Image via Wikipedia

College isn’t cheap these days, and many American youth are being left out of the college equation as family’s struggle to come up with the funds necessary to send their child to college.

While student loans are an option, young people are often left paying hundreds of thousands of dollars on their loans until they are well into their thirties.

If you have a child, or multiple children that are nearing the college years, and don’t have the means to attend college, the United State Military is a terrific option for many.

Benefits of joining the U.S. Military:

1.    With just a few years of service under their belts, Uncle Sam in many cases picks up the cost of tuition through their G.I. Bill programs. Instead of paying huge student loans, many military veterans are able to attend school, work and enjoy a family without the financial stress that can accompany post high school education.

2.    Learning work and life skills along the way: Students that enlist in the military for a few years tend to come back more focused and armed with new life skills that allow them to be better students.

3.    Doctors and lawyers: Becoming a doctor or lawyer takes many years and costs a lot. The U.S. Military offers options that pay for these students schooling, if they commit to a certain amount of years to the military to pay back their debt.

4.    Better job skills: Even if a person joins the military and doesn’t want to go to school, the military tends to instill discipline and teach life skills that can be applied to the workforce.

On the one hand, the military is all about keeping the country safe. This goal of safety is no easy task, and it can easily result in being badly injured. But on the other hand, there is also the issue of making sure the fight is as far away from the United States as is humanly possible. If the fight gets too close, let alone right on our soil, it can be disastrous. One of the most noble goals in the world is to serve other people, and keep them safe even if you don’t know them.

While the war on terror has not always gone as smoothly as one would hope, ultimately its purpose is a just one. But what about where you can go from the foundation of a military career. Not only do you receive training in a valuable skill. You also receive one of the best possible lines on your resume, for when you rejoin the civilian world. Sooner or later you’ll come back, and the more patriotic people might call you a hero. You’ll know you are one when you feel like you don’t deserve the title. Ultimately, it’s a decision that requires some thought.

So far, the best debt relief theories that we can practice is earning extra money and make a saving, but for people with multiple debts and financial problem, even the most basic thing like saving can be a problem. When it comes to debt, there are many things to do and we need a help from the expert. For example, we should make a negotiation with the lender and of course, there are many tricks to use and we can only get the tricks from people who have a good understanding on financial sector.

HamiltonDebtRelief.com is ready to help us solving our debt problem, so not only we can get a good credit score, but also financial freedom. To get more info on what debt solutions they serve, we can go to the site.

When you decide that you want to join the military, you are going to want to make sure that you are doing it for you. Do it for your career goals, your school goals and your personal achievement goals, but do not join unless it is completely 100 percent your decision. Do not let your friends, your family members or any recruiters tell you to do it or not to do it, unless it is your own personal decision. Do not let anyone tell you not to try something, because if you really want to go out there and give back to your country, then that is going to have to be your own distinct decision to make and you simply cannot let anyone else have an impact on you. Make sure that you take the time to really consider what your options are rather than making a split decision and the results will definitely be more to your liking.

Of all the military services, the air force happens to be the youngest. It was originally created back in 1947 and it was created under what is known as the National Security Act. Before 1947, the Air Force was just considered to be a separate part of the Army or Armed Forces. The primary mission behind the Army Air Corps at this point was just to provide support for the ground forces of the Army. During World War II, however, it became quite apparent that air power had a greater amount of potential than simply to support the ground troops, and so at that point it was decided that the Air Force would be established as a completely separate service. The Air Force has a single primary mission which is to defend the US and all of its interests through the exploitation not only of the air, but of space as well.

In order for them to accomplish this mission, the entire Air Force is responsible for operating a variety of different types of aircrafts including fighter aircrafts, tanker aircrafts, heavy bomber aircrafts, light bomber aircrafts, transportation aircrafts, UAVs or unmanned aerial vehicles as well as helicopters which are used for a variety of special circumstances such as rescuing downed aircrew members or special mission operations. This branch of the military also happens to be responsible for nuclear ballistics missiles and all of the military satellites. There are currently approximately 317,000 personnel who are on active duty in the Air Force at any point in time.

When it comes to joining the military, it should be pretty apparent to you that everyone has different reasons for getting started. Whether you decide that you want to join the army or the navy, the air force or the marines, and whether you decide to enlist on your own or you get some nudging from a friendly recruiting officer, the results are always the same: Joining the military is going to give you a distinct chance to take charge your life, do something with your life and actually achieve some of your goals.

If you decide to join the military so you can go over seas and shoot guns, then that is up to you. If you decide that you want to join the military because you are looking for new career opportunities and you want to go to college with the government’s help, then that is your prerogative as well. The only thing that really matters when it comes time to join the military is that you are doing it for the right reasons for you. Do not join because your friend is joining, do not join because your girlfriend broke up with you, do not join because you want to cause death and destruction everywhere you go. make sure that you are joining the military for legitimate reasons. The reason why you are going to need legitimate reasons in order to join is because once you decide that you are going to join, you are going to find it relatively difficult to change your mind.

Make sure that you are joining the military for all the right reasons and none of the wrong one, and you should not have any regrets going over seas to serve your country. Joining up will give you a real chance to fight for your country and to make something of yourself.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Top Reasons to Join the Military

People decide that they would like to join the military for a wide variety of different reasons. Everyone has his or her own distinct reasons for joining depending on personal preference, life situation and career goals. Here are some of the top reasons for why people join up:

As a Test of Courage: For many people, joining the military is sort of like a daring activity. People go and join up with the military because they want an opportunity to prove that they are brave and courageous and that they have the guts to do it. For many people, it is just a “man thing”. Many men join the military because they feel like it is a way for them to prove that they are strong and tough, because not just anyone can “make it” in the military.

For Good Citizenship: For many people, the reason why they decide that they would like to join the military is because they want to fight for their beloved country, becoming a good citizen. The pride that comes with joining the military and being able to fight for your country is something that cannot be replicated in any other way. Being able to join the military is like pledging your allegiance to the entire country by proving that you would be willing to do anything to pay tribute to your home country. The biggest consideration when this is the course of action that you take is the fact that once you make the decision, it is not one that you can simply take back at will.

These are just a couple of the reasons for why someone might like to join the military. Ultimately it is up to you to decide which reason is going to drive you to join up as well. Just keep in mind that the military is not ideal for everyone, but it may just be ideal for you.

Image via Wikipedia

Recruiting for the Air Force

The Air Force is one of the hardest services for you to join, tied with the Coast Guard. There are approximately 27,800 recruits that are enlisted every single year, which is a big difference in comparison to the Army, which recruits an average of 80,000 brand new recruits every single year. In the 2009 fiscal year, the Air Force decided to increase their goal as a means of making up for downsizing in previous years, and so they raised their goal to 31,980 new recruits. In the 2010 fiscal year the goal for active duty recruiting became 31,750.

In the past several years, more people have volunteered for the Air Force than the service really has room for. They have actually met if not exceeded all of their recruitment goals for the last ten years. What this means is that the Air Force is a service that can be a little pickier about who they do and do not let in since there are so many exceptionally qualified applicants trying to join.

The Air Force has a minimum ASVAB score requirement which is 36 in order to enlist. If you score at a 50 or higher then you are going to have a better chance of getting in, especially considering how competitive it is. The Air Force seems to like to bring in new recruits that score at a 75 or higher, with the maximum score being 100. Testing well on the ASVAB can play a very important role in helping you to get recruited to the air force when this is the service that you definitely want to work for.

The number of prior service applications that the Air Force accepts on an annual basis is generally very low. Typically in order to enlist in the air force, a prior service applicant should already be pre qualified for an Air Force job that is considered to be critically undermanned at current, or they must otherwise qualify for a special operations job and agree to enlist in that job in order to be recruited.

The decision to join the military is one that takes a great deal of thought and some serious option weighing. A soldier’s family doesn’t always have a say in this choice and has to wait for the soldier to return. This can be a difficult time not knowing where the soldier is or when they will return. The more support that the family has the easier the task of making it through will be. This means that they will need help from the local community to help them make it through the tough times. This can be done in a number of ways, from putting together pot lucks to helping with day to day activities like car pooling and other similar helpful tasks.

In addition to the help provided by the community the military will also help the families through the process by providing emotional support if needed and any other added help the family may need. There are support groups for the family members to help them deal with the not knowing and the status of the soldiers. It can be difficult for family members to handle the household duties on their own while their soldier is away. The support of the military along with community support can go a long way to helping the family make it through these difficult times and to create a foundation for the family to hang on to while they are missing their soldiers. Taking time to reach out to a military family will go far to show them that the country is behind the soldiers and the family of the soldiers and their sacrifices. This is important to keeping everyone on the same page when it comes to protecting the country.

The soldiers that are sent to war are not the only ones who have to go through a difficult time. The families they leave behind have a tough job. They are required to try and keep their families together and maintain a positive attitude even though they often have no idea where their solider is and if they are safe. This is a huge task both emotionally and simply physically being able to manage an entire house on their own without the support of their soldier. This is one of the reasons that these families need the support of the community. They need to know that the community has their concerns and needs in their thoughts and are willing to help in any way that they can.

Supporting the family members of the military is in effect supporting the soldiers. They need to know that their family is safe and being cared for in their absence in order to focus on their jobs. This can be taken care of by the community supporting the families in any way that they can. The community can support the families of the military by helping them with some of the basics like everyday shopping and baby sitting and even just taking the time to see if they are in need of anything. Knowing they have support if they need it can mean a lot to these families. They also could benefit from such things as fundraisers and the occasional pot luck to show that they have the support of the community in any way that it is needed. This bit of relief can help them get through the unknowing and the worry that comes with being a military family.

However, visiting military personnel might well be out of the loop in these cities, and without the benefit of a military base right in the heart of these metropolises, finding the place to be can be a challenge without an information resource such as Canada 411. New York for example, offers up five contemporary boroughs, and each has its own flavor. After being stationed in an Afghanistan desert for some time, the glitzy shopping and haute couture of Fifth Avenue might not have quite the appeal that designers hope to instill. But nearby, the Soho district brings a diversity that might be familiar to any international traveler. Bohemian and free spirited, the area creates a vibe that any returning soldier might well appreciate following residence near the dangers of battle torn areas.

But maybe it’s the darkness of the desert that’s gotten its claws into you. Then Vegas, based in familiar desert terrain, is the moving, bustling, well-lit capital of antithesis. With non-stop activity, the place hums at all hours, just like a military base! There’s always Vancouver, with its hipster flair and younger, less moneyed vibe. Go there and get re-schooled in cool.

For those families who are left to deal with a soldier who is off fighting for the freedom of the United States it is a full time job to keep the family running in their absence. There are several ways that others can help these military families make it through the absence of their loved ones. One great idea is to offer to help with some basics like shopping or babysitting. These are a big deal for a home that may have one parent away at war and another home trying to balance it all. This little bit of weight lifted from their shoulders can really make a big difference and help them manage everything from their emotions to the basics the family needs.

Another great way to help a family who is waiting for a soldier to come home from a war is taking the time to honor them by offering to cook a meal a week for their family or giving them the ability to take a time out and relax while you take them to a picnic for families who are waiting for a loved one. This is great way to get these families together and be able to support one another while expressing appreciation for all that you do every day to keep it all together for the soldier. You can even put together a mass play date for all of the children of families who have soldiers hard at work for the citizens.

Any bit of help that families of the military can get will go a long way to making their difficult wait a little less stressful. Knowing that they are being supported by the community is vital to helping them make it through the process.

For as long as anyone can remember citizens of the United States have been going off to war leaving behind their family members for an undetermined amount of time. The stress that comes with leaving ones family is incredible and the stress felt by the family being left behind is equally as enormous. To have no control over your loved one as they go off to war is overwhelming to say the least and then to be left manning the ship so to speak is a big job. For those families that are left behind to fight the battle of life at home there are some helping hands available. In each community there are a number of resources cropping up to help those who have to maneuver life on their own.

These resources offer to the families of the military everything from moral and emotional support to help with the basics of every day life from car pooling and getting the children where they need to go to finding a way to pay the bills that mount up. Being a military family member who is left to work and wait for their soldier to return can be a full time job. This means that they need some extra hands and a little extra moral support to get through the rough times. It is extremely stressful wondering if your loved one will return home or become a casualty of war. The family left behind has to be as tough as the soldier shipping out because they are going to be pushed to their limits with emotions and day to day life. Thankfully the resources are becoming more available for the many families left to cope while their soldier is off protecting the country.

But since the military is the armed forces instead of the armed “forced,” one has got to wonder what can motivate a person to want to serve in such a potentially dangerous occupation.  Now granted, there is going to be some degree of danger in any kind of job that anyone is ever going to do.  Every day we all face the prospect of being maimed or killed, often through some kind of a completely random event.  In a situation like the military, however, one is often literally marching (if not actually charging) right into harm’s way.  While it is definitely admirable to do things of this nature, one has got to wonder why.

Most people who go into the military are not crazy in the slightest.  Rather, they have decided that, while they might end up dying in the line of fire, it is worth the risk in order to do something great in life.  Often they have goals that will require more education later in life, and the military will often help them to pay for that education.  And this is not even mentioning how the military teaches discipline and leadership skills.  It has to, in order to bring its people back home safely.

There is a certain need for any armed force to put on a strong presence.  Nobody is going to respect an army that looks to be in any way weak or vulnerable.  While everybody has vulnerabilities, showing them off is terrible.  This is why military personnel often do not sleep very much.  After all, the enemy could attack at any given moment.  And for the very same reason, they veritably leap out of bed, throw on their fatigues, grab their weapon (or the tools of their trade) and get into the fray.  And if the fray just happens to have not begun yet, that is fine.  They can wait.

The entire notion of hurrying up to wait even extends into the notion that a military force can appear to be in many places at the same time, simply through hurrying up to get from one potential engagement zone to another one.  This can do more than just stop an enemy in a force on force battle.  It can actually also act to demoralize them into believing that they do not have any chance of defeating this force at all.  This is a very good thing.

If you have a loved one in the military, you know how important it is for them to receive things from home. One of the things they will enjoy most are care packages.

Many companies provide this service for those who wish to send care packages. Some companies have pre-packaged ones, with different types of food and entertainment items already included, while other companies actually let you pick and choose each individual item you want to put into the care packages.

The care packages are ready to mail. All you do is supply the information on where to send them and who the recipient is. Some companies offer care packages that are holiday-themed. They can give you information on when the packages should be ordered so that they can be shipped to arrive on or near the holiday.

If you simply can’t bear the thought of letting someone else make up your care packages however, you can make your own. All you need is a good strong box, some metal containers (like those that hold cookies, popcorn, or other things), and some packing and mailing supplies.

Before assembling your care packages, ask your soldier if there are certain items that you cannot send. This way you won’t have to worry about him or her receiving things that could be considered contraband, subversive, or offensive. Once you have this information, then you can start collecting your things to put in the care packages.

Food is always a popular item, but don’t forget that your soldier will enjoy other things in his care packages. These can include things like playing cards, handheld games, and books, magazines, or other reading material. Make sure you tuck a few pictures in there, too.

When you get ready to pack your care packages, put as much as you can in the metal containers. You may want to group similar items together in one container, or you can simply mix them up.

While burning the candle at both ends is not a very healthy practice, it is a whole lot healthier to be conditioned to the lack of sleep from months or years of training, than it is to suddenly have a lack of sleep thrust upon you.  As someone once said, a person performs as they train.  So the unfortunate soldier just has to grin and bear it when their eyelids want to droop, and when the constant cycle of “hurry up and wait” carries on for hours and hours.

Really, it is a very good thing that the military keeps a watchful (if a wary) eye on the world.  After all, a sleeping military would find it very hard to protect anyone, let alone go on an aggressive campaign of conquest or a preemptive strike.  Since being alert as much as possible is pretty much what the military is all about, hibernating is just not an option.  After all, the enemy is probably doing the same thing, and watching to see whose eyes are going to droop first.  And drooping can have some seriously dire consequences.

Most people previously in the military have physical and mental abilities sought after by recruiters in the law enforcement industry. By earning a criminal justice degree online, you can land any number of jobs, and not just as a police officer. Many other security jobs become available such as those in airport security and even computer forensics. You can also become a body guard or work for a private security firm.

Being a former military employee combined with getting a criminal justice degree online not only strengthens the chances of finding a job, but the opportunities that are growing make it favorable as well. From 2008 to 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that law enforcement career opportunities will grow by 10 percent. Degrees are even more important if you want a job with a federal agency, but more companies are focusing on stricter education requirements.

Educational needs have to be met, but in this field, you also need to possess certain psychological, personal, and physical traits, which the majority of military personnel do. If you also earn a criminal justice degree online, then you have an open book of career opportunities in a growing industry.

The average military person gets up at roughly five in the morning, almost every day.  At that point, they go through a good waking up workout, which is often followed by putting in some time on the rifle range, going through an obstacle course, and doing some boxing or wrestling with one of their buddies.  If not for the fact that these people might get called up to go give their lives at any given moment, it would almost sound like being a professional athlete.

But it goes deeper than that.  While the individual soldier is just another person who pushes him or herself beyond the normal level, the military itself (which is composed of millions of such individuals) is a human wall in our society.  Their purpose is to keep people who would harm society out of it, and keep enemies who would like to come and hurt us occupied in the cause of defending themselves in a far off place.  That is an interesting relationship to have with the rest of society, and it works well.

Military recruiters aim to make themselves part of a high school’s community. If they are trusted by the faculty and the students, they are more likely to be able to convince students that they are truly looking out for their best interests in convincing them to join the military. They do this by becoming friends with class leaders, such as athletes, student council members, and class officers. They also become friends with the faculty so that they may participate in more school activities.

Another part of military recruitment is playing up the positive aspects of the military. When recruiting in small towns, recruiters may tell students about all of the countries they can see as an enlisted member. It’s an extremely appealing prospect to someone who has never left their hometown. As the cost of college climbs, the tuition payment aspect of the military is used more and more as a selling point. The military will pay up to $250 per credit hour; students that dread student loans may listen to a recruiter if they talk about tuition reimbursement.

Recruiters also play on the heartstrings of students and potential service members. By talking about America and what an honor it is to serve their country, they inspire patriotic feelings in students and subtly encourage them to make the same dedication to their country.

As recruiters continue to miss their recruiting goals, high school students across the country can expect to see more aggressive recruitment tactics in use.

The Marines are often viewed as the toughest of the military branches. They have the most rigorous entry standards and the toughest basic training regimen. As a result, they really aren’t picked on or teased by any other branch. However, they are in the position of being able to goad any other branch of the military. Getting into the Marines requires an impressive display of both physical strength and mental prowess.

There is a definite rivalry between the Army and the other two branches, the Air Force and Navy. Many view the Army as secondary to the Marines. However, it tends to require more physical strength than the other two branches and they are very often sent on dangerous missions. As a result, they have a joking rivalry with the Air Force and Navy.

The Air Force and Navy both have advantages over the Army that they use to tease the Army. These two branches are the most technologically advanced of all the military branches. This is due to the majority of their operations being in the air and in the water, respectively. The increase in technology means that the Air Force and Navy tend to have stricter intelligence requirements for their various jobs. They also claim to have the most fun jobs since they involve so much technology.

It’s obvious that the rivalry between military branches is a good-natured way for service members to poke fun at the people serving alongside them. Every branch does a great job defending America and they all deserve to be honored for the job they do.

If at all possible, you should consider including your family in your decision. If you are dealing with your parents and siblings, this isn’t necessarily true. If they object to your decision, you don’t need to include them.  However, if you are married and if you have children, it is absolutely essential to include your family in the decision-making process. Your choice will decide where they live, where they go to school, and how they spend the next four years of their lives.

It’s important to tell your family why you made the choice you made. There are lots of options to advance in life, and the military is one of many. Tell them why you decided that the military would help you in your career of choice. If you are joining the military to serve your country, tell them that; it is an honorable reason to make that decision.

Rather than focusing on the negative, as your family is likely to do, focus on what benefits you’ll gain from joining the military. You will get to travel the world, meet people from all different countries, gain work experience, and earn money towards college. Focusing on these upsides is a good way to give your family some perspective and show them the positives of you joining the military.

Making the decision to enlist in the military is a tough one. Don’t let your family make it an even tougher decision.

Forensic psychologists work closely with law enforcement, judges, and attorneys; they blend psychology with the justice system. Military veterans are a good fit for this field and can bring their understanding of the justice system and experiences in the field to the job. Forensic psychologists can be trained in social, clinical, or any other type of psychology. Mostly, forensic psychologists work to bring psychological conclusions into the courtroom, render such conclusions relevant, and make the findings solid enough that most defenses cannot tear them down. Forensic psychologists are often called in when a defendant is believed to be faking a mental illness. Military personnel are trained to read faces and body language and can generally tell if a person is being deceitful; this is something many people in the military are trained to do. Forensic psychologists are employed when the competency of a defendant is in question. After questioning, the psychologist determines whether or not a subject is capable of standing trial or is mentally unstable and needs to be committed.

This field has consistently grown over the last two decades. Any military veteran who obtains a Masters in forensic psychology can expect to find an exciting, satisfying job working alongside attorneys in court. There are also opportunities for forensic psychologists to teach and research various aspects of psychology. Whatever a veteran decides to do with his or her forensic psychology degree, it’s critical to obtain at least a Master’s degree. Graduates in this field with only a bachelor’s degree will likely find it’s difficult to get the kind of work they want to do.

Many people choose their branch of the military based on family history. If they have close family members or honored family members that have served in one branch, they are likely to choose that same branch. Family’s opinion on each branch is also important; there is a lot of judgment between branches of the military, and people enrolling are likely to let those opinions influence their decision.

People who are in the military to prepare for a certain job are likely to choose their branch based on what will advance them in their careers. For instance, some people want to be pilots in their civilian lives. In that case, they would likely enter the Air Force to get the necessary training to jumpstart their career.

Examining your strengths and abilities is also an important part of choosing your military branch. For instance, the Navy and Air Force are the most technologically advanced branches of the military. They have a lot of jobs that require more intellectual fortitude as well. On the other hand, the Marines and the Army are the most physically demanding branches. Both have jobs that require intellect, but they have far more jobs that demand physical strength and performance.

There are many things to take into consideration while choosing a military branch. Talking with a recruiter can be a very helpful step in the process. They can look at your strengths and skills and help you choose a branch that you’ll excel in.

Joining the Navy is a great way to serve your country, and an equally good way to help set you up for a lifetime of success. Whether you choose to go infor an entire career of service or if you just want to put in a few years for the experience (and maybe some money for college), you can accomplish a lot from a strong base like that. But of course, having a strong base within your own life before you get in to the Navy is also a good place to start off your adult life. The more good things you do for yourself early on, the more easy you are going to find it to advance faster in your civilian life. And you will also find it easier to focus on your career within the Navy, instead of on the problems you might have back home, if you take out those problems first.

One problem a lot of people have nowadays is that they are swimming in debt. While the Navy does not do a credit check to screen its recruits as a part of its background check, it is always a good idea to take care of your debts before you join up. While you will be taking home a signing bonus for your enlistment, you should not trust that that will be enough to solve all of your problems. If you have a lot of debts, you might find that consulting a debt consolidation service could be a useful step in the process for you.

After all, how well could you possibly concentrate on doing the job that the Navy assigns you, if you have all kinds of debt payments piling up back at home? Getting those debts consolidated into one payment can ease off a lot on your stresses, and can allow you to focus on the tasks at hand. So get things together, before you join the Navy.

The Vietnam War completely changed America’s view of its military. Television had become widely popular by the time America entered the war. The media made it very difficult for the American government to hide its operations in Vietnam. Rather than imagining their veterans as heroes fighting the Communists, Americans saw the good, the bad, and the ugly of the war.

While they saw that the soldiers were fighting the Communists, they also saw that soldiers were killing innocent civilians. Watching American helicopters drop pesticides and dangerous chemicals on villages did a lot to weaken citizens’ morale.

When news broke of the My Lai massacre, Americans’ faith in their military took a nosedive. The My Lai massacre happened in 1968 and resulted in the death of 504 Vietnamese civilians. News of it broke in 1969 and the world reacted with intense outrage. Since it happened so early in the war, American views of the war were negative for the majority of the war.

The final veterans returned home in 1975. However, they were not welcomed by Americans as they arrived home. When they got off the planes and helicopters, dejected and traumatized by their experience, they were greeted by protesters. People who protested the war called the soldiers murderers and monsters. This negative view of the military persisted for many years as Americans placed the blame for government decisions on the soldiers who followed their orders.

Luckily, society’s view of the military has rebounded and become more favorable in recent decades. Although many people disagree with the government’s decision in recent years, they are no longer blaming the soldiers for those decisions.

An online degree program allows the student to control the pace of their education as it suits their needs. Students are able to take classes in their spare time without disrupting their current schedule. Prior work commitments can still be met while you study towards your educational goals in your spare time. Whether your daily life includes activities like raising children, training, or work obligations, an online program can be tailored to fit into your personal schedule.

No matter where you are, your classroom is there with you. If your lifestyle requires you to travel frequently you can still have your education at your disposal wherever you go. Your Classroom. Your way. Online degree programs are designed to be taken at your convenience. The pace at which you finish your degree is in your control.

Military personnel can begin working on their degree in their spare time. Obtaining higher education in your chosen field helps provide you with the proper foundation for success. While in the military, you have an advantage over students who must include the cost of living into their budget each semester. Having your living expenses provided for is a great financial advantage when it comes to higher education. By working on your degree while active in the military you gain a head start on your education and future career goals. Military personal can leave service with their online college degrees, ready to excel in the job market.

However, now that America is at war, veterans have a completely different role in society. They come in all different roles. Young men and women are serving right alongside older veterans. While people used to think of veterans as Christian, right-wing men, veterans of the current wars don’t even begin to fit into these stereotypes.

Today’s veterans include men and women, with women performing many of the crucial roles in wars and in the military. They come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and educational levels. They also are considered heroes. Unfortunately, veterans of the past were not always considered heroes by people.

The first wave of veterans that people today remember are the people that served in World War II. People that served in World War II were seen as the ideal Americans; they were brave, fearless, and always stood up for what was right. When they returned home, they were treated like heroes and were highly honored by everyone.

The second wave of veterans came from the Vietnam War. These veterans did not come home knowing that they did a lot to stop the tide of evil. Rather, most of them came home feeling disillusioned with their country and their role in the war. Americans were unsure about whether or not the war was just; they took this confusion and uncertainty out on the veterans by vilifying them.

The veterans of today fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. They are not seen as flawless heroes, but they are not seen as villains either. Rather, they are seen as regular people that have made an honorable and worthy choice to serve their country.

Thankfully, soldiers currently hold a higher position in society than they did 30-35 years ago. At that time, the Vietnam War essentially turned soldiers into the pariahs of society. Since television and other forms of media could monitor the war and keep people updated on the gruesome details, people began to see soldiers in a less favorable light. That led to an overall distrust and disgust for soldiers, which left many feeling scarred and unappreciated by the people they served.

Since the current conflicts that trouble America are seen as more meaningful, soldiers are not seen in such a negative light. One primary difference is that the Vietnam War took place entirely on foreign soil. Prior to their entrance to the war, the United States had no vested interest or alliance with Vietnam, so many people questioned the American presence there. However, most people believe that the current conflict originated in America with the bombing of various American landmarks and buildings on September 11, 2001. The memory of that terrible day still haunts many, and it gives purpose and meaning to the war being fought.

The role of soldiers in society can be seen by their portrayal in films and songs; movies, such as Dear John, present soldiers as stoic heroes with honor and integrity. Songs about the strength and bravery of soldiers are all over the airwaves, across all genres of music. The country is banding together to show that they support their soldiers. It is that support that will get the soldiers through the troubling times ahead.

Early in the country’s history, the military was highly honored and revered. This was especially true during World War 2, when veterans were seen as doing incredibly honorable work in fighting the Nazis. Veterans were welcomed home with open arms and celebrated as the nation’s heroes.

That all changed drastically with the Vietnam War. World War 2 was seen as a fight between absolute right and absolute wrong, and the U.S.A. was on the side of absolute right. The Vietnam War was not as obvious for many people. The role of the media in the Vietnam War left many people confused. Rather than believing that soldiers were over there killing evil Communists and enemy soldiers, they had to acknowledge that soldiers were killing innocent civilian women and children as well as Communist fighters. The disaster of the My Lai massacre and similar events led many to believe that soldiers were just as bad as the people they were fighting.

Throughout much of the conflict in the 2000s, this attitude didn’t change much. Citizens did not understand why the military was involved in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, there was one big change. Rather than focusing their anger on the soldiers fighting overseas, they focused their anger on the government that sent them there. Certain events, such as Abu Ghraib, lessened people’s faith in the military.

As media influences what citizens see and hear, society’s view of the military changes greatly. As the country moves towards a greater transparency of military operations overseas, more and more citizens are working towards an unbiased view of the military.

Basic Training is generally a 9 week session of intense physical conditioning, combat training, and teamwork building. Soldiers wake up early, at 5Am, have morning physical training and then breakfast, then more training, such as a lesson on how to fire an assault weapon, the lunchtime followed by more training. After diner, it is time to go through with drills, and then there is some free time before going to bed early.

Even basic physical conditioning has to be performed according to military standards. A military-style sit-up requires a full arch of the back to the knees. A military-certified push-up requires that a soldier bends the elbow to a right angle.

While it is important to be in top physical condition as a soldier, there are other things that a soldier must do to prepare for deployment. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and other branches of the military all demand that soldiers submit fully to authority. Soldiers must learn how to fold their bed blankets with perfect corners and how to salute their superiors formally.

The United States military has been in operation since the beginning of the nation, when rag-tag bands of militia men fought in the Revolutionary War. But since then, the military has developed the basic training and other methods to ensure that the US department of defense is one of the strongest in the world.

A straight A student and Eagle Scout, the young Gates continued to excel in history studies working towards a master’s degree at Indiana University. While still in school, he was recruited by the CIA in 1966. Gates has deep knowledge of international affairs, Soviet history, and general history. He not only received his Bachelor’s degree and his Master’s degree in history, he also completed a doctorate degree in Russian and Society history in the 1970s.

Gates has extensive US intelligence experience as well, since he has served for over four decades in intelligence-gathering capacities, including the role of Director of Central Intelligence in the CIA. After serving briefly in the Air Force during the 1960s, he returned to the CIA and served in leadership positions throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1991, President George H. W. Bush appointed Gates as Director of Central Intelligence.

Gates spent the 1990s away from direct involvement in government, opting for positions as a speaker in Ivy League universities. In 1996, he published an autobiography. In the late 1990s, he focused his energies on Texas A&M University, where he eventually became President in 2002.

The university President enjoyed his work, but when Donald Rumsfeld resigned from the post as Secretary of Defense in 2006, President Bush asked Gates to step in and Gates obliged. The Secretary of Defense is a unique position, because the Secretary and all the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are civilians.

The infiltration of the military style is evident. There are olive green bomber jackets, aviator sunglasses, khaki pants, cargo shorts, chevron patches, and double-breasted pea coats. The color navy blue is often a uniform color in the workplace and for school children.

There are numerous army surplus stores in just about every major city. These stores – sometime warehouses – stock military-inspired apparel and accessories. Civilians can purchase full on battle gear or a flight suit to match Tom Cruise in the movie Top Gun. Military-inspired clothes are often popular among men, who value the durable material and the rough look of the wardrobe. Knives, bandanas, camping gear, and hiking equipment are also sold in army surplus stores, and this phenomenon shows that Americans often associate military clothing with outdoor clothing. Many times, sporting goods stores like Big 5 sell military fatigues or similar clothing in their stores.

This infiltration of military fashion is not only for practical reasons like durability, but also to patriotism and the association of military uniforms with heroism. Although the department story Old Navy has little to do with military style fashion these days, this very American department store has capitalized on American patriotism and traditional American values to sell its merchandise.

Although American society may shirk at the idea of conformity, Americans still love military uniforms. And although military uniforms are associated with orderliness, many of the film stars who popularized the styles, such as Humphrey Bogart and his trench coat, are anything but orderly. Still, America continues to dress in military-inspired clothing, and the trend will continue as long as there are smart-looking soldiers.

Kennedy published Day in 2007, and has since received as much critical acclaim as she has received criticism. The novel is about a tail gunner named Alfred Day who survived World War II as a German POW after his bomber crew was shot down. He suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and accordingly, the narrative is hard to follow, if not utterly disorienting. Reminiscent of Tim O-Brian’s The Things They Carried and Virginia Woolf’s Ms. Dalloway, the novel is intricately crafted in stream-of-consciousness and broken modernist style.

Alfred reflects on his war experiences in 1949, when he takes part as an extra in a war film. He still struggles with PTSD and war guilt, and he even faints on the set of the movie, which adds some humor to the otherwise fragmented storyline. The battle scenes are especially descriptive, the language and dialogue seem true-to-life, at least from the perspective of someone who suffers from shell-shock, and the story is equally fascinating and frustrating. Kennedy convincingly re-creates a World War II bomber crew and a protagonist whose mind is fragmented, but nevertheless acts as the perfect narrator. The story may be hard to read, but it is an important tale, for American readers just as much for British readers. For the powerful language, the great battle scenes, and the unique narration alone, this novel is worth a read.

War films have been a popular genre since the dawn of film. The 1930s saw All Quiet on the Western Front, now a classic, along with Alexander Nevsky, a Russian film by the master director Sergei Eisenstein, which does not concern itself with the US but nevertheless shows the strong interest in war film. But it wasn’t until during and after World War II, when America finally woke up from its sleepy isolationism, that society began to demand war movies.

In 1963, the now-classic The Great Escape, starring Steve McQueen, features a gang of POWs who try to make a break from a Nazi camp, culminating in a fantastic motorcycle chase. The film is based on true events, but is clearly edited for entertainment purposes.

Few movies about the Vietnam war were produced until The Green Berets, a classic John Wayne film that stars and was co-directed by the Duke, who was pro-Vietnam. In 1979, Francis Ford Coppola directed Apocalypse Now, which is based on the literary master Joseph Conrad’s book Heart of Darkness, but is about the Vietnam War. The movie is a dark and fascinating tale about American soldiers entangled in the depths of the Vietnam jungle.

There are plenty of American war movie lists, from the American Film Institute’s Top Films list to homemade lists from war buffs around the world. Although the lists vary from viewer to viewer, one thing is for sure: the US military has a strong presence in American film, right down to the toy soldiers in the Toy Story series.

Don’t judge off of just the savings you receive with your military discount when you’re looking for car insurance quotes. Find out what the total amount you’ll have to pay will be.  Say for instance you are looking for coverage for your 1950’s era Ford Mustang.  One company’s classic auto insurance rates might be much more costly than another’s rates.  So in that case, even if the discount is larger, it might not cover the difference in the cost of the higher rate.

Even standard cars, though, that can be repaired or replaced more easily, still can cost money to insure. Some of them are more likely to be stolen than others, and some are more expensive so the parts and bodywork cost more if the car is damaged in an accident. Pay careful attention to that when you’re buying a car, too. A military discount can be great, but not if the cost of the car and the insurance for it is still too high for you to be comfortable paying.

The Soviets had entered Afghanistan in 1979 and stayed until 1989, and the US stepped into a vacuum of power in the war-torn country in 2001, in direct response to Al-Qaeda terrorists responsible for the attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. The war on terrorism, as the war in Afghanistan and Iraq came to be known by, was carried out under the name Operation Enduring Freedom. The US now stands to outlast the Soviets in Afghanistan with nearly a decade of military presence in the country.

During the first Christmas in Afghanistan for US troops, American soldiers celebrated solemnly. They held a service that included songs such as Silent Night, prayers, and candle lights, and they decorated a Christmas tree. The Afghanistan winter was cold, and many of the soldiers were just a month or two into their deployment. But they enjoyed the camaraderie of their fellow soldiers and a special Christmas meal.

Some Christmases have been a multicultural affair, with NATO troops joining together and celebrating the holiday in their country’s style. The UK, Italy, Germany, and smaller NATO countries serve typical feast food. They go to sleep in outdoor tents, listening to Christmas music. Life in Afghanistan is difficult for the soldiers, especially during the holidays, but the pervading spirit tends to be one of determination to help the Afghan people build a stable government.

In the past couple of years, the families of the military have benefited from technology like emails, instant messaging, and Skype sessions that allow them to keep in better contact. Some children of military parents have even created homemade dolls with the picture of their parent.

Military blogs are one of the best ways to stay in the know with soldiers around the world. An insider’s perspective, and on-the-ground look at life in the military is now within reach of anyone at a computer. There is a network of military blogs that are endorsed by the US military, but written by deployed personnel in all branches of the military, as well as veterans, reserves, and spouses and family members of the deployed. Readers can follow their favorite blogs to receive updates on the life of a soldier in the front lines in Afghanistan, in the guerrilla lines in Iraq, or deployed on any other mission. There is a blog for almost any current deployment.

It’s possible to “friend” on Facebook any of the US military branches, such as the US Navy, which maintains a Facebook group with interesting videos, photos, and news clips. Many Navy servicemembers and family members will post on the wall to say hello to each other.

The US Army is now undergoing a social media campaign that will allow the Army to interact with civilians and wider society with more ease. One of the major benefits of social media is community-building. Although virtual, social media networks allow family members and servicemembers to join together and share their thoughts, hopes, and fears with each other.

Many units of the US military already have e-newsletters that have been in print and/or published online. But social media allows for a dialogue, so that the military’s readership can now give feedback and express their opinions with more ease than ever before.

Attending classes again is disorienting enough without them interfering with your regular lifestyle. If your job wants you to go to training, likely they want you to do it around working for them, e.g., during your free time. This can be troublesome if you have a second job or a family with whom you would rather be spending time. Thankfully, there may be an alternative to giving up your free time for up to a full college quarter: online education. If you take your worker retraining course on a site like earnmydegree.com, you’ll get the same cutting edge, up to date knowledge that your employer wants you to acquire, but you can do it from the comfort of your own home.

Online education is simple–you attend class entirely online using your computer. Class lectures are given by webcam, or much more commonly in essay format, and students can interact on special class bulletin boards so you’ll still get to meet your classmates and have some moral support. Teachers are reachable by phone and email if you have any questions or need help with class work. Best of all, you can study at any time of the day or night as long as you get your work in by its weekly due date.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is the pride and joy of the US Navy’s aircraft carrier fleet. Part of a Carrier Strike Group, the Lincoln heads a formidable fleet of aircraft carriers that patrol US waters, engage in strategic missions, and are a major aid in humanitarian efforts. Plus, the USS Abraham Lincoln is so huge that it is practically an island of its own. One of the largest of 288 ships in active service, the Lincoln weighs 100,000 tons, stretches 1092 feet in length, and runs on 2 Westinghouse nuclear reactors and 7 steam turbines. 3,200 personnel call the Lincoln home during a typical deployment. The ship even has a barbershop to help Navy shipmates keep a clean cut.

Built in the early 1980s, the USS Abraham Lincoln saw action in Operation Desert Storm and the Persian Gulf in the early 1990s. Later, the USS Abraham Lincoln was on the front lines of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Perhaps the most famous moment aboard the ship was when President George W. Bush gave a celebratory speech now known as the “Mission Accomplished” speech because of the banner on the ship with the same phrase. The USS Abraham Lincoln had just returned from Iraq after 10 months. Although a controversial speech, the Lincoln was inarguably instrumental in holding the line during the early stages of the Iraqi War, and the USS Lincoln accomplished their mission abroad.

The Lincoln has spent just as much time, if not more, providing humanitarian assistance than in combat. Even before Operation Desert Storm, the ship evacuated military families in the Philippines after a volcano eruption. In Southeast Asia, after the earthquake in December 2004, the Lincoln was also instrumental in providing aid. The Lincoln is more than a symbol of US military might; it is a symbol of the US military’s dedication to making the world a safer place.

An athlete trains for one specific type of scenario and their goal is to be better than anyone else competing in that activity. A swimmer has massive upper body strength and they generally have the classic triangular upper body, but their muscles are less defined because spending so much time in the water causes them to retain a thin layer of fat under their skin for insulation. A soccer player needs to be a fast runner who can make very quick turns. Their bodies are thin and lithe. They have quite a bit of muscle definition but the muscles are not large.

Football players have varying body shapes depending upon what position they play. While a lineman needs to be quick and muscular, they also carry large amounts of fat. This body shape allows them to become a virtual wall against the other players. A quarterback needs to have good overall conditioning. They need good upper body strength to send the ball ninety yards but they also need lower body strength for running with the ball. The kicker usually is thin but with great lower body flexibility. They generally only spend a few minutes on the field per game.

Many soliders can identify with different athletes. Military activities are simliar to athletic games, therefore soldiers are athletes in their own right and their bodies should be treated like a fine Roberto Coin watch.

The squadron responds to hundreds of children’s Christmas letters to Santa, postmarking them from the North Pole, which is a little town in which the Air Force base is located. The program is officially called Santa’s Mailbag, and any kids that write to Santa at 1 Santa Claus Lane in North Pole, Alaska, will receive a response.

In December 2010, the Colonel of the Air Force base joined the community in hoisting a new marker for the legendary North Pole in the center of town -a giant candy cane. Community leaders bundled up and weathered the cold in order to take some pictures and celebrate the new pole.

Originally, the Squadron received and responded to letters from those in their families, or other military families. But now that so many little ones are sending along their wish lists, the military receives support from the community.

The Santa pen pal program is not the only humanitarian service that the Air Force participates in. Air Force members based in Japan participate in Operation Christmas Drop, an airlift of toys and supplies to South Pacific islanders in need. Every Christmas, the islanders get excited to see the aircraft coming to drop the toys - an important symbol of charity and reconciliation in the wake of World War II.
The humanitarian services that the Air Force and other branches of the military participate in are just one of the main goals of the US military, and just another reason why recruitment and participation into the military is so widely appreciated.

Many young Americans begin their military training when they are in junior high or high school with JROTC classes. By performing well in these classes and in school, young civilians have a good chance of recruitment into the branch of military service of their choice. Working their way up the ranks, young recruits can gain valuable job experience in a specialized field, which can help them jumpstart a career after discharge from the military. Once military personnel have finished with their service, they can either go to school for an advanced degree, and the military will help pay for it, or they can do directly to the workforce. Oftentimes, the military will also help pay for school during your time of service.

It is also possible for military personnel and veterans to receive funding for their family members’ education. This opens the door wide for those families who would not otherwise be able to afford higher education. Ever since the GI Bill was instated after World War II, the US government has touted higher education as a benefit to those who serve their country through military service.

For some, it may be difficult to find money for education through the military service. One way is to look online, but often the most highly advertised and the most competitive are easiest to find, so make sure to spend some time doing careful research. Ask around to see if any of your military friends or fellow servicemembers know about good grants or scholarships that would apply to your education or your family members. The money is there, so take advantage of it!

Naval Aviation is the use of air power by the navies; it involves usage of manned aircrafts and also carriers. Naval Aviation utilizes the usage of aircrafts aboard the carriers near to the target, the aircrafts used for the carrier operations need to be sturdy enough to withstand the different kind of stresses faced . The aircrafts are specially modified for such kind of operations. The Navy uses its aircrafts for Reconnaissance, Search and Rescue, surface attack, air-to-air combat, surface warfare and for material and personnel transport.
The history of naval aviation dates back to the year 1910 when Glenn Curtiss, A pioneer aviator showed that the airplanes can take off from and land on ships at sea, which led to the development of the concept of aircraft carriers . The navies also operated sea airplanes or flying boats during the most part of World War I. By the Second World War, Naval Aviation was significantly improved and it became a decisive element in the war at sea. Japan, US and UK were the significant users. Naval Aviation played an important role in Battle of Midway, Pearl Harbor and Battle of Okinawa etc. during that period. It was also used for Anti Submarine Warfare.
The development of advanced aircraft carriers has given a significant boost for the Naval Aviation secto0r. It enables the navies to have an Air cover for its forces while at sea, which cannot be provided by land based aircraft due to the distance factor,. The Anti Submarine Helicopters on board the Naval Carriers and destroyers are potent weapons against submerged threats. During the period of the cold war, the NATO navies began deploying light aircraft carriers with ASW helicopters and also started using long range reconnaissance planes for countering the threat by the Soviet SSNs and SSGN submarines.

Coast Guard is one of the national organizations, armed military force, assigned with Customs and Security duty along with law enforcement powers and take part in search and rescue tasks as well.
Few of the main responsibilities of the coast guards are search and rescue, ensuring the safety of vessels in the territorial waters, maintaining sea marks, border control and the are entrusted with the duty to enforce maritime laws of the country. Also being a Military force, they are responsible for defending the harbors, patrolling the seas and naval counter intelligence during the wartime. The coast guards will be having Ships , fixed wing aircrafts, helicopters etc at their disposal.
The duties of the coast guards may vary depending upon the country. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a law enforcement agency as well as a military body. USCG has a wide variety of resources at their disposal, which includes Ships , which are traditionally called as Cutters and patrol boats, They maintain a fleet of around 210 aircrafts ranging from Dolphin Helicopters to C-130 Hercules military transport plane. The USCG operates under the department of Homeland security during the peacetime and can be transferred to the command of department of Navy by the president during the time or war. USCG have jurisdiction over both territorial as well as international waters for carrying out law enforcement operations.
USCG established new command knows as deployable operations group (DOG) specializing in anti terrorism and law enforcement. It enables supply of specialized force units for deployment to various units that come under dept of Homeland security and Dept of defense. The Coast guard reserve has around 8500 reservists.
Her Majesty’s Coastguard in UK is purely a search and rescue unit, the customs and law enforcement comes under the jurisdiction of UK Border Agency and they lease life boats, tugs and aircraft through private organizations or government.

United State Marine Corps (USMC) is a part of US Armed Forces, combined armed task force, trained for amphibious warfare. They are among one of the seven federal uniformed services of the US. They are a part of the US Dept of Navy as they train, and make use of the US navy infrastructure for logistical and transportation purposes. USMC has been a part of every armed conflict America has got involved in since its inception. USMC has around 203000 marines in active duty and around 40000 as reserve.
Their areas of responsibility include defending and capturing advanced naval bases and other land based operations, developing tactics and equipments for amphibious landing purposes and other duties as directed by the president of United States. Marines are basically expeditionary forces used in various quarters of ground combat at many instances. They play a vital role in the affairs of the national security because of their capabilities as an amphibious, expeditionary and air-ground combined arms task force.
USMC traces back to the days of the War of the American Revolution where 2 battalions of Continental Marines were raised for the first time and since then they have been a part of many battles ranging from the First Barbary War against the pirates of Barbary in the year 1801 to the present day Operation Iraqi Freedom. The longest of all the wars faced by the USMC was the Vietnam War, where they took part many important battles and also devised various non conventional techniques of counter insurgency against Viet Cong and also as military advisors for Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps.
I Marine Expeditionary force along with 3rd Infantry division of the US Army spearheaded the invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and they ended their role in the Iraq on 23rd Jan 2010 after handing over the responsibilities to the US Army.

SAM, Short for Surface to Air Missiles also known as Ground to Air Missile (GTAM) are basically anti aircraft missiles, The development of surface to air missile was carried out in Germany during late world war II.
SAMs can be portable or fixed types. The movable ones known as Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) can be moved around and fired using over the shoulder launchers by an individual. It has a range of around 5 kms. Larger SAMs are fitted over portable launchers or based in immovable installations , the range of larger SAMs vary, few SAMs like the Russian S 400 has a range of over 400km SAMs form an integral part of the defense system onboard the warships.
One of the most well known MANPADS is SAM 7 Missile. It was developed by the USSR in the year 1959. It is shoulder launched, and has a range of around 3 kms. SAM-7 was first used in combat in the year 1968 and it is still widely used
HAWK (Homing All the Way Killer) system used by US army offers medium range, low – medium altitude air defense. All weather Day – Night capability of this system makes it highly deadly and dependable. It is used by the Marine Corps since 1960′s, HAWK has undergone many developments since then. HAWK missile units are teamed along with a set of radars to acquire and track the aerial target, command post and IFF system. After the target is acquired, the fire control locks on to the target with a tracking radar and missile will be launched either automatically or manually. The Hawk system has the capacity to fire one missile every 2.5 seconds and each battery can hold up to 50 missiles. On the present day more than 32 countries around the world use different versions of HAWK SAMs.

HMMWV, abbreviation for Highmobility Multi-purpose multiwheeled Wheeled Vehicle familiarly called as Humvees are 4 wheel drive vehicles manufactured by American Motors General, used extensively in the US military and also in many other countries and organizations. The concept of HMMWV was born in late 1970′s when the US Army wanted to upgrade its personnel and light transport carriers to war grade. The US military currently employs 17 different modifications of the HMMWV which include troop carriers, ambulance, command vehicles, weapons platforms etc. These HMMWVs were widely used in many wars ranging from operation desert storm to the recent war in Iraq. These Humvees were not designed for usage in front line combat. The basic purpose of HMMWV was to use it as a troop carrier, support vehicle, with an exception of weapon platforms which are to be used in near front line operations. The HMMWV armor was designed to deflect shrapnel and small arms fire. It is not effective against automatic fire at close quarters and RPGs, which led to a number of causalities in the urban warfare scenario faced in Mogadishu and in Iraq. These events led to the decision of uparmouring the HMMWV to withstand heavy fire, but that additional weight will affect the performance.
The US Government is on the look-out for a new generation of multipurpose armored troop carrier to replace the present day HMMWVs. Currently more than 50 countries around the world are using Humvees in various military and peacetime roles. Many similar vehicles designed on the lines of Humvees are being manufactured by many companies around the world to meet the civilian as well as military requirements. Hence if you dream about driving a Humvee like you own it, then join the Army as soon as possible because they might get phased out soon.

Snipers are one of the most important chunks of the military and law enforcement agencies. They are highly trained deadeyes who specialize in camouflaging, observation, tracking, infiltration and shooting targets from very large distances using modified weapons fitted with scopes. They play a very important role in reconnaissance, which is their main task. Then comes the other missions like elimination of high profile targets, providing support to the forces, destroying material targets, etc. They are effective force multipliers, they always move in groups of two which consist of a spotter and a sniper. The spotter with his scope makes observations and helps set up a shot along with valuable inputs like air speed and trajectory. The snipers use special rifles which are modified to suit the sniper’s needs. Majority of the snipers use bolt action rifles as it has very few moving parts compared to an automatic or semi automatic ones, but the rate of fire is very slow as after each shot, the bullet casing has to be removed and a new round has to be loaded. Semi automatic rifles like M-21 are also used in the field by the snipers.
While taking a shot from a distance, and on a moving target, for the point of aim and point of impact to be the same, conditions like range, heat, wind direction and velocity etc are taken into consideration and the scope adjusted accordingly by the sniper to get an accurate shot. To camouflage themselves they use outfits known as gillie suits which are painted to match the environment of the battlefield helping them blend with the background making them virtually invisible. The snipers were proved to be really efficient in the recent Iraq war, where the US & UK forces have used them to provide fire support in order to cover the infantry movement in urban areas.

Aircraft carriers are huge ships fitted with flight decks, which allow aircrafts to take off and land on them. They allow the armed forces to deploy their air power anywhere in the world without relying on any foreign soil to set up its base of operations or use their airports that are an easy target.. The aircraft carriers are recognized as sovereign territories at sea as per the freedom of navigation laws, hence they can carry on their air operations out of the carrier battle group which include a carrier and a set of 6 – 8 war ships providing escort. The usage of aircraft carriers dates back to early 20th century, during World war one, where wooden ships were used as balloon carriers , which has evolved into present day carriers which are nuclear powered and can carry dozens of Fixed wing as well as rotary wing aircrafts. They are the largest of the ships operated by the navies and can cruise at speeds of up to 35 knots which makes it capable of being deployed at any part of the worlds in a matter of weeks. There are around 22 aircraft carriers in active service all over the world which are maintained by 9 fleets. Brazil, India. Russia and Thailand have 1 carrier each in active service , UK, Italy and Spain maintain a fleet of 2 carriers each, where as US navy has 11 active aircraft carriers and out of which 6 carrier groups are stationed at strategic locations and ready for action at moment’s notice.
The US Navy Nimitz Class Super carriers comprises of 11 carriers which are nuclear powered. These are powered by 2 A4-W reactors, and have a maximum speed of over 25 knots. They carry a wide range of armaments on board along with the aircrafts, these include Anti ship missile, Missile defense cannons, Sea sparrow anti-aircraft missiles etc., in order to defend it from the enemy threats.

BALLISTIC Missile Submarines also known as SSBN (Ship, Submersible Ballistic Nuclear) or Boomers are larger compared to other types of submarines, they are capable of launching SLBMs (Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles). They can fire the missiles while being submersed at a depth of around 50 meters. These are basically designed to provide undetectable launch platform for ICBMs; they have stealth capabilities along with the capability of precision delivery of Nuclear Warheads. The Ohio christened Class SSBNs in the US navy, which are names so because of being made in Ohio, has the capacity to carry 24 SLBMs having multiple, independently targeting warheads. SSBNs uses various noise reduction mechanism=s in order to remain undetected underwater. SSBNs with their wide range of onboard weaponry, nuclear capabilities and stealth characteristics give it a lethal first strike capability as well as the mobility of the launch platforms offers deterrence against attacks.
Presently all Ohio class submarines have their 2 forward most missile tubes converted into advanced SEAL delivery system capable lockout chambers .They also carry Trident II airborne missiles and MK118 digital torpedoes .They carry a crew of around 20 officers and 120 enlisted men. They can spend around 850 days in sea and docks for around 28 days for overhauls; it can operate for up to 12-15 years between any major overhauls. Few of the SSBNs are also fitted with tom-hawk land missile systems
The active classes of SSBMs around the world are Le Triomp-hant Class of the French navy, Van-guard class of the UK , Typhoon class , Delta II and Delta IV classes of the Russian navy and Type 092 and type 094 of the Chinese navy. Indian navy is currently testing its Arihanth Class SSBNs. These SSBNs carry a variety of sensors onboard, which include surface search, navigation and fire control radars, passive search sonar, passive towed arrays, etc.

Destroyers are a category of warships which are fast and maneuverable. They are among the heaviest surface combatant battle ships. The destroyers are mainly used to escort battle groups. These destroyers have a long endurance and they are used to defend the fleet against threats from submarines and enemy aircrafts. The destroyers are also known as guided missile destroyers and are capable of carrying nuclear missiles. Arleigh Burke class destroyers currently in use in the US navy and they are used in anti submarine, anti surface and anti aircraft warfare. Few of the destroyers have cruise missile launch systems making them capable to attack land based targets as well. They are capable of reaching up to the speed of 30 knots and supports crews of 276 personnel .They are equipped with air filtering systems against NBC (Nuclear, Biological & Chemical) warfare. The US navy currently has 52 destroyers of Arleigh Burke class in commission, and will be commissioning another 13 or 15 more in the recent coming years. The US navy is also building a new Zumwalt class of destroyers with more focus on land attack capabilities. 2 of which are already under construction , they will be housing a crew of 148 man and capable of making 30 knots.
The US destroyers can support up to 2 sea hawk helicopters and 3 unmanned aerial vehicles and houses SPY-3 multi function radar.
The “Sovermenny” class destroyers commissioned in the Russian navy and the Chinese has the capacity to reach speeds in excess of 30 knots, they have 8 anti ship missiles anti air missile , two 130 mm twin barrel naval guns along with torpedo launchers makes it a lethal opponent in surface warfare.
Indian Navy has 3 Delhi class commissioned destroyers, with Kh-35 anti ship missiles having a effective range of 130 km, RBu-6000 anti submarine rockets and supports 2 Sea King helicopters.

US Navy SEALS, the US Navy’s principle Special Operations group recruits 18-28 year old male candidates holding US citizenship. Should be a high school graduate or equivalent and should be proficient in reading writing, understanding and speaking English with a minimum ASVAB scores of 165 or 220 (depending upon the sub tests taken into consideration) and the candidate should pass the SEAL Physical Screening Test (PST) . Upon satisfying all these requirements, the candidate will be eligible to undergo BUD/S.
The SEAL training is very rigorous with a drop out rate of around 70- 90 percent. The candidate goes through a at least a year of formal training environments before getting enlisted
Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL training (BUD/S), a 6 month course at Naval Special Warfare Training Center, Coronado. It starts as a Indoctrination and pre training classes for the first 5 weeks which then paves way for the 3 phases of BUD/S. Out of which the first phase , 8 week Basic Conditioning which includes the ‘Hell Week’ encountered midway of the 1st phase and considered the toughest where the candidate will be tested to his limits. Hell week tests the candidates of the physical endurance, their mental tenacity and team work. More than 65 percent of the candidates quit at this time. The remaining will move to the 2nd phase which includes 8 weeks of diving lessons and then the 3rd phase where the candidates are trained in land warfare for 9 weeks. Then they undergo basic parachute training for 3 weeks. In the end the candidates go through 8 weeks of SEAL qualification training which includes aspects like mission planning, operations, tactics, techniques and procedures. Once upon successful completion of all these programs, they are considered as SEALs authorizing them to wear the SEAL insignia over their uniform.

In order to defend the country’s interests there is a need for underwater reconnaissance, demolition, construction, ordinance disposal, ship maintenance, search and rescue, salvage operations etc which are carried out by the country’s defense forces. They make use of expert divers called combat divers or naval divers or frogmen for these purposes. The typical offensive activities carried out by a naval diver include underwater demolition, infiltration, sabotage of enemy installations and equipments. The defensive activities include clearing of mines underwater, anti sabotage operations against enemy divers etc. SBS and SEAL teams are well experienced in these kinds of operations.
The military divers, in order to remain undetected and also prevent any disasters while handling explosives underwater, use specialized or modified equipments. They use rebreathes to prevent the release of bubbles due to the exhaled air, which may give away their position. The suits and diving gear used by then will be made of non reflective surfaces, with non magnetic components.
World War II saw a lot of action on the part of the US Navy divers which included the efforts by the salvage teams trying to rescue trapped sailors from USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor. They were assigned to removal of underwater obstacles during the Okinawa Invasion where they created a record by removing 1200 underwater obstacles in 2 days. The Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) teams defused many explosives and underwater mines during the course of World War II.
The Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) develops and tests various diving equipments and practices depending upon the requirements of the US Armed Forces. US Navy along with NEDU, Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) and Navy Submarine Medical Research Laboratory (NSMRL) have developed and proved the saturating diving techniques in its Sealabs ( Experimental Underwater Habitats) and other research programs.

Special Boat Service (SBS) with the motto “By Strength And Guile”  is a special forces unit of the Royal Navy, They along with the Special Air Services (SAS) Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) and Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) come under the joint control of the Director of Special Forces. SBS is headquartered in Poole, Dorset and the origin of this unit dates back to the world War II, constituted as Special Boat Section which later went on to become special boat squadron and then finally special boat service. SBS derives most of its force from the royal marines, they are specialists in amphibious operations. The main tasks of SBS involve Reconnaissance, counter terrorism ops, sabotage, and combat actions behind the enemy lines. Created as a specialist commando unit during the course of WW II, then later disbanded and again picked up by the Royal Marines, Post WWII, they took part in the Korean War operating from submarines, destroying communications, gathering intelligence. Then they also saw action in the Falklands war against the Argentinians. They took part in the Kuwait war, liberating the British Embassy in Kuwait and also creating diversionary attacks along the Kuwaiti coasts. They have also taken part in the hostage rescue operations in Sierra Leone, In Afghanistan during operation Enduring freedom and also in the Iraqi Invasion.

SBS is designed along the lines of the most renowned SAS .The SBS personnel are experts in swimming, parachuting, diving, navigation, demolitions and reconnaissance. SBS has 4 active squadrons and 1 reserve unit. Most of the recruits in SBS are volunteers from Royal Marines, and few from all the other branches of the British Armed Forces. The volunteer applying for SBS should have completed a minimum of 2 years of regular service and only those who complete the selection process will be accepted into regular services.

It was not until after the American Civil War that the rest of the world began to take notice of the burgeoning military power in the New World. After the Civil War, a bloodied United States emerged stronger and became an economic powerhouse. The vast fields lined with crops and the churning factories of the northern cities were not enough to earn the respect of the world though. As American Naval Officer Alfred Thayer Mahan could have predicted, the American path to power would have to be earned on the seas.

Mahan commanded several ships without distinction during his long naval career, but his influence did not come from his actions. His writings on the necessity of great nations to establish naval power soon became a Bible for leaders to follow. Mahan’s writings helped to start a naval arms race in Europe. In the United States, his influence helped convince leaders to invest a modern capital fleet for national defense.

His advice prompted Congress to make important investments in defense during peacetime for perhaps the first time in American history. A legacy was established that a portion of income tax would be tied maintaining a strong standing force despite America’s heritage as a nation without a standing military.

Mahan’s views proved prophetic during the brief Spanish-American War. The American fleet proved itself during action against an established European power. The United States had a tiny empire and a spot on the world stage. It would take future conflicts to establish the United State as the dominant power, but by beginning of the 20th century the United States was already a significant naval power.

Between 1955 and 1961, the U.S. Government deposited 78 percent of the total American foreign aid program into a single point on the globe. Fear of communism spawned the idea. Fear of leaving our recent WWII ally, France, holding the bag in Vietnam fed the infection. Even though Ho Chi Minh begged for help in creating a democracy to replace the vulgar dictatorial rule of France, the U.S. government turned a blind eye, opening the door to one of the greatest ‘non-war’ disasters in American history.

It is pretty easy to point fingers 45 years later. What turned into a worldwide disaster was created due to fear and pride running the show. If a person makes decisions based on fear and pride, the ability to use logic and wisdom gets thrown out the door. It doesn’t matter if the decision maker is a single woman raising two kids, or a general minding an army of a million. Using fear as the primary starting point in decision making will ruin your day. In the event you are the general, it could ruin many people’s days to tune of a war that lasts 25 years. That cost includes the lives of military personnel and civilians on both sides of the conflict not only is countless deaths, but in emotional damage that lasts generations afterwards.

Were power, greed and corruption involved in the Vietnam conflict? Ask yourself this question: What war has not included greed and corruption?

The men and women who serve in the armed forces most often enter wanting to help. You may know dozens of vets, young and old, and you will get very much the same answer from each: they want to help the democratic cause.

A huge number of Americans do not study history even when they are taking the classes. This leaves a nation blind to realities of war. One of the realities of war is that most people involved are innocent people who desire to give what they can to make humanity right. So what needs fixing? Fear. Something our soldiers are taught not to do.

The North Vietnamese launched a massive attack on South Vietnam in March of  ’72. It was just before the presidential election. They knew the President could not politically afford to re-enter American troops into the very old and costly fray after beginning the withdrawal. It was a political move to put egg of Nixon’s face just before the peace talks. The attack was also backed up by Soviet tanks, muddying the water for peace there as well. It was a war between the Soviets and Americans on Vietnamese soil. In the end, everyone lost.

This was the time that Hanoi bombing began. Nixon brought his thoughts of the mater to verbal discourse stating that the American president would lose credibility if he had force and didn’t use it. By that time, the American people were more than fed up with the abuse of their soldiers on both land and sea, so had half the world. To save face, Richard Nixon pulled out all the stops. It was a case of American might throwing a last punch at Soviet might.

This was a war that should have ended before it started. Even in the late fifties the writing was on the wall. Decisions were made greatly to save face, make money, and gain huge advantages in global positioning against China and the Soviet Union. But in the end, as Nixon stated, it was a matter of credibility. Put more bluntly, it escalated from Kennedy, to LBJ, to Nixon in an effort to keep from being embarrassed.

No one behaves themselves during war, especially wars being fought with so many contradictory reasons for being there.

Credibility gap: a perceived discrepancy between statements and actual performance or behavior. There were many statements in a twenty-five year period of time that were never backed up by successful action. One must remember that in wars, no one wins. Not really. Credibility never existed in the first place, except in the hands of the ones doing the fighting.

The vets are credible for the most part. Government leaders tend to miss that mark.

Susan was born in Austin and now operates her own business in the Pacific North West. She is an acupuncturist who runs a mobile business, working with unemployed, homeless, and derelicts of all sorts. Of course many of her patients are well rounded folks who just have injuries they can’t seem to cope with. Susan’s skills are quite good. She does her share of curing what normal M.D.s can’t.

Susan puts up with a lot. Most of her clientele are accident victims sent to her by insurance companies. Large numbers of her patients have no money, are alcoholic, and display a number of behaviors that would make the average person sick. Susan works on them. She is a tough nut and after two years of this kind of punishment, she perseveres, newborn infant and all.

About a decade ago, Susan did a stint in the Navy. Going in, she was one of those kids who always had a smile on her face and would bend over backwards to help another in need. But she was green, gullible and had no outer shell.
If you ask Susan what she thought of the Navy she is quick to respond. It was pure hell. She hated it from beginning to end and her stories are graphic. Interestingly she still has that incredible smile and a gift to cure people with it. Her resilience to do what is right was never lost in her hell on the oceans over her four years of torture. She tends to use the words, “Shake it off” when trouble wants to stop her from success. And she does shake it off well—usually within minutes. She is a rare woman.

Susan spent a good deal of time scraping rust off a barge. Weeks of hell. She worked and slept on the rusted hulk, covered in lice. She woke up every morning and shook it off. Often some of the toughest events in your life are the creation of the better part of you. Bad patient? She shakes it off and goes to work removing the rust on the next patient.

Earl used to race a souped-up Model A down the streets of L.A. This was in the 1930s. He had a buddy with a shop who milled the heads and did various other things to the buggy to make it romp. Earl went through a number of different hotrods, racing title for title. He was a cut-up all the way around, going pretty much nowhere with his life.

When the United States become active in WWII, Earl’s younger brother, Don, joined the merchant marines at age 17. Earl was never one to be one-upped. He joined the Navy. He became a medic and floated from port to port across the entire globe. He also literally had a wife in Liverpool and one in L.A. He used to buy cheap watches in one port and sell them for triple the price in the next. M.P.s caught onto the doings and attempted to arrest Earl. Earl was sharp. He knew he couldn’t be arrested at his duty station so he slept there, having buddies deliver meals. He once slept at his duty station for two weeks before the M.P.s gave up.

Earl got his hands on a .25 caliber pistol. The troop transport was a converted ocean liner, heavy guns mounted. During gunnery practice, Earl pointed the 25 caliber out the port hole of his stateroom and fired three shots. (Yeah, he had a rough life in the Navy . . . a stateroom.) Gunnery practices ceased immediately. He discovered that the piercing noise of small firearms can be heard through the din of heavy artillery. As he heard the approach of feet, with doors opening and closing, the pistol made it to the bottom of the Atlantic.

The little boy in Earl never quite grew up. At age 80, and as a minister, he still drove like a kid. It eventually cost him his life. Some kids are born to be hell-raisers, and it doesn’t seem to matter how much structure you give them, you can’t save them from themselves. The Navy tried. Earl did what Earl was going to do.

Rarely is harmony acquired and maintained in humans. People are animals, literally and figuratively. Not all, but the greater portion of the race presumes one thought is the only truth and they will fight to the death to defend their twisted views. Hard pressed to buy that? Look at the splits in practice and thought in Vietnam during the fall of Diem.

Attacks from Hanoi were led by people pleading for freedom from French domination and torture. The world turned a blind eye. Not China. Not USSR. They jumped at the chance . . . to become Vietnam’s captor in sheep’s clothing to push their world view. Diem was corrupt, leadership was frayed and Kennedy handed the reins, not of free will, to Johnson. One assassination followed another, as leaders fell to the guns of hatred and desire to inflict as much damage as possible to control the “truth”.

Bitter wars were fought inside of bitter wars in Vietnam alone, until Johnson felt forced to give full commitment to the South East Asia at the cost of his innovative domestic programs. Some call Johnson an arrogant war hawk. The reality was that Johnson inherited a horrible enterprise and was blinded by his own need to run for president the next term. Politics took over the lead in decision making. Johnson left office totally broken.

A sad side note: two of the larger factions in Vietnam were Buddhists and Catholics, both hating each other, in the name of truth?

Armed Forces Vocational-Aptitude Battery-Test (ASVAB) is a multiple choice exam consisting of 9 individual exams administered by US Military Entrance processing Command. The subjects range from general science to vocabulary. AFVAB assesses the trainability of the candidate.
Armed Forces Vocational-Aptitude Battery-Test was introduced in 1968 and in 1976 all services began using it as the official entry test. Previously Armed Forces Qualification Test was developed for screening purposes. It was a 100 Multiple choice question test focusing on area like Math, vocabulary, Mechanical ability etc.
Armed Forces Vocational-Aptitude Battery-Test since its inception on 1976 remained almost the same until 2002, when it went through a major revision and the format was computerized. Armed Forces Qualification Test scores include, the standard scores obtained in various areas of mental reasoning such as grammar, mathematics, reasoning and other areas.
The Armed Forces Vocational-Aptitude Battery-Test scores are declared in percentile formats and are categorized into 8 categories based on the percentile range:
• Category I – Between ranges 93-99
• Category II – Between ranges 65-92
• Category III – Between ranges 50-64
• Category III B – Between ranges 31-49
• Category IV A – Between ranges 21-30
• Category IV B – Between ranges 16-20
• Category IV C – Between ranges 10-15
• Category V – Between ranges 0-9

Each branch of the armed forces will be having a requirement of specific scores out of other subtests of Armed Forces Vocational-Aptitude Battery-Test.
If a candidate fails to score high enough to enlist into the service branch of his choice, due to low score because of lagging in one of the 4 core areas, he can apply for a retest 30 days after the initial Armed Forces Vocational-Aptitude Battery-Test test the next attempt should be after 6 months. Each service will be having its own sets of rules concerning the retest.So get yourselves ready to face them and ace them.

If you had been given the chance to interrogate Diem during his rule in South Vietnam, you would have discovered that his thoughts, policies and eventual practices differed little from those of France. Diem had no intention of creating democratic rule. This is actually a place where American political clout shined for once as the US tried in vain to support to the backbone of Vietnam: the villages. Diem didn’t care. He ruled every detail of the country in his own image, handing small bits of power to his three brothers. The rest was a ruse. Democracy never got off the ground.

Several things can be learned from this lesson, one of which is an overused cliché but it fits all too well: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. If you happen to be a history nut, you have seen the act in this play a hundred times with the same end result. The total collapse of a society occurs with the villagers shaking their heads at the amount of energy and money spent on stupidity that creates destruction of the very things the powers were striving for: wealth and power.

Wealth and power are not tangibles and they are very slippery. The more you have the quicker they leave your hands. Grab for more and you are forced to drop what you had, losing your own stability in the process. In a hundred or a thousand years, the wealth and power always ends up back in the same hands once the empires fall: the villagers. No one seems to get it.

The United States has played the game both ways since its inception. Each U.S. presidency has its own agenda. Some are corrupt beyond description, with self-centered enterprises bringing down destruction on everyone’s heads while others try with desperate measure to shore up what was lost and give it back to the village again. Johnson was one of those presidents caught in the middle, trying to do both simultaneously. He had the military in one pocket and the villages in the other. Guess who won again?

US Navy SEALs stands for United States Navy Sea Air and Land teams. It is a special operations forces unit of the US navy and part of Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) , commissioned in 1987 at Naval Amphibious Base, San Diego CA
During the course of second world war, for successful beach landings there was a need of advance reconnaissance for obstacles and defenses so that the landing forces can be guided safely, led to the training of Explosive ordinance Disposal (EOD) personnel and Combat swimmers from both the Army and Marine Corps at the Amphibious Scout and Raider School, Florida to form Naval Combat Demolition Unit.
By 1943, 9 Under Water Demolition Teams were formed who were to lookout and clear obstacles to make way for safer beach landing of troops. By March 1961, the need of guerrilla and counter guerrilla forces was recognized and the Under Water Demolition Teams were trained to be able to operate from Air, Land and Sea thereby forming SEALs. The first 2 teams were trained in various unconventional areas of combat and warfare which included Close quarters combat, High Altitude parachuting demolition, SBI training etc to make them effective fighting material.
Naval Special Warfare Groups (NSWG) I & III based in San Diego and NSWG II & IV in Norfolk are the major operational components of NSWC. The NSWG consists of SEAL teams of SEAL delivery vehicle teams, high tech equipment’s and Special Boat teams, and is responsible for their deployment in any part of the world when required. NSWC boasts of having around 5400 personnel in active duty including 2450 SEALs, and 600 SWCC. Also handles a reserve of 1200 personnel and NSW deployable anywhere on the globe. Their main mission areas are Direct action, counter terrorism & Counter drug ops, Special and Hydrographic Recon security assistance, rescue operations and foreign internal defense.

Special Forces are military or paramilitary units, highly trained for specialized discreet operations like Reconnaissance, Search and Destroy Operations, Guerrilla war-fare, Counter terrorism, Direct action, High profile Hostage situations and Direct actions. They operate in small groups, independently or in support of conventional military units on the field. Their operations are all based on principles of Stealth, tight team work and Speed. They are self sufficient high value assets of the country’s Military and are of high prominence.
They are highly trained both in close quarters combat and ranged combat equipped with modern weapons, armaments and equipment’s. Using suitable conventional as well as non conventional means of transport to achieve the objectives in hand they get the most impossible of the jobs done. They usually make use of Helicopters, small boats, Parachuting or submarines to infiltrate into the combat zone or beyond the enemy lines. They are regarded as force multipliers as a team of around 12 commandos can train and lead a group of 100-200 indigenous guerrilla fighters against the enemy armed forces.
Special Forces were extensively used in World War II by both the allies and the axes powers, they also played a very important role during Operation Desert-Storm and Enduring Freedom. Special Forces were used to search and destroy Iraqi SCUD’s and to sabotage enemy communication lines. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was formed in the United States for the purpose of gathering intelligence as well as conducting Special Ops. Rangers division was formed later in 1942. Special Forces were used in the modern times in Kosovo and Afghanistan, to train and lead the local guerrillas and also to co ordinate the air strikes on the hostiles. Special Forces have played a very important role in both wartime and peacetime ops. They were used during the Indo-Pak war in 1971, Gulf war, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iranian and the Japanese embassy Hostage Crisis.

Anti-Submarine warfare (ASW) is one of the branches in the naval warfare which emerged during the First World War. It involves using various weapons, aircrafts, warships, sensors and submarines to seek track and destroy the enemy submarines. ASW involves effective usage of sonar for detecting, classifying, tracking the enemy submarine and then destroying them using anti-submarine mines or torpedoes launched from surface ships, aircrafts or other underwater platforms in order to destroy it. ASW also involves protecting the friendly ships from submersed threats by guiding them.
During the World War I submarines were a big threat to the ships. The kind of ASW tactics used during those times was primitive. It just involved using small boats mounted with guns, used to hunt the submarines when they were on surface. The submarines of those times had to surface at regular intervals to charge their batteries and tin order to cross long distances. As time passed, by the advent of the new diesel engine and nuclear powered submarines, the ASW techniques became more and more sophisticated. The newer submarines can stay submersed for a longer period of time and the can also be stealth at the same time.
During the World War I period anti submarine nets were used at the harbors and chain link nets were suspended around the warships for protection from the torpedoes. Mines and depth charges were used to counter attack. And during the Second World War, aircrafts were used to attack submarines, long range patrol aircrafts were used for detection, escort carriers and destroyers were used for search and destroy patrols, later on active and passive sono-buoys deployed from aircrafts for detection and tracking.
Modern warships use torpedo carrying helicopters and homing torpedo launchers are used for ASW Specialized search vessels called Tuna boats are used to search and track submarines, Magnetic anomaly detectors and FLIR detection are also used for detection.

Online colleges have really revolutionized the way people can get an education in America. Working toward an online education degree is something that almost anyone is capable of doing, regardless of whether or not the person has a family to take care of, a job to go to every day, or a heavy workload. Online colleges are an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to further education and for those currently serving in the Navy. For many people, an online education degree may be a perfect fit.

For service men and women, online educations are great because most programs accept military tuition. Some will even include a laptop for your learning options. Programs are self-paced, and most are 100 percent online. That means you never have to worry about working around someone else’s schedule. You can work toward your bachelor’s, associate’s, or master’s degree in subjects like real estate, business, medical, and green technologies. Many online programs also have textbook grants and military spouse training scholarships for active service men and women.

A great benefit of online education degrees for those in the Navy is that they can earn their degrees while they are currently serving, whether they’re aboard a ship or serving abroad. You can work toward your degree in only one to two hours daily, sometimes for as little as three days a week. This offers the flexibility that single parents and those who are deployed need.

Even though you will still follow similar formats to regular, traditional college with professors, textbooks, homework, and exams, you will use online message boards, e-mails, and online chats to do your work at your own pace on your own time. It’s a perfect fit for military men and women looking to enhance their education.

USSR, China, and the United States all tried in vain to stand with equal force on the heads of Burma, Malaya, Indonesia and Vietnam, to name a few. That is a heavy load for such tiny countries to be carrying. So why all the sword rattling over such a small part of the planet?

It is possible that wealth had something to do with it. These areas of the world do offer a great deal. Production of rubber and rice? That seems a little overboard with the invention of synthetics and the fact that rice is grown in the US as well. Food, is a big factor, so for now, let’s not erase that as a possibility for domination by outer forces.

Another possibility is perceived ethics. On one hand, the U.S. seems to think that its own brand of democracy is the only possible way to save the world from total collapse, not seeing that the sheep’s skin of democracy is a paltry cover for its capitalistic religious fervor. The U.S. is not innocent. The irony is, of course, the fact that Communism, which began as a welfare system for all, turned into a dictatorship creating different results from Capitalism but the end score was the same. Disaster.

Is it possible that the only reason that Indochina, et al, has been so important to these three superpowers, one now being Russia, is pride? Could it be that simple? If you look closely at the U.S. presidents, little is hidden in their personalities and their policies. Pride was indeed a determining factor in most decisions made in that office, along with a desperate desire to win the next election . . .pride again?

What is the point of this? For the sake of a better economy, welfare of all, balanced military designed to serve and protect and a government for the people and by the people, it might serve all of us to look at our motives next time we decide to help someone see our viewpoint. Rulers are not the only ones with arsenals. They just have different weapons.

Tiny tears in time eventually repeat themselves if not tended to. Often the rhetoric of savior kings becomes the rhetoric of political activists which then becomes the rhetoric of kings again, or politicians running for office under the guise of activist. The circle completes itself, all emotions charged and brains turned completely off.

Those tiny tears are a minute rips in time and if you compare the tears to cloth, the weft and weave is humanity trying to hold itself together while hanging on to fraying pieces that keep pulling away from what ends up being nothing but a pile of mislaid thread. Entropy one, balance zero.

In an effort to support what is already falling apart, taxes are raised, military might is increased and the old bags of rhetoric are opened up one more time. Eventually the rhetoric lands on numb ears and everyone refuses to play the game. Chaos theorists have had fun looking at this for years, finding patterns inside of patterns. John Nash must love this stuff!

In the interest of balance, look at this numbing fact: in 2009, the world spent 1.531 trillion on military, with the U.S. footing 46.5% of that total.

The next step is for you to do your research on the soaring cost of food worldwide, the shortages causing food riots, the indexes of food stores dropping, the affect bio-fuels have on the production of food, the total effect this has on humanity and the unrest that will continue to skyrocket due to this problem. Once you have done that, come back and look at the military expenditures. That’s all. Just look and let it sink in. Don’t define the problem. Don’t lay blame. In all likelihood the blame spreads very far anyway and blame does not alleviate the problem. It only strengthens it.

With that done, remember how the U.S. military has been used in the past decade to help people during disasters. No shots fired. Simply hundreds of thousands of well trained men and women pouring their hearts out to help. Just think it through, that’s all.

If you want to make a point of moving through life living impacting experiences, you don’t have to visit India during Kumbh Mela or live through an event like the anti-Chinese uprising in Indonesia from 1996 through 1999. Life abounds with ways to see and understand the dynamics of human failures and triumphs. All you have to do is open your eyes.

One short visit to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. will push your mind into silence. It is not a place to go for pro-war or anti-war sentiment. That is not the point. In fact, to make the point in words is wrong. You simply must experience it yourself and walk away from it with feelings you may never have dealt with before. That is an impact that creates growth no matter what your political views.

For the most sobering effect, go in the dead of winter when it’s ten below zero. If you have the choice of time, do it on a clear windy day. You can see the wall in countless photographs in books and magazines. That doesn’t cut it. You have to go. When you arrive, you will be greeted by vets who dedicate part of their lives to helping visitors find the names of friends or relatives. They can tell you the section of the wall to find a given name. Even if you know of no one on the wall, take the paper and pencil they offer and choose a man or woman and make a rubbing of the name. Stay silent. Look at the letters, flowers and personal belonging that have been left by visitors whose sons or daughters are on the wall.

When you walk away, don’t talk. Let it sink in. Each person will have an entirely different mind opening in wordless feelings. Take that with you on the plane when you fly home. When you are being served your little bag of nuts and ginger ale, take the rubbing out and look at it without thought. The result of this experience will last for the rest of your life.

In 1919, Lenin recorded eight speeches against anti-Semitism, bringing his views of anti-prejudice to light. In 1919, Albert Einstein’s theory that gravity bent light was proved to be correct. Fellow Noble laureate, Paul Dirac stated that this was-probably the greatest scientific discovery ever made.- Both were events of the deepest gravity.

Both men were staunch anti-capitalist socialists. Both were openly vocal about their opinions. One discovered that gravity bends light while the other stressed the gravity of light being bent in one political direction. Lenin eventually died for his views from a combination of ill healing gunshot wounds from two failed assassination attempts further complicated by three strokes. He died at age 53 and his legacy turned gravely dark in the history that followed. At age 54, Albert Einstein found out that there was an assignation bounty on his head in Germany for $5,000.

One man became a political activist deeply involved in the stirrings of a political revolution trying to bring light to the peasants. The other became a scientific activist, promoting new ideas in light physics. One avoided death in war the other became that death.

Why so many parallels? Why the vague passing of two lives briefly entwined in neutral Switzerland during humanity’s greatest upheaval? There are no answers. Both men are despised by some and revered by others. No one understands why so many brilliant and controversial scientists and politicians blossomed simultaneously. Lenin and Einstein were only two of many. These events do show one thing about humanity: how utterly fragile it is and how balance is such a critical thing to maintain especially during times of chaos. Accident or lesson?

Being too lazy to replace your favorite copy you begin to listen to the second. After awhile you lose the reasons in your head for rejecting this second version and it becomes your new favorite. In fact the female soloist in the second to last piece reminds you of one of your favorite singers. She is better than the original that you had stuck with all your life. You realize that your prejudice for the original stopped you from seeing the honest realities about the two recordings. The second one is better!

Humans are that way about things. It is a form of prejudice which is an unwillingness to move and learn.

In earlier human history, it was considered correct to stand soldiers in a single line, facing the enemy in full view, and slug it out. The stupidity of the matter had never been considered and any variation from that practice was rejected out of hand. We see this behavior repeated throughout history at every level: in music, science, religion, military practice, economics and politics.

Evolution of thought eventually seeps in, but only after a dynamic change in the form of a shocking discovery or disaster opens the eyes to the realities. Human relationships with one another have slowly changed. Change is good. It creates better understanding of the world around us. We have better cars, better toasters, and better defense systems. Moving toward better people is a good idea. It is the hardest change to make. However, as we change, toasters and defense systems won’t seem so important. Open your mind. A third version of Carmina Burana awaits.

The American Revolution was a political upheaval in the 18th century. It’s sound historical fact. Note the word political. That’s key. The Brits governed without allowing Americans the right to have representation. The British government also taxed the folks on the eastern seaboard pretty heavily. It didn’t seem fair so the Americans rejected Parliament authority and ousted the royal officials. What happened after that is clear: it led to war. The might of the British army and navy arrived and were beaten. It was a case of military might and to some extent the “best equipment” against people. People won.

Remember, politics is key.

In a letter from Ho Chi Minh to President Truman and the United Nations concerning the colonial rule of France over Indochina, Ho Chi Minh clearly showed the bitter contempt the French had for the Vietnamese people as they seized all rice stores over the winter, letting the food rot.  The end result was genocide of one million Vietnamese, a not widely advertised fact.

French rule was cruel. By 1954 American politicians involved the US government in supporting the French in continuing colonial rule to the tune of a third of a million guns and a billion in cash. History has the rest well documented. From 1950 to 1975 political action support the kind of rule that the American politicians fought against 200 years prior. It was a case of military might and to some extent the “best equipment” against people. People won.

People in the conflict were good folks . . . on all sides. They were people, just like the British soldiers were people. All fighting for what they perceived was right.

Military most often gets egg on its face when something goes wrong. Get to know a few vets. Learn to know their hearts. You will find that due to consequences in their lives, they learned the depth of love the hard way. They are not the upside down ones. Remember that next time you are tempted to send derisions their way. People: you’re one of them.

Foreign relations were reshaped by the war, but the legacy of the Second World War extends past world politics. The lives of nearly every American were touched by the war, and modern society was created by its affect effects. After the war, the United States completely emerged from the shackles of the Great Depression and entered into a golden age of prosperity. The G.I. Bill helped spread the prosperity to all classes.

President Franklin Roosevelt signed the G.I. bill in 1944. By the time the original bill expired in 1956 more than 7.8 million veterans had taken advantage of education and training funding providing by the bill. The original bill also provided mortgage loans for more than two million veterans. The American middle class emerged after World War Two.

After the success of the first G.I. Bill, congress saw it fit to continue the program. Servicemen and women would enjoy the benefits of education for their service ever since the first bill. Access to education on this scale caused American society to change. The American economy began to shift from a manufacturing base to a service based economy.

In today’s American society degreed individuals typically earn far more over the lifetime of a career. As the importance of education has increased so to has the importance of the G.I. Bill. The draft of the Cold War era has been eliminated. Volunteers have to be lured with promises of careers and funding for education. Many soldiers choose to use their G.I. Bill benefits to attend online degree programs while they complete their service. They emerge from military careers ready for service in the private or non-military public sectors.

“All men are created equal; they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights; among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” American Declaration of Independence, right? Yes and no. That statement is a part of the Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam against Japan and France.

Yes, it was borrowed, but the ideals are not borrowed. They are fundamental truths that if humans are given the right to rule themselves, less ambiguous realties occur. People take care of themselves and they do not punish themselves unrealistically for monetary gain. People prefer happiness over agony.

Some of the greatest supporters of human rights were also soldiers. There is no need to list them. You can look them up by the droves. Some stand out as national heroes and are forever in the eyes of historians such as Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower. But leave the word hero out of the formula. Eisenhower is revered on American soil and despised by not just a few Japanese.

Perception is created by political actions muted by forgotten facts and reinvented by those who want the general populace to believe in certain things even if they might not be true. The facts? Eisenhower was a person endowed by his creator with certain inalienable rights. The rest is history and history tends to be written by those in control of power.

As of December 31, 2009 1,421,668 people are on active duty. That’s a quote from Wikipedia. Did you notice they used the word people? One retired American colonel fought in the Vietnam War. He was a helicopter pilot. He was shot down three times and walked away. You could make this man into a hero. He has all the stats but he is an unknown. The reality is that he is a very good man. He grew up in a small Idaho town, ran on the track team and had a family. People. You can find reflections of him in Mongolia, India, Vietnam, Columbia, and Russia. Vets are people created with certain inalienable rights. Don’t let political views mute that fact.

The two danced the night away. He would tell you it was a night to remember as the tiny woman who spoke little English became enthralled with the moment, sharing an evening dancing in the arms of a true gentleman. They exchanged as much information as they could in the loud surroundings. She found out his rank and the ship he was on. The night ended and the machinist wandered back to his ship for the night with a great story to tell. But the story had not yet ended.

The next morning he was brought to dockside, having been requested to do so by a young Japanese woman with a bouquet of twenty-four roses. It was of course the young woman from the night before. Upon opening the note, he got her name for the first time. The last name was Toyota.

A year later, the Toyota MR2 was produced. According to Toyota MR2 stands for mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-seater. The machinist now works as an aerospace inspector. The story still goes around the shop causing grins on fellow machinists’ faces. No one knows if the story is true. The retired Navy man swears to his honesty and even blushes when he tells the story. True or not, it makes for great legend!

When Earl hit his eighteenth birthday he joined the Navy during WWII. To be on the safe side, he entered as a medic, not knowing that medics in the Navy filled both Navy and Marine positions. He stood in line, listening to someone going down the line saying: -Marine, marine, marine. . . when Earl was reached, the words hit his ears: “Navy. . . it was the first of many blessings to come.

Earl was on the second largest troop transport in the fleet a converted ocean liner. It was also fast, allowing it to steam on its own without being a sitting duck in convoys. Earl’s quarters were a private stateroom”an amazing luxury. One bed. One footlocker. One porthole.

Earl worked primarily with the men who were suffering from shell shock, although he often dealt with men whose bodies came aboard with missing parts. These events left endless silent scars inside. He bled as much as the injured.

The ship traveled three oceans. Bombay was always pleasant with families waiting ashore to take the men home to dinner, treating them like family and of course introducing them to their daughters in hopes for better lives with the young American boys.

One trip to New York found the ship full of German prisoners who were so shocked that the Statue of Liberty was still standing that they rushed to one side to stare. The ship listed. They had to be forced evenly across the deck, port and starboard. German propaganda convinced them that New York was leveled.

Earl’s stories were mostly fun with occasional drifts into the horrors of the medical unit. He didn’t talk much about those events. WWII broke him in many ways. He hid deep pain for the rest of his life. But he found enough strength to keep giving as a minister until he died in his mid eighties”broken medic to broken minister but tough enough to persevere. No one ever knew his deepest feelings. They were locked forever in a footlocker with one porthole open to God.

Rick lived in town with Rich. All three were on the wrestling team, but Rick stood out as one of the best. It was a town known for wrestling. During any match, the gym was standing room only and if someone was near pinning, the stomping in unison in the bleachers and floor was deafening. This team went to state every year with wrestlers bringing back ribbons each time. Rick was a ribbon bearer. Like Tim, Rick always had a smile and a hug for his friends.

Of the three, Rich was the more serious. He had the same personality traits of warmth and smiles for his friends, but when alone, there was a darker edge to him-something deeper ran through his veins.

Rick was shipped out to Nam first. He disappeared in the fray of finishing school, worries about the war and frantic tries to get into college to stay alive. The next year, Tim and Rich entered the eastern disaster as well.

When Rick came home, his body was the same. His mind was gone. He would look at you like you were venison hanging to cure. There was emptiness in his stare as if somewhere behind the eyes was a void of eternity. Tim came back next. Same grin. Same guy. Don’t come up behind him unannounced. He would pick you up off the ground after laying you out, apologize red faced, and give you a hug. His wiring was off.

Rich never came home. He didn’t die. He became a lifer in the Air Force. Shot down three times in Vietnam, he became more open and caring. His leadership qualities ignited for the rest of his life and he never lost who he was.

Jan was drafted and shipped out to Vietnam in 1968. He was only there for a hand full of weeks before he was shipped home for his funeral. He had never picked up a gun to fight. He never left dockside. He never saw the enemy, but he was still a casualty and sent home with flag and medal.

While unloading trucks off of a transport ship, the hoist broke and the truck landed on Jan.

The small town in Eastern Washington was in shock. Jan was their first war casualty. He was also one of those guys that most people would agree should live forever. He gave too much of himself to be an early death. The world needed him.

After the funeral, the town remained quiet as fear crept in, with anger as well, that Jan went to Vietnam for absolutely nothing. It was a pain that many of the town’s people would never get over. It was the kind of event that getting over- just doesn’t fix. There is no answer to this kind of travesty and to endure the pain of it by keeping the pain only made the pain worse.

In 1993, one of Jan’s distant friends happened to find himself in Washington D.C. in the middle of one of the coldest weeks on record. The sub freezing cold mixed with the wind and the clear skies made for an ethereal kind of week. Jan’s friend eventually found himself standing where fate had taken him, in front of the Vietnam Memorial. Guided by a vet, Jan’s name was found and a rubbing created of the name. Tears feel odd when they streak down a frozen face. So does healing from the inside out.

The son of a minister in Northern Idaho, Wes was an average student but smart as a whip. He was the fastest sprinter in the high school but never turned out for the track team. He was desired by some of the most beautiful girls in school. He dated most and the relationships failed miserably. Wes was married to beer, tequila, whisky, gin, and cheap wine.

By his high school senior year, Wes had totaled seven cars and two motorcycles. Totaled, not wrecked”as in junk yard refuse. In the final accident, Wes flipped a 1971 pearl paint job Javelin end for end for a quarter of a mile down the highway. He arrived to the hospital DOA . . . except for a twitching little finger on his right hand. He later told his friends that it was an LSD flashback. Oh, yes, it wasn’t just alcohol.

Wes tried college for one year in 1973 but could not take the pressure of being told what to do. A few months later he joined the Navy. Yes, everyone went: Huh!?

The folks in the U.S. Navy must have been pretty savvy about Wes, or maybe it was just pure dumb luck. His duty? Helmsman. Try to imagine the conversations in the bars at Wes’ hometown. Try to understand the enormity of this irony. You can’t, right? Don’t bother trying. It was the kind of event that was so ridiculous that you would never see it in a movie. It was way too unbelievable.

Wes remained in the Navy for one hitch which, from what little was known, went without incident. It was likely the most stable time in Wes’ life.

In 2010, Wes is near crippled. The condition of his body is not from the Navy who seemingly tried their best to make him face his demons and correct his life’s course. The crippled body was due to the nine totaled vehicles. Age shows the after effects later in life. One of Wes’ friends used to say: -Live fast, die young, and have a good looking corpse. Wes tried and failed.

Crowdfunding can help those that dream of getting a degree. The idea behind this option is that people will donate money to help you achieve your goal. You can set up a campaign on a mediating website that will take the donations and present them to you at the end of your campaign. While it is running, you are responsible for promoting the idea of returning to school and getting others to help you in a financial manner. Thanks to the internet, you can reach millions of people who may be willing to assist you in returning to college.

Another option to get back into school is by joining the military. Every branch offers various programs to help those wanting to go back and earn a college degree. The Navy is no exception to this. Recruiters use the ability to return to school as an advantageous perk for enlisting in the military. Dedicating a short period of your life to your country can help you get the education you have always wanted. Obtaining a degree will enable you to get a better job once your military days are over.

Whether you choose crowdfunding or the military, you should understand that there are ways to make going back to school a reality. You may just need to think outside the box in order to raise the money necessary to pay for college out of your own pocket.

There is purpose in remaining unseen and doing your life’s work quietly. It is easier to remain honorable when the temptations of a corrupt society do not dissuade you from your path. To many, staying hidden to avoid the temptations of the world is a cop-out. You don’t honestly test your mettle unless the fire is turned up. This is where real honor is seen. No medal needed.

Many choose the firing line. There are politicians who care and respect themselves enough to respect others. The same can be said of teachers, social workers, nurses and a myriad of other professions where the man or woman of honor faces the public daily. It’s almost impossible to maintain under that kind of pressure. Many break.

In the past few decades the military of the United States has lost considerable honor. No need to repeat the situations. It’s public knowledge. Many humans tend to believe that if a person of a particular gender, race, religious practice or political viewpoint drops from honor then the rest of the world’s population of humans who are in like situations must also be bad. It’s called prejudice: an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Hmmm. Think that over next time you bad mouth an entire branch of the military. Are there bad seeds in the military? You bet there are, from private to general, they exist. They also exist four blocks away from you in that little green house with the nice flower garden. The ones who don’t hide behind the garden and place their necks on the line, still maintaining honor are the real champions. No medals needed.

Your interests encompass more than food. They instead linger on true service, the patriotic needs. You wish to enter the Navy and offer you abilities (however unexpected they may be). You’re certain, however, that you will need more than your simple training. You will instead need the recognition of a degree — and online culinary schools can provide that.

Some may think these to be impractical things, unable to teach what must be tasted, felt. But the purpose here is not to learn of mere cooking. It’s instead to gain the fundamentals of management, inspection and all the little details that form a culinary experience. Such details, you will discover, are vital when considering the military. You must prove yourself capable of social hierarchies and finding your place within them. These classes will offer that, allowing you to become a leader among many.

And choosing an online classroom offers the rare advantages: flexible schedules and an ease of location. You may learn when you wish and where you wish. The choice is yours; and that freedom will help to form a more stimulating (and rewarding) experience. You will discover more because you will worry less. It’s education without concern.

And, once your degree is won, you will find yourself in a far more enviable position when entering the Navy. You will have already proven dedication, determination and a willingness to do more than the accepted. It’s a value that cannot be denied and a reward that will always be earned.

On any given weekend, when approaching the Edmonds/Kingston Ferry, you will see two small groups of protestors about 30 feet away from each other expressing viewpoints that are diametrically opposed. They are elderly. The young ones don’t show up. One group, mostly women, holds up signs and waves American flags, shouting to the cars that pass by to honk their horns if they favor getting the troops out of the Middle East. Support the troops. Get them out alive. The other group is usually all male, holding up signs and waving American flags, hollering at the cars that roll by to honk their horns if they support leaving the troops in to fight. Support the troops. Let them stay and do their job.

This is a hot issue and needs to be viewed seriously. However, the issue is not what sits plainly in your face. The pro and anti-war views have existed for thousands of years. No one has yet been able to strike a balance that keeps humans from fighting, especially in a world where so few hold all the cards. The inequity of power creates lust for more power and this will always remain as long as power is allowed. The infighting between two sets of elderly people is not the issue. The missing young people are.

In 1968 the people holding the signs were young. They are the same elderly folks holding the signs now. What happened to this generation? There have been discussions about this including the missing catalyst that started the revolution in 1968: the draft lottery. Today’s young people don’t have that anchor hanging around their necks. They don’t see the war on TV either. That’s all censored now. Ignorance? These kids are anything but ignorant.

The kids missing from the protest lines are still kids. Some are high school drop-outs, getting high and getting pregnant. Others excel in science, music and sports. What do they think about? That’s your next assignment. When was the last time you asked a fifteen-year-old what she thought of the world’s condition?

1.      Be Supportive. Many women want to jump into an online dating relationship headlong, but these same women need to understand the struggles a military man faces. As a woman, we think we know how to be supportive, but we need to embrace the fact that our new online dating relationship may not be his number one priority. We just need to listen and support without being dependent.

2.      Be Patient. Many times, you new military man will have other duties besides pursuing an online dating relationship with you. Some of these duties may require that he stay off line for days on end. Don’t worry if he isn’t on the online dating service site 24/7 chatting with you.

3.      Be Independent. While you want to share your entire life story to your new online dating beau, you need to continue to foster your own interests as well. Make sure you take time for your girlfriends and pursue hobbies you enjoy. This will help make those days when you can’t chat with your online dating beau, more bearable.

Pursuing a Navy man is the fantasy of many women; however, these online dating relationships can work out better if you simply follow these tips for online dating.

If you’ve recently joined the Navy, you’re probably feeling excited, apprehensive, and maybe a little anxious about starting this new chapter in your life. One thing you will need to do is prepare for boot camp. Because it is physically and mentally demanding, having a good idea of what to expect when you get there can help you get through the experience.

These tips will help you prepare for Navy boot camp:

Get physically fit.
If you’re not already in good physical shape, now is the time to work on it. Basic workouts like being able to run a few miles and do push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups will be common in boot camp, so make sure you increase your stamina and strength so it won’t be a shock to your system when you get there.

Get mentally fit.
Most people know that boot camp requires mental endurance as well, as boot camp involves being yelled at, singled out, and embarrassed in front of large groups of other recruits. Talk to friends and relatives who have gone through boot camp, and get advice on how to handle the emotions you will be dealing with.

Get into good habits.
You will also want to start going to bed early and training your body to get up early as well. Boot camp involves early hours and a lot of work on small amounts of sleep. If you are already used to getting up early, it won’t be such a shock to your system.

Tie up loose ends.
Make sure you have handled things back home while you’re away. This includes everything from signing up your bills to be automatically paid to making sure your pets are taken care of to spending time with your family before you take off. This will help to alleviate stress and ensure you have nothing to worry about while you’re gone.

Going into Navy boot camp knowing what to expect will make it a better experience for you.

Senior citizens do appear to be extending their health and are more active than ever. Some believe that by 2050, perhaps as many as 50% of seniors will live to the age of 100 or more.

This is good news; everyone wants to live a longer and healthier life. But will seniors in the future be independent and for how long? Will they need assisted living, and for how many years?

These practical questions need to be considered when families are raising their children and planning for the future. Finances should be arranged to prepare for either supporting elderly parents or finding ways to assist them as needed. According to statistics, elder generations will be around for longer and longer periods of time, and plans should be made to allow for either their increased help in the workforce or for increased support with assisted living.

One professional at Duke University’s Center on the Demography of Aging suggests that the younger generation should reduce the number of hours they work per day and extend their number of years in the workforce. Instead of committing their first two decades to education and the next three or four to family rearing and working, they may need to adjust their plans and prepare for a life that is going to be even longer and more viable than that of previous generations.

Deciding to enlist in the military is a big decision that will affect your life forever. If you have thought about joining the military and feel like the Navy would be a good fit for you, knowing the qualifications and requirements will help you prepare:

Basic Qualifications
To join the Navy, you must be at least 18 years old and no older than 34. 17-year-olds are permitted to enlist, but they must have signed permission from their parents. If you want to be an officer in the Navy, you must be between the ages of 19 and 35 and have a Bachelor’s degree. You also must be a US citizen or a permanent immigrant with a green card.

Physical Requirements
Those who want to join the Navy must fall within a certain body fat percentage for their height. The Navy has charts that help you determine if your weight puts you in the acceptable category. You will also need to pass a medical test to ensure you don’t have any illnesses or issues that would put you or your fellow soldiers in danger, as well as a physical fitness test that involves running, push-ups, and other basic exercises.

Educational Requirements
The Navy requires you at least have a GED or high school diploma to graduate. Anyone wanting to join any branch of the military must also pass the ASVAB (Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery), which is an entrance test. It includes nine categories, including science, math, mechanical comprehension, and paragraph comprehension. There are many ASVAB study guides and practice tests that will help you prepare.

While a recruiter is the best person to talk with to find out specific requirements for joining the Navy, these are the basics you must know. Joining the Navy is physically and mentally demanding, and these qualifications help make sure the Navy is a good fit for you.

People are even buying car insurance online. In the past, car insurance agents would schedule a meeting with a person to go over the benefits of signing with a particular company. Agents had to meet with clients to sign paperwork. Now a person can get everything from quotes to actual policies by using the Web. Electronic signatures have replaced physical ones.

Businesses, organizations, and people all use the Internet for marketing. President Obama took advantage of Facebook and other social networking sites to connect with a new generation of voters who have never known life without the Internet. Through his use of the Web, people felt a connection to the candidate. Research has yet to determine how large a role the Internet played in Obama winning the presidential election.

It would be difficult for a person to find an area of society the Internet hasn’t affecfted. Society now expects to have vast amounts of information available in a split second. Friends can find one another and stay connected through social networking sites, and single people can look for love online. With the way the Internet has affected every society, the world is in fact getting smaller. People who live in India can meet people who live in Indonesia, and companies can have workers all across the globe.

Sometimes, joining the military service can help such people. In the U.S., thousands of young people enlist every year. As any Navy recruitment guide will tell you, thousands of young people are also saved, sometimes from themselves, by joining the Navy or another branch of the military.

It’s not hard to see how military service can give young people a sense of purpose and belonging. There’s easy camaraderie, overwhelming and life changing experiences in foreign places, drill and military discipline, and regimented routines. All these can be very positive factors in the life of a young man or woman who may never have experienced these things before.

Discipline is often a hated term in society. However, those who have ever enjoyed the pleasure of leading a disciplined life know just how important it is to have rules, routines, and expectations. Drugs, alcohol, substance abuse, and petty crimes can be attractive to those who have little or no discipline in their lives.

Joining the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, or Air Force gives many young people the chance to experience discipline for the first time. It also creates a sense of self pride that prevents people from slacking and making poor choices. If you have kept your backbone straight for hours in forced marches, you’re ready to resist the temptations of drugs and alcohol. You won’t want to let down your fellow soldiers or yourself.

Society puts a lot of pressure on people to have the latest and greatest of everything. Technology keeps advancing, and there are always newer gadgets to play with. You don’t have to buy all of those things if you don’t want them, but you’ll likely want to keep up with your friends – and that requires you to have some money. When you’re not worried about money, you can go out with friends, buy the latest things and really live the life you want to live. Not everyone can have that high society lifestyle, so you should really take the time to savor and enjoy it.

Each time you go out, appreciate all that you have. You can do the same thing when you stay in and enjoy the luxury that you have all around you. Money worries shouldn’t get you down. There are plenty of ways you can have the lifestyle you’re looking for, and managing your money very carefully is part of that. It might not be thrilling, but unless you’re rich, it’s important. You don’t have to deny yourself the things you like; you just have to make wise choices so you can live the lifestyle you’ve dreamed of.

Neither of these generalizations are entirely true. People often forget that the military serves more than one sole function of being on the offense. In fact, the US military, and in particular, the US Navy fulfills not only the function of national defense, but they also serve to maintain the peace, and serve often as ambassadors in places of need. This is why a career in the Navy in any of their job-tracks in the Arts & Education fields are perfect for the seamen-and-women who want to serve their country, but serve others as well.

For example, you can become one of the Navy’s world language experts, to work as translators and interlocutors. Because the military is a branch of international concern, having linguistic versatility and prowess within the Navy can take you to parts of the world you have always wanted to go, but never knew how to get there.

The US Navy also offers tracks in Religion, wherein you can become one of their desired and respected Religious Specialists, or Chaplains. You are enlisted in the service and you understand how war can be stressful, and what it’s like to be away from home. You want to help your fellow seamen and visiting ministers support the troops and the people they serve, and the Navy can help with this just as well.

These are just a few of the Navy’s offerings for those who want to protect their nation by helping each other and serving others.

Image via Wikipedia

After being recruited by the Navy, you needed some serious down time. You and the other Navy recruits began playing cards. After you got out of the Navy, you decided to be a serious poker player. You can play the cards, count the chips, and you’ve even seen some success. Now, you’ve got your eye set on the World Series of Poker (WSOP). There’s something exciting about being on television and playing alongside the best poker players in the world. But how do you qualify for WSOP? Check out these guidelines before you head into the exciting world of WSOP.

1. First, you must be at least 21 years old. That may seem simple, but in order to be legally able to enter the casinos, you must be 21 years old. The World Series of Poker is held in Las Vegas, so you can be sure that the rules regarding age will be adhered to.
2. Next, you’ll want to pay a $10,000 entrance fee. Many pay this fee upfront to avoid elimination tournaments. If the $10,000 fee isn’t an option for you, go ahead and try to qualify in person. There are places that hold qualifying tournaments every year. Just remember, this is a competition, so be prepared for stiff competitors.
3. And finally, you can qualify for WSOP by playing online. Most online sites have rules and criteria for qualifying for WSOP, so go ahead and check the sites to see how you can play. The winners on these online sites actually get a coveted seat at WSOP.

Playing poker has become a very popular sport around the world. The first World Series was held in 1970, but today the competition is fierce and the spots coveted. If WSOP is on your horizon, get ready, start practicing, and don’t forget to qualify. It won’t be long until you are racking in the big bucks!

Image via Wikipedia

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is perhaps the most famous poker tournament worldwide. It’s held once a year in Las Vegas and is aired on television. The WSOP is now available online. This is an excellent source of entertainment for all Navy recruits and recruiters–well, anyone for that matter. As a Navy recruit, you need some downtime and WSOP may be your next fun thing.

The website features several different categories about the WSOP, including a schedule of events; news and information; education, lessons, strategies, and rules about poker; a blog; and other information about the WSOP. Visitors to the site can connect with it further through Facebook, Twitter, and Feeds. You can also play online poker through the site. Just download the game, sign up for an account, place your bets, and play. You can win real money by playing online, and there are incentives for new players, such as bonus games. The WSOP also has a newsletter you can sign up to receive.

In addition to news and events relating to the WSOP, the website has a “poker education” category. Here, you will find several different postings about anything related to learning how to play poker, strategies for playing, how to determine if your playing is getting out of hand, how to manage your winnings, and news relating to famous poker players.

There is also a page on Facebook you can visit to find out more about the WSOP and keep up with others who are interested in the event and everything that surrounds it. Here, you’ll find other people who share your passion for the sport, and can you enjoy talking to them about news and events relating to the WSOP. Currently, the page has over 10,000 fans. If you’re interested in learning more about the WSOP, or want to play online, check out the different websites and social pages that are dedicated to the sport. Come on in, and have fun!

These days, it’s hard to get a job without any kind of college experience. The problem is, college isn’t cheap. The average student debt for graduating students in 2008 was around $24,000 dollars. Depending on when these students borrowed money and who they borrowed it from, this amount can double for some graduates who can only afford the minimum payments over however-many years the loan is spread out. This debt is a bane for some, because even college degrees don’t guarantee jobs right out of college. In short, it’s tough being a student.

Fortunately for you, there are options. If the idea of affording school seems daunting, but you know you have to do it, you don’t have to go into debt to make it possible. One of the most rewarding options available is offering your service to the United States Navy. Not only will you satisfy yourself with your duty as a citizen, but the benefits rewarded you by the US government during and after your stay are manifold.

For example, the Navy offers you tuition assistance, which in some cases pays up to 75% of your college tuition costs if and when you take courses off-duty. The nice thing about college is that you can take one class at a time and spread out your education over a number of years, which means that when you’re working as a sailor, which is a busy job, you can still use your free time to complete a course or two at a time. Plus, you’ll be paying only a fraction of the total cost.

Sailors will also gain access to the Servicemembers Opportunity College, Navy. Also called SOCNAV, college is actually an international network of colleges and they allow the traveling serviceman-or-woman the ability to work on their associates and bachelors degrees regardless of station. All in all, this is good news for the bright, young, and ambitious minds who want to save money on school and serve their country in the meanwhile.

If you would like to work with the Navy, you do not actually have to be a part of the US Navy proper – though being a sailor doesn’t hurt. The Department of the Navy (DON) employs over 180,000 civilian workers in their respective organizations, and even as a civilian you can offer your services and skills to supporting America’s military. Because these are jobs with the DON, having Navy experience can’t hurt your job chances, but what’s important is that you have skills and ambition to bring to the table, and a patriotic attitude as you serve your nation’s primary defensive organization.

If you choose to start seeking a job with the DON, you immediately have dozens of options wherein you can being to find a job that fits you best. You can join in at the Office of Naval Research if you’re a student looking for real world application for the skills you’ve earned during your college experience, or if you’re interested in the filed of military intelligence, the Office of Naval Intelligence offers hundreds of jobs in a wide variety of intelligence-based fields. You would be stationed at the National Maritime Intelligence Center, which is also home to the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity and Naval Warfare Information Activity.

Or if coordination and administration are on your list of skills, you can work Bureau of Naval Personnel, which pick the right people for the right jobs and handle the Navy’s more complex human resources. There is also the Navy Secretariat and Staff, if you are looking for a job in an office. The Navy needs administration, too. There are also opportunities with the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, if you are civilian with experience in the fields of health and wellness. The Navy needs people who care and can treat the suffering and wounded, and with the military, the two sometimes go hand-in-hand.

Ultimately, sailor or not, the Navy is always looking for people to serve.

While at sea, many Navy Recruits miss their favorite magazines and newspapers. When these Navy Recruits return home, they can’t always afford to subscribe to all these magazines. But the Navy Recruits do know they can save money on magazine subscriptions online.

Subscription.com is the website to go to if you are looking to save money on a magazine or newspaper subcription; subscription services, such as Netflix; or software subscriptions. There are many different products you’ll find on the site to order, and at valuable discounts.

There are a few different ways you can find the subscription you’re looking for on the website. You can look at everything available in the categories the site provides. You can also run a search for a particular subscription you’re looking for to see if it’s available and how much it costs.

Once you find the subscriptions you’re looking for, you’ll be able to compare different subscription options and prices right alongside each other, so you can pick the option that’s best for you. The site also allows you to save with discounts, exclusive coupons to the site, and free trial offers.

Once you sign up with the website, you’ll be able to keep all of your subscription information together in one handy place. You’ll be able to see exactly what services and products you’re receiving, the cost you’re paying, the discounts you got, and still search for more subscriptions you may want in the future.

When you’re browsing the different subscriptions, you’ll have the option of ordering that subscription or placing it in your shopping cart for purchase at a later time. This allows you to keep track of the items you want, but you don’t have to purchase them until you’re ready. Once you’ve ordered your subscriptions, if at any time you decide to cancel any of them, you’ll find steps on the website that show you how to easily take care of this. Subscription.com really is your one-stop shopping site for just about any and all subscriptions.

Joining up with the US Navy is a great way to begin a career in engineering or applied science. Of course, as with anything, there is a process, but just as much as you are there for the Navy, the Navy is there for you, to help you and assist you in the present for the future. Aside from simply serving in the Navy, there are numerous career options within the Engineering and Applied Science branch of the Navy that will allow a serviceman or servicewoman to implement and expand their professional skills and career paths.

Offering options in construction, electronics, meteorology, oceanography, and even tracks in surface warfare and civil engineering, the Navy’s options for careers and service are boundless, and will unfold to more opportunities both in and outside of the service as well.

Some of the employment options within the Navy, such as anything related to civil engineering, require a four-year degree, though the Navy is ready to help you with that just as well. In many cases, the Navy offers tuition assistance, and can compensate off-duty sailors up to 75% of their tuition costs. This means that while a man or woman is fulfilling their initial four-year obligation in the service, with hard work they can also receive a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science so they can go on to further employment within the Navy.

Other options, like Navy careers in construction or electronics don’t require that you have a four-year degree, but simply a strong and dedicated work ethic and a willingness for workplace versatility. The experience you gain while working in some of these fields will actually give you credit hours towards a degree in a related field, so you can continue to grow as a career professional, both inside and outside of the Navy.

Once again, the internet can help fix all that. Online dating services have become a highly popular way of meeting new  Navy people and figuring out what you may be looking for. With personality and compatibility tests any member can post their personality so that it may be available for someone to take an interest in without having to meet the person face to face, at least not at first.

For  Navy military personal their normal 9-5 job can’t always be left at home. Frequently Navy recruits come home and have PTSD that may affect the way they live or react to certain circumstances. These brave Navy men and women can hardly be expected to make a smooth transition into normal life, let alone the dating world.

In the years of warfare’s past, having a powerful navy often determined the course of a war’s outcome. With defense, having versatility of deployment can make the difference between a victory and a defeat, or in more concrete terms – lives saved and lives lost. Among other reasons, people choose the navy strictly because of its versatility. You can get anywhere in the world, sometimes in a matter of hours. And if the navy is there, close to follow is the air force and other branches of the US Military, some of whom rely on the navy for timely deployment.

Choosing a career with the US Navy puts you at the center of the action, and with the training you receive over the course of your service, you will also gain employable skill that will bring you far in the world outside of the military. Many doctors, engineers, statisticians, and other technical specialists have began their careers working with the navy, and some even remain in the service because they have found their abilities indispensable.

The key word here is service. Service to your nation, your friends, and yourself. Life after high-school, or even after college, can be tough. Joining the navy, or any branch of the military service, gives you a place where you can directly apply your skills and discover or hone new ones. Additionally, becoming a part of the US Navy also offers you a wide array of benefits, from college or technical school tuition assistance, reliable pay grades, military and veteran’s benefits, the experience you gain working for the US Navy will be invaluable in your life, and will also award you an admirable and attention-getting work ethic that will follow you wherever you go.

If it has always been your dream to defend your nation and fight on the front lines, joining up with the Navy will get you there, and help others get there too.

Like all things in life, you get out of something whatever you put in to it. To use a somewhat common analogy, you won’t get a home run if you don’t put your shoulders into the swing. They key to success is dedication and commitment. A half-hearted commitment is hardly a commitment at all.

As a sailor in the US Navy, this holds true. You get out of the Navy what you put into it. With hard work, dedication, and commitment, you will earn promotions, awards, and recognition for excellent service. You may even find a fulfilling career within the US Navy. While obeying orders is necessary for success within any branch of the US military, it’s still important to remember that you are not merely a machine, but a thinking, living being with just as much potential as anyone else.

This is why it’s important, upon enlistment, to set goals for yourself. As a sailor, you will have to continue to attain and maintain a certain level of physical fitness. This keeps your heart fit, your mind sharp, and your body ready for action. Setting weight , endurance, or strength goals can give you something to work towards and move beyond, so that you can continue to better yourself on and off duty.

Alternately, you can also set saving and educational goals for yourself. Perhaps you will want to have a certain amount of money saved for your next leave or vacation. Work hard, set some aside, and keep records of your purchases. Be smart with your finances. This way, you can afford your education, and any credit-hour or semester goals you’ve also set for yourself. While you’re working on strengthening your military career, you can prepare yourself for the professional world by setting ambitious yet realistic academic goals for yourself while serving as a sailor.

With enough hard work and discipline, being in the Navy will change your life for the better.

Image via Wikipedia

A Wall Street Journal subscription can provide you with all the news you need. The newspaper started publication in 1889 and now has the second largest newspaper distribution in the United States and a reputation for some of the best reporting in the country.

You might think the Wall Street Journal is only for business people. The Journal is a great source for business news and current information on the markets. But that’s not all you’ll read about in the Journal. There are articles on almost any other subject, including world events, news from around the United States and the latest technology gadgets and trends. In the Careers section, you can learn where the hottest jobs are, advice for graduates just entering the workforce, new employment laws, and current salaries in a variety of occupations. In the Life and Style section, you’ll find articles on wine, food trends, up and coming restaurants, music and family issues such as day care.

You’ll find interesting features and thoughtful editorials that dig deep into the issues of the day. You can have the Wall St. Journal delivered to your home or you can read it online. With the online service, you’ll get the latest breaking news that’s updated every hour of every day. You’ll also be able to make any changes to your subscription, such as a new address, easily and quickly online. The online subscription also includes special articles and feature columns. If you prefer, you can sign up for both home delivery and online access.

The Wall Street Journal regularly offers specials that can save you money when you buy a subscription rather than paying for the paper at a newsstand. Some offers include two or four weeks of free subscription. The subscription also includes the Journal’s Weekend Edition, which can be delivered on Saturday.

SEAL stands for Sea, Air, and Land and points to the versatility of the Navy SEAL’s combat prowess. The SEAL program is actually ran by the military’s Special Operations Command, who also overseas other branches of the US Military elite fighting forces, like the Army’s Green Berets.

Primarily, SEALs are selected, and he needs to have already met a number of requirements prior to becoming a SEAL. First, they have to have completed both of their high school and college educations, and most importantly, they must pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, which tests mechanical, word, language, technological, memory, math, science, and electronics aptitude.

SEALs have to enter the program before they turn 28, and they must be men. Their vision must be 20-200 and be correctable up to 20-20, and they have to endure and pass extremely rigorous physical training and tests to even be considered. A SEAL applicant may do well on everything else, but if he can’t pass the physical tests, which involve intense, seamless push-up, sit-up, pull-up, swim, run, and even diving tests, then he is out of the program.

And once you’re in – well, only the SEAL knows what happens next.

If you’re looking for information on the Naval air force, then the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) will be your primary resource. Listed in their vision statement is their primary motivating philosophy, wherein they “develop, deliver, and sustain aircraft, weapons, and systems – on time, on cost, with proven capability and reliability – so they succeed in every mission and return safely home.” A position with NAVAIR gives you a firsthand look, and firsthand career, helping to support or perhaps pilot the Navy’s amazing force of aircraft.

The Navy’s aircraft include ‘fixed wing’ aircraft, like the AV-8B, the C-37, the E-2, and even the infamous F-16. They also have a host of rotorcraft, like the HI, H-60, and V-22. Additionally, the weapons arsenals on these and other respective Naval aircraft are enough to put insurgents at surrender without having to fire a single shot.

A career with NAVAIR can also put you in a position of flight support, so even if you aren’t flying the jets and helicopters, you’re helping coordinate and strategize missions to ensure safe launches and even safer returns. You can even get your hands dirty by working on the aircraft themselves as an aircraft engineer or mechanic. In NAVAIR, every position is important, for if the system is missing even one integral part, the mission could be disastrous. In other words, NAVAIR needs you.

These amenities can include large pools, both indoor and outdoor, as well as gyms, security systems, wireless Internet, conference rooms, and many other perks. Some luxury apartment complexes also come with concierge service and other, similar types of options. With those amenities comes cost, though. You can’t expect to buy an inexpensive apartment with no monthly maintenance fees and still get all of those benefits. For what you receive, though, New Jersey luxury apartments are priced right. That’s especially true when the economy is struggling a bit. Builders and developers have to make money, and they know that it’s better to sell their apartments at a little bit of a discount rather than let them sit empty.

If you buy your luxury apartment when the market is down you’ll be able to get a lot more for the money. It won’t change the maintenance fees but it might change the payment itself – which makes the fees for maintenance much more affordable. Be sure to pay attention to the taxes and insurance that you’ll be paying, as well. New Jersey has relatively high tax rates in some areas, so you’ll want to find out what kinds of rates you’ll be paying. Then you can relax and enjoy your new luxury apartment.

If you’re unfamiliar with the ONR, it is because a lot of their work goes on behind the scenes. The ONR funds research and work at over 450 universities and laboratories across the country, and some of the research from this cooperative effort has led to fifty different Nobel prizes over the years.

The ONR operates as part of the executive branch of the Department of Defense and is made up of three primary categories, or ‘Directorates.’ These are the Office of Transition, the Office of Innovation, and the Office of Research. These offices are primarily concerned with research and development, beginning with basic and applied research, and moving on to development of advanced military and combat technologies.

In 2008, the ONR was awarded ‘the best place to work in the Federal Government’ by the Office of Personnel Management, and careers are open to everyone – from entry-level civilians with Bachelor of Science degrees to top-graded military officials with relevant scientific and technological experience. The benefits include insurance, paid time off, and there are even offers for personal development, if you wish to further your education while employed at the ONR.

If you want to be at the forefront of military and technological research, the Office of Naval Research offers you a place to implement, expand on, and enrich your career, as well as benefitting the Nation you serve.

The first things you need to do are to get information from a recruiter. Recruiters are helpful resources because they have been in the same place as you. They too have not quite been sure what to do after high school or college, and they too were looking for an active future. They’ve been there, and know the resources to get you through.

You should talk to your family and friends too. Your parents’ opinion is valuable, as is your boyfriend’s, girlfriend’s, wife’s, and husband’s. Find out what your family thinks you should do. Of course, some of your family might not understand and support your decision, but you are a responsible adult and you need to figure out for yourself what is best for you. So after consulting the proper resources, be sure that joining the Navy really is what you want.

Finally, fill out an application and know how you want to enter the Navy. You can join in through the Delayed Entry Program, so you can get done what you need to get done before joining up, and you can also enlist through the Navy’s undergraduate program, where you can be in school and in the Navy at the same time.

Once you’re accepted and you pass through boot camp, then you’ll be off to your future.

Image via Wikipedia

So what should you talk about on a first date? It’s an important question because courtship is conducted by talking. Both men and women discover if they’d like to take the courtship to the next level by having a conversation. However, the words you and your date use only make up a small percentage of what you’re actually communicating to each other. Body language, tone of voice, expression, and posture also count, as do things like how you’re dressed and how you move. With that said, having good conversational skills will make things a lot easier.

One principle to remember is to reveal, then ask a question. Giving out information about yourself makes it easier for the other person to give you information about himself, which makes it easier for you to reveal more, and on and on. Remember to ask questions, too. You don’t want to do all the talking.

When your date is talking, listen actively. This is simple but not easy. To show her you are listening, ask her a genuine follow-up question to what she just said from time to time rather than interjecting an anecdote about yourself right away. If you ask your date what he does for work, follow that question up with another that you are genuinely curious about. For instance, “You’re a rocket scientist? What happens when someone sneezes in zero gravity?” Only ask questions that you are genuinely interested in finding out the answers to. People can spot fakery a mile away; he’ll know if you’re sincere.

If you’re outwardly focused instead of wondering if things are going well, you’ll have a much easier time listening. Make sure to have some topics that you can bring up, too. Getting a wall street journal subscription and listening to NPR are good ideas for staying current.

The NROTC offers part-to-full scholarships for students at schools that offer NROTC programs, which are some of the biggest and best schools in the country. There are certain requirements that need to be met, but if those requirements are met, the NROTC scholarship will go into effect at the student’s school of choice. And in addition to the tuition payments, the NROTC scholarship will also pay some addition educational and lab fees, it will give you a stipend for books (which can get quite expensive), and it will give you monthly living rewards up to $400 a month during your senior year. The NROTC wants you to succeed.

A lot of other students, while in school, are distracted by the obligation to be at school, so they squander their education opportunity with excessive partying and disregard for the process. Other students, who try to take school seriously, can get burdened by the financial demands of a college education. If you let the NROTC help you, you can better focus on your studies and be rewarded a promising career in the Navy during and after the completion of your degree.

Additionally, the NROTC can take you on summer cruise training to give you the best experience possible for your life and for your resume. These cruises involve stays aboard submarines to study nuclear power, working aboard a carrier, and even working with other country’s naval forces. All in all, your time with the NROTC can only serve to better you career with the US Navy.

If betting on sports is your thing, then you’ve likely heard of a sportsbook. Sportsbook is the place to go to bet on sporting events like football, baseball, and basketball games. If you’re ready to head into the world of sports betting, you’re going to need to know how to choose an online sportsbook. For many Navy recruits, the online sportsbook helps the Navy Recruits have fun while deployed. But Navy Recruit have to be careful too.

Take a look at these ideas before deciding where to place your money.

1. The most important thing, obviously, when choosing an online casino to place your bets is the sportbooks’ ability to pay winners. If you can, try to find out the casino’s financial standing. Those places that don’t pay will quickly earn a bad reputation online, so look around.
2. Look at how easy it is to place a bet. Most sites have simple, easy-to-use software to help you make your wagers. However, there are still those sites out there that are complicated. Avoid those who don’t make the process easy for you.
3. Check out your betting options. You want to make sure you are using a sportsbook that offers lines you want to bet on. For example, if you don’t know much about college sports, don’t choose an online sportsbook that only offers college football games. You want to have a variety of options to best increase your chances of winning.
4. Don’t forget to look at bonus programs. Bonuses are free money, so you want to make sure the place you choose offers bonuses. Look for sportsbooks that offer incentives; these will be your best options to get bonuses.

It’s your money, so make sure you are choosing wisely. There’s money to be made in sports and now it’s your turn to get in on the action! Simply keep these tips in mind and you’ll be on your way in no time to making some big sporting bucks!

The current class of carriers in the Navy are ‘Nimitz-class’ aircraft carriers. These modern marvels stretch of 1,000 feet in length and displace over 100,000 long tons. These boats are named after the first carrier of their type, which was commissioned in 1975, and the last of them was commissioned in 2009. They operate using two A4W pressurized water reactors and travel at speeds upwards of 56 kilometers an hour.

Because these ships are so massive, the require a massive amount of expense and expertise to construct, pilot, and operate. Aside from simply launching and landing aircraft, the carriers also have service elevators, hydraulic lifts, and miles of passages and chambers and other machines operating to keep the boat upright and afloat. A position aboard an aircraft carrier involves complex responsibility, but also injection into a self-supporting community.

Aircraft carriers also have weaponry aboard, both anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, incase the ship were to ever endure a direct attack. Sinking a carrier would be a task unto itself, but there are millions of dollars of aircraft, supplies, machinery, and most importantly, people aboard the ship, so even though the ship is designed as a monolith of mobilization, it is also well equipped to withstand even the most brutal of attacks.

Millions of Americans will retire within the next 20 years, and many future retirees paid into Social Security and plan to access those funds upon retirement. With doubt about Social Security’s future, it’s a good idea to have a back-up plan, in case the system goes broke. Investing money in the stock market is one way for your earnings to work for you. It can help create a healthy nest egg for retirement. By following some stock trading guidelines, you can be on your way to retiring comfortably.

Don’t trade continually. By trading non-stop, you’re being hasty and not allowing your stocks to thrive and gain value. The most accomplished expert searches for excuses not to trade rather than trading on a whim. Understand how much individual stocks you should trade at one time to minimize your risk. Trading large amounts of any one stock can result in large amounts of lost money.

Use trends to your advantage. You can accomplish a high-value portfolio by riding out financial crises and going the distance with your funds. Stock market trends go up and down but may rebound to a higher point than the original starting point, resulting in profits over extended periods of time. Keep in mind the trends of stock market waves aren’t for the faint of heart but for those willing to stick it out during tough times.

Examine your portfolio often and sell the stocks that consistently perform poorly. This goes against the sell high, buy low mantra, but unless you have the ability to see the future, your best bet is to stick with stocks that continually grow. Selling at a small loss is easier to swallow than losing big after trying to get rich quick with bargain stocks. These simple guidelines can help you achieve success in the stock market, letting you retire at ease.

You’ve read about it in books, you’ve watched it in movies, you’ve imagined yourself aboard. You’ve even though about enlisting in the US Navy so you can find a position aboard the Navy’s silent, stealth war machines. So, how do you do it?

When you are enlisted in the US Navy, after undergoing the standard Navy training, you have options of where to go within the Naval institution. You might end up on a boat, you might end up on shore – you can end up doing a number of different things and occupying different positions over the course of your Naval career. If you want to be on a submarine, the easiest part is volunteering for the position. The hard part is getting on board.

Upon volunteering, you will be entered in the seamen subfarer program. Minimal obligation is four years, and is ideal for seamen who haven’t yet chosen a different apprenticeship class within the Navy. To be a seamen subfarer, you have to display high levels of both physical and mental health, as some submarines can stay submerged for weeks at a time and different phobias and anxieties can dominate the actions of some weaker-minded rookies. There are also medical requirements that must be met.

Assuming the applicant passes the inspection and training for the seamen subfarer program, he or she will be offered a host of different career opportunities within the sub, from storekeeper to sonar technicians, the sub needs everyone. Of course, submarines only make up about 10% of the US Naval fleet, so getting a job aboard a sub is competitive as well. But with enough persistence, hard work, and keen mental prowess, the job can be yours.

Sporn

Carwrecks

Hulu plus has 14 percent more content than hulu 2 840 percent m

Student loans

Should i tip for take out

Time world article

Low rate cards

As a sailor in the US Navy, you have the option of joining the Medical Corps of Physicians, the Dental Corps of Dentists, the Nurse Corps, or the Medical Service Corps, wherein you can outlet your medical services via Health Care Administration, the Health Care Sciences, or you can offer your expertise as a Clinical Care Provider or offer general support in a wide variety of medical fields by expanding on your medical experience working somewhere within Medical Support. These jobs are always in high demand, and with over 10,000 sailors with careers in the medical fields, the opportunities for employment are endless.

The problem with getting a medical career is affording the education. Fortunately, the Navy also offers a host of supportive scholarships that can ease the financial burden of medical education. For example, there is the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program, which offers tuition coverage, monthly stipends, and even a sign-on bonus. There is also the Navy Health Services Collegiate Program, wherein you receive a monthly salary and a housing allowance to help you finish your degree, and the Navy Health Professions Loan Repayment Program, which can sponsor part of your graduate repayments.

Ultimately, your medical career in the US Navy is as challenging as it is rewarding, and the Navy will help you get there

Once again, the internet can help fix all that. Online dating service has become a highly popular way of meeting new  Navy people and figuring out what you may be looking for. With personality and compatibility tests any member can post their personality so that it may be available for someone to take an interest without having to meet the person face to face, at least not at first.

For Navy  military personal that may be on an extended assignment a little sign that someone is missing them, or at the very least interested in them, makes their job a little more bearable. Distance isn’t an easy thing to cope with on your own, having someone to write home to, whether it be a new friend or a new companion, can give someone on the outside an idea of what these men and woman have to go through to get through their 9-5 job.

It can be hard to imagine just how the US Navy functions, in part because it is so large, and in part because most civilians don’t know about the inner workings of the Navy. Of course, military knowledge isn’t endemic to a nation’s people simply because the nation has a military, but if people set aside just a little bit of time to research and understand their nation’s military, it won’t seem so overwhelmingly monolithic.

In fact, the United States military, and specifically the US Navy offers hundreds of career opportunities within the Navy proper. The skills acquired within those respective job fields can be used to grow and expand upon one’s military experience, but if need be, the experience you may have accrued over the course of your military career can find direct application outside in the civilian and professional world.

The US Navy is ready to help you with your future. The Navy readily provides you tuition assistance, so while you’re in the service, you can still be working towards a professional academic degree to better your career possibilities in and outside of the Navy. However, in a stronger and more direct way than traditional college education provides, you will also find options for direct application and practice of the things you will be learning, which means that your professional resume will rise to the top, because of your experience, readiness, and military-instilled work ethic.

In the Navy, you can work above water on a boat, under water on a submarine, or on land in an office or research facility. Within those three options, the career options are endless. You’ll be more than just a Navyman too. You can be a nurse, a construction worker, a naval reactor engineer, a naval aviator, you can even work on flight support or be a chaplain. The possibilities are endless, though when it’s all said and done, as a member of the US Navy, like so many others before you – you will always be a sailor.

If you own the building where your business is located, a competent property manager plays a vital role in your success. Finding a skilled property manager will allow you to focus on growing your business, instead of handling the building and its tenants.

Good property managers will posses skills in mediation, team work, compromise, multitasking and attention to detail. As a property manager, primary loyalty must lie with the owner and then secondarily with the tenants. Striking a good balance between these two areas will help facilitate positive relationships and create a harmonious situation. As a business and building owner, take care to select the best person for the job so that you can concentrate on the daily needs of your business, allowing your property manager to supervise the building operations.

Finding the right property manager can relieve the headaches and stress that many property owners face. If you don’t have the time, skills or proximity to take care of your real estate holdings, a property manager can run the day-to-day operations for you. Showing the property to prospective tenants, handling complaints and responding to calls are just a few of the tasks property managers take care of for the owners. Having the right property manager can give you peace of mind about your real estate investment. The best property managers will treat your property as if they own it themselves.

Standing as a testament to a nation’s military and technological prowess, a Navy is a country’s first and most important line of defense. A sailor, therefore, is a necessary military entity, for without sailors, there is no Navy, and without a Navy, there is no military.

Thus, there is a national importance to the sailor’s creed, which declares who you are, what it is you will defend with your life, and the orders you will follow in doing so. Some look at joining the military as a sacrifice of freedom, but as they say, can there be freedom without boundaries? And is it really freedom if it is under threat? Therefore, the sailor’s proclamation of that whom he or she represents, ‘the fighting spirit of the Navy’ likewise signifies a move towards freedom, rather than one away.

Finally, the sailor’s creed is a testament to the Navy’s core values, which are honor, courage, and commitment. Honor for our fellow man. Courage to continue to fight, protect, and defend the freedom of democracy. Commitment to the task at hand, whatever it may be, however great or small.

Being a member of the United States Navy is a service as admirable as it is honorable. As a sailor, you will not only represent the nation’s strength, but more importantly, the nation’s values.

Image via Wikipedia

Made popular by the televised tournaments of the WSOP, millions of people have joined the ranks of active poker players. Many learn and hone their skills by playing online, usually for free. Playing online poker is good practice, and is fun and rewarding–both in garnering experience and winning money. This is what draws millions of players from all over the world, novice and experienced alike, to get online and go all in.

The biggest draw for online poker is the fact that there is always a game.  Many Navy recruits get excited about this form of poker because they can play online, on the boat, anywhere with internet. A perfect way to relax for the Navy recruits.At any hour of the day a poker player can get a seat at a table. Instead of visiting a casino or gathering a group of people, players can go online and play against other real players. This presents the opportunity to easily learn the game and quickly get better. Most poker websites are divided among skill level to allow players to play within their comfort zone. Keep in mind the free sites are the safest places to learn.

Like the live game, there is money to win in online poker. Cash sites, like Sportsbook Poker or Ultimate Bet, offer the ability to make credit card deposits or link a bank account for cashing in chips. They also feature large buy-in tournaments that result in considerable payouts. The most popular cash sites are reputable and feature software to keep players’ financial information secure.

Online poker has also become a potential way to make it to the “big time”, drawing many prospective players hoping to become future poker stars. Some current stars started their careers as online poker players, such as Chris Moneymaker and Greg “Fossilman” Raymer, before becoming full time poker professionals. Both free and cash sites offer satellite tournaments with the winner receiving entry into some of the major poker tournaments.

If you want to join the United States Navy, you have a lot of options for what branch of service to select for your duty. If you are already balancing a busy social, family, or professional life but still want to offer your time to your state and country, then you might also consider joining the US Naval Reserves. When you are a member of the US Naval Reserves, you have to go through the same six-week basic training as everyone else in the US Navy, and must commit to serving one weekend a month in the service, and go through yearly two-week courses outside of your basic service.

If the reserves are called upon, you will be sent out with them, but that’s what the reserves are there for – to serve if necessary. Of course, when you are not serving, you are free to live your life as necessary, whether you’re a business owner, a family man or woman, or just have a busy civilian life, the US Naval Reserve offers you flexibility. You can live your civilian life, and then spend the occasional weekend or few weeks away, perhaps to recharge and serve your country in the meanwhile.

The Naval Reserves comprise 20% of the total US Naval forces, which means that you will also be plugged into a national network of support for the shift in life that will happen when you join the US Navy. It should be understood, however, that the Naval Reserves are not a part time job. Like a volunteer firefighter – if there is an emergency, you are called to be up to the task. You will be part of a mobile, accessible force that has mastered the transition between civilian and military life, and as a member of the Naval reserves, you will value both equally.

When you are looking into investing in silver, there are many reasons why you should consider only buying certified silver investments, such as certified silver coins. Of course, some reasons are pretty obvious and some reasons are more important than others, while some might even prove to surprise you.

The biggest reason behind why to buy certified coins is so that you avoid making a bad investment by buying a problem silver coin and end up losing some or all of the initial money you invested. A lot of the uncertified silver coins out there can’t be slabbed because the problems they have aren’t acceptable to PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) or NGC (Newmismatic Guaranty Corporation). Therefore, those coins basically lose their market value because they don’t match up to other certified silver coins. Problems with the silver coins can be anything from being scratched, dented, doctored, cleaned, re-proofed, holed, corroded, whizzed, punctured, porous, re-plated, altered, excessively worn, painted, or gold plated.

When you are making an investment in silver coins you want to make sure that the coins you are buying are real. Many people have bought silver coins thinking they are real; however, when they get them graded, they regretfully find out they are fake. And usually by that time, the person they bought it from is long gone. Unfortunately, it happens all the time. But you can be smart and safe guard yourself and not let it happen to you by deciding from the start to only purchase certified silver coins for your certified silver investment opportunities. So, make sure to do your research and only buy certified!

In truth, you’re not totally obligated to do anything. But if you didn’t serve your family or your friends, if you all of a sudden decided to stop going to work, and if you no longer stopped at red lights, what kind of person would that make you? You wouldn’t have friends, you’d be out of a job, and you might even wind up dead. So even if you don’t think you do things because you’re obligated, you do.

So herein is the question of the military. Do you have a duty to your nation? You have a duty to your friends, you have a duty to your family and your job. Would friends, family, and a job be possible without your nation? The answer, of course, is no. You have roads that connect you, money that pays you and supports you, friends that speak the same language and share the same interests as you, so is it not your duty to, at some point, protect the safety and well-being of these things and these people?

The US Navy offers you this option. Like all branches of the military, you will spend time away, but your family and your nation will be forever indebted to you. The respect you earn from the hard work you will be putting forth in the military is unmatched in any other life pursuit, and the rewards are not only material, but transcendent as well. You will be doing something right, and the price for that is incalculable.

A mortgage payment calculator is a great invention for anyone who is thinking of buying a home. Everyday, you go out with your realtors and look at homes for sale. Your real estate agents might take you to beautiful homes that are just outside the upper limit of your price range. These homes can be very appealing, and you tend to think that maybe you could swing it, maybe you could make the payments each month. However, you’re not exactly sure just how much the payment would be. With the calculator, it’s extremely easy to plug in the sale price of the home and then get an estimate of how much you’ll pay on a monthly basis. Looking at something in the short term, like a month, instead of 30 years can make it much easier to understand. You can imagine whether or not you could actually make your payments.

You can also check out homes that are fixer uppers or well below your price range, plug in their amount, and then relish how low your monthly payment would be. You can dream about what you would do with the extra cash that you would save if you chose to get something that cost you much less than you could afford. No matter what you ultimately decide to do, being able to plug in different numbers and find out what you would pay every 30 days can be fun. You’ll also be able to look at what would happen if the interest rate was higher, or your homeowner’s insurance was lower. There are so many ways to play with the numbers. Just by exploring your various options, you can find the ideal scenario for you. Once you know what you want, it will help you narrow your search as you do the actual work of house hunting.

Over the course of human history, war has constantly undergone transformation. Early in our development, we fought with feet, teeth, and hands. Soon, we learned to utilize tools – sticks, spears, and rocks. Technology improved, as did our minds, and we figured out even more ways to move faster, be more discreet, more destructive, and better anticipate the technologies of the other side.

After the end of World War II, warfare became increasingly technological and intelligent, and some may even say that these forms of technology and intelligence have prevented further outbreaks of war. This is why a career with the Office of Naval Intelligence means that you not only get hands-on experience with innovative new technologies, but you’ll be in a position at the forefront of America’s defense.

A career with the Office of Naval Intelligence affords you pension, 401(k) and healthcare benefits, a flexible work schedule, up to four weeks of annual vacation, depending on the extent of your service, government holidays , and even an account with the Navy Federal Credit Union Branch. Your benefits will also include access to the Federal Employees Health Benefits, Federal Employees Group Life Insurance, and Federal Employees Retirement System programs, all of which are unmatched with any other civilian organization.

You don’t have to be a sailor to work the Office of Naval Intelligence, either. Having Navy experience might help your job possibility, but the Office is just as open to civilians as it is to sailors. And when you are working with the Office, you will become part of the living story of the Office, which was officially founded in 1882 and continues strong to this day. You will play an important part in protecting the security of the Navy, inside and out, and you will be responsible, along with the forces on the front-lines, for the security and peace of our Nation.

Young men and women right out of high school and college make the decision to go into the military. They realize the advantages in securing a military education and exposure, and position themselves to get a head start on their careers as soon as they can. Even if the recruit has started a secondary education program, he may still opt to go into the military so he can get more experience and increase his opportunities for advancement and travel.

If the young person has already got a small start in life (job, apartment, etc.) before making the decision to pursue a Navy career, he may find it necessary to restructure his finances so he can responsibly and easily assume the things that are necessary to complete his goals. This may include steps like subletting his apartment, reducing his work hours, or doing a refinance auto loan to reduce his expenses. Reducing expenses is advisable for new military personnel so they worry less about bills and concentrate more on their area(s) of study.

Refinancing an auto loan for a potential Navy recruit is something she will be glad she did. If she is able to reduce her expenses early in her career, the consolidation will better position her to enjoy more of her career, allowing her to take advantage of the opportunities the Navy will afford her without the stress of high car payments or loans with high interest rates. People can enjoy life in peace on the sea.

Finding a good job has always been tough, especially these days. Degrees and titles can only get you so far, but employers want to know if you have the experience. The problem of getting a job is a classic catch-22: Say you want a job in civil engineering. All the firms you look at are hiring, but in their lists of requirements, they say you need one year of experience or something of the sort. But you can’t get experience if you can’t get a job engineering. So, how do you get experience?

Some people choose academics as a route, but as the job-seeking populous becomes increasingly inundated with people having all the education and none of the experience, whether or not you graduated cum laude or magna cum laude makes no difference. Plus, school can be expensive. You’d like to go, but you can’t easily afford it, and you can’t afford it because you don’t have a job. Where do you start?

The US Navy offers one simple solution, with dozens of immediate and future benefits. When you enlist the the US Navy, you choose what skills you would like to learn and what you would like to do. You gain the skills and experience you need, and you get paid for it. Plus, while you’re enlisted, the US Navy will also offer you tuition assistance and in some cases, full scholarships, so you’re gaining experience and an education.

When the time comes for you to return back to life as a civilian, you will be professionally equipped for a professional career in the job you’ve always desired. Plus, your status as a Naval veteran will earn you respect, honor, and a more serious professional consideration, as your choice to have offered your time in support and defense of your family and your country sets you in a world apart.

The military stereotype assumes of the military that it’s like a boy’s club. No girls allowed. Like some stereotypes, the generalization was born from some truth, but as society has developed, so too has its military consciousness. The military is no longer ‘just for men,’ and the possibilities for a woman in the US Navy are just as plentiful, challenging, and rewarding as they are for any man. In other words, equality is the new standard of measure for excellence within the service. If you work hard and excel and what you’re told to do, you will progress and succeed, regardless of who you are.

Furthermore, the US Navy enables its seawomen-and-men to succeed. If you enter the Navy without a degree, you might just find after four years that you’ve not only earned the respect and admiration afforded our nation’s service veterans, but all of your hard work has paid off and you have a B.A. or B.S. too. The US Navy can help fund your education while enlisted, with their tuition assistance program offering you up to 75% compensation for college courses taken while you’re off-duty. And in some cases, the Navy might pay your entire tuition.

There are also job tracks in the Navy which are in high demand that don’t require a degree. Like becoming a Navy diver, working to service and salvage equipment under water and offer your support to some of the Navy’s other skilled branches. Or you can become an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, working to locate, disarm, and neutralize potentially dangerous and cloaked explosive devices. You can save lives along with the rest of them, and take your accrued skills into the workplace outside of the Navy if and when you choose to end your career.

Ultimately, it is no easy thing being in the Navy – and this is the same for everyone. Respect and success are never free, but always earned, and always worth the time and effort put forth to attain them, regardless of race or gender.

Just as much as the Navy needs sailors, commanders, and fighters, it also needs people to serve those fighting men and women. War is tough on everyone – not only physically, but mentally and spiritually. And some people might even argue that the three things are intimately connected. Health is not merely physical well-being, but overall, holistic health. Doctors can’t cure wounds of the spirit, but there are people who can. As long as war has been around, there have been a dedicated few men and women to fight the battle of the heart. Chaplains. The Navy needs them just as much as they need anyone.

A Chaplain often feels a calling to serve his fellow men and women, to minister to them, exercising the virtues of charity, kindness, and wisdom over and against the brutality of the battlefield, on land and on water. To be entered in to the Navy Chaplain Corps, you need ecclesiastical endorsement, which means that you need to be certified by your respective ecclesial institution that you are a qualified representative of the tenancies of said faith. You will need prior leadership experience, as a priest, pastor, leader, or religious leading in some capacity.

At the very least, you will also need a bachelor’s degree, be it in theology, world religions, psychology, or something of the sort. You want to be able to offer help to men and women with questions, and minister to sailors in their time of need. This also means you’ll have to be in peak physical condition, along with everyone else in the Navy. You will also have to abide by the Department of Defense’s directed ‘religious accommodation environments,’ which means that you should be no respecter of persons. Everyone has a different faith, a different background, and different ways of understanding the same basic principles. As a Naval chaplain, you are not to discriminate, but to serve.

War can be difficult, stressful, and sometimes absurd. But sometimes – and even the philosophers and sociologists agree on this – war is necessary. And war would not be possible if there were nobody to fight it. Policies change, tempers flare, and self-service has a tendency to dominate world politics. Often the best form of protection against these political undulations is a strong line of defense. Even President John F. Kennedy said, “…control of the sea means security. Control of the seas can mean peace. Control of the seas can mean victory. The United States must control the seas if it is to protect your security…”

In other words, without the Navy, the US would be defenseless. Over 350,000 people power this great Navy, but even more lives are affected by this. For example, the sailor’s family members. Wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, children – at least a million of them are directly related to someone in the military, with not only their national security at risk, but their hearts as well. Having a family member in the US Navy is a reason to be proud, but it can be stressful too.

When your loved one is out to sea for five or six months at a time, pain is inevitable. Though they say ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder,’ sometimes you need more than mere fondness. For this reason, there are resources which offer help when the distance becomes unbearable. And fortunately, we’re living in a time where an online video conversation, or even a mere e-mail, can put a heart at ease. The Navy itself offers family support, but there are outside organizations as well, all of whom understand, because they’ve been where you are.

Though technology should never be taken for granted, it has made communication a lot easier, and though it is hard for the family to have their loved ones abroad, imagine what it must be like if you are the one abroad. Sometimes what your sailor needs most is understanding, because war is never easy.