The Airman and Family Readiness Center held training for Joint Team Andrews key spouses last week as part of the Air Force Key Spouse Initiative in support of the Air Force’s commitment and designation of Year of the Air Force Family.
One spouse in attendance was Amy Stewart, wife of Maj. Matthew Stewart, 1st Airlift Squadron pilot.

‘‘I’ve been a Key Spouse for three years and I love what I do in trying to make a difference in my fellow spouses’ lives,” said Ms. Stewart.

The 1 AS has a high operations tempo, in which the Active Duty spouse is often away from home fulfilling missions in support of the Top 5, including the first lady, vice president, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, secretary of state and secretary of defense.

Ms. Stewart said the training received at the A&FRC proved to be very beneficial.

‘‘I had an opportunity to meet and network with spouses whose partners are deployed fairly regularly,” she said. ‘‘Though our Active Duty spouses in the 1 AS are not deployed with the frequency of other organizations, they are gone quite a bit when they are fulfilling the mission worldwide. So, we were able to share stories and experiences.”

During the training, spouses learned about deployments and missions of Team Andrews organizations, including the security forces and medical squadrons. They also learned about scholarships and employment opportunities available to them.

Ms. Stewart said one of the benefits of being a squadron’s Key Spouse is the opportunity to meet other spouses in your squadron and the closeness that evolves as a result – something which can be difficult in the National Capital Region since we can live anywhere in Maryland, D.C. or Virginia.

‘‘When you marry into the military, you marry into the military family, but when you are a Key Spouse and active in your squadron, you take it to a whole different level. You become family to so many spouses in your squadron and are all tight-knit, especially when our families are far away,” she said.

Ms. Stewart said the best thing about being a Key Spouse is making a difference. ‘‘As a Key Spouse you help open lines of communication between the commander, the squadron and the spouses – it just helps things run more smoothly and gets people together,” she said.

The Active Duty military members are appreciative of the Key Spouse efforts. ‘‘We’ve heard feedback from the Active Duty spouses how we, as Key Spouses, make their transition to Andrews more friendly and welcoming. That’s what we’re here for.”

The Key Spouse program is a formal commander and first sergeant program in the squadrons to provide informational support, said Master Sgt. Erika Perrin, 316th Force Support Squadron A&FRC NCO.

‘‘The Key Spouse program provides a viable means of sharing information – whether at the base level or at the squadron level – with their fellow spouses,” said Sergeant Perrin. ‘‘The Key Spouse program is important because it helps ensure family readiness – something that’s essential to mission readiness. Our Active Duty military members getting ready for a temporary duty or deployment can’t focus on the mission and be mission-ready if their minds and attentions are focused elsewhere.”

For more information on the Key Spouse Program, call 301-981-7087.

Source: http://www.capflyer.com/stories/112509/news_28221.shtml

Good News for Military Spouses,

Spouses of troops may get to change their state residency to that of their military counterpart as President Obama is expected to sign the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act within the next few days.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act as part of the House Suspension Calendar by a unanimous voice vote on Monday, according to a news release from the office of Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock.

“This is fantastic news for our service families worldwide,” Carter said in the news release. “We should have done this long ago, but at least we are now on track to have a new law in 2009.”

It was approved by the U.S. Senate July 23, according to previous Killeen Daily Herald article.

The legislation was put on a fast track for passage into law this year at the request of Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.

The bill, if signed by President Obama, will allow a military spouse to maintain the same residency as their service member regardless of where they are stationed, Carter’s communication director John Stone said.

The bill will affect where the spouses can vote and obtain their vehicle registration, as well as other residency-based functions.

Service members have had that option for decades, while spouses have not.

For more detail, visit online https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa

Washington, DC –Tuesday, November 3, 2009. A comprehensive military family legislation, the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (S 475 and HR 1182), which will legally recognize military spouses by providing them the option to claim the same state of domicile as their active duty spouse, passed through the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support, and is now being brought before the President to become a law.

The bill was introduced by Congressman John Carter (R-TX), who represents Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the country. “This is fantastic news for our service families worldwide,” says Carter, who has been pushing the legislation for the last three years.

Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced the companion bill into the Senate, which passed unanimously in August. The legislation will amend the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA) of 1940 allowing military spouses to share a home state with their spouse, the service member.

Currently, military spouses experience impediments in voting and property ownership as well as deterrents in employment and education. The bill offers fair treatment of the military spouse and improves the quality of life for military families by allowing the stability of a single state of domicile to call home.

Over 8,000 military spouses, friends and family members united to support the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Military-Spouses-Residency-Relief-Act/51457362877 They shared their individual stories as they contacted Congressional representatives to ask for support. Initially, Army Spouse, Rebecca Poynter and Navy Spouse, Joanna Williamson, approached Congressman Carter with their request to petition. “It has been a grass roots effort by thousands of spouses across the country, who have campaigned to get this passed, by telling their stories,” explains Poynter.

“The support from Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the Veterans Service Organizations who testified in our support is greatly appreciated,” said Williamson, “and together we claim this victory for all military families.”

This is exciting news for military spouses and will undoubtedly save us all time and possibly even money.

I came across medicalcodingcourses.com and found allied schools advertise the MyCAAprogram covers meidcal / health care career training programs they offer.

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Military Spouses: MyCAA Funds May Cover 100% of Your Career Training Tuition and Fees

As a military spouse, you need a flexible way to get career training that prepares you for today’s portable careers. And you need an education that fits with your family’s budget. At Allied, we can help you with both – from helping you secure MyCAA funds to pay for your education costs to building a solid educational foundation for a career you can take with you wherever you go.

Even though you may move from one duty station to the next, you can build a career that provides the opportunity and challenge you’re looking for.

Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
Did you know that with Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA), your education may be fully covered? MyCAA funds are available exclusively to military spouses to cover 100% of the cost of tuition and fees – meaning that an exciting, mobile career that helps with the family income may be closer than you think.

About MyCAA:

The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Program (MyCAA) is a Department of Defense (DoD) program that provides up to $6,000 to spouses of active duty military members and spouses of activated Guard and Reserve service members (deployed for a year or more) for certification, licensure, education or training in careers in high-growth, high-demand occupations.
Legal spouses of military service members with a minimum of one year remaining on active duty are eligible for the program. This includes spouses of active duty service members, Coast Guard deployed with the Navy, Active/Guard Reserve (AGR), and Reserve Component service members (Guard and Reserve) called to active duty for a year or more.
To apply for the program, you must complete an online profile and call a Military OneSource Career and Education Consultant at (800) 342-9647 to create a career plan and goal. If you need any assistance with your profile or eligibility questions, please call Military OneSource.
Why Allied Schools?

When you partner with Allied, you join a school that cares about your success. We have many rewarding education options available, with course offerings that reflect current trends and opportunities in the job market. Whether you want to realize a work-at-home opportunity or prepare for a flexible career in a professional business setting, you’ll find a career that’s perfect for your military lifestyle.

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Receive the foundation you need for a successful career, not just a job. With personalized student support, convenient online courses and comprehensive materials, you’ll have the resources to create the career you’ve always wanted. Don’t wait! We’re here to accompany you every step of the way and help you realize the career of your dreams.

Want to learn more? Call (888) 822-2923 today or click here to request information about the education opportunities for today’s military spouses.

11/10/2009 – RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) — A new executive policy has pushed open the door for qualifying military spouses to enter the federal workforce, enabling them to apply for more jobs advertised on USAJOBS.

Executive Order 13473, which went into effect Sept. 11, 2009, identified three groups of qualifying spouses now eligible to apply for temporary, term and permanent employment in all pay grades:

The groups are:
– The spouse of an Airman who has been issued orders for a permanent change of station that requires relocating.
– The spouse of an Airman who retired with a disability rating at the time of retirement of 100 percent; or retired or separated from the Air Force and has a disability rating of 100 percent from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
– The un-remarried widow or widower of an Airman killed while in active-duty status.

“Military spouses that fit into one of the three groups will find more job announcements open to them. While not a promise for employment, the new policy does increase their eligibility for referral and consideration for federal jobs, providing they meet the qualifications required for the job,” said Deborah Keating, the program manager of the noncompetitive appointment of certain military spouses at the Air Force Personnel Center.

Department of the Air Force positions being advertised on USAJOBS using this authority will list the authority on the “Qualifications and Evaluations” tab. With the specific job announcement open, select the “Qualifications and Evaluations” tab, and under the “Qualifications Required” heading, look for “Appointment of Certain Military Spouses.” This indicates that the position is open to spouses meeting the qualifications listed above.

The timing of the executive order coincides with the Year of the Air Force Family.

“This executive order is clearly another positive step that takes care of the military family. Military spouses face many life-changing events during a military career that can significantly impact the household income,” said Brenda Liston, chief of Airman, Family, Wounded Warrior and Community Operations at AFPC. “By giving military spouses expanded job opportunities, the President is providing an opportunity that can help restabilize the family budget and start military spouses in a portable career.”

Once a spouse becomes eligible, they have a two-year window to use this benefit.

For spouses who relocate through a PCS, the eligibility period starts the date the orders are issued.

“If an Airman received their PCS orders with an issue date in March 2008, and the spouse meets all the qualifications, including moving with the Airman and being married to the Airman on or before the date of the orders, they are eligible until March 2010 to apply for federal jobs using the military spouse appointment authority,” Ms. Keating explained.

The eligibility phase for spouses of Airmen with a service-connected disability of 100 percent is based on the date of the documentation verifying the 100 percent disability.

Un-remarried widows or widowers have two years from the date of the documentation verifying the member was killed while in active-duty status. Ms. Keating emphasized the date of documentation starts the clock, not the date of death.

Similar to other status candidates, such as veterans, non-Department of Defense transfers or prior federal employee reinstatements, the hiring official within each office has the discretion to use this hiring authority. To ensure the new spouse benefit is included with positions announced for “status candidates,” applicants should review the job announcement carefully.

With contractor-to-civilian conversions, new organizations standing up and overall increases in positions, the Air Force is hiring more than 9,000 new positions in fiscal year 2010. The Air Force is projecting an even larger hiring surge in fiscal year 2011 with an estimated 25,000 new positions by fiscal year 2013. Positions are already appearing on USAJOBS.

“This is the perfect time for spouses to visit their local Airman and Family Readiness Center to get professional assistance with creating resumes for vacancies listed on USAJOBS,” Ms. Liston said. “If our professionals find that the spouse is missing critical skill sets in the desired career field, we can help the spouse build those skills by guiding them to the proper education or volunteer channels.”

For specific details on the noncompetitive appointment of certain military spouses, go to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/ and Quick Search “RIN 3206-AL73″.

For more information on the noncompetitive appointment of certain military spouses, call the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102.

Source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123177091

As the spouse of a service member in the Armed Forces, you may be eligible to receive tuition assistance (TA) to help you pursue your educational and career goals.

Military Spouse Scholarships

While spouses don’t receive the same assistance as their active duty service members, funds received by utilizing available programs are helpful in defraying the costs associated with obtaining a college degree.  When applying for assistance, make sure you know the qualification requirements, specific deadlines, and paperwork required.

In an effort to help military spouses and family members with their educational objectives, the Department of Defense offers these new programs:

Post-9/11 GI Bill Transferability – A special provision offers education benefits for spouses and children of service members and veterans.  Those who have served a minimum of six years in the armed forces, and agree to serve an additional four, can now transfer unused GI Bill entitlement to their spouse.  After 10 years of service, they can transfer the benefit to their spouse or children.  Click here to learn more about Post 9-11 GI Bill Transferability.

Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts – This military spouse career advancement account program provides assistance to spouses looking to acquire the skills and credentials needed to begin or further their careers.  It can be used to pay up to $3,000 in fees per year for training and education, and can be renewed for an additional year.

In addition to the above, The Department of Veteran Affairs has introduced the Spouse and Dependents’ Assistance (DEA) program which offers assistance for education and training to those who qualify.

Scholarships and Grants – In the process of searching for assistance to help finance their schooling, many spouses and their families overlook the many military and veteran-related scholarships and grants that are out there. Many go unclaimed due to the following misconceptions:

-    Some believe that VA education benefits eliminate the need for any additional funds available though grants and scholarships.  The reality is that while Survivor and Dependent Education Assistance offers great benefits, it may not cover of all the costs.  There are hundreds of scholarships and grants designed especially for education-related expenses.
-    If you think that scholarships are just too hard to get and applying requires too much effort, think again.  The fact is that applications vary to a large degree, with some requiring nothing more than completing a short application.
-    Perhaps you are under the impression that scholarships are too difficult to find.  There is a fabulous online resource created to specifically to help service members find scholarships.  Visit the “Scholarship Finder” at Military.com.

For questions and eligibility regarding tuition Assistance (TA), get in touch with your local relief agency.  Visit Education4military.com to learn more about Military Spouse Career Advancement Account.

Miliary Family

We all know that the process of searching for a job can be an overwhelming experience, especially in times when unemployment rates are up. For military spouses, the task of finding employment may be even more challenging and occur on a more frequent basis due to the nature of military life.

Whether having to leave a job and find another due to relocating with their service members to new duty stations, often in unfamiliar territory, or being one of the unfortunate victims of layoffs by employers looking to cut down on expenses, military spouses generally find that they must work longer and harder to find work.

Here are some useful tips that will not only increase your confidence through preparation, but will also make you “stand out” in a group of applicants:

• Take time to do research so that you can familiarize yourself with a company before making the initial contact. And if you are planning on attending a job fair, find out what companies will be there. Tailor your resume to those firms and their employment needs.
• Begin your search for a job as soon as you can after your service member receives his or her permanent change-of-station orders. Even in a city where the unemployment rate is less than the national average, you may need six to nine months to secure employment.
• Since word of mouth is very effective, be sure to tell every military spouse, veteran and retiree you know that you are looking for a job. Companies are generally very eager to hire people who come to them through referrals from current employees.
• Be open-minded in your search by being willing to look outside the industry you worked in previously. For example, if you’ve been an accountant for a medical practice, why not consider the same position at a local fitness club?
• According to Deborah Kloeppel of the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, you should update your resume twice a year rather than waiting until you’ve been laid off or have to relocate with your service member. Utilize the services available at a military base’s family employment program by having a professional take a look at your resume. They may be able to offer some helpful suggestions that will make you shine in the eyes of an employer.
• Consider the possibility of taking on part-time jobs or projects to get your feet wet, so to speak. Think of them as auditions that could turn into full-time positions as the economy strengthens and a position comes available.
• Find a friend of family member to role play with before you go for your job interview. And remember, they aren’t therapy sessions so refrain from telling your life story to potential employers. “They don’t need to know about deployments and childcare,” says Kloppel. “That all needs to be worked out ahead anyway.”

By logging onto www.milspouse.org you can check links to job boards that list openings from companies that are seeking to employ military spouses.