Online Learning Programs for Military Members

Members of the Military community enjoy unique traits that few others in the workforce do – they are trained to use some of the most advanced technologies in the world and many have seen tense combat action none of their fellow civilian applicants could imagine. However, when they are in the lobby of the company to which they are applying, all that matters is their résumé, and if that doesn’t match the job description, then their once-in-a-lifetime Military experiences won’t put them any closer to getting hired. So if the Military community may not be able to transfer their backgrounds in a way that will help them in the civilian world, then what are they to do?

For many Military members, the answer is to return to school, and they should know one thing before applying anywhere: there is a world of federal funding available for them to get an education.

The below education benefits for Military members are all available to those who qualify (requirements may go beyond what is listed), and some of the earmarked money may even be available to spouses and other non-servicepersons:

·        Post 9/11 GI Bill^® – Created for those who served 90 or more consecutive days on or after Sept. 10, 2001. The benefit offers as much as 36 months of educational funding, and is good for up to 15 years after service requirements have been completed[1].

·        Montgomery GI Bill^® – This program is for both Active Duty and Selected Reserve Service Members in the Armed Forces. Active Duty applicants pay $100 a month for a 12 month period, and then receive a monthly grant after finishing their minimum service obligation. Additional funding is available for Selected Reserve applicants who are actively drilling[2].

·        Yellow Ribbon Program – The Yellow Ribbon Program is a subset of the Post 9/11 GI Bill^® and was created to ensure that those benefits do not run out. The funding may be used for either public or private schools, though learning institutions must first elect to become part of the program. Neither Active Duty applicants nor their spouses are eligible for Yellow Ribbon funds, though in certain conditions, their children are[3].

·        Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service (VR&E) – This benefits program helps Veterans and Service Persons receive job training, career counseling, résumé development and more. Services are also available for the severely disabled and those who wish to start their own businesses[4].

The above are just a brief summary and small sample of the benefits available to the Military community. Additional programs include the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program, Reserve Educational Assistance Program, Workforce Investment Act and more.

GI Bill (R) is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

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[1] VA.gov, Education and Training. http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp (Date: March 18, 2014)

[2] VA.gov, Montgomery GI Bill. http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/montgomery_bill.asp (Date: Nov. 29, 2013)

[3] VA.gov, Yellow Ribbon Program. http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/yellow_ribbon.asp (Date: Jan. 27, 2014)

[4] VA.gov, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment. http://www.benefits.va.gov/vocrehab/index.asp (Date: March 18, 2014)

Av-Det keeps U.S.-Polish training running smoothly

by Airman 1st Class Ryan Conroy
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

3/31/2014 - LASK AIR BASE, Poland -- "All the expectations you have for a normal assignment -- throw those out the window. We have to analyze who we have, what our guys bring to the table and what we can do to overcome any challenges thrown our way," said Maj. Micah Chollar, 52nd Operations Group, Detachment 1 director of operations.

The Aviation Detachment here was activated in November 2012, and consists of a small group of Airmen marking the first enduring presence of U.S. military members on Polish soil. The detachment's presence in Poland makes it possible to host multiple allied air force elements and serve as a regional hub for air training and multi-national exercises. They also facilitate and enable combined U.S. and Polish training and exercises to increase air support to NATO.

Ten Airmen are assigned and work at the Av-Det, each serving a vital role in the mission here. The various jobs consist of Airmen from several mission-essential career fields to include: A C-130 Hercules and an F-16 Fighting Falcon instructor pilot, an aerospace ground equipment troop, a crew chief, a maintenance officer, a contracting officer, a logistics airman, two communications airmen and a supply airman.

"It's interesting because we're used to operating with people within our own career fields," said Chollar. "Now, all of us are one deep in the shop together. You learn a lot about each other's career fields, what each person brings to the fight and how to communicate more efficiently."

With the limited on-base resources available to those assigned here, the contracting officer, whose job is to procure anything needed off the economy, takes on a large responsibility within the detachment.

"My assumption coming here is that we are going to a U.S. Air Force base, but I came to quickly realize that we are a very small tenant unit inside a Polish air force base," said Tech. Sgt. Rommel Delmundo, 52nd OG, Det 1 contracting officer. "That changes a lot of things. We don't have a base exchange or a commissary or a gas station so we depend and rely a lot on the economy as far as accomplishing our mission to not only maintain our unit but the rotations that come through here as well."

While working and living with only 10 Airmen on a day-to-day basis may seem like a daunting task, the Airmen stationed here for the year realize it comes down to cooperation and understanding.

"Since there are only 10 of us, we've come to rely on each other whenever someone gets overloaded and needs help," said Tech. Sgt. Gloria Casanova, 52nd OG, Det 1 client systems. "We have come to be very close and been able to be that helping hand for individuals in any career field."

The Av-Det hosts approximately four rotations each fiscal year for off-site training for an average of two weeks at a time. While eight weeks out of the year may not seem that long, the Av-Det Airmen contribute their workload to the preparation before a unit arrives.

"What's not commonly known is how little downtime we have here," said Maj. Matthew Spears, 52nd OG, Det 1 commander. "We may have months in between each rotation, but it's not well known how hard we work in those months. It's that behind the scenes work that makes rotations successful here. The preparation we do allows units to come in and begin operations on day one."

Delmundo expresses the same views and explains that with extensive preparations, the outcome results in an easier workload while rotations are present at the Av-Det.

"There's a lot of preparation going on before a rotation arrives," said Delmundo. "There's hotel coordination, vehicle coordination, getting tents and making sure we have water. That's the majority of what we do here is preparation and when execution time comes, if everything is done right, then it's pretty much cruise control."

While preparations for several rotations of F-16 and C-130 squadrons can exhaust a lot of man-hours, Av-Det personnel understand the importance of their mission and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a successful completion of a rotation.

"We know that the work we accomplished was for a valid purpose and we took a little bit of coordination and administration off the plates off an operational unit with a high operations tempo to make their lives a little easier," said Spears.

"The team out here works hard, whether we're preparing for a rotation or building relationships with the Polish air force," Spears said. "Either way, I couldn't be prouder of the work that they do."

To date, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and numerous other distinguished visitors have visited the Av-Det here to solidify the importance of a U.S. presence in Poland.

Alaska Guard, Agencies Test Emergency Response Capabilities

By Army Sgt. Edward Eagerton

Alaska National Guard

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska, March 31, 2014 – More than 1,100 Air and Army National Guard members from Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Arizona, California, Nevada, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah are taking part in exercise Alaska Shield 2014 across the state.

The exercise, which began March 27, involves national, state and local agencies and is designed to test the response and coordination of different agencies in a disaster scenario modeled after the 1964 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that ravaged Alaska.

“With Alaska Shield 2014, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1964 earthquake by replicating its significant damage and corresponding tsunami in order to educate and prepare participants for potential catastrophic events,” said Army Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Katkus, the adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard and commissioner of the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

The exercise consists of scenario-based events at multiple locations from Anchorage to the Mat-Su Borough, Cordova, Valdez and Fairbanks. The scenarios include hazardous material detection and response, search and rescue, triage, casualty evacuation, communication support and transportation support.

“Alaska Shield 2014 is a highly complex training exercise that integrates federal, state and local emergency participants in a combined response,” Katkus said.

Other agencies participating in the event include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Army, Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Transportation Command, the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and many other organizations.

“There is no question that Alaska is an ideal venue for this exercise, which will test our collective ability to share information among federal, state, local, tribal and other community organizations and respond accordingly,” Katkus said.

Hagel Orders Overhaul of POW/MIA Identification Agencies

By Nick Simeone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced today that he’s ordered an overhaul of the Pentagon agencies responsible for recovering and identifying the remains of America’s war dead.

The reorganization seeks consolidate the mission, improve efficiency and increase the number of remains identified by the two key agencies charged with POW-MIA accounting efforts -- the Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Hagel told a Pentagon news conference.

Last month, the defense secretary directed Michael Lumpkin, acting undersecretary of defense for policy, to provide him with recommendations on how to reorganize the two organizations into a single, streamlined unit with oversight for the entire mission.

“These steps will help improve the accounting mission, increase the number of identifications of our missing, provide greater transparency for their families and expand our case file system to include all missing personnel,” Hagel said.

An armed forces medical examiner working for the yet-to-be-named agency will be the sole DOD identification authority and will oversee operations of the central identification laboratory in Hawaii as well as those in Omaha, Neb., and Dayton, Ohio.

“By consolidating functions, we will resolve issues of duplication and inefficiency and build a stronger, more transparent and more responsive organization,” Hagel stressed.

In explaining why the reorganization was necessary, Lumpkin told reporters it had become clear that the department needed a “paradigm shift” from what some have called “outdated, institutionalized thinking and behavior that didn’t deliver the number of remains accounted for that we had hoped.”

“As of next year, Congress has mandated the department have the capacity to identify up to 200 sets of remains a year, but last year the DOD agencies only identified 70 sets,” he said.

Lumpkin said the new agency will maintain a single database of records related to missing Americans instead of the multiple databases currently in use. In addition, he said, proposals will be developed for expanding partnerships with private organizations already working to recover and identify remains to “fully embrace progressive science.”

No date has been set for when the new agency will be stood up, but the undersecretary said it would be led by a civilian appointed by the president.

“This is a top priority for the Department of Defense. There is no greater sacrifice a service member can make than by dying for this country and we want to honor these heroes by bringing them home,” Lumpkin said.

Defense Secretary Welcomes Portuguese Minister to Pentagon

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today welcomed Portuguese Minister of Defense Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco to the Pentagon, and expressed to the minister his appreciation for Portugal’s many contributions to international security, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a Defense Department news release.

The secretary specifically thanked Portugal for supporting NATO’s Baltic Air Policing rotation later this year, and Portugal’s support in combating piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, Kirby said in the release.

Kirby said Hagel also thanked Aguiar-Branco for Portugal’s hospitality towards U.S. airmen at Lajes Field.

The two leaders “discussed the situation in Ukraine and reaffirmed both nations’ steadfast commitment to our collective defense obligations,” Kirby said.

Both men, he said, agreed on the need for Russia to begin discussions with the Ukrainian government, as diplomacy remains the only acceptable means of resolving this crisis.

“Secretary Hagel looks forward to seeing Minister Aguiar-Branco at the NATO Summit in Wales, this September,” Kirby said in the release.

Frozen dangers demand sharpened skillset

by SPC True Thao
364th Press Camp Headquarters

3/31/2014 - VALDEZ, Alaska -- The Valdez Fire Department participated in Alaska Shield 14 by conducting a glacier rescue scenario here March 30, 2014. Alaska Shield 14 is an exercise that involves federal, state, local and military designed to test response and coordination efforts during a disaster and is modeled after the 1964 earthquake.

The exercise began when citizens were trapped in a glacier crevasse early morning. The fire department worked closely with other agencies and the military, to perform a slow and steady glacier rescue scenario to ensure their readiness for future catastrophic events. The local agencies were able to complete the mission using all the resources available.

"We used multi-agencies to accomplish the mission," said Mike Weber, captain of the Valdez Fire Department. "It is very seldom that one agency has all the necessary resources to perform a rescue."

Being part of Alaska Shield 14 allows the Valdez Fire Dept. to reach out to other local and federal agencies in assisting with the rescue efforts. One local agency they worked hand in hand with was the Alaskan State Troopers. Working with the troopers allowed the fire department to have access to a helicopter and other resources that are usually unavailable to them.

"We work really well with the state troopers to coordinate rescue efforts," said Weber. "We coordinate most of our rescues with them."

Part of the Valdez Fire Department's purpose is to provide emergency medical services and rescue as defined by professional standards. Participating in Alaska Shield 14 allowed the local agencies scenario-based training that can help reduce any risk during an emergency rescue. Having more rescue members can also minimize the risk.

"We need as many people as we can get to complete the mission," said Chris Moulton, a firefighter with the Valdez Fire Department. "Working with other agencies is great."

With Alaska Shield 14 continuing through March 31 for the city of Valdez, the local agencies will continue to play their role in the exercise working with federal, state, local and military agencies to help local citizens prepare for catastrophic events similar to the one that occurred 50 years ago.

Volunteer pilots, photographers aid Alaska Shield disaster exercise

by SPC Ryan Swanson
364th Press Camp Headquarters

3/31/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Civil Air Patrol volunteers help ensure Alaska's energy assets are safe and secure during natural disasters by taking pictures and downloading them to federal authorities for analysis.

On March 29, 2014, one such flight took off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to inspect energy platforms as part of the disaster exercise Alaska Shield 2014.

After an earthquake strikes, volunteer pilots with the Civil Air Patrol immediately get up in the air and fly across the state on a damage assessment mission.

The Civil Air Patrol also trains its own photographers how to take pictures of energy production and transport facilities in the event of a natural emergency and how to send photos to federal authorities for analysis.

This day, Jeff Morton, a Civil Air Patrol mission observer, took several hundred pictures of a dozen oil rigs in Cook Inlet.

"We get different shots from many angles, and make sure they are up to the standards required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency," said Morton.

An earthquake can damage oil platforms by causing footings to slip and from tsunami activity all of which may cause the structures to ignite or cause large oil spills.

"When it comes to a bridge, the damage is not easily seen, with an oil rig, it's there or not," said Ron Preston, a mission pilot with the Alaskan Civil Air Patrol. "There are a cubic million feet in the pipeline [below the rig] at any given moment."

One of the other oil rigs photographed on this mission was a "mono pod-style" rig with a single shaft of steel rising above the water.

"It's a pedestal table that is designed to break the ice around it," said Preston.

The plane then flew along the Aleutian Range to the Drift River Terminal on the Cook Inlet and spun around for more pictures.

Morton and Preston went on to complete their important flight by touching down at a Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson airstrip. Morton then downloaded the pictures to a computer and finalized which pictures to send to FEMA.

Alaska Shield 14 is an exercise that involves state, federal, military, and local agencies, designed to test response and coordination efforts during a disaster and is modeled after the 1964 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated much of South Central Alaska.

AFRCC helps save seven lives after Washington mudslide

By Capt. Jared Scott
601 AOC Public Affairs

3/31/2014 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center stepped in to help local authorities after a massive mudslide left several residents injured, trapped or missing in Snohomish County, Wash.

At approximately 3:30 p.m. March 22, the AFRCC received a call from a 911 call center in Darrington, Wash., requesting assistance in the rescue of an unknown number of residents trapped by the mudslide.

"We were already aware of the devastation this mudslide caused the state of Washington from multiple sources, including the news," said Lt. Col. Ian Kemp, AFRCC commander. "Once the call came in, our controllers immediately started to coordinate with the closest and most suitable federal assets available to support Washington's request for a helicopter with hoist capabilities."

The AFRCC coordinated with Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., which launched an MH-60 helicopter to support. In addition, the AFRCC also coordinated with Civil Air Patrol's Washington Wing. They launched a light aircraft to provide relay communication support to rescuers on the ground.

"After Whidbey Island launched, we received word the rescuers located seven residents that were trapped," said Lt. Col. James Woosley, AFRCC Director of Operations. "Three of the residents were injured so the MH-60 crew transported them to a nearby medical facility. The other four were in good condition so they were moved to safety outside of the affected area."

As of March 23, 2014 the AFRCC has coordinated on 124 missions resulting in 40 lives saved.

"Any day of the week, our controllers could be working multiple missions," Kemp said. "On every mission we are aware that person missing or in distress is someone's parent, child or loved one. Every save is a big deal to the men and women of the AFRCC, but it is especially important to the person's family and friends. Many people were affected by this devastating mudslide and our thoughts and prayers are with those affected and the rescuers who are still diligently searching for survivors around the clock."

Search and rescue operations in affected areas are still being conducted by local, state and federal authorities.

The AFRCC, a unit under Air Forces Northern, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As the United States' Inland Search and Rescue Coordinator, the AFRCC serves as the single agency responsible for coordinating on-land federal search and rescue activities in the continental United States, Mexico and Canada.

CAP performs 85 percent of continental United States inland search missions as tasked by the AFRCC and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 70 lives annually.