I’m a computer scientist for the Air Force. I have my CAC, and it’s marked as civilian.

Should I get free food for Veterans Day? What about gym, tickets, and other miscellaneous military discounts? It feels disrespectful getting these benefits. When I do ask for the discount I always tell them that I’m a civilian in the Air Force and if that still counts, and they usually say that’s fine and let me get the discount anyway.

I've gotten approved for the VR&E program and am beginning the initial steps. I want to use this program to obtain an MD. School prestige does not matter to me. Does anybody have any kind of tips or advice to get this done? I have a squared away argument as to why it is suitable and necessary employment but my counselor is not responsive to any of my correspondence and I'm essentially left in the dark with how any of this works. I've read plenty of stories of people getting this approved and completing the program.

I already have a few semesters towards an undergraduate degree. My goal is to get into psychiatry or neurology and work directly with other vets or active duty service members. Any advice on how to make this work would be more than appreciated. I'm fully committed to making this work, can't really imagine going into any other career field.

I was “homeschooled” in highschool so I don’t have a legit GPA or diploma, no one in my family has gone to college. Should I take the SAT/ACT at 22 y/o? If I started at a community college would I still get the MHA? Was anybody here in a similar position, whats the best way to approach this?

Living in nyc where they either dont care or hate veterans lol and i'm looking for fellow veterans to be friends with. Im in my early 30s, did 5 years (2008-2013) 1 tour to fob shank and 1/2 tour to Al-Asad Airbase (came back to the state side after being in Korea for 1 year and my unit was already deployed for 6 months. Gave me an option either go to my unit in iraq or be in company full of dirtbags getting chaptered out/in drug rehab for 6 months lol).

Thank for your servic

What does Veterans Day mean to you?

Edit: I’m writing a speech for a veteran day celebration, looking for inspiration outside of my own opinion as a veteran. The fact that people said nothing and free food makes this so much more difficult 🤣🤣🤣🤣💀

My father (78) is having a very intense procedure at a VA hospital, my mother plans to be right beside him and stay with him at all times. I’m halfway across the country, is there anything I could send to make their stay more comfortable? Any tips for spouses who stay in room? It’s going to be about 3 to 4 nights I believe.

I finally got into my TSP after being unable to login for a long time, I’ll admit I didn’t persist because it seemed a headache and I had other priorities.

It’s a very meager amount. Under $3k. I know there are communities dedicated learning how to get your TSP working for you, but I’m completely in the dark. Can anyone shine a light for me so I’m not so aimless right now? It’s a lot of info. Or am I too late?

I'm 70% disabled veteran. I'm looking for a supplemental insurance to Medicare. I also have the VA for my disability. Does anyone know of a plan that would work for me?

I’m going through a rough financial situation, with my gas being cut and now car problems.. I was told about the (MN legion) MVAF Grant May be a good option.. Does anyone have any experience with their applications for the grant? I know it’s max is about 5k and it’s from American Legions if I’m not mistaken.

My only hang up is i am not part of a LEGION so I can’t fully complete application because it asks for Chapter number, etc..

Any help is appreciated. I have reached out to Veteran Support in county but there’s supposedly long line I haven’t heard from them and I only want help completing a damn application lol.

Army guy here

Apologies if this is the wrong place for this, but I’m having trouble getting a hold of anyone for an answer via “traditional” methods.

My grandfather who was active duty through the end of WW2 (didn’t see action) passed away in ‘04. Recently, I was helping my parents clear out some old stuff from their house and my dad found a bunch of paperwork indicating my grandfather had a VA life insurance policy. I have the policy number, and it looks like he’d been paying the premium through at least ‘99 (and he was NOT the type to let something like that lapse). So I was wondering (a) is it too late to even make a claim on that, and, if not (b) who would I even contact to find out more information.

Any help would be appreciated. If this isn’t the proper forum for this question, I’d be glad to take it down, but figured it’d be worth a shot. Happy early Veterans Day to all who served.

TW: Suicide, Violence, Trauma. Sorry this is going to be full of some raw emotion. Throughout my military service I have had a really hard time staying connected with my civilian friends. Especially after an overseas deployment where I witnessed evils that I could not even imagine. Most of my civilian friends were people I met in college, and were the kind of people who considered themselves to be on moral high ground as well as academically qualified to just have opinions on all kinds of things they have zero experience with, especially military related issues.

As time goes on I realized that the borders of their concerns barely extend beyond their cookie cutter yards. The world outside their town and the concerns of other people don't bother them, least of all people in other countries. They don't understand suicide or depression or the loss of comrade, they tend to think that these are things that can be "prayed away". The most basic levels of sacrifice that a service member puts themselves through is completely foreign concept.

When these people say thank you for your service I don't think they have any thoughts behind those words. I've had to just start cutting people out of my life because our lives have become so alien to each other and I can't stand it. I can't stand people pretending to try to understand or care. I can't stand people who try to lecture others about how to deal with the world without getting off of their own asses.

What they don't realize they are thanking Veterans for is the right and the privilege to be ostriches with their heads burried in the sand.

I'm sorry that this is not an uplifting post but I'm feeling very blue right now. Lost my best friend in the Army to suicide the day after my birthday, and her last words to me were "happy birthday". I have a good therapist but that's not going to erase the past or mend old friendships.

So i can't get past the thought that my wife and my kids lives would all be better off i was gone. She swears she loves me and doesn't wants me to stay alive. But I'm i what the kids today call "a loser" and ive dug some holes im not getting out of.
Her rich father could buy them the house he offered and my kids would be showered with spoils I could never give them. They would be swept into the loving arms of her family (who hate me. I've not behaved admirably) and everyone would be better off. All it would take is me not being here. Can't shake the thought. It's haunting me.

Also my service dog is dying. And I'm being sued.

But it looks like the Steelers are play off bound and I'm 8 months sober today.

Happy Veterans day ❤️

How are you doing?

Please, enjoy our day tomorrow. My thank you is heartfelt. Do some buddy checks. I hadn’t heard from a female veteran friend and Wednesday night sent her a text because I hadn’t heard from her in a couple of weeks. Glad I did. Turns out her brother passed away Monday.

Hi everyone. I’m not normally a person who would reach out for help on this. But, I need some advice. Obviously, obviously we all know that PTS is a big thing in our community. Most of us deal with psychological trauma. I was fired from my job on Friday. I had a PTS event then I had no control over my body. It led me to having a disassociation and complete loss of myself. I found a trigger that never knew that I had. When I was approached by HR to discuss the matter: I told them I don’t know what happened. I personally felt like I needed to pretend that I had some control to protect my own mental state. I didn’t want to admit that I didn’t know what was going on. After an investigation, I was terminated and sent out to pasture. Mind blown that someone who I trusted, betrayed me. I spoke to an attorney yesterday. He told me I have no case for wrongful termination, I can’t prove they did this to harm me and incompetence is not something that is wrong, in the corporate world. Does anyone have any advice or guidance?

Veteran, parent. Just wanted to reach out and talk to yall about the weather or something. Just in my head little and need some fresh voices.

I've been scheduled for a second QTC appointment. This will be my second one in less than 6 months. My last appointment covered all service connected disabilities so why another so soon? Could this be to determine permanent?

F

Got laid off from my DoD CTR job about a month ago. I really felt betrayed. In my youth I was a intern with them and I really wanted to make it my Civ career after the Army. But the longer I was in and around the Army culture the more it seemed rotten. I actually saw a GS employee openly bad mouth a formerly elected official in the most inappropriate way and there were zero consequences. We all have are own beliefs but I kept mine parked at the door. I even stayed in the IRR to keep clearances and a small foothold. I have been asking myself, if not the DoD, then what? I have come to the realization that I only care about my family and making enough money to take care of them.

I'm not sure which direction I should go now I have been putting in applications, got some rejections, some are being processed. But when I sit down to write a resume my head is in a blender. I did have a member of the knights of Columbus offer to float my resume around at his CTR company. I have also been giving serious though to Law Enforcement. I love science, but would prefer stability and I did regulatory enforcement work before pre army and that kind of stress doesn't bother me.

I know I'm not a failure and there are some good things going in my life, but I'm just not sure what path I should go. Meaningful job counseling would be great. Maybe the DoD will be fixed, but I doubt it. But anyone who has been at this point and not sure where to go I would appreciate any tips.

I don’t know about anyone else, but for me going into tomorrow is one of the hardest days of the year for me. Memorial Day isn’t too bad, being it’s a warm, busy part of the year and it’s a time to remember those we lost hopefully warmly.

But Veterans Day is a complicated problem for me. I did 4 years active duty and almost 8 in the Guard after, and after all that time I’ve gone around the world, seen the coolest stuff, jumped out of airplanes and blown a lot of stuff up. But most of all, I’ve lost a lot of friends and never felt like I made a difference.

I never got the chance to actually engage the enemy. Meanwhile, I had friends constantly coming back from patrol wounded or dead.

I get out of the active duty and as time rolls on, more and more of my friends leave this world by their own hands.

I’m not an old man, I’m in my early 30’s. Got over a tough alcohol problem, seeing a therapist and getting help from the VA now. But then Veterans Day rolls around every year and it’s the same damn empty pit in my stomach.

I feel the loneliest I’ve ever been, and I feel guilt for never having done more.

I’m not sure why I made this post, other than to see if I’m alone in this, or maybe I’m a little more screwed up in the head than even my ex thinks.

Anyway, I love all of you and this community. Thank you for what all of you have done.

Hi, my husband was in the military and got out last Nov. This past year has been a struggle especially the last few months. He's really struggling with his transition and hasn't really kept a job. He's quit jobs on the spot and with him being the only one working right now im worried. The Navy life is all he's known and right now he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life but after working in patient care he knows he doesn't wanna do it. I want him to figure out what he wants to do but worry about our stability while he does that especially bc we have a 1yr old. I just hate seeing him like this and don't know how to help him. I think he needs to get help for his mental health as well but its something he's ignoring. Is there any advice on how to handle this kinda thing? I'm stuck and don't know what else to do. Like I said all I want is for him to be happy and im only coming from a place of concern as a wife.

If you were to ask me what I wanted to do when I grew up I would have told you wanted to play for the NBA. I’m an immigrant from Cuba I came here when I was 11 years old and I never thought in a million years I would join the marines. After all these years I’m still wondering how did I even get through those 13 weeks without breaking mentally. Especially when the crucible was happening I went through the crucible for 54 hours and with little sleep and that freaking shocked me and when we did the reaper I was so exhausted and tired and the gear was almost falling off me I mean I was a mess. But when it was all said and done and I had gotten my EGA I broke down and cried. 4 years of throwing on the uniform has been my honor I will never forget the lessons that was taught to me. From my drill instructors, to my mentor to the people that pushed me I say thank you. Happy 249th birthday marines!

My brother-in-law’s father died in combat in ‘06 when he was about 7 years old. He didn’t have a good home life with his mother and he was cut-off from his father’s side of the family after his death. His parents were not married but his father’s name is on his birth certificate and we believe he had him listed as a dependent while he was alive. This entire time he hasn’t had access to any of the benefits available to him. I’m helping him to get into the VA system so that he can use the Fry Scholarship, but we need his father’s SSN to complete Form 22-5490 (Dependents’s Application for VA Education Benefits).

What would be the best way to get his father’s SSN from the government if he is unable to obtain it from family?

Don't hurt your livers too much now