Military Connection Archives

Military Connection: LA Stand Down 2014: By Debbie Gregory

December 4, 2014/in Archived Blogs

The United States Veterans Initiative (U.S.VETS) is announcing their Los Angeles Veteran & Families Stand Down 2014. The event will be held on December 20-22, 2014 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown L.A.

Stand downs are intended to provide services to homeless Veterans, and are the result of the collaborative efforts of government agencies, non-profit organizations, corporate sponsorship and public participation. They are typically one to three day events.

The Los Angeles Veteran & Families Stand Down 2014 will provide participants with food, clothing, hygiene supplies, showers, haircuts, and entertainment. Additionally, participants will receive assistance with obtaining benefits and resources such as housing, employment, VA benefits, VA enrollment, VA medical and mental health aid. Also available will be legal assistance, dental care, support groups, Social Security, vision screening and free glasses, as well as assistance in obtaining military records.

The upcoming event in Los Angeles promises to be the largest Stand Down ever held in the country.

Los Angeles has been chosen by U.S.VETS because the population of homeless Veterans in the L.A. area is estimated to be over 6,300, among the highest in the country. And Veterans make up twenty percent of the L.A. area homeless population.

Doors at the L.A. Convention Center will open at 6:00 AM on Saturday, December 20^th. There will also be overnight sleeping accommodations onsite for the nights of December 20^thand 21^st.

MilitaryConnection.com is proud to help U.S.VETS spread the word about the Los Angeles Veteran & Families Stand Down. It is our hope that every homeless Veteran in the L.A. area receives the help they need and the benefits they deserve to get their lives back on track..

Veterans can register for the event HERE.

Volunteers are also needed for all three days of the Stand Down, performing a variety of functions and duties. Please Register to Volunteer here.

For more information about the event, including sponsorship and volunteer info, please email LAStandown@gmail.com

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.

Military Connection: LA Stand Down 2014: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Experience- the Best Veteran Resource: By Joe Silva

December 4, 2014/in Archived Blogs

Casey Taylor is a medically retired Master Gunnery Sergeant from the U.S. Marine Corps. Taylor was drafted in 1968 and was immediately deployed to Vietnam. His service spanned from 1968 to 1997. During that time, Taylor was also deployed to Somalia, Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Panama and in support of Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

If his military experience isn’t enough to impress you, after retiring, Master Guns went to work in the civilian world as a district manager, overseeing wireless network designs covering six states. He also worked as a GS-15 DOD civilian from 2000-2007. You could say that Master Guns Taylor has pretty much been there, done that.

In 2007, Taylor was medically retired from government service after having surgery on his back.

“I guess three hundred and eighty-seven jumps in the Marine Corps had taken its toll on my back,” Taylor told MilitaryConnection.com.

Something went terribly wrong with the surgery, leaving the retired Marine paralyzed from the waist down. This type of disability would leave most people discouraged and depressed. But Master Guns Taylor saw his new situation as the means to take on another mission. He decided to spend his time helping and serving his fellow Veterans.

From his home, mostly through email and over the phone, Taylor helps Veterans with a broad array of post-military problems, from employment searches and résumé advice to interviewing tips. Veterans spanning all branches of the service, ranging from E-4’s to O-6, seek Master Guns’ guidance.

“I give them the tools they need to succeed in the real world,” Taylor said. “I have knowledge of how the outside world works, and I’m here to explain what to expect.

Military Connection CEO Debbie Gregory has known Master Guns Taylor for a number of years, and has taken great pride in referring Veterans to him. Taylor not only provides Veterans with résumé templates, he also helps them make their résumé applicable to civilian employment, and offers to talk them through mock job interviews. Only after their résumé and interview skills are ready, Master Guns connects Veterans to job recruiters that he trusts; and only recruiters that won’t take money from the Veterans.

Taylor says that his work doesn’t end there. He often refers his Veterans to the MilitaryConnection.com website, where they can access all of the resources and information available there. Additionally, he keeps in contact with his Veterans, making sure that they are making it. Even after helping his younger Veterans get a job, he has helped them leave that job and find a better one.

Taylor told MilitaryConnection that to date, he has helped more than 500 Veterans, and he is currently helping about another 100. Master Guns couldn’t determine how much time he commits to helping each Veteran. He says that each Veteran is an individual with individual needs, and he makes sure not to treat them like a number.

The best part about the guidance that Taylor provides… it’s free. Master Guns says that he won’t even consider taking a dime from any Veteran. He helps them because he feels it is the right thing to do, and because he is able to. To Master Guns, working with Veterans is its own reward.

Taylor said, “Every year around the holidays, I get cards, phone calls, texts and emails from my Veterans. The best feeling in the world is a thank you.”

If you or a Veteran you know could benefit from Master Guns’ assistance, please contact Casey Taylor at mastergunstaylor@gmail.com

It is my hope that by reading this article, my fellow Veterans will be inspired by Master Guns’ story and take up the torch to help other Veterans, in whatever way they are able to… because it’s the right thing to do.

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.

Military Connection: Experience- the Best Veteran Resource: By Joe Silva

Military Connection: New-look MilitaryConnection.com: By Joe Silva

December 3, 2014/in Archived Blogs

Since 2006, MilitaryConnection.com has been the “Go To Site” for current members of the armed forces, Veterans and their families. The all-inclusive website has been a hub for military and Veteran resources, including information on employment, benefits, loans, education, service organizations, military regulations, military pay, exclusive deals, non-profit organizations and so much more.

The new website still contains the resources that were on the previous site, including information on each branch of service, military and post-military employment opportunities, Post-9/11 GI Bill and other education benefits, virtual job fairs, informative daily blog articles, benefits forms, links to service organizations and reputable non-profit organizations, and so much more.

In fact, the previous site contained so many resources and so much information, CEO Debbie Gregory thought a revamped site would do much to improve ease of use for service members, Veterans, and their families.

“At MilitaryConnection.com, we are proud of the wealth of resources we provide to our users,” Ms. Gregory said. “And it became necessary to update the site and make it faster, more visually appealing, and more user-friendly.”

The updated MilitaryConnection.com website is better organized for easier navigation, especially for those users accessing the site via tablets and smartphones.

From the home page, the new site has itemized dropdown menus that expedite each visitor’s search. The new site also has also improved appearance, with an increased emphasis on patriotism. With an American flag set as the background of every page, accompanying all of the valuable information, there is no doubt that the new MilitaryConnection.com is a site intended for those who serve, past and present, and their families.

Along with the great new updates for visitors, the new-look MilitaryConnection.com offers upgraded options for employers, schools and resources who advertise on the site. Because the new site is more aesthetically arranged, graphic advertisements pop off each page. There has also been an upgrade to the Top Opportunity Parade, which appears on every page of MilitaryConnection.com.

“It is our mission, as the ‘Go To Site,’ to connect service members, Veterans, and their families to all of the resources they need,” Ms. Gregory said. Please let us know what you think of the fruits of our labor.

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.

Military Connection: New-look MilitaryConnection.com: By Joe Silva

Military Connection: Possible Next Secretary of Defense: By Joe Silva

December 3, 2014/in Archived Blogs

After the November 24^th announcement that Chuck Hagel was resigning as Secretary of Defense, there has been speculation as to who his successor might be. Multiple reports are now claiming that former Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter will be chosen as Hagel’s successor.

Mr. Carter held the second-in-command spot at the Pentagon from October 5, 2011 through December 3, 2013. Before that, he served for two years as the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisitions, Technology, and Logistics, and served for three years as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs during the Clinton administration.

Ash Carter was one of the original members of the short list of likely candidates, immediately following the announcement of Hagel’s resignation. And following the reports that Sen. Jack Reed and Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy asked to be withdrawn from consideration, Carter now sits atop an even shorter list.

It is widely believed that if President Obama does nominate Carter, he would easily be confirmed by Congress. Despite his previously held high-profile roles, Carter is not viewed as a political player. It’s been reported that Carter is willing to return to the department.

Considering all of his experience within the walls of the Pentagon, Carter seems like a strong candidate. In fact, when Carter resigned from his post as Deputy Secretary, Hagel told the media that Carter possessed an “unparalleled knowledge of every facet” of the DOD. But there is one major area on Mr. Carter’s résumé that some may find lacking… military experience.

Carter has two bachelor’s degrees from Yale University, and a doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford University. He also has experience teaching at prestigious universities, including Oxford and Harvard’s Kennedy School. Mr. Carter also has extensive experience working as a senior official within the DOD. But he never served in uniform. While some Americans might think this is not an important requirement, to those who served and still serve, it could be.

It is not a requirement for the head of the DOD to have served in the armed forces, just as it is not a requirement for the commander-in-chief. But many Americans feel that having a Veteran running the Pentagon is extremely important.

Many who have worn a military uniform believe that only those who have experienced the military lifestyle can truly appreciate what it means to serve, deploy, and sacrifice. But it’s not a requirement.

Until an official announcement is made, Americans eagerly await the nomination of the next U.S. Secretary of Defense. Hagel will remain in the position until his successor is confirmed.

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.

Military Connection: Possible Next Secretary of Defense: By Joe Silva

Military Connection: An Incredible Hero: By Debbie Gregory

December 2, 2014/in Archived Blogs

An Army Chaplain is displaying exemplary valor and stalwart resolve in her third battle against cancer. Maj. Melissa Culbreth, brigade chaplain for North Carolina National Guard’s 449th Theater Aviation Brigade, knows all about the battle. She has fought cancer before. She knows what she is up against. This brave hero is taking the fight with her third bout of cancer on her own terms, and she’s starting with a party… of sorts.

On a Sunday in October, on a farm in Franklington, North Carolina, the major had her fiery red hair woven into several braids. The braids were then cut off and the rest of her hair was shaved.

“I wanted to take my hair on my own terms, instead of letting the chemo take it,” Maj. Culbreth said.

This was the second time that Culbreth has thrown a head-shaving party. The first time was back in March, 2010, when she was less than two months removed from returning home from a deployment to Iraq with the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. At that party 17 people, including comrades and friends, shaved their heads in support of Culberth and her fight. This time around, more than 30 people shaved their heads.

Chaplains are supposed to be there when their soldiers need them. But the turnout of supporters shows the family atmosphere among military personnel, and how every member does their part when called upon to do so.

The fight that the Chaplain now faces is uncertain, but it is certainly winnable. After all, she has beaten cancer twice already. But with the steely demeanor of a battle-hardened warrior, the chaplain faces the anticipation of another round of chemotherapy.

“I know what chemo is like, because I’ve done it,” the chaplain said. “To know I’m going to be doing that again, and going through all the side effects. Again. Right now, that’s probably the hardest part.”

The staff at MilitaryConnection.com would like to send our best wishes and prayers to Maj. Culbreth. Her story really hits home for us as our CEO Debbie Gregory is also a breast cancer survivor. We know that the chaplain will win this fight as she has before. And with her attitude, she will inspire an Army in the process.

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.

Military Connection: An Incredible Hero: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: The Veteran Benefits Debate: By Joe Silva

December 2, 2014/in Archived Blogs

A congressional auditor’s report found that close to 60,000 Veterans are receiving benefits from three separate government entities … and they are within their legal rights.

The Government Accountability Office report found that these “triple dippers” drew around $3.5 billion between military retirement pay, disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Social Security disability compensation.

Most of the recipients received combined benefits of $59,000 per year or less. But approximately 2,300 of these Veterans were in receipt of combined totals of $100,000 or more. The highest payment in 2013 was $208,757 in total benefits!

The permitting of “triple dipping” has caused multiple law makers to call for better coordination among government programs. While not taking away anything that Veterans deserved or have earned through faithful service to their country, they want to find a way to streamline programs.

But those who side with Veterans claim that Veterans are entitled to these payments and concurrent benefits. The argument made is that the Veterans’ retirement pay was earned through years of service in the military, while disability payments are compensation for service-related injuries and wounds; and the two and their compensation should have no effect on the other. In most of these rare cases of “triple dipping,” the Veterans are severely disabled. Approximately four in five Veterans who got triple concurrent payments had a disability rating of at least 50%. And around half of the Veterans receiving triple payments were at least 60% disabled.

Many Americans would find it hard to understand how someone making $86,000 a year in tax-exempt VA income could qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance, when civilian workers are disqualified from the program if they make $13,000 a year. And while politicians and the judging-public zoom in on the $59,000 and $100,000 facts, there is one fact that gets forgotten. With these Veterans being mostly 50% or more disabled, their cost of living goes up tremendously. Even with VA healthcare, there are other lifestyle accommodations that need to be made including modifying their homes and vehicles for their disability.

It wasn’t until after the Sept. 11th attacks that Veterans were allowed to concurrently receive both military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs’ disability benefits. Before that, a Civil War-era statute allowed the Pentagon to dock retirement pay dollar-for-dollar up to the amount of disability benefits from the VA.

Congress changed that law in 2002, restoring military retirement pay to Veterans who were also drawing disability benefits from the VA. When the bill was being debated, then-Senator John Warner from Virginia presented two questions to his fellow senators:

“How can we ask the men and women who have so faithfully served to sacrifice a portion of their retirement because they are also receiving compensation for an injury suffered while serving their country?”

At the time, Sen. Warner acknowledged that allowing Veterans to receive concurrent benefits would have “significant cost,” but Warner also asked; “Is the cost too high? I think not.”

It appears that twelve and a half years later, all of which was spent at war, politicians and the American public might need to reconsider these questions for our now-disabled Veterans.

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.

Military Connection: The Veteran Benefits Debate: By Joe Silva

Military Connection: New Helmets to Combat TBI: By Debbie Gregory

December 1, 2014/in Archived Blogs

In October, St. Paul, Minnesota-based conglomerate, 3M, announced that it will be filling a $27 million contract to supply 37,500 new and improved helmets for the U.S. Army and Navy. The order, added to the previous 77,000 helmets ordered for the U.S. Marines, brings the total contract value to $107 million. The improved technology for the helmets will provide a better defense against Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) for Marines, Soldiers and Sailors.

The orders for 3M’s Enhanced Combat Helmets provide military personnel with protection against head injury from blunt impacts and ballistic threats. As part of the combined order, 3M will deliver 77,000 for the Marine Corps, 35,000 helmets for the U.S. Army, and 2,500 for the U.S. Navy.

Popular Science magazine listed the new helmet technology as one of the 100 greatest innovations of 2013. The Enhanced Combat Helmet is designed and manufactured by Ceradyne, Inc., a 3M company. So far, it is the only helmet that has passed the Marine Corps Enhanced Combat Helmet specification protocol. The helmet provides over 35% improved ballistic fragmentation protection, compared to others currently in use, without any added weight.

With as many as 18% of combat Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking treatments for traumatic brain injury, each military branch is seeking ways to decrease the number of similar injuries going forward. The upgrade in helmets is just one of many measures that is being taken. The DOD and each military branch are independently researching ways to prevent TBI in the field, while improving the methods of diagnosing and treating TBIs in an attempt to lessen the long term effects.

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.

Military Connection: New Helmets to Combat TBI: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Retroactive Scholarships for Vets: By Joe Silva

December 1, 2014/in Archived Blogs

American’s take great pride in the Department of Veterans Affairs statistic claiming that over one million Veterans have gone to college or vocational training through the Post-9/11 GI Bill. While this data is accurate, it leads to the misconception that every Veteran is entitled to a free college education through the GI Bill. But, sadly, this is not so.

It’s true that the Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most complete and most generous Veteran education benefit to date. The most current GI Bill will cover the complete cost of tuition at a state college or university, or up to $20,235 in tuition per year at private schools. The benefit also pays recipients a housing allowance that is equal to BAH for E-5 with dependents for the zip code of the school, as well as a $1,000 per year stipend for books and supplies. The benefit is available for a total of 36 months to Veterans who have served since September 11, 2001.

But not every Veteran is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Also, the benefit does not pay for student loans already accrued. So, while 1 million Veterans and counting are reaping the rewards from a tremendously generous VA benefit, there are many, many more struggling with tuition payments and student loans.

The VA estimates that there are approximately 22 million Veterans in the U.S. There are also more than 1.3 million service members on active duty, and more than 850,000 members of the Reserves. Despite the fact that over 1 million Veterans have received free tuition, there are still over 20 million Veterans who may be in need of tuition assistance. Additionally, there are over 2 million service members between current active duty personnel and Reservists who may have student loans that won’t get paid by the GI Bill.

Veterans who are facing financial hardships due to uncovered tuition payments and student loans should research Leave No Veteran Behind (LNVB), a Chicago based nonprofit organization that offers Retroactive Scholarships to Veterans.

The LNVB Retroactive Scholarship is a highly sought after scholarship open to eligible Veterans who meet the criteria, which includes: the completion of a degree or vocational program, existing loans from a lending institution for education costs, and a letter explaining the financial or personal/family hardship that their education debt has created. LNVB scholarship recipients must also be willing to agree to complete 100-400 hours of community service.

Veterans interested applying for the LNVB Retroactive Scholarship should click here to apply.

Patriotic Americans and Veterans interested in contributing to the education of Veterans are invited to DONATE what they can.

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.

Military Connection: Retroactive Scholarships for Vets: By Joe Silva

Military Connection: New Suicide Screening: By Debbie Gregory

November 30, 2014/in Archived Blogs

Military doctors are looking to reduce the number of suicides among service members with psychiatric conditions by implementing a new screening system that flags those who are at the highest risk of taking their own lives.

Most suicide screenings are questionnaires that are dependent on truthful answers from people who often feel the need to hide their true symptoms and intentions for fear of retribution. The questionnaires also offer little-to-no help in combining factors to predict suicide risk.

Doctors have known for years that mental health patients are at a high risk of suicide in the months after leaving the hospital. Military researchers wanted to know what, if anything, those who did commit suicide had in common. They thought that a great way to proceed would be the pooling of databases of the patient’s military and medical records.

The research team analyzed the records of 40,820 service members who were hospitalized at least once between 2004 and 2009 for a mental health disorder. Researchers found that 5% of the sample patients tested 15 times more likely to commit suicide during the first year after being released from the hospital than the rest of the test group.

The team formulated a list of more than 300 factors that could be related to suicide risk, including age, access to weapons, military rank, history of substance abuse, IQ, clashes with leadership, combat experience, PTSD diagnosis, and marital status.

Through their study, researchers were able narrow the list of factors down to those that together identified the 5% at highest risk, resulting in more than half of the suicides that occurred within the entire group in the year following hospital discharge.

Some of the shared factors among those at higher risk were expected, such as previous suicide attempts, contracting a traumatic brain injury, and a history of using weapons. But other factors, such as an enlistment age older than 26, and having a higher I.Q., came as a surprise.

Researchers believe that if the new prediction program can be integrated into the military’s medical system, it could allow doctors to follow high-risk soldiers closely after discharge, allowing them to take preventive measures. These measures could include outpatient therapy in the weeks after discharge, working to build social support by enlisting friends and family, and teaching coping mechanisms to deal with overwhelming feelings.

This type of suicide screening is not likely to be immediately useful for civilian hospitals, which do not have nearly as much personal data on patients as the military does.

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.

Military Connection: New Suicide Screening: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Suits for Richmond, VA Vets: By Debbie Gregory

November 29, 2014/in Archived Blogs

When newly separated Veterans are scrambling to prepare for their first post-military job interview, they often find that their wardrobe is lacking. Many Veterans find that they can’t afford a new suit for that first interview. The Junior League of Richmond has launched a campaign in an attempt to help.

Most men and woman who serve in the military adjust to living a Spartan lifestyle. After multiple deployments and a few PCS moves, it’s easier to live and travel lightly. When most service members transition out of the military, they usually have a full assortment of uniforms, and some casual civilian clothing. Since the need for formal attire, outside of a dress uniform, wasn’t a necessity while they served, business suits are often missing from these wardrobes. So while they were able to wear their military uniform to a wedding or formal event, Veterans must now wear appropriate business attire for job interviews.

New suits cost an average of $200, and can go up as high as $1,000. Veterans also have to make sure that they have appropriate shoes, socks, shirts, and ties. Having to purchase these items, even on the lower-end of the price spectrum, could break the bank for single Veterans, and especially for Veterans with families.

To help Veterans to be at the ready to interview in the proper attire, the Junior League of Richmond launched the BOOTS TO SUITS program on Veterans Day, 2014.

The program is administered through the league’s thrift store, appropriately called The Clothes Rack. The store issues vouchers to Veterans that entitle them to receive two career outfits. Veterans can chose to have one suit and one business casual outfit, or two business casual outfits.

Veterans can obtain vouchers through the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program and the Petersburg Freedom Support Center.

The BOOTS TO SUITS program is stocked solely from clothing donations made by caring individuals. The program is always in need of donations for both men and women. Items needed include dress pants, blazers, skirts, slacks, button up shirts, blouses, ties, khakis, polo shirts, sweaters, belts and shoes.

The Clothes Rack also accepts other clothing items for men, women and children, as well as home decor, small furniture and jewelry. Please see the store’s Donations Guide for complete details. Donations are tax deductible.

If you are a Veteran in need of interview attire, or an individual interested in donating items to the BOOTS TO SUITS program, please visit or contact The Clothes Rack directly at their two locations:

The Clothes Rack at Cary Street
2618 West Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23220
804-358-4693

The Clothes Rack at Stratford Hills
6780 Forest Hill Avenue
Richmond, VA 23225
804-323-6270

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.