Military Spouse Scholarships

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.

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

What is Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts?
The Department of Defense (DoD) Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program provides up to $6,000 of Financial Assistance for military spouses who are pursuing degree programs, licenses or credentials leading to employment in Portable Career Fields.

Who Is Eligible For Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts?
Spouses of DoD Active Duty members and activated members of the National Guard and Reserve Components are eligible. The period of eligibility for spouses of Guard and Reserve members is from the date of the Alert or Warning Order for Military Recall or Mobilization, through activation and deployment until 180 days following De-Mobilization.

Military spouses who are legally separated by state law or court order are ineligible. Spouses who are Active Duty or activated Guard or Reserve members themselves are ineligible because they have their own education benefit programs. Unfortunately, Public Law 110-417 Sec 582 does not allow MyCAA to provide education benefits to Coast Guard spouses.

What Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Pays For?
Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Financial Assistance (FA) pays for education and training programs, tuition, and licensing/ credentialing fees. This includes degree programs (e.g. associates, bachelors, masters, doctoral and post doctoral), continuing education classes (including those offered through professional associations), Bar, CPA and other similar exams, and state certifications for teachers, medical professionals and other licensed occupations. If the cost of a course includes books, supplies or equipment necessary for the performance of the spouse’s chosen occupation (e.g. cosmetology or masonry tools, electrician operations manual, etc.), Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts will pay these costs if not billed separately. Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts also pays for High School Completion courses, GED tests and English As A Second Language (ESL) classes.

What Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Does Not Pay For?
Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts does not pay for education and training programs that include computers (CPUs or laptops); application, graduation or membership fees; student activity cards; child care; parking; transportation; or medical services. If a spouse enrolls in a course without an approved Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Financial Assistance (FA) document, the spouse will be responsible for paying course costs. Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts does not provide reimbursements of any kind.

How to Get Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Started?
Eligible spouses can establish a Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Account by visiting the MyCAA website ~ https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa. Once spouse profile information is provided, Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts will verify spouse DEERS eligibility. Eligible spouses will be allowed to create their Career and Training Plan and request Financial Assistance (FA) when they are within 90 days of course start dates. Additionally, spouses are responsible for applying to their selected school or program and enrolling in each course included in their approved Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Career and Training Plan(s).

All you need is a set of clear objectives just like you would in mission or objective planning in the military.  After deciding to take advantage of the military education benefits you’ve earned through your service, you can use a simple, “SMART” method, as shown on www.military.com. for writing down your goals to assure that they are:

• SPECIFIC
• MEASURABLE
• ACTION ORIENTED
• REALISTIC
• TIME-DRIVEN

1)    Specific: Make sure that your goals are clearly stated, focused, and concise.  Avoid general terms and give as much detail as you like.

• A vague example: “I want to get my degree.”

• A specific example: “I am going to get my bachelor’s degree in computer technology.”

2)    Measurable: Include time frames, dates, dollar amounts, etc. to measure your success.

• An un-measurable example: “I want to get my degree someday.”

• A measurable example: “I am going to get my bachelor’s degree in computer technology by next winter.”

3)    Action-Oriented: The goal must call for you to take action.

• A non-action oriented example: “I want to get my degree someday.”

• An action-oriented example: “I will take two classes per semester and pass all of the general CLEP exams to earn my bachelor’s degree in computer technology by next winter.”

4)    Realistic:  Make sure your goals are manageable, attainable, and believable.

• A not-so-realistic example: “I want to get my degree in six months.”

• A more realistic example: “I will take three classes a semester, pass all of the general CLEP exams, and use my military experience credits to earn my bachelor’s degree in computer technology by next December.”

5)    Time-Driven: Make sure your goals have a starting point, a timeline, and an ending point.  You can also break them down into smaller objectives: short-term (within the next six-12 months), medium-term (one to five years), and long-term (the next five to 15 years).

Get your education with low or no cost out of your pocket with Military Spouse Career Advancement Account.

RecruitMilitary welcomes anyone with a military background to attend: veterans who already have civilian work experience, men and women who are transitioning from active duty to civilian life, members of the National Guard and reserves, and military spouses.

This is the first of more than 65 Career Fairs that RecruitMilitary Career Fairs will host across the U.S. 2009. At each fair a team of veteran-friendly organizations will conduct one-on-one interviews with the job seekers.

The employers present at the fairs will include corporate employers, law-enforcement agencies and other government employers, educational institutions, franchisors, veterans service agencies and veterans associations.

Some of the organizations that are scheduled to be at the fair include: Aquinas College, Ascend Intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Franchise Mart – Franklin, MATCO Tools, Military Sealift Command, and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, along with many others.

The invitation to military spouses is yet another indication of the growing appreciation and recognition for the unique role that military spouses play as part of the U.S. military family.

Recent studies have indicated that military spouses generally have less education and career opportunities than their civilian counterparts. A large share of this can be attributed to the demanding military lifestyle, which includes frequent moves and duty stations at rural bases where schools and job opportunities are not as plentiful as in metropolitan areas.

Military spouses, because of the unique circumstances of the military lifestyle, have a harder time in general achieving the kinds of educational and career goals that civilians can. Military spouses, who are enrolled at a school near the base, may have to disrupt or discontinue their schooling when their military spouse is transferred to another duty station of state.

“Hiring military spouses makes good business sense and fits very well into Convergys’ commitment to global talent management, and that’s why we didn’t hesitate to join Army Spouse Employment Partnership,” said Clark Handy, Convergys Senior Vice President, Human Resources. “Military spouses represent a talented and diverse workforce of people who are often concentrated on or near US military bases around the world and whose exceptional work ethic and low attrition rate speak volumes about the high quality of work they can provide.”

Convergys joins 27 other companies, along with Black & Veatch Corporation, EMC Corporation, Lowe’s Corporation and West Corporation who signed up to help this past October. This past year approximately 8,000 Army spouses were helped with jobs, which is a significant contribution as the nation struggles through a recession.

The advantage of distance learning for military spouses is that they can enroll in a program, and continue studying no matter where the military family is transferred. Many online training programs are also self-paced, which means that students often have up to one year to complete a course or program.

 

When we think of war veterans, many people picture graying old men who fought in Europe during World War II or in Korea. Yet nowadays we must remember that there are thousands of young men and women in America who are veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

These younger veterans often have service-related injuries that hamper their efforts to find and hold good-paying jobs. To help these men and women, the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) offers veterans a vocational rehabilitation program known as Chapter 31. 

 

What services does the DVA provide for this special group of veterans?

 

 *Rehabilitation evaluation to assess a person’s skills

 *Counseling and rehabilitation planning 

 *Job finding skills like resume help and interviewing

 *Help finding and keeping a job, including the use of special employer incentives

 *On-the-Job Training (OJT) and apprenticeships

 *Post-secondary training at a college, vocational, technical or business school

 *Case management, counseling and referral services

 

Who can take advantage of this program?

 

The veteran must have:

 *an honorable discharge

 *a service-connected disability rating of at least 10%

 *completed an application for the program

 

The DVA then sets up appointments with vocational rehabilitation counselors who will interview the veteran and determine whether the veteran can receive services. The counselors will look at the veteran’s disabilities and consider how they will impact the person’s skill set. 

 

Once the DVA has a good handle on a veteran’s situation, they will set up a rehabilitation plan which will lay out a strategy for getting that individual retrained, if necessary, and ready to secure a new position. 

 

If veterans need career retraining, one option that counselors and veterans can look at is online vocational schools with vocational rehabilitation training programs. A veteran can enroll in an online program and train for a career as a real estate agent, medical coder or a pharmacy technician, for example, and all from the comfort of their home with 100% online courses. 

 

Military spouses who are not affected by the executive order can still give themselves a competitive edge by enrolling in career training programs that are 100% online and entirely self-paced.  Many schools and universities also offer military spouse discounts and military spouse scholarships to help military families afford tuition. And with uncertain economic times on the horizon, it’s always a good thing to have as many qualifications as possible.