Wednesday, December 31, 2008

More Scholarships!!!!

Check this out: The National Military Family Association is offering more scholarships.

Military Spouse Scholarship Applications Available Now!
NMFA's Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000, are awarded to spouses of Uniformed Services members to obtain professional certification or to attend post-secondary or graduate school. The scholarship funds may be used to assist with tuition, fees, and school room and board, and are paid directly to the accredited educational institution involved. Applications are due by midnight February 1, 2009.

This year, we are pleased to offer three scholarship categories. Click here for more information or to submit an application.

Remember... Stay Active, Stay Busy!!!!

Marc

Monday, December 22, 2008

Free Education Information - Central Texas College

Hi everyone-

Check out this article by the Fort Lee Public Affairs Office. CTC is giving wounded soldier's spouses 30 semester hours of free tuition:

Fort Lee, Va. (Nov. 26, 2008) -- By T. Anthony Bell

For some time now, Army spouse Pasha Quintana has desired to start a college degree program but couldn't get the ball rolling for various reasons.

Thanks to a Central Texas College scholarship program, she's one step closer to realizing her dream.

The wife of Warrior Transition Unit Soldier Sgt. Roberto Quintana is the installation's first recipient of a CTC program that will allow her to complete 30 credit hours at the school free of charge.

"I'm just so happy," said Pasha, who recently completed her first two classes at the school. "It's just great what Central Texas is doing, especially for our wounded Soldiers. There is so much out there for them, but the fact that they're including the wives and Families, makes me emotional. It's one of the most American things they can do."

Under the provisions of its Wounded Warrior Spouse Scholarship Program, which was created in the spirit of Army Family Covenant, spouses of Purple Heart recipients are eligible for up to 30 semester hours within a one-year period that began Aug. 1.

Spouses interested in the program must present a marriage license, Department of Defense identification card and their spouse's DD Form 214 or Purple Heart award orders. Only spouses of those Soldiers who earned the Purple Heart after September 2001 are eligible.

Dick Gates, the CTC site manager at Fort Lee and a former veteran himself, said the program is a way of giving back to military members who have sacrificed so much for their country.

"It's an excellent program," said the Vietnam veteran. "My personal feeling is that we can't do enough for Soldiers. They deserve the best that we can provide."

Spouses who take full advantage of the program stand to gain about $3,900 in free tuition, "Plus text books," said Gates, "so you're probably looking at around $5,000."

Pasha, who is a licensed stylist, said the scholarship offer helped her to kick-start a degree program in information technology. She added that she knows all too well the challenges that spouses of wounded warriors face in supporting their Families and that higher education is sometimes not an option.
"Everybody who can should take advantage of the program," she said.

Stacey Towns is an education counselor with the Soldier and Family Assistance Center which provides a number of assistance services to WTU members. She said that although Pasha is the first recipient of the program, she anticipates that more will sign up.

"I would hope that the number will grow as more Soldiers and spouses become aware of the program," she said, "and as Fort Lee expands because of BRAC, I'm sure that it will."

The WWSSP is available at CTC campuses throughout the nation, said Gates. The program is funded for the current program year, but funding beyond that is uncertain, he added.

For more details on the program, visit the CTC Web site at www.ctcd.edu/militaryspouses

Dr. Phil - PTSD

Information:

Even if you aren't a huge fan of Dr. Phil's - you may want to try and catch a replay of his Dec. 19 segment on the plight of veterans featuring an investigative report by CBS Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian that exposed an epidemic of suicide among those who have served in the military.

It's not something that we all want to be reminded of so close to the holidays, but it is important.

Please remember... as a spouse you will be spending a lot of time with your servicemember when they return from downrange. Please look for signs of PTSD and get help immediately!!!

Contact their commander, chaplain, battalion surgeon.. or a counselor. To find a counselor in your area, or to volunteer services to the mental health counseling project, visit http://www.giveanhour.org/.

If you need to talk to someone right away.... call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

God bless.

Marc

Merry X-Mas!!!!

Hi everyone-

Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been working horrible hours at work and trying to finish deadlines for my www.sportsbythenumbers.com book series.

We have a Mixed Martial Arts, Major League Baseball, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Sacramento Kings book coming out in the spring.

But, I wanted to wish all you out there, a wonderful Christmas. This will be my first as a proud dad. I can't wait to see my daughter's face when she sees all the shiny wrapping paper. She's still way too young to understand, but I hope I can capture at least one "OHHHH" facial expression.

All the best,

Marc