Marc Curtis was the son of a US Army Sergeant. He was born at the Presidio of San Francisco, and lived on Army and Air Force bases around California, Texas, and Japan. Marc will be sharing his story LIVE on our Veterans Day Telethon on Nov 6th.

Marc Curtis is the President of US Plan B, Inc., a television production company in Los Angeles that specializes in Public Relations video for the travel industry. His experience in television goes back over three decades as both a Freelance Video Photo Journalist and manager of news organizations.  He was also Owner and General Manager of Southern California News Service from 1982 to 1994. His company was established as an independent news service covering breaking news and special interest stories throughout the United States. The company also serviced daily feeds and news gathering or downlinking by satellite transmission for various broadcast and non-broadcast news agencies.  From 1985 until a merger with Tribune Broadcasting in 1990, he was West Coast Bureau Manager for the Hollywood, California office of the Independent News Network. Here he managed an office staff and field crews, turning out dozens of news stories as well as shooting raw footage that was syndicated to news agencies around the world.  Marc was the chief cameraman for the PBS Front-line series documentary produced by Robert Drew titled For Auction–An American Hero. The program examined the auctioning of American family farms from the viewpoint of the auctioneer and won the DuPont-Columbia Award for Best Independent Documentary of 1986.

In 1997, Marc created the Military Brats Registry as an Internet resource for people who grew up in a military household. The web site rapidly became the central location for “lost brats” to find each other. The site is made possible by advertisers and sales of relevant items in the Military Brats Store.  Marc has been successful in locating many of the classmates he has searched for from his Fourth Grade class in 1960-61 at Ft. Bliss, Texas. His passion for helping others locate the friends they have wondered about has resulted in the phenomenal success of the Military Brats Registry, with tens of thousands of registered members and reunions between them taking place daily.

Currently Marc “commutes” between Los Angeles and China every few months and is cooperating with business and government officials to produce cultural programs to promote a better understanding between the people of the USA and China.

Sign-up NOW and connect with your military brat classmates!

Lori Bell - "2010 Military Spouse of Year"

Lori Bell is a military spouse and mom, USAF veteran, and President and Founder of the National Association of Military Moms and Spouses (NAMMAS), a mentoring community of women passionate about helping each other navigate military lifestyle challenges, build relationships and have more fun too.

When her husband deployed to Afghanistan for six months with only 3 weeks notice, Lori was an instant single parent to two toddlers under three.  Realizing a need to connect with other like-minded women who could identify with the struggles of deployment, military marriage, raising kids, starting a business or establishing a career, and constant moving from place to place, Lori created NAMMAS and invited friends and acquaintances to join.  The community grew from just 7 members to now nearly 500, and through social media networks, online and offline connections, NAMMAS reaches over 5000 military moms and spouses.

Her achievements were recognized nationally by Military Spouse Magazine and she was named “2010 Military Spouse of the Year“.  Lori has been a guest on ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News “Making A Difference”, Fox News Fox & Friends and The Strategy Room, and CNN.  Through her exclusive monthly column in Military Spouse Magazine and online blog, Lori shares her inspiring message of “prospering where you’re planted”, where her reach now extends to over 1.1 million military spouses in our military worldwide.

To find out more about NAMMAS or to join our community with a FREE membership, please visit www.nammas.org.

Torrey Shannon, National Spokesperson & Co-Executive Director of “Cleaning For Heroes” will be joining the lineup for our 2010 Veteran’s Day Telethon. Torrey came on board with Cleaning for Heroes in April 2010.  She has a unique perspective on the benefits of this one-of-a-kind program.  She is the wife of a combat wounded veteran who was featured in the Pulitzer-Prize winning stories in The Washington Post in 2007 and later testified before Congress about veteran care issues. Torrey, a former maid service owner, has been a peer mentor and moderator on many online residential cleaning forums over the years and remains actively involved in the cleaning industry. She is most recognized as an advocate and expert on quality-of-life topics that affect veterans and their families.

“Cleaning for Heroes” gives honor and assistance to our veterans and service members EVERY day of the year and is setting the example for others to follow! Within four months of the launch of this ground-breaking program, the Cleaning for Heroes network of maid services were spanning the nation and reaching into Canada. The response from the public was overwhelmingly positive.

Anne Aldridge, Founder of “Cleaning For Heroes”, is no stranger to the the sacrifices of veterans. She is the daughter of a Vietnam-era Navy veteran, the granddaughter of a World War II veteran, and the great-granddaughter of a World War I veteran.

“Cleaning for Heroes” is the only non-profit dedicated to to providing free house cleaning, home and repair services to disabled veterans in need.  If you would like to help support this worthy organization, please visit their website!!!

Did you know that even if you didn’t do 20 years on active duty, you could draw a pension?  This must be one of the VA’s best kept secrets!!! So I encourage you to spread the word.  It’s not a huge amount of money but every little bit counts! I had no idea about this benefit until a huge veteran supporter friend of mine Debbie Burak of the Veteran Aid Organization clued me in.  Here’s the scoop as quoted from her site:

The VA Improved Pension – The VA classifies any veteran at the age of 65 to be permanently and totally disabled regardless of your physical state. The classification of “Disabled” entitles the veteran or widow for a Basic Pension if he/she meets the net worth and income criteria. The same is true for the surviving spouse.  No Physician’s Statement is required for filing for Basic Pension.  To be eligible for Basic Pension:

• A veteran alone must have countable income LESS than $11,830 a year
• A veteran with a spouse must have countable income LESS than: $15,493 a year

For more information see Code of Federal Regulation Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1521(b) or (c)).  Also check this site for more information as it becomes available.  (Veteran Aid.org)

“Military Spouse Appreciation Day” was established to recognize and salute the strength, patriotism and unfailing support of military husbands and wives towards the mission of the United States military.

In 1984, then President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the Friday before Mother’s Day to be designated as Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

While their husbands or wives took a voluntary oath and signed on a dotted line to join the military, spouses were enlisted through the back door with the vows they took on their wedding day.  In choosing their mates, they inadvertently chose their way of life.  Many have already given up their own careers and traditional home lifestyle to follow their active duty spouses across the globe.  And from own personal experience…THEY ARE DOING IN PROUDLY!

By Rod Taverna

Nearly 2 million veterans or their widows are missing out on as much as $22 billion a year in pensions, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has had only limited success in finding them. Widows are hardest hit. According to a VA estimate, only one in seven people who probably could qualify for the pension actually receive the monthly checks. A VA study said, that veterans generally “are completely unaware that the program exists.”

If you served during World War II, Korea, Vietnam or the Gulf War or are the surviving spouse of a veteran of one of those conflicts:

• You may qualify for a VA Pension without having a service connected disability.
• You could receive a pension that could be as high as $1950 per month for a married couple or $1100 per month for a surviving spouse, all TAX FREE.
• You may receive help to pay health insurance premiums, including Medicare Part B, or money to have friends or relatives provide home care services.

A third of all senior citizens in this country may qualify for this little known veterans disability income benefit called Pension. Pension is also called the Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit. This benefit can pay up to $1,950 a month to qualifying veteran households to cover the cost of home care, assisted living or nursing home care. The income is paid in addition to all other household income to reimburse the family for their long term care medical costs. If younger than 65, the veteran must be totally disabled. If age 65 or older, there is no requirement for disability. There is no disability requirement for a single surviving spouse.

There are estimated to be about 7.1 million living veterans over the age of 65 who served during World War II, Korea, Vietnam or the Gulf War. In addition there are approximately 4.4 million surviving spouses of these war veterans over 65. The veterans could be eligible for Pension and their surviving dependents may be eligible for Death Pension as well. To receive a Veterans Pension Benefit, a veteran must have served on active duty, at least 90 days, with at least one day during a period of war. There must be an honorable discharge.

There are about 11.5 million potential beneficiaries for VA pension benefits in this country. The Census Bureau estimates there are approximately 35 million seniors over the age of 65. Comparing those who could receive pension over the total number of seniors means that about 33% of all seniors could be eligible for this veterans benefit income. Yet, according to government census statistics, only about 4.7% of the 11.5 million or so seniors who could qualify are actually receiving Pension or Death Pension.

For more detailed information on the VA Pension benefit, including detailed charts and downloadable forms, please visit the Smart Consumer Group VA Pension Page

Rod Taverna has been involved in financial planning for 20 years and has an MBA in Finance. Company web site http://www.FreedomFinancialSolutionsInc.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rod_Taverna
http://EzineArticles.com/?Veterans-and-Surviving-Spouses—The-VA-May-Owe-You-Money&id=1728087

By Kellie Frazier

Many years ago my husband would set out for the open seas, which left my two sons and I alone to fend for ourselves. I understood of course that he was serving his country and this was his duty, but what an emotional predicament that decision would often leave our family in.

Allow me to help you understand how it can be a time of positive growth and change rather than emotional predicaments.

I experienced 16 years of military parenting, I coach parents for a living and am the Un

By Erica Erwin Erie Times-News, Pa.

Apr. 1–New legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper aims to make one inevitable part of military life a little easier: moving.

Dahlkemper, of Erie, spent part of Wednesday morning in Erie promoting the Military Spouses Job Continuity Act, which offers a tax credit of up to $500 to any military spouse who has to renew or transfer a professional license because of a transfer order that takes a military family across state lines.

The tax credit would apply specifically to administrative fees paid to licensing boards or certificate-granting institutions, expenses not covered by existing programs.

Military life is a “privilege and a blessing,” but also challenging for soldiers and their families, Dahlkemper, D-3rd Dist., said at a news conference at the Intermodal Transportation Center on Erie’s east bayfront.

“Military families should not have financial burdens imposed on them, directly or indirectly” because of a transfer order, Dahlkemper said. “A fee to re-enter the work force for spouses is exactly the type of indirect cost that our military families should not have to incur.

“This tax credit will remove that extra, indirect cost and help spouses quickly re-enter the work force after a move,” she said. “Getting back to work after a move helps ease the stress of a (Permanent Change of Station) transfer and is another step in our commitment to supporting our troops and their families.”

Dahlkemper said the idea behind the legislation came from a discussion she had with a constituent in 2009, a member of the military who told her about the issues and expenses that came with moving.

Helping spouses with job transitions helps military members, Dahlkemper said.

“There are a lot of things we do to support our military men and women, but if they’re overseas trying to do their job for this country, but they’re worrying about their family, I think that sometimes affects their ability to work,” Dahlkemper said.

From 2008 to 2009, Dahlkemper’s office said, more than 1.1 million active-duty service members in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy received PCS orders.

Nicholas Combitchi, an Army veteran and chapter commander of the Erie chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, spoke in favor of the legislation at the news conference.

“Military life is something that brings me great pride, but it hasn’t always been easy,” Combitchi said. “We all know that moving is a fact of military life. It can be hard on your family to move so frequently, and it can be hard on you, the soldier.

” Congresswoman Dahlkemper’s plan will help military families and make the transitions from move to move easier,” he said.

Article Source:  Professional License Renewal

Armed Forces Day is a nationally recognized holiday for honoring any member of the military. There are many great ways to honor the troops on Armed Forces Day. There are companies that offer products to honor those who are serving as well. Use these steps to learn more about Armed Forces Day and how you can honor the troops.

• Honor your armed forces member. If you have a family member in the military, use the day to put together a care package from you, the children and other members of the family with their favorite items. Send the care package to them with a little note about honoring them.

• Use the day for a fundraiser. Find a military related organization and help or create a fundraiser for them. This could be a letter drive for soldiers without families who are serving or monies for families who can’t afford to send care packages.

• Get the whole community involved. Plan a community wide event or celebration and have entertainment, fundraisers and a flag raising or flag ceremony. Make sure to check with a local military leader to ensure you are following all the flag guidelines and not dishonoring the flag and its representation in any ways.

• Get your local congressman or senator involved. Ask them to attend your celebration, fundraiser or activity, encouraging them to take notice and implore the county and state to get their communities involved on Armed Forces Day and to find ways to honor those who are serving our country.

Article Source:  http://www.ehow.com/how_2157381_honor-troops-armed-forces-day.html

By Sylvia Hall – bio | email

OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (WLOX) – Jamie Chevalier, a proud Navy wife, isn’t finished with her journalism degree.  However, she worries this semester could be her last, due to sudden halt in the Department of Defense’s program called MyCAA.

“It gives you $6,000 to put towards your education,” explained Chevalier.  “While we’re down here, that would have covered the 11 classes I need to finish out the degree. So I would be able to finish it here and not have to worry.”

A program representative did not return our call Friday, but an update on the Department of Defense’ website explains the program’s pause is temporary.  The post explains the program’s enrollment increased six fold in recent months, forcing the Department of Defense to halt it temporarily and regroup.

“To clarify the status of MyCAA, during the pause no new MyCAA accounts may be created, and no new financial assistance applications will be accepted,” the post said.  “Approved financial assistance documents for enrolled participants will not be affected. And, spouses who already have a MyCAA account may continue to use the MyCAA website for career counseling and planning.”

Click here to read the entire post.

Chevalier said she was never contacted about the freeze, and instead was told by a friend via email the program had halted.

“It’s like they gave us something and took it away and they expect us to just be quiet and to not question it,” said Chevalier.  “And I think that’s where the problem lies is they didn’t expect us to question it like we’re doing.  And we are.”

More than 1,500 military spouses have joined a Facebook group, using comments to express their concerns about the program’s abrupt halt.  Click here for a link that page.

Chevalier said the affected spouses aren’t just making noise online.

“We’ve started letter writings, emails, phone calls, and congress is listening, and they’re talking to the DoD on our behalf,” Chevalier said.  “Somebody’s going to listen.   If it’s just a handful of people, we’re just making noise. But if its 2000 spouses, somebody’s going to listen.  And hopefully we’ll get something accomplished.”

Chevalier hopes this wont be her last semester of studying with help from MyCAA, but if it is, she wants to be notified.

“If they can start the program back up, great,” said Chevalier.  “If they can’t just let us know. Personally tell everybody why and explain to them what can be done in the future.”