On April 23, 2013, Army Reserve servicemembers at Fort Bragg sang birthday songs and participated in events to celebrate the U.S. Army Reserve’s 105th birthday. This celebration provided an opportunity to honor the past despite the recent budget cuts to the Army Reserve totaling $292 million. Impact from the budget cuts have already been felt on base with cancellations of major training exercises, a civilian hiring freeze, and scheduled furloughs for civilian employees. Army Reserve leaders expect automatic budget cuts [...]
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A new Information Technology Training and Certification Partnership initiative is expected to provide up to 161,000 servicemembers with industry recognized information technology (IT) certifications prior to their leaving the military. This program, announced at the While House Forum on Military Credentialing and Licensing is a public-private partnership aimed at providing servicemembers transferable skills for private sector IT work as they transition from military service to civilian sector employment. Read more…
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The Veterans Affairs Department (VA) has launched new hotline1-855-VA-WOMEN, this hotline will receive and respond to questions women veterans, their families, and caregivers may have about the services and benefits available to them. The hotline was developed in response to the growing number of women veterans who are expected to access VA services. Current estimates indicate that women comprise close to fifteen-percent of active duty military and eighteen-percent of National Guard, and Reserve Forces. The VA reports that nationally there [...]
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The Marine and Sailor Concussion Recovery Center (MSCRC) at Camp Lejeune’s TBI treatment program for Marines and Sailors offers a multidisciplinary approach to address the physical, cognitive, and emotional effects of TBI. During this sixteen-week program, participants are provided neurological services, speech-language therapy, occupational and vestibular therapies, psychological and neuro-psychological support as well as nurse case management. The goal of the program is to return each individual to their highest level of functioning by providing compensatory strategies that address memory [...]
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Starting on August 1, 2013, servicemembers who transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a family member or dependent will incur an additional four-year service obligation, without regard to their time in service. Army Capt. Kurt Rauschenberg, education services officer for the Army National Guard, states, “the post-9/11 GI Bill offers a great benefit to our servicemembers who are looking to expand their education,” adding that “the purpose of the transferability is for recruiting and retention.” These changes will likely [...]
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Changes to the TRICARE Prime military health insurance plan policy aimed to control medical costs will result in increased fees for beneficiaries who do not live near military hospitals. Those affected will automatically be enrolled in TRICARE Standard, a plan with higher out-of-pocket expenses. According to data from the Department of Defense (DoD), these changes will affect some 170,000 service members and their families, including 14,000 in North Carolina. Read more…
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Fayetteville Technical Community College plans to open a new center to support veterans enrolled at their college. This center, slated to open next year, and located on Fort Bragg Road, will provide supportive services for veterans pursuing a college education. According to college President Larry Keen, this center will provide the students a “place to gather, a place to work with each other and help each other,” while providing what college officials describe as a “one-stop shop” where students can [...]
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Testimony from Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, Army Surgeon General, highlights the advances made in military mental health practices that have improved behavioral healthcare services to troops. Research, supported by Congressional funding, has resulted in programs such as those that embed combat stress teams in Afghanistan, which have “demonstrated significant reductions in key behavioral health measures while knocking down access barriers and stigma.” Research has also led to improvements in identifying and treating traumatic brain injury and increased access to [...]
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Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) Veterans Upward Bound project supports veterans with getting and staying on track while pursuing a college education. This program, a first in North Carolina, was made possible by a five-year, $1.23 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. College president Dr. Bud Marchant stated that many of the veterans who could benefit from this program are “potential first-generation college attendees, low-income, or academically at-risk students.” The college plans to partner with Wake and [...]
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Between March 26th and 28th, North Carolina National Guard soldiers gathered at the 2013 Best Warrior Competition at Camp Butner National Guard Training Center. Thirteen participants were chosen to compete from the more than 10,000 North Carolina National Guard soldiers. The competition included a physical fitness test, land navigation, and soldier skills testing. After three days of competition, Army Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, the Adjutant General of North Carolina, recognized the accomplishments of all the contestants and named the winners, [...]
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