.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Opinion

  •
    VA responds to early, surging flu...

    By VICTORIA DAVEY
    VAntage Point Blog
    This winter, America is experiencing an early flu season with flu cases surging across the country. The Veterans Health Administration is responding vigorously to the nationwide outbreak to protect the health of all veterans and staff in the VA health system.
    All of the VHA medical facilities around the country have flu prevention and treatment as one of our top priorities.

  • Tricare offering preventive...

    By KRISTIN SHIVES
    Tricare Management Activity
    Tricare beneficiaries should make time to get preventive health screenings starting in the new year.
    All Tricare health plans offer preventive services at no cost. Beneficiaries can start the year off right by putting their health first.
    Beneficiaries enrolled in Tricare Prime may receive clinical preventive services from their primary care manager or from any network provider without a referral or authorization at no cost.

  • Veterans unemployment lower than US...

    By LAUREN BAILEY
    VAntage Point
    On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released veteran unemployment data for the month of December. The unemployment rate for all veterans was 7 percent—still below the national average of 7.8 percent. For post-9/11 veterans, the rate was 10.8 percent. Most importantly, the annual jobless rate for post-9/11 vets was 9.9 percent in 2012; a significant drop from the annual average in 2011 of 12.1 percent.

  • College life differs from military

    By KEVIN DEAN
    Veterans Certificate Coordinator
    Many veterans think they experience culture shock when they make the transition from military to civilian life, but an even greater transitional shock is the one experienced when veterans enter college for the first time.
    The most common advice comes in studying hard and managing your time well, but here are five overlooked adjustments from life as a veteran to life as an student.
    College isn’t just about studying

  • Prepare your vehicle, your drivers...

    By RICHARD RUDOLPH
    Garrison Safety Office
    Winter is less than two weeks away. It may seem like spring now but that can change in just a few short hours in Kentucky. If you were here in 2009, you know what I’m talking about: the ice storm. Hopefully we will not see anything like that again. Post was closed and driving was not something people wanted to do, unless it was an emergency, due to the snow and ice on the road ways.
    Here are a few simple tips to help keep you safe when the weather takes a turn towards the worst.

  • Some media helps teens through...

    News and Experts
    It’s only appropriate that fantastical genres of storytelling are often geared toward preadolescents, said writer Elayne James.
    “It’s an extremely impressionable time, with the wonder of childhood firmly established and a dramatic transformation about to take place,” said James, author of “Destiny’s Call,” the first installment of the fantasy series “The LightBridge Legacy,” www.lightbridgelegacy.com.

  • Decrease calories, increase...

    By BECKY PASKIEVOCH
    VantagePoint
    “The most wonderful time of the year” is upon us. Along with opportunities to spread joy, spend time with family, give thanks, and honor traditions, the holiday season frequently brings about situations that could lead to weight gain.

  • 3rd ID combatives poised for strong...

    By NATHAN DEEN
    The Bayonet
    The 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., combatives team surprised people at the 2011 U.S. Army Combatives Championship, but with a third-place finish, it won’t be flying under anyone’s radar, head coach and trainer Monte Massey said.
    “We want to build off last year’s momentum,” Massey said. “We seemed to gather a lot of interest from the chain of command … because of our success.”

  • Veterans Affairs gets word out with...

    By SONJA BATTEN, PH.D
    VAntage Blog
    The strengths of veterans, their courage, determination, and camaraderie make them especially well equipped to work through and overcome the challenges that we all face in life. Leveraging these strengths and sharing their experiences with other veterans is at the heart of Make the Connection, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ campaign in service to veterans and their loved ones.

  • Rural clergy to partner with VA to...

    By ALEX HORTON
    VAntage Point
    When folks come back from war, it can seem that there aren’t many people that will understand the psychological impact of war and the process of reintegration. But veterans have increasingly turned to clergy members of all beliefs to help sort out the complex issues of life, death, and faith.

  •
    Missouri Guard program networks the...

    By LISA DANIEL
    American Forces Press Service
    As Missouri National Guard members met with Dr. Jill Biden last week to discuss their family challenges and areas of support, Jenn Whitacre’s feedback was both professional and personal.
    As a National Guard family assistance center coordinator in Jefferson City, Whitacre spends her days helping Guard Families—pursuing job opportunities, finding childcare, arranging transportation, shoveling snow, and the like. As it turned out, Whitacre’s toughest challenge was her own.

  • Media paint veterans with dangerous...

    By KATE HOLT
    VAntage Point Blog
    In a San Diego, California neighborhood, debate is raging: The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to establish a residential treatment program for veterans with PTSD and mild traumatic brain injuries.

  • Dogs ideal for companion therapy

    By CHRISTINE LECCESSE
    Military Mental Health
    The benefits of having an animal in your life go deeper than companionship. Research shows that people with dogs experience lower levels of stress hormones and higher levels of serotonin (feel-good chemicals) after 15 minutes of petting or watching their dog or cat. A study of 240 married couples found that the pet owners had lower blood pressure than the couples who had no pets.

  •
    Peeps on the Street
  • Tips given to help parents protect...

    Newsandexperts.com
    Each new generation of parents keeps its children closer to home, supervises them more carefully, and guards them from both neighbors and strangers alike. With the rise of the Internet, they’re even running background checks on babysitters and troop leaders.
    And still, children go missing.

  • Shoppers beware of falling victim...

    By ELAINE SANCHEZ
    American Forces Press Service
    Monday night I hopped on the Internet with the intention of buying a few gifts. Money, as always, is tight, so I figured I could go bargain hunting with-out wasting time or gas.
    As colorful, enticing images of gift possibilities danced across the screen, I swiftly shot from site to site, half a dozen windows open at a time, comparing prices and swooping in to buy more and more.

  • Credit debt can exact high price

    By SUSAN TOMPOR
    Detroit Free Press
    Reprinted with permission
    Show up a tad late to a baseball game? Not a big deal. Finally send a long-overdue thank-you note? Most of us would be thrilled to hear from you.
    Think it’s OK to drag your feet paying that credit card bill? Are you really ready to see your interest rate double?
    Many consumers have no idea how high the rates on their credit cards can go—and how much taking on credit card debt to buy everyday goods can cost—if they pay late.

  • Duke Soldiers bolstered by momentum

    By COL. CHRISTOPHER TONER
    Commander,
    3rd Bde. Combat Team

  • Knox lawyers organize post Law Day

    By CAPT. A.J. BROWELL
    Fort Knox Office of the Staff judge Advocate
    Fifty years ago President Eisenhower proclaimed the first Law Day a “day of national dedication to the principle of government under law.” Law Day 2011 will explore the meaning of the rule of law, fostering public understanding of the rule of law through a law day luncheon and school events.

  • Changes to NCO retention policy...

    By SGT. MAJ. ISRAEL TALAMANTEZ
    Accessions Command and
    Fort Knox Command Sergeant Major
    Effective June 1, there will be a change to the Retention Control Points policy. In many cases, certain ranks will not be able to remain in the Army until retirement eligible as in previous years. This new policy supports our efforts to develop leaders and retain Soldiers with the greatest potential while reinforcing the Army Leader Development Strategy  principles established in December  2009 to transform our Army to a 21st century force.