country have access to a good education and good jobs when they come home by solidifying services and programs that connect veterans to jobs after their service.

“I believe in making sure that people who sacrifice for us are given all the care and the benefits and support that they need. And I believe strongly that taking care of our veterans is part of our solemn duty as Americans.”

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Newly Improved Transition Assistance Program Well Received

November 14, 2015/in Education, Military Veteran, Veteran Employment

By Debbie Gregory.

The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) provides transition assistance to promote, advance and instill a culture of education and/or employment readiness to Service members.

In the latest survey results from graduates, an overwhelming majority of former service members expressed that they felt that the newly redesigned TAP curriculum well prepared them to re-enter the civilian workforce. The redesigned program encompasses the requirements of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

Under the leadership of Susan Kelly, the director of the Transition to Veterans Program, the program was significantly expanded two years ago.

Expanded to a week-long, mandatory curriculum now offered in full at 206 installations, TAP provides information, tools, and training to ensure Service members and their spouses are prepared for the next step in civilian life, whether pursuing additional education, finding a job in the public or private sector, or starting their own business. This redesigned TAP is the result of an inter-agency collaboration to offer separating Service members and their spouses better, more easily accessible resources and information to make their transitions more successful.

Kelly emphasized the program’s four core components:

Adopt career readiness standards (CRS) which measure a service member’s preparedness to depart from active duty;
Develop Transition GPS, a curriculum that builds the skills needed by service members to meet the CRS;
A capstone event, during which commanders verify their members have met career readiness standards or, if not, ensure that they receive additional training or a warm handover; and
Implementation to the military life-cycle transition model, which aligns transition activities with touch-points across the military career.

Kelly said that according to the most recent participant assessment data, more than 80 percent of the participants said they “gained valuable information and skills to plan their transition, that the training enhanced their confidence in their transition, they intended to use what they learned in the classes, and that they knew how to access appropriate resources post separation.”

In the last two years, both public and private organizations recognized that service members “present an incredible pool of talent and they seek increased opportunities to harness that talent,” Kelly said.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Removing Education Roadblocks for Veterans: Military Connection

July 7, 2015/in Education, GI Bill, Military Veteran, Veteran News, Veteran Schools, Veterans Benefits

By Debbie Gregory.

As of July 1, 2015, 34 states and three territories have agreed to comply with Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act. This means that covered individuals using the Post-9/11 GI Bill or MGIB – AD at public institutions of higher learning (IHL) will be charged the resident rate for tuition and fees . Currently in compliance are:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Guam, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virgin Islands, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Pennsylvania, American Samoa, and Washington intend to comply.

Section 702 will assist veterans with more effectively utilizing their hard-earned education benefits. The cost for out of state tuition is often at least double, and sometimes triple, that of in-state tuition. Section 702 allows our nation’s veterans the freedom to return to civilian life as a student, without being penalized for where they choose to reside.

Those covered under the Choice Act are Veterans, their spouses or children who are living in the state where the IHL is located, and enroll in the school within three years of the service member’s discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.

Also covered are spouses or children using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who qualify as above.

The above compliant states and territories meet the statutory requirements as determined by VA. The states and schools not already in compliance will be extended additional time to make sure that GI Bill students may continue their education and training at their chosen institutions

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their families. We are the go-to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go-to site.