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November is a month of giving thanks. On Thanksgiving Day, we express gratitude for the things we are fortunate to have in our lives. On Veterans Day, a grateful nation thanks our veterans and their loved ones for their service and sacrifice. If you would like some ideas of ways that you can express your gratitude to our men and women in uniform, past and present and their families, we have some suggestions here.
Warm regards,
Debbie Gregory, CEO |
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Operation Rising Star
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The top 12 Operation Rising Star Finalists are advancing to the Finals, which will air beginning on December 11th on the Army MWR website and the Pentagon Channel. The top 12 need audience votes to help advance them in each round of the competition. The audience will be able to vote online, and the votes will count for 50% of the competitors' final score. For more information, click here. |
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Save Money Within 30 Days
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VA Mortgage Rates are at Historic Lows If your current VA mortgage rate is 4.5% or higher, and your loan amount is over $100,000, you could be saving hundreds of dollars each month! VetsCanSave.com specializes in helping veterans increase their savings and reduce their debt through VA mortgage strategies, programs and education. Current VA homeowners can lower their interest rate with little or no out-of-pocket costs. With mortgage rates at an all-time low, Veterans should consider refinancing with NO CLOSING COSTS! No other program is as simple to enroll in or as easy to qualify for than the VA Streamline Refinance. Loans can close in as few as 30 days. You can even skip up to 2 mortgage payments! For more information, with no obligation, contact them on the web at VetsCanSave.com. |
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Upcoming Webinar
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Post 9/11 GI Bill: Your Path to a Career in IT
The IT industry is screaming for more qualified skilled workers. What if you could complete valuable career training in weeks? Veterans attending this webinar will be shown how they can prepare in just weeks, not years, to position themselves to enter the private or public workforce in the highly sought-after IT field. |
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Featured School
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Allied Health Institute provides quality distance education in high demand job fields in a wide range of healthcare occupations. Most classes are completed entirely online, allowing students great flexibility, while receiving support from instructors, peers and student services. Programs that contain clinical training and externships are designed to enhance career skills, providing students with hands-on training and real-life experience. Associate of Science Degree programs include: Medical Assisting and Healthcare Management. Diploma programs include: Personal Trainer, Medical Assistant, Medical Office Assistant, Medical Coding Specialist, Electrocardiograph (EKG) Technician, Massage Therapy and Fire Officer I. For more information, click here |
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Commercial Driver’s Training
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Transportation Industry Careers Major trucking companies have a serious shortage of qualified drivers, and the shortage continues every year. According to CNN, 400,000 qualified drivers will be required in the coming years. Veterans who train for this career can expect a first year’s income of between, $35,000 and $40,000, increasing to over $50,000 with career development and benefits. Because of recent changes in the rules governing VA educational benefits, Veterans can now use their education benefits at The CDL School to obtain training and certification required by the transportation industry. The CDL School, founded in 1963, is a nationally recognized full service commercial driving school, licensed and approved by the state licensing agencies as well as the Veterans Administration. Visit www.cdlschool.com for more information and to register for one of the frequent live or online orientations. |
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Education Benefits for Veterans & Spouses
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The Post 9/11 GI Bill covers
Check out our Education Area including our Veteran School Directory & thousands of scholarships. |
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NFL Players Partners With eKnowledge
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eKnowledge Donates Test Prep Software NFL Players stepped up BIG TIME this year supporting the eKnowledge Military Donation Program, which now includes over 100 players from the NFL, MLB, Professional Tennis, and some of the largest not-for-profit organizations in the world. MilitaryConnection.com has been a long-term partner with eKnowledge.com to offer COMPLIMENTARY SAT & ACT Test Courses. These tests will help you or your loved ones gain admittance to the college of your choice. The COMPLIMENTARY SAT/ACT sponsorship covers 100% of the total retail cost of the $200 program; there is a nominal charge of $13.84 (per standard program) for registration, licensure, order processing, distribution, customer service and technical support. You can register here. |
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Attention: Military Children
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The First Lady is asking military children from around the globe for some finishing touches on the White House decorations this holiday season. The request is for military children to submit 5x8" handmade holiday cards with words of appreciation for their military parents, as well as pictures and drawings. The White House will display as many of the cards as possible. Send holiday cards and where they were sent from by November 16, 2011to : Reservation 1, Attn: Social Office, PO Box 8070, Washington DC. This is a great opportunity for military children to express love, admiration and appreciation for their military parents this holiday season. For further information, please contact: Major Damien Pickart, Staff Officer, Community & Public Outreach Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense Public Affairs, Rm. 2D982, at 703-695-3904 /DSN 225-3904. |
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$50 Visa Gift Card From now through the end of November, "like us" on Facebook and (most IMPORTANTLY) leave a comment on our wall, and you will automatically be entered in a drawing to win a $50 Visa Gift Card. We will randomly draw the winner on 11/30/11. So say something nice and Good Luck! |
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The Soldiers Project
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The Soldiers Project is a non-profit organization of licensed mental health professionals who provide free, unlimited, confidential psychological counseling to military service members (active duty, National Guard, Reserves and Veterans) who have served or expect to serve in the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan. They also provide treatment to family members and loved ones. Treatment is conducted in private offices by volunteer therapists and is entirely confidential and not reported to any governmental agency. For more information, visit them on the web. |
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Thank You Veterans
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Many businesses honor Veterans and Servicemembers by offering Veterans Day discounts on goods, services and dining. Most businesses require some proof of military service, which could be a VA Universal Access Card, Military I.D., DD-214 (Discharge Papers) or in some cases, a picture of the veteran in uniform will suffice. We apologize in advance if you are unable to take advantage of any of the discounts or freebies due to the lack of acceptable I.D., non-participation of your local establishment in their national chain’s Veterans Day programs, etc. We have personally checked and verified the participation of the companies we have listed here , but we still advise calling ahead in case a reservation is required |
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Exclusive Travel Deals
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Ready to Get Away From It All? Receive exclusive military travel discounts with Government Vacation Rewards (GVR)! The program is free, just sign-up to save! Book hotels, cruises, flights, car rentals and more. With a Best Price Guarantee and No Booking Fees, you can rest assured that you are getting the lowest price on your vacation! And with GVR’s loyalty program, you can save up to $150 on vacations- sign up now and get 2,500 Reward Points for FREE! Special offer for Veteran’s Day! Book a cruise, help the Wounded Warrior Project! Visit our site for more details. Plus get an extra $20 OFF your hotel booking. www.govvacationrewards.com/militaryconnect |
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It’s The Right Thing To Do
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Tax Incentives for Hiring Veterans Today’s Veterans are dedicated, hard working men and women who bring with them skills that make them outstanding employees. Military training provides them with technical skills and leadership experience, and instills a commitment to teamwork If those qualities weren’t enough of a reason to hire Vets, how about some of the outstanding tax incentives that are now available to employers? At MilitaryConnection.com, we provide Employers access to this valuable audience of Active Duty Military, Separating Military, Veterans and their families. If you would like more information on advertising on our site, click here. |
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Featured Employer
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With all our heart. With all our mind. These powerful words encapsulate the Mercy Health System mission and our organization's commitment to our patients and community members. Mercy operates 3 hospitals located in Janesville & Lake Geneva, Wisconsin as well as Harvard, Illinois. Our hospital locations reflect only one part of the integrated delivery system. Mercy provides services that span four core service areas, including hospital-based services, clinic-based services, post-acute care and retail services, and insurance products. We have a passion for what we do, why we do it, and everyone we help. Visit us to explore career opportunities and learn more about us: www.mercyhealthsystem.org |
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Visit our Job Area - Check out our Job Board with thousands of jobs in many occupational areas. Register as a Job Seeker and upload your resume so that Employers can find you. You should also check out our Virtual Job Fair of top jobs, and all the valuable employment resources we provide. |
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Good Read!
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There are more than 100,000 job boards and social media sites on the Internet. So, how do you know which ones will work best for you? The key is to “shop” for job boards the same way you shop for anything else. You have to compare the services, features and fees of the alternatives. |
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Warning from the Army CID
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The Army Criminal Investigation Command issued a warning regarding online dating with persons falsely claiming to be U.S. Soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere. CID receives hundreds of allegations each month from people victimized on legitimate dating and social media websites. The "Soldier" requests money for false service-related needs such as transportation, communication fees, medical fees, etc. Victims of these scams have lost tens of thousands of dollars, with a very low possibility of recovery. The people committing these scams are using untraceable email addresses, routing accounts through numerous locations around the world and utilizing pay per hour Internet cyber cafes, which lack accountability of use. For more information, click here. |
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Who Will Win this
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Submissions Accepted Until November 28th Scott Anderson, President and CEO of Union Diamond, has announced that they will be awarding a $40,000 platinum and diamond engagement ring to one lucky member of the United States Armed Forces. The contest, titled "My Perfect Union", allows members of the military to nominate themselves or be nominated by friends or family members through a video submission and/or essay submitted to the website. All branches of the U.S. Military are eligible and encouraged to enter as are both active duty and retired members of the Armed Forces. |
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UPDATE:
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We are pleased as punch to announce that Terry Dougherty, Military Spouse, Teacher Extraordinaire and Founder of “Free Military Child Tutoring-They are Heroes Too” is the winner of "The Great American Teach Off''. As a mother and military spouse of thirty years, she knows first-hand the separation and transition issues that military children face, and she is making a difference by offering them free tutoring services. The $10,000 classroom grant will go a long way to help Terry continue to be an important force in the lives of all of her students! Congratulations to Terry, and thank you to everyone who supported her. |
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Coming Soon…
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Q&A with Ted Puntillo, Director of Veteran Services, Solano County and former CA VA Deputy Secretary When it comes to Veterans’ benefits, Ted Puntillo is one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet! The former Deputy Director of CalVet and current Director of Veteran Services for Solano County, Ted will be sharing important information on topics such as Veteran benefits, disability, compensation, etc. If you have a GENERAL question, please send it to info@militaryconnection.com and put “Question for Ted Puntillo” in the subject line. Please remember that this is for General questions only, and specific questions should go to your local Veteran Service Officer. |
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ESGR Statement of Support
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The ESGR Statement of Support Program seeks to inform and educate employers about their rights and responsibilities towards their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve, and to also recognize and reward those employers who go “over and above” the requirements of the law. If you are interested in signing a Statement of Support with the Guard & Reserve, please contact us and we will assist in facilitating a signing ceremony. |
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Veteran Business Owners VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association working to ensure the development, growth and prosperity of Veteran Owned Businesses, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses (SDVOB) and Military Businesses of all sizes. VAMBOA will serve the needs of the veteran and military business communities by uniting veteran and military business owners for collaboration, connections and contracts with both private corporations and government agencies. Join today and take the survey to let them know what issues are important to you. Membership is Free! You have honorably served our nation. VAMBOA is here to serve you and be your voice. |
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Gary Sinise Foundation & the Lt. Dan Band
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July 4th, 2011, saw the launch of the Gary Sinise Foundation to honor the Nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. The foundation provides and supports unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities. The launch coincided with the release of Jonathan Flora’s documentary "Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good". And don’t miss the opportunity to see Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band on:
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If you know someone who would like to receive our newsletters, you can refer them to our registration page: Military Connection Premium Services to be added to our mailing list and be able to access all premium areas of MilitaryConnection.com. |
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We are have reached 91,000+ followers on Twitter, follow us! http://twitter.com/thegotosite. Also follow & like us on Facebook! |
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Pioneer Services - serving the military for over 20 years When you need a simple, affordable military loan, Pioneer Services is here to help. Their online application is fast, easy, and confidential. They offer personal installment loans with manageable payments and no hidden fees. Fast, affordable military loans from $500 to $10,000 are available for all ranks and branches and retired military. |
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