President Obama meets Fallen Soldiers

For the first time in 18 years, a president has opened the press to cover fallen soldiers arriving at Dover. Families can allow the press in to these very private moments. President Obama did have private moments with the families, but it is the showing on television of coffin draped caskets that has some worried.

While we do applaud the president for deciding to personally visit fallen soldier's families, we cannot help but wonder if this is for political gain, or to appease political friends. We hope not.

We do, however, do not support allowing the press to cover these events at anybody's whim. There is too much of a danger of using these photos and videos for political propaganda on both sides.

There was a reason why the first President Bush in 1991 instituted the ban. And these reasons are still valid.

Decisions on war and military action should never be made on the basis of how someone feels after looking at photos or videos.
==============================================================
Honor a Veteran or Military Member With a Free Website.

Veterans and the Current Housing Market: VA Home Loans

The current housing market has never been better if you are looking to buy a home. Interest rates are still near historic rates, and home prices, new and previously owned, have fallen. These home prices make it quite possible for most people to now buy a home.

If you have a job, money in the bank, a down payment, low bills, chances are you will be approved! But this is not 2006 all over again. Then, people were put in million dollar homes when all they could really afford was a $150,000 home. Nowadays, you qualify for a home worth the average, between $150-200,000. That makes it affordable and low risk for mortgage lenders and buyers!

Add this to the $8,000 tax credit you get for first time home buyers, and veterans who are looking for a first house will find this hard to beat! VA Home loans are still the ONLY home loan without a down payment! Veterans are being urged to take advantage of the VA home loan program that they are entitled too!

Learn more about VA Veterans Home Loans Here!
===================================================
>Home Loans for Teachers

>Military Scholarships

VA Health Funding, Website for Kids of Military

Last Friday, President Obama signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. It provides funding for VA health care one year in advance. Not the usual piecemeal. It is one of the rare times the VA knows up front when and how much funding they get. VA health care workers do a stellar service, but many times lack the resources to get the best job done. Before the government takes over any civilian health care, they need to get the VA's act together!

The VA has also started a website specifically targeting kids of veterans and military service members. The site also gives resources for all kids to learn what a service the veterans of this country have done. Encouraging kids to be patriotic is one of our goals as well. Supporting kids of military service members needs to be enhanced as well. We don't think kids in this country grow up feeling as patriotic as they used to. It has gotten better over the last 30 years, but is still lacking.
Visit the VA's website for kids at http://www.va.gov/KIDS
===================================
VA Veterans Home Loans

How to be a teacher and get a teaching job, alternate routes for veterans.

Congress passes service dog legislation for veterans

The senate passed a bill to start a program that provides service dogs to veterans.

Al Franken was author of the bill that provides dogs to help with service members who suffer from emotional as well as physical problems stemming from war.

The cost of each dog is about $20,000 plus. The money will be provided by the government and the dogs provided free.

The goal is to provide hundreds of dogs.

Read more on this story at the Star Tribune website.
=========================================================

>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

Mailing a package to overseas military serviceman?

If you have a loved one in the military overseas, and are thinking of sending them a package for the holidays, be sure you know the deadlines set by the post office.

Instead of trying to list all the dates and options, you can access the information right from the post office here.

There may be other options other than the post office if you are too late. UPS, Fedex, DHL, just to name a few, may be able to deliver as well.

The post office is actually a pretty good deal.

And we hope that everyone who can send a care package over the holidays does so!

It is one of the biggest morale boosters around!

Send a little Christmas all over the world!
======================================================
>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

Some Military Service members from 9/11 eligible for money

9/11 is still etched in our memories. None more than military members who were affected. Some had their enlistments involuntarily extended. We are not making judgments on whether this was right or wrong. We always like to think that we do things for the good of the world and country. A bill passed over the summer allows service members who had their enlistment extended are now eligible for $500 a month. You get it through the Department of Defense and it's called Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay. If you are eligible, be sure and collect. A very small monetary "gift" from all of us.
=================================
>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Military Scholarships

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

Do you hunt, fish, go to outdoor sporting events?

Keeping warm in the fall and winter while hunting, fishing, or even attending a football game can be tough. Have you heard of something cool to help? Electric socks! These electric socks (and even electric gloves) can keep you toasty for a few hours.

They do run on batteries and can only last for about 4 to 5 hours, but can sure be a lifesaver if you don't want to get bundled up from head to toe!

Click here for more information on electric socks.
================================================
Create a free webpage to honor a veteran or military service member.

Military Members Discounts and Car Insurance Concerns.

VA Veterans Home Loans

Applebee's offering free food to veterans and service members.

Applebee's restaurants are offering a limited menu for free to veterans and service members. Show up on Veterans Day, November 11, and show proof of being a veteran or service member, and the free entree is on its way! Granted, it is not everything on the menu, and just a gimmick, but what the heck. It is a small token for honoring military service. Of course you pay for drinks, tips, and other expenses. At least Applebee's takes notice. Read more about Applebee's free food offer for veterans here.

If you own a business, we wish you would offer some type of discount or freebie to veterans or service members. And not just one day a year, but all year.

More easy ways to thank a veteran.

================================================
>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

More Vietnam Veterans Eligible for Agent Orange Exposure

The Veterans Administration has now made about 200,000 Vietnam veterans eligibile for agent orange related benefits. There were a couple of diseases that the VA had agreed to pay benefits for related to the exposure to agent orange. Under current rules, things like Hodgkin's disease and type 2 diabetes were covered. The new proposal also will contain diseases like Parkinson's, certain heart diseases, and leukemia.

There is some debate, of course, as to whether there really is evidence that agent orange is related to any of the diseases being proposed. However, we will always urge to err on the side of veterans. In fact, anyone who was exposed to agent orange should be automatically qualified to receive certain benefits. In fact, there would be nothing but praise for new benefits for ALL Vietnam vets.

Just a side note on VA health care. We all know the VA health care system has problems. This is a snapshot of how any government run health care plan will be. Instead of overhauling the whole system, we need to fix the VA system first.

>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

Two ways that everybody can help the United States

There are two easy ways that people in the United States can be patriotic and help the country at the same time.

First, buy American. Simple. Even if you have to switch stores, buy American. Why send dollars overseas? This does not include most "foreign" cars. Those are made and sold here, creating American jobs.

Second, hire an American citizen. Put America first. On Fox News, they were saying how ski resorts were now actively going to reduce the number of jobs for foreign workers. Good Job!

Visit: http://www.madeinusa.com

============================================
>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

US Military Recruiters Meet All Goals for first time in 35 years.

The economy is bad. People need jobs. Young people especially. So, the military is a good looking option for many.

The US military has met all recruiting goals for the first time in 35 years. Actually, the first time since the draft was stopped.

We need to warn young people, however, that the United States military is not just a job. And it's not an adventure. It's serious business. Many kids join and don't realize they are asked to kill people and break things. And get killed themselves. But contrary to popular belief, the military is rather safe for most enlistees. But it is a dangerous business nonetheless.

There are wrong reasons to join the military. One is thinking it's just a great way to get a job. Wrong. It really does not prepare you for a great job on the outside. Unless you cherry-pick what job you get in the military. There isn't quite a demand for tank mechanics in the civilian world. Mechanics yes, not tank mechanics. Experience counts, true enough. Plus, you have just spent four years getting experience in a military setting. Not exactly real world experience for the working world. Some may disagree, but if you really want a great civilian job, then go find out what that great civilian job needs. And go and get it. Probably the military is not a prerequisite.

The only reason to join the military should be that you want to do your patriotic duty for the betterment of your country and the world. The other reasons are secondary.

Joining the military will not make a man (or woman) out of you if you are not already one.

Joining the military will not get you a great civilian job. In fact, that idea is just plain stupid, but it is a popular recruiting line.

Joining the military is not a great way to escape your parents and get out on your own.

Joining the military is a hardship. Especially if you are married

Joining the military is not a great way of going to college. Think about it. You'll be four years older and four years behind your career goals.

BUT...
Joining the military for honorable service is one of the BEST things you can do.

Joining the military is a great career in and of itself.

The military needs military minded men and women. Not civilian job seekers.

>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

>Baby, New Mother, and Breastfeeding Resources

Obama silenty agrees to 15,000 more troops in Afghanistan

President Obama walked a fine line, and did it almost without noise.

He has authorized up to 15,000 more troops for Afghanistan. Albeit these are mostly support personnel like medical, engineering, logistics, etc., it is a step in the right direction.

But does the way President Obama did this in any way connected to the Nobel Peace Prize farce? We hope not.

We also know that Obama needs to do the right thing. If he must do things like this to eventually finish the job, well, let's get to it.

Whether President Obama shouts it out, does it in a second, we don't care. Just in a timely basis, send the troops that will make a difference.

As usual, we urge you to write your congressman either way, but wish you would support a surge in troops.

President Obama has repeatedly said in the past that Afghanistan is THE WAR we must win. Let's hope he has the stomach to keep doing what is right, no matter what some members of his own party beg him to.
============================================
>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

Want a political forum to rant in? Sound of in the Sarah Palin Forum!

California Senator Calls Obama Indecisive on Afghanistan

Diane Feinstein, D-CA, is not exactly someone who you would think would be on the war side of Afghanistan. She has said that Obama should listen to people he chose. Namely General Stanley McCrystal, who has called for more troops. Senator Feinstein implies that Obama is doing nothing, not listening to the left or the right. And she cannot understand why.

Senator Feinstein paints a grim picture, “I’ll tell you what I said. I reviewed all of the intelligence and looked at the situation, and it was pretty clear to me that violence was up 100 percent; 950 attacks in August. The Taliban now controls 37 percent of the people in the areas where these people are. Attrition in police is running 67 percent, either killed or leaving the service.”

Hard to believe, but it does seem at least one key senator is leaning toward more troops. But really, this should not come as a great surprise. President Obama himself has repeatedly in the past called the war in Afghanistan the war that we must wage and win. His stalling and do-nothing approach is obviously in respect to his needing to appease some on the left.

Appeasing the left has nothing to do with it. Appeasing the right has nothing to do with it.

We applaud Senator Feinstein and hope more people come forward. This is not the time to waffle and stall. It is time for action. Keep your promise, President Obama!

Send the troops!

==============================================
>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

>Baby, New Mother, and Breastfeeding Resources

Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize

Barack Obama should never allow a political statement from a foreign organization to dictate what the policies of the United States should be.

The United States must always continue to do what is best for the United States first.

If this means making some countries disappointed, so be it. Giving President Obama the Nobel Peace prize is just the kind of political statement we should not allow.

How can it not affect Obama's policies now, especially in Afghanistan? Will he be looking at that prize and thinking, "I cannot do more..." or will he listen to the generals? Listening to the generals is what Nancy Pelosi said Bush should do. But now she seems to have a different take when her side is in the White House.

Afghanistan needs to be cleaned up and now is the time to do it.

President Obama promised. Will he back off his promise now that he has a Peace prize?

We hope not. He cannot. He should not. For the good of the United States.

>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

Military Car Insurance

New article posted as to how military personnel should be able to get discounts on their auto car insurance rates.
==========================================
>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

US Soldiers helping Afghan people, military, and police

US soldiers in Afghanistan are doing a remarkable job at training an Afghan army that was nonexistent. They are also training police, and giving medical care to the Afghan people at no cost to them. It is time to really salute these troops in Afghanistan.

Here is a video of just what they are doing:

Supreme Court Hears Arguments on War Memorial Cross

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments about a war memorial that happens to be a cross.

Please support this effort. You can read more at:
http://militaryandveterans.blogspot.com/2009/09/veterans-are-fighting-to-keep-memorial.html

>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

Sarah Palin's Facebook Comments on Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan has been called by Obama as THE war to fight. President Obama needs to pick up the pace and do something now.

In case you are interested, Sarah Plain weighed in on Facebook today concerning the Afghan war:

For two years as a candidate, Senator Obama called for more resources for the war in Afghanistan and warned about the consequences of failure. As President, he announced a comprehensive new counterinsurgency strategy and handpicked the right general to execute it. Now General McChrystal is asking for additional troops to implement the strategy announced by President Obama in March. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers in harm's way in Afghanistan right now. We owe it to all those brave Americans serving in uniform to give them the tools they need to complete their mission.

We can win in Afghanistan by helping the Afghans build a stable representative state able to defend itself. And we must do what it takes to prevail. The stakes are very high. The 9/11 attacks were planned in Afghanistan, and if we are not successful there, al Qaeda will once again find a safe haven, the Taliban will impose its cruelty on the Afghan people, and Pakistan will be less stable.

Our allies and our adversaries are watching to see if we have the staying power to protect our interests in Afghanistan. I recently joined a group of Americans in urging President Obama to devote the resources necessary in Afghanistan and pledged to support him if he made the right decision. Now is not the time for cold feet, second thoughts, or indecision -- it is the time to act as commander-in-chief and approve the troops so clearly needed in Afghanistan.

- Sarah Palin

>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.

>Baby, New Mother, and Breastfeeding Resources

8 Americans Killed in Afghanistan

The largest loss of life of American soldiers in a year.

People who support this war are often thought of as heartless or some other words.
Veterans are not. When we hear news like this, our hearts ache. We think of the soldier who lost his life. We think of the family that lost a loved one. We think of his comrades who had to fight on. We think of the bravery of our soldiers. we think of the bravery of this young man. We think of the bravery and goodness of Americans. We think of the loss of past soldiers in winning freedom for this country. We think of the loss of life in winning freedom for other countries and other peoples. We think again of the loss of a brave soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice. We think again of the loss of an American family.

We also think the useless and needless body counts being splashed across the news.

We also think of how dead or dying soldiers become political pieces for news papers and television.

And we think about how this country can promote such things.

The very people screaming for freedom of the press are the very ones who would not have it if it were not for Americans sacrificing their lives.

We salute the brave men and women, who are called upon each and every day to to extraordinary things each and every day, and are willing to be put in harm's way for us. They are not fearless, mindless people. They face fear with a knowledge that they are being called upon to make this country and the world better.

Stop the body counts. It is never a time to keep score with American lives.

>VA Veterans Home Loans

>Teacher Resources, Teaching Articles, Teaching Tips.

>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.