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Should Military Kids Understand Military Rank?

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Her question made me cringe.

My daughters and I were delivering dinner to my husband at his office late one Thursday night when they asked the question that made me cringe:

“Why isn’t Daddy’s photo in the hallway?”

We’re a Navy family so when we deliver food to my husband, we stop by the quarterdeck to check in. Near the quarterdeck desk are the official photos of the battalion commander, executive officer and command master chief.

You know, the people in charge.

The people with high rank.

My husband wasn’t one of those people.

His official Navy photo isn’t framed with a shiny nameplate near the entrance.

That’s fine with us and honestly I didn’t think that our children even noticed salutes, designated parking spots and patches on a uniform.

But they are aware. They do notice. They ask questions. They are curious about the military and that makes them curious about military rank since it’s a part of their father’s job.

Should Military Kids Understand Military Rank?

Military kids, especially young children, do not need to understand military rank.

As a military spouse, I understand the basics of military rank. Basically I know enough to not embarrass myself during introductions at a Navy birthday ball.

But what about my children? Should they know the difference between officers and enlisted service members? Should they understand the different ranks and who reports to whom?

Should military kids understand military rank?

Nope.

I can’t think of a reason why military kids, especially young children, would have a need to understand military rank. I can’t think of a single situation where it would be relevant to their lives.

Now I’m not saying you won’t overhear military kids trying to “pull rank” on each other at the on-base playground.

I occasionally will hear a boy tell another one that “My husband is a gunny so you can’t tell me that” or a teenager say “my dad is really important. His name is in front of our house.”

These offhanded comments make me roll my eyes.

It’s a case of military kids wearing their service member’s rank. We know how inappropriate that is for military spouses so the same guidelines apply to our little ones. And I can’t help but wonder if the child is saying these rank-wearing comments because they’ve heard a parent talk in a similar tone at home.

Here are 3 things military kids need to understand about service members of all ranks.

Be respectful. As a parent, I teach my children to be respectful to all adults. This includes the service members in my neighborhood, the elderly veteran in line at the commissary and their often forgotten bus driver.

I want them to say “yes sir” and “no sir.” These polite habits aren’t only for a select few. Respect is equally given to all adults, regardless of their military rank.

Be appreciative. I hope that one day my children will appreciate the sacrifices of our veterans. No one job is more important than any other job in the Armed Forces. Enlisted? Officer? Special Forces? National Guard? Every person who volunteered to serve in our military deserves to be appreciated for their dedication.

Be independent. Back to my point that military kids don’t wear rank, we need to encourage them to be friends with whomever they want to be friends with. Their parents’ ranks are not a factor in finding friendship.

As a military child, it’s hard enough making new friends at a new school. Let’s not divide this community by rank or military branch.

Now that you know my military rank guidelines for interaction with service members, can you guess how I answered my daughter’s question about the framed photos at the quarterdeck?

I told her plainly that her father doesn’t have one of those 3 jobs. He has a different job at the battalion. Only 3 sailors have their photos hanging there and it’s because they have one of those 3 positions.

I didn’t explain rank structure.

And you know what?

That answer was more than satisfactory for her 3-year-old brain.

Do you think military kids should understand military rank? What do you think when you overhear them discussing rank structure at the playground?

How I Feel About Professional Athletes Protesting During the National Anthem

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When all this started last football season, I didn’t even pay attention. After all, it was a sidelined quarterback and he didn’t play for my team. Colin Kaepernick’s actions during the national anthem just didn’t affect me.

Since last fall, the rhetoric has ramped up and I now find myself taking sides. I honestly considered both positions.

Are these professional sports figures disrespecting the flag?

Should they be prevented from doing so legally?

They are disrespecting the military.

It seems like this line has been trotted out frequently over the last year. Many pundits would have us believe that by sitting, kneeling or otherwise protesting during the Star Spangled Banner, athletes are demeaning those who have served. I considered this view based on what I know as a military spouse.

Service members swear a solemn oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Part of that Constitution includes the First Amendment, which protects the right to free speech. By protesting, these professional athletes are exercising the very rights that our troops have sworn to protect and defend.

Our troops are working for an idea, an institution, that affirms our rights as Americans to believe as we choose and to, respectfully, act as we choose.

How I Feel About Professional Athletes Protesting During the National Anthem

The right to speak your mind is why my spouse signed up to protect and defend our great country. Not so that everyone would stand during the national anthem.

In many opinion pieces being shared online, veterans are supporting Kaepernick and his protest. Across the generations, active duty service members and veterans are defending the right to publicly protest, even if it means taking a knee during the national anthem.

I understand their reasons for protesting.

The last few years have seen very visible evidence of violence against people of color and other minority groups. It seems as if every week there is another news story about a police traffic stop gone horribly wrong. Or another young child caught in the crossfire. There rarely seems to be justice served.

I’m not here to tell police officers how to do their jobs. I certainly don’t know how and I can’t imagine being caught in those rock-and-a-hard-place scenarios where lives are on the line. I respect and admire anyone who chooses to serve their community and the greater good in law enforcement. But the optics are not great.

I can understand and sympathize with those who feel that there are great injustices happening daily in our country. I understand their desires to bring even greater visibility to these issues.

When it comes down to it, the protesting professional athletes are speaking to something that is affecting their lives and the lives of their loved ones and communities. And they are doing it without violence on a highly visible stage. It’s not very much different than other non-violent protests in the past.

Except that we now live in a time of very heated political rhetoric.

Lines have been drawn everywhere. Family members and close friends now no longer speak. Family reunions and friendly dinners have been turned into divisive debates. When opposing views seem to be held in our society, this is inevitable.

Mostly, I tried to stay out of this particular debate. Until I got to a point where I just couldn’t anymore. For me, that point came this past week.

I firmly agree that free speech does have unintended consequences. Private employers have the right to dismiss individuals who have used their First Amendment rights in a way that is not in keeping with the company’s mission statement. Other individuals have a right to reject words or actions that they disagree with. This, too, is part of the Bill of Rights.

With a series of tweets, our president seemed to call into question the rights of a U.S. citizen to protest peacefully. He called upon NFL team owners to fire any player that follows Kaepernick’s lead.

In short, our president used the power of his office to attempt to influence the actions of private businesses against individuals that he disagrees with.

And this is not OK. This is the line in the sand for me, personally.

As a representative of the U.S. government, our president also swears to protect and defend the Constitution. That includes the First Amendment, which enshrines freedom of speech for every citizen as the law of the land.

Freedom of speech isn’t just for when you agree with it, when it is convenient or when it follows your narrative. It means freedom of speech. Full stop.

This freedom means that the people who marched in Charlottesville, Va., have the same right to non-violent expression as professional athletes when they kneel during the anthem. It means that I can firmly believe that a silent protest to call attention to racial injustice is fine. And it means you can disagree with me about that same point.

If we walk away from protecting and defending this movement, these actions, as part of the First Amendment, what are we saying about America? That one kind of protest is OK, but another kind is not? We seem to be walking back our beliefs and freedoms because it doesn’t fit with our narrative that honoring the flag is directly tied to respecting our troops.

I see it differently.

We got where we are today through protests against injustice. The patriots in Boston showed their disgust at the tea tax by dumping it all in the harbor. Countless Quakers and abolitionists showed their opposition to slavery by assisting people to freedom. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and many others all practiced non-violent protests to help move our nation toward racial equality.

More athletes have joined the silent protest over the past year and especially over the last few weeks. Major League Baseball just saw its first player take a knee. Bruce Maxwell, a catcher for the Oakland Athletics, has silently refused to stand during the national anthem. Maxwell has predicted that we shouldn’t be “surprised if you start seeing athletes kneeling in other sports now.”

The right to speak your mind, to exercise your rights, is exactly why my spouse signed up to protect and defend our great country. Not so that everyone would stand and salute the flag. Not to earn unending gratitude. And certainly not to allow our rights to be trampled on.

These professional athletes are exercising their rights.

If you choose not to watch or support professional sports this season, that is your right. But you do not have the right to make professional athletes stop.

Now it’s your turn. How do you feel about professional athletes not standing during the national anthem?

Readers Split Over Veteran Shopping Privileges

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Just this past weekend as we were browsing the aisles at the commissary an announcement was made over the store intercom alerting shoppers to the fact that military Exchanges’ online shopping will soon be available to all veterans. It’s a newly added benefit that has seen a tremendously positive response.

But what about commissary privileges?

A MilitaryShoppers article looked at who is authorized to shop at the commissary and opened up discussion about whether commissary privileges should be extended to all veterans.

Cathy B suggested that commissary privileges “should be granted to all those veterans rated under 100% on a limited basis of 12 shopping trips a year plus a bonus trip during November in honor of Veterans Day.”

Carl felt differently. “Someone who did 4yrs should not get the same privileges as someone who did 20 or 30 yrs,” he wrote.

Reading through the comments, it’s easy to see that this is a hot topic for our readers and rightfully so. Shopping at the commissary does offer considerable savings on most products. Let’s address a few of the most common points of contention and some misconceptions.

Disabled Veteran Benefits

While it’s true that veterans with a 100% disability rating from the VA can shop at the commissary, veterans who receive at least a 30% disability rating from the military, are considered medically retired and do retain commissary benefits.

The 2 disability ratings are different. One is given by the VA and one by the military service itself. So many disabled veterans, especially those whose employment options are limited due to any service-connected injuries or conditions, are already granted privileges.

All Veterans Should Get to Shop

This is an idea express by many readers, but there are some logistical and economic factors that make a blanket open door policy difficult.

As some of our readers mentioned, how do we grant access to those who do not retain ID card privileges?

While the Exchange opened shopping to all veterans, that benefit was only extended online. And the Exchange is a self-sufficient, profit-positive business model that benefits from an increase in the size of its customer base. The more buyers you have, the greater your power to leverage those buyers when negotiating prices with manufacturers and suppliers.

The commissary is a taxpayer subsidized model. The bigger the customer base, the greater the subsidy required to continue to stock shelves and pay employees.

And where would we draw the line? Technically, if you’ve served a day, you are a veteran.

Does one day of service entitle you to benefits?

What if you’ve never been deployed?

Who would make that determination?

Are There Other Ways to Make it Work?

Some readers suggested that a special ID card could be issued or “benefit cards” like what the National Guard and Reserves use for their “once a month” shopping privileges prior to 9/11. This might be a viable option, but there would be additional costs associated with creating and maintaining the records necessary to make a program like this work.

Another suggestion made was to charge a fee, much like the national warehouse stores. This fee might prove an additional revenue stream to help close commissary budget shortfalls.

But it is important to consider what a huge influx of potential customers would do to the shopping experience. More shoppers creates additional strain on gate security and road resources. Parking, while usually ample, is limited, as are shelf space and checkout lanes.

An influx of customers could potentially see frequent outages of staple products and longer checkout lines. Which in turn, devalues the benefit being offered to those who are currently entitled to receive it.

I wholeheartedly understand why so many want to share the commissary benefit with all veterans. It is a sentiment born out of loyalty and a sense of community.

Should we see a revamped profit-earning business model like the Exchange emerge opening up commissaries to all veterans would make sense.

However, when you consider the financial and logistical impact, it becomes clear that opening the commissary doors to all veterans is just not a feasible option at present.

Want to have commissary specials and military discounts delivered to your inbox? Sign up for MilitaryShoppers newsletter today.

What the New GI Bill Means for Military Families

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Brace yourselves. Changes are coming to the GI Bill as we know it.

President Donald Trump signed the Forever GI Bill into law in August 2017. With this new bill, changes are in the works, including transferring benefits, housing allowances and the deadline to access GI Bill funds.

What the New GI Bill Means for Military Families

Time Limit

Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, beneficiaries had 15 years to use their earned education benefits. With the new GI Bill, there is no time limit to complete a degree, license or education program.

This is arguably the most important change to the bill since it extends the time that beneficiaries have to complete their education.

It allows for unexpected life events or changes along the way.

This is limited to veterans, troops and designated dependents who became eligible on or after January 1, 2013.

Housing Allowance

Under the current GI Bill, non-active duty students rate the Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) for an E-5 with dependents based on the location of their school. Additionally, students receive a portion of the total allowance based on how many credits they are taking. In order to qualify, students must be enrolled at greater than half-time.

Starting Jan. 1, 2018, the housing allowance will be calculated using the reduced BAH schedule.

Previously, the GI Bill has been exempted from the yearly 1% BAH reduction started in 2015 and ending in 2020. Students using the GI Bill before January 1, 2018, will continue to receive their current housing allowance rates.

Additionally, the location used to calculate housing allowances will be tied to the location where students physically attend classes. This could impact students who attend a satellite campus in a location with a lower BAH rate. This change goes into effect on Aug. 1, 2018. Students enrolled before this date will follow the current rules.

Housing for members of the reserve will be prorated by quarter, semester or term starting on Aug. 1, 2018.

Expanded Access

Currently, eligibility for GI Bill benefits is calculated based on time in service or discharge due to service-related injury. Under the Forever GI Bill, all Purple Heart recipients will be rated at the 100% funding level or with 100% of their tuition and fees of in-state tuition paid for.

Additionally, certain members of the Reserve will be eligible for benefits under certain conditions. If Reserve troops deployed to support a combatant command or within their state in response to a natural disaster, they may now be able to access GI Bill benefits. This includes Reservists who deployed in these capacities after 2009.

Reservists who used the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) will now be able to access the GI Bill under certain circumstances. Students who qualified before Nov. 25, 2015, but whose benefits have expired may choose to have that time in service credited toward the Post-9/11 GI Bill. This change applies to coursework started after Aug. 1, 2018.

Previously, students could be considered eligible for 40% of total GI Bill benefits (40% of in-state public college tuition and fees paid for) based on time in service. This category has now been eliminated.

Instead, the 60% level has been expanded to include more veterans. The minimum benefits level is now set at 50%, meaning that up to 50% of tuition and fees at an in-state public college would be paid by the VA.

Overall, more veterans and designated beneficiaries will be able to access higher education or career training with increased funding possible.

Transferring Benefits

Veterans can designate a dependent to receive GI Bill benefits. In the past, if that person passed away, the benefits disappeared.

Now, veterans are able to select another eligible dependent should their original designee die. Dependents who have received benefits are also able to pass on the GI Bill to another designee. This is only able to happen after the veteran who earned the benefits has passed away.

This now allows GI Bill benefits to continue on beyond the veteran or original designee in the event of death. This could prevent these valuable benefits from going unused.

Extra Protection

If your college closes before you earn a degree, the GI Bill now offers protections. Time spent at a college that has closed can now be partially or fully reinstated.

Students can also potentially earn GI Bill time back for courses that were not approved or for courses in which no credit was earned.

This is retroactive to programs, courses and colleges that were discontinued after Aug. 1, 2015. The change takes effect 90 days after the bill was signed.

Programs and Licenses

Students may begin using their benefits at accredited area career and technical schools that provide post-secondary education and/or vocational skills. This allows students to pursue a career path outside of traditional college level education.

Veterans at the 100% benefits level, with at least 60 credit hours of work and who will be reaching the end of their benefits before they complete an eligible degree in science, math, engineering, medicine or certain teacher training programs can apply for an extension.

This is a one-time 9-month benefit bonus. It cannot be transferred or be used in conjunction with the Yellow Ribbon Program. There is a $30,000 cap. This change begins on Aug. 1, 2019.

Entitlement charges for professional licensing and certification exams will be prorated based on the actual amount charged for the test.

Additional Benefits

Spouses and dependents who qualify for the Fry Scholarship may now also access the Yellow Ribbon Scholarship as well. This opens up new funding possibilities to supplement the GI Bill at private colleges or out-of-state schools. Purple Heart recipients will also be qualified for Yellow Ribbon Scholarships. These changes take effect on Aug. 1, 2018.

Beginning on Aug. 1, 2022, active duty troops using the GI Bill will be able to access the Yellow Ribbon Program. This will expand their ability to complete coursework at a larger number of institutes of higher learning while still serving their country.

Students who were eligible under the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program now have 36 months of benefits instead of 45 months. This change applies to students who enroll after Aug. 1, 2018.

This same change increases the amount payable per month to $1,224 for full-time students, $967 for students enrolled at three-quarter time and $710 for half time enrollment. This increase is effective Oct. 1, 2018.

Will these changes to the GI Bill impact your family? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Do Special Privileges for the Military Magnify the Civilian-Military Divide?

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Do a quick online search for military discount or military offer and thousands and thousands of webpages come up.

And it’s not just restaurants or retails stores, car rentals, apartment rentals, colleges and car dealerships all offer special pricing and discounts for active duty service members, veterans, National Guard and military spouses.

Add in our medical coverage, housing pay, debt relief, and educational and retirement benefits, and it’s not hard to see why some feel that service members and their families receive too many special privileges and considerations.

Do Special Privileges for the Military Magnify the Civilian-Military Divide?

Despite the stereotypes, members of the military community aren’t cheapskates. We’re not sitting at home hoarding all the savings we get from military discounts.

But even though we know more than anyone that these benefits and privileges are earned by our service members, it can be disheartening when we find ourselves in the crosshairs of public opinion.

Often when these arguments are raised, we feel like we are standing on the other side of some kind of cultural divide.

Can the average American truly appreciate our way of life?

Can they understand why these special provisions are available for military families?

At the same time, we must consider our own motivations. Are we asking for too much?

The Difference Between Benefits and Privileges

To those who think we are, as a community, overpaid and over-privileged, a quick review of the difference between benefits and privileges is in order.

The housing, educational, retirement and medical benefits are just that – benefits.

Just like any other job, these benefits are part of the total compensation package offered by an employer to an employee upon the acceptance of a position.

Yes, these benefits are funded by federal taxes, a system our community also pays into, but any American who chooses to apply and accept a position in the military is entitled to receive them.

These things are not privileges, they are earned compensation.

That being said, it is important to understand that there is a limit to these benefits. I’ve heard military spouses complain about the military not paying for an airline ticket home for a funeral or about how school loan debt for dependents should be forgiven.

While arguments could be made for additional benefits in both cases, the truth is, the military isn’t a I-want-it-so-give-it-to-me free for all. We cannot simply expect that our every need and want be subsidized by the American taxpayer.

The U.S. military is not a welfare state. We must be careful about considering ourselves to be a community more deserving than others. We are no more American than our civilian neighbors.

Benefits earned should be benefits received. Everything else is on us to manage.

All Those Military Discounts

While most businesses offering a military discount do so as a way to give back and say thank you, let’s not lose sight of the fact that it is still a marketing technique used to attract customers.

The U.S. military community is fairly unique as far as our spending habits are concerned. Job security offers our community of consumers the ability to spend more than their civilian counterparts in many areas. Offering a discount attracts customers from the million plus strong military community.

It’s no different than offering a discount to those who have student ID or are over 55 years old.

And when you consider that a lot of military folks I know tend to spend more when there is a military discount offered or leave bigger tips, any military discount is funneled right back into the economy.

Despite the stereotypes, members of the military community aren’t cheapskates. We’re not sitting at home hoarding all the savings we get from military discounts.

A Community Apart?

We are a community unlike any other in that we exist because our nation demands a strong and professional military. And while our role as citizens is unique, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are part of much larger whole and should continue to serve our country with grace and humility.

We must not close ranks, but instead remain open and engaged in the conversation about the future of this country, including its military.

After all, while long and distinguished, even a career of service in the military must come to an end. And we will need to cross that cultural divide and rely on the strength and acceptance of our civilian communities to help us make that transition.

Do you think that military discounts add to the cultural divide between the military community and civilians? Share your opinion in the comments section.

My Thoughts on the Global War on Terror Memorial

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President Donald Trump recently signed a bill approving the construction of a national memorial, the Global War on Terror Memorial, which will honor those who have fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

The bill to establish the national memorial was sponsored by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, an Army veteran of the Iraq War, and Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia in the Senate.

Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, and Seth Moulton, D-Massachusetts were the bill’s sponsors on the House side. Both are Marine Corps veterans of the Iraq War.

My Thoughts About the Global War on Terror Memorial

The Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation hopes to unveil its memorial by 2024. 

This bill does not select a location for the Global War on Terror Memorial, but it authorizes its site as somewhere on “federal land in the District of Columbia.” Organizers are hoping for a spot on the National Mall.

The memorial will be 100% privately funded through donations raised by the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation. The estimated cost of construction is $40 million.

What will the Global War on Terror Memorial look like?

Now that the memorial has been approved by Congress and the president, the memorial’s organizers are working on its design. So far, they have announced that the memorial will include 6 themes: endurance, sacrifice, all-volunteer, global, multicultural and unfinished.

My Thoughts About the 6 Themes for the Global War on Terror Memorial

Endurance. Endurance is National Guard soldiers who served 18 months in Iraq and sometimes stayed longer because their deployment was extended for a second time.

Endurance is Marines who served back-to-back deployments, hopping between Iraq and Afghanistan.

Endurance is military spouses who lose track of how many times their spouse has left and returned home.

Endurance takes strength, determination and a faith in the fight.

Sacrifice. More than 7,000 service members have died in the Global War on Terror and more than 52,000 have been wounded. I don’t know how you show the sacrifice on these Americans in a memorial.

In the military community, we all know at least one name. A name that is forever etched in our hearts and our minds. We remember that name along with a date on the calendar. It’s the day of their death. The day that we solemnly remember their life and their sacrifice.

All-Volunteer. More than 2.5 million Americans are estimated to have been deployed in support of the Global War on Terror. Some of these service members were already in the military in 2001. Many were not.

These service members were children when the 9/11 attacks happened. They saw the news on television when they were 10, 12 or 14 years old. Those images stuck with them so that when they turned 18 years old, these men and women raised their right hands and took an oath to serve and protect our nation.

Global. This war has taken our service members to places that I couldn’t pick out on a map before 2001. We know about Iraq and Afghanistan, but what about Kenya, Djibouti and Kuwait?

Multicultural. The diversity of today’s all-volunteer Armed Forces makes my heart swell with pride. As a military spouse, I’m humbled when I meet service members from different races, cultures and economic backgrounds. They are American Indians from Oklahoma, men from the Philippines and women from Miami.

Unfinished. Organizers said the “unfinished” theme has 2 meanings.

First, it reminds us that this ongoing war is still taking place around the globe. The second reason points to the continued personal conflicts of our veterans when they return home.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. There is no end in sight for this war at home and around the world.

The Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation hopes to unveil its memorial by 2024. You can make a donation by visiting the foundation’s website.

What are your thoughts on the Global War on Terror Memorial?

Should Service Members Be Required to Buy into Their Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit?

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House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Phil Roe, R-Tenn., introduced the idea of changing the GI Bill to have service members buy into the benefit. This quickly became a debated topic with strong opinions on both sides.

Later, a meeting was scheduled to hear points from multiple interested parties, but that was quickly called off as well. Finally, last month 35 veterans groups were able to peacefully discuss changes to the GI Bill.

At the conclusion of that meeting, the groups were able to agree on 4 key changes to the GI Bill but could not agree on how to fund them.

Currently, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is a free benefit to service members that meet certain criteria. There is no fee to participate in the program. The GI Bill is estimated to cost the government about $100 billion over the next 10 years.

Should Service Members Be Required to Buy into Their Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit?

New service members may be required to pay into the GI Bill if proposed changes occur. Four changes are being considered, but funding for them may come from service members directly.

The idea introduced is that new service members would have to buy into the GI Bill benefit if they wanted to have access to it. This fee would only apply to service members that enter the military after a set point, not current or former service members.

The GI Bill tax is proposed to be $100 a month for the first 2 years of service. While that might not sound like a lot of money to those in Washington, it is substantial to lower enlisted men and women. Once the $2,400 has been paid over that period of time, service members would be eligible to use the GI Bill. The government estimates that this buy-in fee would bring in $3.1 billion over 10 years.

The money taken in from this GI Bill tax would be used to finance adding other groups of service members and their families that do not, under the current GI Bill, qualify for the program. Adding these groups to the GI Bill benefit is what all parties can agree on, but funding it through this tax is not.

As it stands, the groups agreed on 4 changes to the GI Bill.

The first is permitting National Guard and Reservists who deployed under Title 10, Section 12304b and should of qualified for benefits, but didn’t, to be eligible for the GI Bill. Roughly 4,700 service members fall under this category.

The second thing they agreed on is to broaden the eligibility for the Yellow Ribbon Program to include surviving spouses as well as children of service members that were killed while serving their county. The Yellow Ribbon Program provides extra money to put toward education, which allows recipients to attend schools or take classes that would otherwise cost more than the GI Bill would cover.

The third thing all parties could agree on was to give full GI Bill benefits to every Purple Heart recipient. Sadly, every Purple Heart recipient does not currently qualify for these benefits. As it stands, the service member must be medically retired from the military if they don’t have 36 months of active duty. There are about 1,500 Purple Heart recipients who do not meet these qualifications.

Finally, those at the meeting agreed that there should be assistance for students when a school they are attending closes. Under the current GI Bill, if a school closes its doors before you graduate, you simply lose the money that the GI Bill benefit paid to the school. You don’t get to start over at a new school with new money.

Thousands of veterans were hit hard when ITT Tech closed last year. They weren’t able to recoup any of the money or even transfer credits.

These 4 changes to the GI Bill are great improvements. The only problem is how to fund them. The VFW strongly disagrees with charging service members for the GI Bill but other groups, particularly the Student Veterans of America, are for it.

What do you think of this proposal to have service members buy into their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits?

Why New Regulations Won’t Solve the Marines United Problem

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Each of the Armed Services has passed down guidance intended to set expectations for dealing with the kind of despicable behavior brought to light in the Marines United Facebook group scandal.

Why New Regulations Won't Solve the Marines United Problem

Female service members have been secretly fighting to protect themselves from a “boys will be boys” culture for almost 80 years.

But if history is any indication, it’s hard to be convinced it will change a single thing. Regulations already in place should make eliminating this kind of behavior from the ranks easy and yet here we are.

Or should I say, here we are again.

Sadly, the deep-rooted culture of denigrating and disrespecting women who serve hasn’t changed much since women first answered the call to arms.

A  History of Public Humiliation

In 1943 a “slander campaign” sought to undermine the value and service of the Women’s Army Auxillary Corp. It whispered of pregnancy issues and venereal diseases. The campaign impacted recruitment efforts at a time when women’s service was greatly needed. Investigators initially thought the campaign was a form of enemy propaganda, but in the end, it was the actions of high-ranking military officers who believed women had no place in the military.

Fast forward 50 years and the weekend-long Tailhook Naval Conference left 87 women and 7 men sexually assaulted. After an initial cover-up, it took a single victim’s willingness to sacrifice her career and take her story to the press to get the Navy to stop making excuses and start taking action.

Female service members have been fighting to protect our country while secretly fighting to protect themselves from a “boys will be boys” and “locker room talk” culture for almost 80 years.

80 years.

The first service regulations that specifically targeted sexual harassment in the military weren’t even introduced until 1980, nearly 4 decades after women had become fully integrated into the U.S. military.

A Culture of Statistics

In 2014, a survey of female veterans from the Vietnam era to present showed that as many as a quarter of military women have been sexually assaulted and 80% sexually harassed. Another report in 2011 offered this staggering statistic:

“Women in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by fellow soldiers than they are to be killed in combat.”

Ironically, when women report such crimes and demand the respect they’ve rightfully earned, it is used as an excuse to call them weak and accuse them of distracting their unit from its mission. A 2014 DoD survey found that in the previous year alone, “62% of active service members who reported sexual assault had experienced retaliation, including professional, social and administrative actions or punishments.”

This is the culture female service members face. It is a culture that continues to tell them that their service and their sacrifice is somehow less. That their personal safety isn’t found in trusting the soldier to their right and left, but instead must be found in tolerating illegal and immoral behaviors and staying quiet. It is a culture that demands they give their all and punishes them when their male counterparts decide they don’t like the competition.

Top-Down Change Won’t Work

Regulations and laws currently in place allow for the prosecution of service members involved in the latest scandal, who undoubtedly understood that their behavior was illegal and reprehensible and hence kept it secret and hidden from public view.

Some found safety in their fake-account anonymity; others in the sheer number of other group members who engaged in the same behavior. Sure, the group and the folder full of stolen images have disappeared, but investigators believe the group and its content will congregate and materialize under a new name on a new site. And while there are a few examples of service members suffering the consequences of such actions, there is a staggeringly number of cases where the behavior is dismissed or ignored.

I wish I felt that this renewed awareness would change things. That somehow those who still believe that “hotties don’t belong in the military” would hear the words of their leadership and change.

But the truth is, they haven’t listened in the last 40 years and I doubt they will start now.

This kind of change can’t come from the top down. It must be a grassroots effort within the military community.

The Facebook group in question was 30,000 members strong and it’s unlikely that these members’ attitudes about female service members weren’t apparent to those who knew them in real life. How many of them have been called out, not just by their chain of command, but by their fellow service members or veterans?

If you look at a service member and see gender before the uniform, you’re part of the problem.

If you think the women who were victimized in this case were responsible in any way for what happened to them, you are part of the problem.

If you hear the jokes and innuendo and laugh or ignore it, you are part of the problem.

But if you are willing to call it out, if you are willing to start changing the way you think about this issues, you can be part of the solution.

The question is, will you?

What are your feeling about the Marines United Facebook group photo scandal? Share them in the comments section.

Military Exchange Online Shopping Opens to Veterans

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Nearly 20 million honorably discharged U.S. veterans will soon have the opportunity to shop online through the Army and Air Force Exchange service. This change in policy comes after years of pressure to open shopping to all those honorably discharged men and women.

As of Veterans Day, November 11, 2017, all honorably discharged U.S. veterans will be able to shop the exchange online.

This new privilege will only extend to online shopping however, not shopping in the physical exchange. Through the website, veterans will be able to purchase any items except for uniforms, alcohol and tobacco products.

The exchange estimates that this could bring in between $226 million and $1.13 billion in annual sales. An increase in sales also means an increase in funds for MWR programs.

Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) receives the majority of its funding from exchange dividends. The more sales the exchange has, the more programs MWR can offer. MWR programs are in place to support the “readiness and resilience for Soldiers and Families.” Programs include child and youth services, libraries, entertainment, sports and fitness, automotive skills, crafts and more.

Recently, exchange dividends have been low and MWR has not had the funds to support their usual programs. The Army has had to use some of this money to improve its daycare centers since budgets have been cut so much. The low sales have been due to the decline in the active duty force and base closures as well as the ending of tobacco product discounts and smaller profits from cheaper gas being sold. Opening online sales to all honorably discharged veterans is expected to quickly solve this problem.

Veterans will enjoy saving on average 20 percent over commercial stores while those families with base access will be enjoying better MWR programs. It’s a win-win situation for all.

This has been a two-year effort to open online shopping up to honorably discharged veterans. In the fall of 2016 the Defense Department’s Executive Resale Board voted unanimously to open online shopping to veterans and the Deputy Defense Secretary approved it.

AAFES has been preparing for the expansion of shoppers by improving the website, call centers and warehouse and distribution systems. They are working with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Defense Manpower Data Center to determine a way to verify that exchange shoppers are in fact honorably discharged veterans.

Shopping will only be available to veterans online and only for the exchange.

There are currently no plans to open shopping at the commissary up to honorably discharged veterans. This is because the commissary is run differently than AAFES. The Defense Commissary Agency receives a $1.4 billion operational subsidy annually that is funded by taxpayers. An increase in shoppers at the commissary would result in a higher cost for taxpayers in accordance to the current system. DECA therefore, is not considering adding veterans to the list of eligible shoppers.

Honorably discharged veterans however are excited to able to shop at the exchange online, even if they can’t also shop at the commissary. The Army and Air Force Exchange service has received outstanding support for this program and is anticipating a huge turnout of veteran online shoppers on Veterans Day.

You can keep up with announcements as the date for launch of this program approaches and learn how you can establish your identity as an honorably discharged veteran through their website.

What do you think of this policy change for the military exchange shopping privilege for veterans? Are you a veteran that will be shopping online this Veterans Day?

How to Know if Your College Is Military Friendly

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Perhaps the greatest gift we can give ourselves and our children is an advanced education.

My oldest is finishing up her first college semester and it has been an eye-opening experience for both of us. Luckily, her chosen school is extremely military friendly. A tour of the campus included the opportunity to meet with a military veteran turned school administrator and ask the litany of questions we had compiled.

If you are a service member, veteran, military spouse or military family member looking to further your education, make sure you take advantage of the benefits that military affiliation can bring.

If enrolling at a military-friendly college is on your list of things to do, here are 6 things to look for when considering an university:

Is This College a Yellow Ribbon School?

Established by the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, the Yellow Ribbon Program can help veterans and children of active duty service members to offset the cost of college tuition. Typically, GI Bill benefits will pay for tuition and fees at public institutions, but are limited to a nationally capped amount for private institutions (currently, just under $22,000 per academic year).

Universities and colleges participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program enter into an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for additional funds. A Yellow Ribbon school will contribute a specified amount of money toward tuition and fees, an amount then matched by the VA.

Not all private universities participate in the program, so if the cost of getting a degree, even with GI Bill benefits, seems out of reach consider looking at a Yellow Ribbon school to help offset the costs.

You can find more information about the Yellow Ribbon program and a list of participating colleges on the VA website.

Does This College Have a Student Veteran Affairs Office or a Veteran Student Organization?

A quick tip-off that a school is military friendly is the availability of staff and personnel dedicated to veteran and military students. It’s always nice to talk to someone who has been there done that.

Student Veteran Affairs staff members can be tremendous sources of information when you are trying to figure out the intricacies of the GI Bill and campus life.

Some colleges even offer veteran-only study halls and sponsor veteran and military-family oriented social events.

Does This College Allow for In-State Tuition Rates for Military Personnel and Families?

Surprisingly, at least for me, not all schools offer in-state tuition rates for military dependents. Most schools will offer in-state tuition for active duty dependents with a copy of the sponsor’s orders.

Thanks to a new law, passed just last year, in-state tuition is now guaranteed for all veterans and their dependents for the 3 years following separation from the military.

However, outside of that time frame, availability for in-state tuition depends on the institution.

Are There Plenty of Options for Housing within GI Bill Housing Allowance?

In addition to paying tuition and fees, the Post-9/11 GI Bill also allows the children of active-duty service members, veterans and military dependents to receive a housing allowance to help offset room and board expenses. Typically, that amount is the E-5 with dependents BAH rate for the ZIP code for your college or university.

Pro-tip: Make sure there are several options for housing within that range of pay. Military-friendly universities will sometimes also reserve a set number of on-campus housing options for military dependents and veterans, but you won’t know unless you ask.

Do They Offer Flexible Schedules?

For active-duty service members or working veterans and dependents, flexible scheduling options are a must. Many universities and colleges offer short-term course study or online class options.

Even some of the largest universities offer online courses, so don’t assume just because it isn’t local, it isn’t military friendly. Some also offer discounts to military service members and their dependents for online programs. Again, ask about a flexible schedule when meeting with university representatives.

Does This College Offer Credit for Military Experience?

For veterans and active duty service members, you can save a ton of time and expenses by using your on-the-job training as substitutes for some degree-required classes.

Many universities and colleges will evaluate your military training records and award you college credit for things you already know. You may earn credit for basic training.

There may be a small fee for transcript evaluation, but many military-friendly colleges will waive that fee for military-affiliated students.

As someone who only recently earned her bachelor’s degree, my hat is off to anyone who is willing to make that commitment.

No matter the university or college you chose, take the time to find out what opportunities and options they have for military students. The resources are out there, so take advantage of them.

Did you attend a military-friendly college? Tell us about your experience in the comments section.