Veterans Report - Week of January 28, 2013

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Veterans Report - Week of January 28, 2013

Top Tax Tips for Military Personnel
With the start to the new year behind us, it is time to once again plan ahead for tax season. With the exception of those serving in combat zones or stationed outside the U.S, most military personnel and their families must file taxes by the traditional April 15 deadline. (http://www.military.com/money/personal- ... RC=mrvr.nl) Read Top Tax Tips.


New Postal Service Prices
Effective Jan. 27, 2013, the price for first-class mail single-piece letters will increase by a penny. A 46 cent first-class forever stamp will allow customers to mail letters to any location in the United States. A listing of the new U.S. Postal Service rate increases is available on the U.S. Air Forces in Europe website at (http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123333216) http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123333216.
(From the U.S. Air Forces in Europe press release for January 22, 2013 at (http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123333216) http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123333216 and linked from the main U.S. Air Forces in Europe newspage at (http://www.usafe.af.mil/) http://www.usafe.af.mil)


Memorial Services Set
Feb. 3 will mark the historic 70th anniversary of the sinking of the United States Army Transport Dorchester and the legendary acts of selflessness of four Army chaplains who were aboard. Four Chaplains Day, as Congress has declared the date, honors the four chaplains who went down with their ship, as they gave their life jackets to other passengers. American Legion posts nationwide are encouraged to commemorate the anniversary each February. This year, memorial services will be held on Feb. 3. Posts interested in conducting their own services on the date should email the American Legion (mailto:acy@legion.org) acy@legion.org for information on arranging a memorial service. For more information on the Four Chaplains, visit the American Legion website at (http://www.legion.org/library/6245/brav ... -chaplains) www.legion.org/library/6245/bravery-four-chaplains.


VRAP Deadline Looms
According to the VA, over 94,000 veterans have applied for (http://www.military.com/education/gi-bi ... -bill.html) VRAP education benefits. To date the VA has approved over 77,000 Certificates of Eligibility. However, just over 27,000 of those eligible veterans have begun using their benefit. The VA is encouraging veterans to finish the process and get enrolled in eligible education programs as soon as possible. A VA official recently stated, "We do not want any of the 99,000 slots to go unused. The program is only two years long. By law we can only accept applications until September 30, 2013, and the last payment can be made through March 31, 2014." VRAP participants that do not enroll in school by March of this year will not be able to receive a full 12 months of training. VRAP participants are being warned that they must apply and begin using their benefits as soon as feasible, or, notify the VA to cancel their Certificate of Eligibility to make room for other veterans to use the benefit.


Buddy Finder: Reconnect with Old Military Friends
The Military.com Buddy Finder allows you to search over 20 million records to locate old military friends. Search by name, service, pay grade, age, installation, school, state or employer. (http://www.military.com/buddy-finder/?ESRC=mrvr0128.nl) Reconnect now.


Featured Job: State Farm Is Hiring Veterans
State Farm is a mutual company, owned by its policyholders -- not stockholders. Our mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S. It is the leading insurer of watercraft and one of the leading insurers in Canada, and has more than 65,000 employees and about 18,000 agents in eight geographic market areas (including Canada), 30 operations centers and over 300 claims offices. (http://www.military.com/jobs-in/employe ... RC=mrvr.nl) Learn More.


Get $300k Coverage for Less than $22 a Month
Protect your family's future with quality life insurance. Get $300k coverage starting at less than $22 a month. (http://www.military.com/insurance/?lpid ... =vr0128.nl) Because tomorrow isn't guaranteed.


VA Keeping in Touch
Representatives from Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA's) Benefits Assistance Service (BAS) conduct dozens of outreach activities each year. It is just one of the many ways VBA stays in contact with the Veterans. For more information, read the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA's) (http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/8597/ke ... -feedback/) VAntage Point Blog.
For complete guides on veteran benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits) Military.com Benefits Center.


GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013
The Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs recently introduced bipartisan legislation ( (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:hr357:) H.R. 357) that would require state operated schools to charge veterans in-state tuition rates even though they may not be residents of the states where the schools are located. The requirement would apply to state schools which have programs which are eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs education programs under the GI Bill. This move could help veterans save thousands in out-of-pocket tuition expenses.


VetNet Online Transitioning Service
VetNet ( (http://www.vetnethq.com/) www.vetnethq.com) is a technology-based effort to help veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and military spouses find meaningful employment. VetNet is a virtual career resource designed to be a one-stop shop for those on the job hunt. There are three tracks to VetNet: (1) Basic Training Track, which help veterans with resume writing workshops; (2) Career Connections Track where veterans participate in video chats with industry experts, and get advice from other veterans; and (3) Entrepreneur Track, which offers college-level business courses. For more information, visit the VetNet website at (http://www.vetnethq.com/) www.vetnethq.com.
For complete guides on veteran benefits, visit the (http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits) Military.com Benefits Center.


Plan for Financial Readiness
January is a great time for military families to take stock of their financial situation. The Department of Defense (DoD) is encouraging military families to avoid debt by creating a workable spending plan. Here are some tips: (1) make a commitment to changing personal spending and savings habits; (2) map your money coming in against your money going out; (3) high-interest credit card debt should be paid off first; (4) if you overdid holiday spending take some time to make a plan for paying off your debt and planning for next year's gifts; and (5) establish an emergency fund. The service branches provide financial counselors at military bases and personal financial management assistance programs to help military families. Also, visit the Military OneSource website at (http://www.militaryonesource.mil/) http://www.militaryonesource.mil to access money management tips and tools.
(http://www.military.com/money) Visit the Military.com Money Channel for more tips on budgeting, taxes, and finance.


VA Loan Limits for 2013
The maximum guaranty amount of a VA loan is typically $417,000, but you may qualify for much more depending on the county where you live. VA has announced new loan limits for 2013 for certain counties, with some limits as high as over $1 million. These limits apply to all loans closed January 1, 2013 and afterwards. For the full chart of every county and contact information for regional VA loan centers, see (http://www.military.com/money/va-loans/ ... RC=mrvr.nl) this updated Military.com article.
(https://secure.military.com/leads/VALoa ... rvr0128.nl) Next Step: Interest rates are at all-time lows. Find lenders ready to help you use your VA Loan.


AF-Wide Pornography Inspection
The U.S. Air Force has released the results of its recent service-wide health and welfare inspections. Commanders inspected thousands of units at more than 100 Air Force installations and removed three broad categories of material: pornographic, inappropriate or offensive, or unprofessional. Results of the health and welfare inspections are available at the (http://www.foia.af.mil/shared/media/doc ... 18-015.pdf) Air Force FOIA Reading Room.
(http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013 ... -hunt.html) Read more about the inspection and servicemembers' reaction on Military.com


Fast Track Launched
The US Chamber of Commerce has launched Phase II of their Hiring Our Heroes Fast Track map at (http://www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes/fast-track) www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes/fast-track, which identifies the 100 fastest growing job markets in America and the key growth industries in those communities. Now veterans and military spouses can search for thousands of job opportunities either by industry or geographic region.
For more veteran job news, tips, and job postings, visit the (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs) Military.com Veteran Jobs Center.


Free Tax Return Preparation
The Internal Revenue Service's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) offers free tax help for Veterans. For more information, visit the Internal Revenue Service website at (http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Free-Tax ... Volunteers) http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Free-Tax ... Volunteers.