One in five Servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from major depression or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. To help Servicemembers affected by a behavioral or other health condition, TRICARE created the Toolkit for Wounded, Ill, and Injured Servicemembers. The Toolkit is located at http://www.tricare.mil/wii and it’s a good resource for wounded service members seeking information about healthcare.

Full story.

[Read More...]

Scott & White Healthcare expanded its mental health program to help more military men and women deal with trauma and stress. Additionally, the Temple-based hospital system changed the name of the services to Scott & White Military Homefront Services. Scott & White delivers the program in partnership with the Fort Hood-Central Texas Association of the United States Army. Established in 2008 as Project Homefront, the program delivers free mental health services to service men and women, who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan as well as their families.  Since its inception, Scott & White Military Homefront Services has served 4,518 patients. Homefront added services to help victims of the November 2009 Fort Hood shooting, where 13 people were killed and 31 injured. The program, which was created and funded through a foundation grant, seeks an estimated $500,000 to $4 million in donations or grants to establish an endowment and continue its services. The program is available to military Servicemembers and their families in Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, Limestone, McLennan, Milam, Navarro and Robertson counties. To learn more about this program, please go to: http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2010/01/04/daily44.html
Full story.

[Read More...]

The Federal Reserve’s new rules for credit card companies mean new credit card protections for you. Here are some key changes you should expect from your credit card company beginning on February 22, 2010. Full story.

[Read More...]

TRICARE now offers many options for recently deactivated guardsmen, reservists and their Families to maintain their health during the transition from active duty back to civilian life. After serving in contingency operations for more than 30 days, deactivated guardsmen, reservists and their Family members are eligible to receive care through the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) for 180 days after deactivation. TAMP participants can choose TRICARE Standard or TRICARE Prime, if it is locally available. To learn more, go to http://www.myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/01/TRICARE.
Full story.

The Army Spouse Employment Partnership (ASEP) is designed to help spouses realize their dreams of having a career. The ASEP has numerous initiatives to advance the program during 2010. The ASEP-National Guard Bureau (NGB) Integration Program Plan includes piloting the program in five states: Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Virginia. Program briefings are scheduled with each pilot state’s Adjutant General. To further its endeavors within the Army community, the ASEP program has joined with Fort Gordon to launch the first State and Regional Pilot Program in May 2010, to link the National ASEP Partners with the companies located within surrounding communities to provide an extensive network of employers with whom spouses can obtain careers. The ASEP Korean Peninsula Integration Project Plan promotes ASEP with the Army community in Korea. The marketing strategy for this initiative combines relocation and employment to provide pre and post relocation courses to prepare spouses for employment in a foreign country. Another current ASEP initiative is a partnership with the Warrior Care and Transition Office to create a Wounded Warrior Spouse Employment Program. The ASEP and SFAC staff will work to develop the integration plan for the project and pilot it in two locations still to be determined. Another initiative is development of a promotional ASEP video for use in multiple venues to highlight the program, and help make ASEP a household name with Army spouses in 2010. For more information about the ASEP program, visit http://www.myarmyonesource.com/EducationCareersandLibraries/default.aspx.
Full story.

Spouses, Soldiers (Active, Reserve, and Guard), Retirees and volunteers all bring unique qualifications and perspectives to the Army Family Action Plan Work group Sessions. The one thing they have in common as they work their issues is a passion. Full story.

Military families starting to plan college visits for their rising seniors should also consider factoring in another excellent opportunity for their students. Boys and Girls State, sponsored respectively by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, are summer leadership and citizenship programs for high school students between their junior and senior years. Boys and Girls State programs are held in every state, except Hawaii, usually on a college campus within that state. These programs are designed to help students learn first-hand how their state and local government work.

American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary members and community leaders volunteer their time to staff the programs. Delegates to Boys and Girls State are selected with the help of their high school principal on the basis of potential leadership qualities. The final selection is made by American Legion posts. In most cases, individual expenses (except for air fare) are paid by a sponsoring post, local business, or another community-based organization.

For families serving overseas, the American Legion Boys State of Missouri (MBS) is now offering eight openings for DoDEA students, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. It is important for families to know that Missouri Boys State places no Missouri residency restrictions on DoDEA students. The 2010 MBS Session will be held June 12-19 at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO. For more information on this program, interested boys should contact their high school counselor or visit the MBS website at  www.moboysstate.org.  For further opportunities, military families stationed overseas should contact their home state American Legion or American Legion Auxiliary.

To learn more about Boys and Girls State, visit: www.boysandgirlsstate.org. 

(Source: http://www.legion.org/boysnation/stateabout)
Full story.

[Read More...]