One of the most challenging aspects of transitioning back into civilian life is that of finding employment. In most cases the usual channels are exhaustive; Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and others are ready to take resumes in an attempt to match candidates with employers. For the most part this is a good thing. However, one thing to keep in mind is that these web-sites are not employers.

Most employers like to think they are offering positions openly to those who have served in the Military. This is not always the case. Within my previous company I was always an advocate for looking to hire from the ranks of the U.S. Military. You get discipline, attention to detail, leadership and an occupational experience that is unlike any other in the civilian workspace.

The reality was, that the competition for these higher paying jobs was stiff and not focused on assisting a veteran's re-entry into the workforce. The focus was more on those who had attended a 4 year college or better. And in many cases it was more around not if they obtained a degree, but which institution was attended. The likes of MIT, Stanford, Princeton and others always took priority over other institutions.

This is a barrier that many in the enlisted ranks at least, find almost impossible to overcome. There are those who enlist straight out of high school who, despite the benefits available to obtain a degree, never find the time away from Duty, Assignments and deployments to actually complete a degree program. This is not to say that some institutions are not making an effort to build programs suited for these individuals. You only need look at the various on-line programs and on-base/station programs offered by 4 year institutions. The reality is, not many large corporations look at these institutions as being equal to those larger institutions.

So where does that leave the military member when it is time to separate from the military? Most are unable to translate their experience into meaningful language that Hiring managers are looking for. The networks needed to search out opportunities are non-existent and worse, the local community itself may not offer the types of positions that allow growth and experience in the commercial marketplace.

There are one thing that you should not do is give up. There are opportunities and companies who do prefer to hire former military personnel. You just have to scratch the surface a bit to find them. The Government itself is a good place to start and its ranks are filled with former men and women from the Armed Services who understand the difficulties in transitioning back into the civilian workforce.

The Veteran's Administration is a good place to start as they have a comprehensive national Job Bank designed to offer up positions in most regions across the country. However, even the VA is not subject to criticism.

After loosing my position in a Global Investment Bank after 9 years to the recent Mortgage crisis, I attended a Job Fair hosted by Recruit Military. A representative from the Veteran's Health Administration was on hand and when I inquired about the possibility of being considered for a position in my field, I was told that my resume would be taken, but that most positions were filled internally with transfers from other organizations of the VA. So again, I found myself on the outside looking in.

This again places me back in the mindset that it isn't so much what you know, but who you know. I know I am qualified for any position I apply for. The problem is, without a 4 year degree, I am finding my experience and accomplishments are not being favored over anything else that HR representatives are looking for. It doesn't seem that they even make it past my resume to offer me an interview.

I once again find myself focused on building and strengthening my network. This is something that cannot be stressed enough. Your network is only one tool in the box towards finding solid employment, but it can not be considered any less important than any degree or job board. The fact of the matter is, that those who know you or know what you have achieved within the military will be the ones to reach down and lend you a hand.

One way to do this is to look into the various Service Organizations that are out there, and I can can tell you there are many. The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and numerous others are there to not only represent you, but to connect you with others who may need your advice, recommendation or friendship. There has to be a greater effort to validate the term "Brothers-in-Arms."

Much of the news today is focused on the post-active duty veteran, the reality is, is that veterans are also members of the Active Duty force. Often support for these individuals is taken for granted as being part of the Active Duty system of support and services. However, many of the issues faced by the Active Duty veteran are not the same as the veteran struggling to adjust once the ID card has been turned in and combat boots have been traded for work boots. This is where the organization known as afterdeployment appears to be making a stand.

Armed with a congressional mandate, this collaboration between the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration developed afterdeploymentto consider and address all angles of what transpires when the Service Member returns home. What does this mean for the Service Member? The families? Even though the site is open to anyone, only members who register on the site will have full access to all of the resources designed to tackle this sensitive and complex issue.

This is no small feat as there are many complex issues to deal with when attempting to adjust to life outside of a combat zone or an extended period away from friends and families. Looking through the menu along provide an extensive list of items that the site is providing resources for.

Adjusting to War Memories Dealing with Depression Handling Stress Improving Relationships Succeeding at Work Overcoming Anger Sleeping Better Controlling Alcohol and Drugs Helping Kids Deal with Deployment Seeking Spiritual Fitness Living with Physical Injuries Balancing Your Life

All very valid topics to address and is handled in the unique format of Self-Help. There is also a section where stories are shared. Most of these would sound familiar to the Veteran who is taking advantage of many of the services offered by the VA in a face-to-face environment. The site may become more valuable to those individuals located in areas far from the resources available to the veteran in a more metropolitan location where regional offices and medical centers exist with programs specifically designed to tackle these same issues.

I am not sure how far this service will go, I will say however, that until people actively begin to take advantage of it, will the services and resources within grow and provide more assistance with life after deployment both for the Active Duty Service member and the veteran released from active duty.

If you served on active duty between 1957 and 2001 or the Inactive Reserves from 1988 to 2001 you may be eligible for special extra earnings credit which can be applied to your Social Security benefits.

As an example, if you served on Active Duty between 1957 and 2001 the special extra earnings will be credited on your record as follows:

For Service between 1957 Through 1977

You are credited with $300 in additional earnings for each calendar quarter in which you received active duty basic pay.

For Service between 1978 through 2001

For every $300 in active duty basic pay, you are credited with an additional $100 in earnings up to a maximum of $1,200 a year. 

*If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, and didn't complete at least 24 months of active duty or your full tour, you may not be able to receive the additional earnings.

For Inactive Reserves, the credit only apply to time served while on drills or periods of time served in an Active state.

T find out more information on this very important benefit, please check with Social Security for details and eligibility. To locate the nearest Social Security Office use this form and submit your Zip Code.

There are struggles at every level of being a Veteran these days. These struggles are compounded when faced with Mental or Physical disabilities as a result of service to this country. In the worst cases, families may find that going it alone is impossible and requires the assistance of outside professional help in accomplishing the most basic of daily tasks. There is a little known Veteran's Administration "Special Pension" that provides an "Aid and Attendance (A&A)" Benefit. This benefit is for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing and undressing or taking care of the needs of nature. In short, someone incapacitated to the point of requiring the help of another person's assistance in completing the fundamental basic functions of life.

It also covers individuals who are blind or are patients in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity or assisted care in an assisting living facility. The A&A Pension, as it is frequently referred to, can provide up to $1,519 per month to a veteran, $976 per month to a surviving spouse, or $1,801 per month to a couple depending on the qualification.

As with any other VA Pensions or benefits, eligibility must be proven by filing the proper Veterans Application for Pension or Compensation. The application will require a copy of DD-214 (see below for more information) or separation papers, Medical Evaluation from a physician, current medical issues, net worth limitations, and net income, along with out-of-pocket Medical Expenses.

There are several different methods of completing the application for A&A. The most accessible are through a Service Organization (American Legion, DAV, etc.,) or can be filed for directly through the VA. For more detailed information on the A&A visit VeteranAid.org where you can also find theImproved Pension Beginner's Guide.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will use a locality-based approach in raising ceilings on its no-downpayment home loans from the current $417,000 to as much as $729,000. The increases are effective immediately under legislation recently enacted with President Bush signing the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

That law also improved VA's Specially Adapted Housing Program. It raises primary grants from $50,000 to $60,000 toward constructing a new home or modifying an existing home to meet adaptive needs of veterans or active duty servicemembers with certain service-connected disabilities.

One new feature is a provision in the law that will assist burn victims. It will allow veterans with certain service-connected disabilities resulting from severe burns to receive the adaptive housing grants. The new law also makes future increases in ceilings on the Specially Adapted Housing Program automatic.

The increased limits in the general home loan program for all veterans' home purchases or construction will be based on local housing costs, tied to the similar locality adjustments of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., Freddie Mac.

VA home loans are available for veterans to purchase or construct single-family homes, and to purchase condominiums or cooperative apartments. There are about 2.3 million existing VA home loans, more than 90 percent made with no down payment.

More information about VA home loans and adaptive grants is available from VA at 877-827-3702 or www.homeloans.va.gov.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will open three Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers on Oct. 1 to better understand rural health issues for veterans and develop special practices and products to implement across the country.

“For our veterans living in rural areas, the nearest medical center can be miles away,” said VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake. “VA’s commitment is to provide the best quality care to veterans regardless of their address. These centers are a major step toward ensuring that commitment is met.”

The centers will serve as satellite offices for VA’s Office of Rural Health. The eastern center will be located in Vermont at the White River Junction VA Medical Center, the central region in Iowa at the Iowa City VA Medical Center and the western region at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center.

Each resource center will be staffed with administrative, clinical and research staff who will identify disparities in health care for rural veterans and formulate practices or programs to enhance the delivery of care.

“VA has always been committed to providing quality care to rural veterans,” said Dr. Michael J. Kussman, VA’s under secretary for health. “These centers will allow us to better identify and meet the unique needs of our rural veterans as their population continues to grow.”

WASHINGTON – Using the latest high tech devices as well as the energy of wind and waves, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is helping veterans make health care and health maintenance parts of their everyday routine -- a story which is a highlight of the August edition of “The American Veteran,” the Department’s monthly half-hour news magazine.

“VA brings together the best minds and hearts in many professions to help veterans reclaim their place in the world,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “These stories spotlight the deep reserve of healing within veterans and their desire to embrace life head on.”

The top story highlights VA’s home telehealth program, where over 30,000 veterans are able to check into their medical center daily without ever leaving home. By entering information into a home monitoring system, data is transmitted instantly to their medical center using standard phone lines.

A second feature takes viewers to the beaches of Malibu, where veterans experience sun and surf in a uniquely California form of physical and mental therapy -- on a surfboard. All of the participants in this surf workshop are disabled veterans.

There are still some things that can be done only in the hospital, but are being done more quickly and accurately than ever before. In Loma Linda, Calif., a cardiologist is using the latest Cardiac CT scan technology to diagnose potential heart disease. Using this sophisticated equipment, thousands of two-dimensional images are used to create an interactive 3-D model of the patient’s heart.

The series is designed to inform active-duty members, veterans, their families and communities about the services and benefits they have earned and to honor them. VA’s Office of Public Affairs and the VA Learning University / Employee Education System (VALU/EES) produce the program and broadcast it to VA facilities around the world on The Pentagon Channel and to community cable outlets.

Aimed at veterans of all eras, VA also tells stories of heroism and sacrifice, and relives moments in history with those who were there, reminding veterans of the bond of service they share.

VA’s Office of Public Affairs offers the program to local broadcasters and cable outlets and makes it available for viewing on the VA Web site, www.va.gov. Just click on the “American Veteran” icon at the bottom of the page.

“The American Veteran” schedule on The Pentagon Channel is available at http://www.pentagonchannel.mil. The Pentagon Channel has more than 1 million military viewers and is delivered domestically via DISH, EchoStar, T-Warner and Cox cable systems. (Check for service in your area.)

Additional stories on the August edition of “The American Veteran” include:

· The Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008 is signed into law. Ohio makes all GI Bill participants eligible for in-state tuition.

· Thirty nine communities are selected to receive new Vet Centers.

· Women Veteran Program Managers are hired at every VA medical center.

· Major League Baseball sponsors reduced price tickets for veterans.

· The Tiger Woods AT&T National Golf event recognized the sacrifices of service members, both past and present, with 30,000 free tickets. “The American Veteran” traveled to the tournament over the Fourth of July weekend to capture the sights and sounds of the opening ceremony.

For information about “The American Veteran” program and how to obtain it for local programming, contact VA at 202-461-7502.