Archive for the ‘News’ Category
June 27, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News
VA Mortgage Center.com’s “You Served” military and veteran blog is looking to hire 1-2 writers who are U.S. veterans or active-duty military to contribute weekly articles.
Interested parties should contact us at blog@vamortgagecenter.com with their personal information and any writing examples.
This is a paid position and we are hoping to team up with highly-motivated, intelligent individuals from within the mil/vet community. We strive to provide our readers with the most recent industry news, updates on their VA benefits, and offbeat stories that are fun to read.
To learn more about “You Served”, browse our most recent articles. You may direct any questions about the position to the email address above and we look forward to hearing from you!
** If you know of anyone within the military community that would be interested in this position please pass along our information.
Thanks everyone,
You Served Editorial Staff
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June 20, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News
To an outsider, military service might almost appear mandatory for those hoping to become president of the United States. All but 11 of the country’s 43 commanders in chief have listed some semblance of service on their records. Of the last half-dozen presidents, only one — Bill Clinton — did not engage in some form of military service, although there’s been plenty of debate and conspiracy theories about whether current President George W. Bush actually spent time with the Texas Air National Guard.
Here’s a look at the past six presidents and their legacy of service to our country:
-George W. Bush
First Lieutenant, Texas Air National Guard
He remained in the United States during the Vietnam War. The “Bushgate” flap at CBS regarding allegations that the president failed to fulfill his duty led to a major shakeup at the network, after scores of experts started to question the authenticity of the evidence presented.
-Bill Clinton
No military service.
The Rhodes scholar and skilled orator bypassed the draft because of student deferments. He finally entered in the draft in 1969 but received a high enough number that he was never called to serve.
-George H.W. Bush
Lieutenant, Junior Grade, United States Navy.
The first president Bush served as a Navy pilot in World War II. His plane was shot down by the Japanese, and the future president was the sole survivor. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
-Ronald Reagan
Captain, United States Army
He remained stateside during World War II. Apparently plagued by bad eyesight, Ronald Reagan continued working as actor during the war, making films for the Army.
-Jimmy Carter
Lieutenant Commander , United States Navy.
His service included sea duty and stateside service from 1946-1953. The future Nobel Peace Prize winner spent seven years in the Navy, earning the second-longest military stay of any U.S. president (Dwight D. Eisenhower tops the list).
-Gerald Ford
Lieutenant Commander , United States Navy.
A phenomenal athlete at Michigan, Ford applied for a commission in the Naval Reserve less than a week after the Pearl Harbor bombing in December 1941. He became an ensign in April 1942 and eventually served on the USS Monterey from May 1943 to December 1944.
Eleven (11) presidents had no military service:
Bill Clinton
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Herbert Hoover
Calvin Coolidge
Warren G. Harding
Woodrow Wilson
William Howard Taft
Grover Cleveland
Martin Van Buren
John Quincy Adams
John Adams
- Thanks to the Associated Press for the content of this post.
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June 15, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News
This is a guest post to You Served.
Established in 1949, Flag Day is a day reserved to reflect on what the American flag means to each of us. It is a day when we recognize the connection between our flag, our country, and ourselves. This year, I think about all of the veterans of wars past; those who died in service and those who lived to tell stories of heroism. It is because of the sacrifices made by these brave men and women that we are able to live free today. I also think about our courageous men and women serving today, whose will continue to sustain freedom for years to come. These soldiers make sacrifices in the name of freedom, and it shines through in the waving red, white and blue.
To each veteran and soldier reading this today I convey my highest respect and regard for your efforts to defend the rights and liberties of freedom loving people. And to the family members who have loved ones supporting the Global War on Terror - you are the most essential source of encouragement to them, and it is your continued support and love that sustains our troops here at home and abroad.
I extend my most heartfelt condolences to those who have lost loved ones and friends in the current conflict. We cannot repay the selfless spirit of America’s fallen but we can ensure their sacrifice is not forgotten. Those who grieve and have experienced a loss are in our prayers, and I join all patriotic Americans in honoring the valor of our fallen men and women.
The cost of freedom is measured not in currency - but in the selfless spirit of those willing to serve our Nation in the Armed Forces. We must never forget that the freedoms and liberties we all enjoy are because of the sacrifice of patriots. We salute our U.S. forces, veterans, military retirees and the families who love and support them. Our troops hold our future in their hands and our legacy in their hearts. They continue to make our country proud, and we salute them for a job well done.
And above all, our flag of red, white and blue serves as a constant reminder of pride, patriotism, freedom, and an undying commitment to the United States of America.
May God richly bless you, your families and the United States of America.
Sincerely,
K. Michael Conaway
Member of Congress
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May 30, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News
A new bill recently introduced by a pair of Democratic legislators would boost home loan benefits for veterans.
Called the 21st Century GI Bill of Rights Act of 2007, the proposed legislation would revamp the GI Bill in the face of rapidly rising education and living costs. The measure is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. The bill’s precursor, the GI Bill, was created at the height of the Second World War to provide a financial foothold for soldiers returning from service.
The wide-ranging bill boasts a variety of changes for service personnel, including the creation of a micro-loan program that would provide low-interest loans for start-up businesses and the elimination of a $1,200 buy-in to enroll in the current program for college funding.
For homeowners, though, the news is even better. Changes in the VA home loans plan would boost the loan limit from $417,000 to $625,000 and eliminate fees for obtaining the loan.
VA home loans can make the difference between a lifetime of renting and the joys of homeownership for servicemen and women, especially those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
To learn more about VA loans and what these changes could mean for you, start with our Loan Library and Expert sections here at VAMC.
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May 21, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News, Veteran Benefits
A House of Representative committee was recently told by Jim Nicholson, Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, that he intends to work hard to turn around the poor progress the VA medical system has experienced recently. He and other officials at the VA received almost $4 million in bonuses from last year.
Rep. John Hall (D – NY) wondered how the VA can justify the bonuses when the average delay for a veteran was 177 days and there is over 600,000 disability cases backlogged. This comes in a time of war, when more and more soldiers are coming home with serious injuries and soon become wards of the VA.
The highest individual bonuses were $30,000 and are now automatic, instead of performance related, which was the original intention. Luckily, Rep. Hall is trying to freeze bonuses this year until the VA’s backlog is reduced 500,000 or more. Democrats in the Senate are furiously considering whether or not to hold hearings on the issue. On average VA officials are making more in bonuses than any other sector of government making the VA “the most lucrative in government.”
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May 18, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News
State wildlife officials were summoned to a VA Hospital in Tennessee this morning to trap a live black bear who had been sleeping on the grounds for the past day. Apparently no one had noticed the roughly 250 pound animal sleeping in a tree throughout yesterday.
An ironic turn of events in the wake of all the negative press given VA hospitals and their lack of resources lately. The big fella was baited with doughnuts and sardines (a tasty combination!) before being removed from the premises.
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May 14, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Charities/Contests, News
Sgt Hook, one of the winners of our best blog contest, has been posting a recap of the Milblogging conference held last weekend (Post 1, 2, 3, and 4).
We have also announced the winners of our scholarship contest in which 3 individuals were awarded $1,000 scholarships. You can read the winning essays. We congratulate the winners and thank all of the entrants (over 120 people applied).
We are continually looking for guest blog submissions, please contact us if you are interested. And the employees at the VA Mortgage Center.com donate money for every loan they close. They have allowed You Served to help decide what charities/organizations will get the money. So if you know of a deserving charity/organization that supports those in the military community, let us know.
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April 18, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Military News, News
WASHINGTON - In an Iraq jobs program, the Pentagon has helped re-open three factories shuttered after the 2003 invasion, seeding the ground by buying uniforms and armored vehicles for its Iraqi allies from two of them.
Re-opening state-owned factories that produced everything from cement to buses for Saddam Hussein’s regime is among efforts President Bush hopes will boost the economy and help salvage a violent Iraq. His strategy of increasing troops there to try to calm violence is meant to buy the Iraqi government time to move forward on political reconciliation and reconstruction.
Read more at Newsvine.com
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April 11, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News
A delegation led by the governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, has secured the remains of six US servicemen killed in the Korean war in the 1950s.
The US envoys crossed the border from North to South Korea with the remains on Wednesday after the four-day trip.
Read more at BBCnews.com
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By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in News
RICHMOND, Va. Apr 10, 2007 (AP)— Servicemembers and their dependents could pay no more than 36 percent annual interest on payday loans, vehicle title loans and refund anticipation loans under a preliminary draft of a law intended to stop high-interest loans to the military.
The U.S. Department of Defense’s draft proposal, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, was a blessing for banking and consumer lending groups that had feared the law would be interpreted so broadly that it would include many common practices such as credit cards, overdraft protection on checking accounts and direct bill payment.
Read more at ABCnews.com
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