The Military Education Scholarship Program was started in May of 2007. VA Mortgage Center.com is the nation’s number 1 dedicated VA Loan Lender in the nation and VAMC wanted to give something back.

While looking for ways to give back to those that served or are going to serve, VAMC decided that it would set up its own scholarship program. The scholarship was set up for students in ROTC programs, veterans, reservists, military children, and military spouses.
What started out with 2 scholarships awarded and now the program has grown to 5 scholarships for $1500 each!

To win one of the five scholarships you would simply submit a 2-3 page essay in response to the prompt:

“John F. Kennedy once said: “A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living.” In your pursuit of higher education, how do you relate the challenges faced through military service to those faced in the academic and professional world? How will, or how has, your military service taught you to deal with adversity? ”

While writing your essay, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. Your personal opinions and experiences about the way in which your military service has shaped your life, including the skills you received and are applying as a student and in the workplace.

2. The ways in which your military service has prepared you for success in your education and in life.

3. As an individual, what do you hope to contribute to and accomplish?

Once you completed your essay, you would then submit it on VAMC’s Scholarship Program guidelines page.
For potential recipients who are children or military spouses, the essay should be written by the parent or spouse who has served or is serving. You may also choose to do an interview style essay in which you would obtain all the information through interviewing your parent or spouse.

The Military Education Scholarships are awarded biannually each year in the Fall and Spring. The winners receive a check from VAMC to use towards whatever they choose. You may win the scholarship more than once, so hurry and submit your essay by teh May 1st deadline.

Asbestos was utilized in many industrial applications throughout the 20th century. Due to its flame resistant and durable qualities, it possessed many of the traits that were needed in construction and the military. Asbestos exposure has affected many industries including power generation, the military, real estate and shipyards.

Asbestos appeared on most ships used by the Navy and in the shipyards they were built in. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stated that out of the 25 million military veterans living today in the country, hundreds of thousands were exposed to asbestos while on service. Thousands of tons of asbestos were placed as insulation in piping, boilers, sleeping quarters and navigation halls.

At the turn of the 20th century, the asbestos industry became a major enterprise and experience major economic gain and thousands of dedicated employees. Manufacturers of asbestos and the U.S. Navy were aware of the dangers surrounding asbestos and evidence demonstrates any information showing this was covered up. While the Navy had created one of the more formidable and powerful Naval fleets in the world, asbestos concerns were silenced and military personnel was working under a ticking time bomb.

Although asbestos exposure does not always lead to a related disease, frequent inhalation of asbestos fibers will surely raise those chances. Exposure can lead to the development of asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Many mesothelioma symptoms are similar to other disorders, making it especially difficult for physicians to diagnose. Mesothelioma treatments have varied affects on patients because once the disease has manifested, it is usually in the later stages of development. Mesothelioma survival rate varies from patient to patient, depending on many factors. These include age of diagnosis, latency period and cigarette smoking. Diagnosis of mesothelioma can be very difficult too because symptoms my not occur until up to 20-50 years after exposure

United States combat troops stationed in Iraq face many dangers on a daily basis, while performing military operations and facing enemy combatant fire. With over $194,000 worth of asbestos imported to Iraq in 2003, many are unaware to the threat posed because of this. This presents a significant hazard for all soldiers stationed in the country because intense winds and desert sands can carry asbestos dust for long distances.

Military veterans who have unfortunately contracted an asbestos-related illness find themselves in a tough situation. Currently, mesothelioma is not recognized as a service-related medical ailment. This makes receiving compensation and benefits for their wrongful illness a tough task.

However, veterans can apply for Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits for asbestos-related illness and must provide proof that their exposure occurred at the time of their military service.

Many Navy vessels, homes and public facilities could still harvest asbestos-laden materials in older construction materials, brakes, gaskets and clutches. The potential remains for another generation of veteran and civilian asbestos exposure. Individuals should be aware of the hazards involved with this obsolete substance and take the proper initiatives to avoid exposure.

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.

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.

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.

and mh
ay#hBto meet face-to-face with potential employers. LP Field is home to the Tennessee Titans professional football team and the event is from 11 am to 3 pm.

In addition to their inclusion at Career Fairs, military spouses also received important recognition from the DOD when it unveiled its Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative last year which provided government funds to advance military spouse educational opportunities.