May 12 VSSA Food Trucks Fundraiser at Synaptics

Fortune 500: Why Microsoft Hires War Vets

Like many other large companies, Microsoft has a special program to recruit military veterans. Watch the video here

10 Fortune 500 military CEOs

Fortune 500

money.cnn.com

May 7, 2012

The following execs served in just about every branch of the U.S. military prior to climbing the corporate heights, some for as long as 28 years. Read more about these CEOs here...

6 companies hiring vets

Fortune 500

money.cnn.com

May 7, 2012

A growing number of businesses are recruiting from a bumper crop of well-trained officers and enlisted people transitioning out of the military.

Read more about the 6 companies hiring Veterans here…

Disabled National Veterans Foundation Offers Counsel to Older Veterans About New Job Training Benefits Provided Through the VOW to Hire Heroes Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. (PRWEB) 

May 09, 2012

Under the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP), veterans who are ages 35 to 60, unemployed, and not eligible for other VA education benefits, can receive 12 months of job training in fields that are expanding and hiring. The program launches July 1 to provide retraining for older veterans hardest hit by current economic conditions.

“The retraining assistance program has the power to transform the lives of tens of thousands of veterans,” said Raegan Rivers, Chief Administrative Officer of DVNF. “This is an outstanding benefit of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, and employment counselors at DVNF are available to help veterans determine if they are eligible and assist them with the application process.”

The program is limited to 45,000 participants during fiscal year 2012, and to 54,000 participants from October 1, 2012, through March 31, 2014. Participants may receive up to 12 months of assistance at the full-time payment rate under the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty program, which currently is $1,473 per month. Applications will be submitted through the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Department of Veteran Affairs will pay the benefits.

The labor department, along with DVNF, will provide employment assistance to veterans upon completion of their training program.

To be eligible, veterans must be least 35 but no more than 60 years old, unemployed as determined by the labor department, have other than an dishonorable discharge, not be eligible for other VA education benefit programs, not receive VA compensation due to un-employability, and not be enrolled in a federal or state job training program. Read more here…

Veteran fights 11 years for disability claim approval

Contact VSSA Volunteers if you, or a Veteran you know, need assistance with completing your Veterans benefits application.
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mercurynews.com
May 10, 2012
Vietnam veteran Richard Carpino, 70, of Lodi, Calif., spent 10 years in the U.S. Navy aboard three oil tankers and a destroyer that took him several times to the coast of Vietnam and China. He said he worked amid asbestos and that the Navy knew the hazards. His lungs became scarred, he said, and he developed health problems that left him disabled. After having his claims rejected by the Department of Veterans Affairs office in Oakland, he enlisted the help of former Congressman Richard Pombo and current Congressman Jerry McNerney and finally won his 11-year battle. He advises today’s veterans to keep fighting for what they believe they deserve because the VA won’t give it to them, and to turn to their local congressional representative for help. Read more here…

VSSA Success Story: Fernando

Fernando, a Vietnam-Era Veteran, was once stationed in Germany with the United States Army.  As he completed his enlistment, Fernando decided to continue to serve his country by enlisting with the National Guard.  Eventually his National Guard Unit was deployed to Iraq, where he encountered hostile action.  As a result, Fernando was injured. Fernando believes his injury led to his erratic behavior.  After Iraq, he wasn't able to maintain relationships and working with others became very difficult.  Fernando decided to apply for help with the VA. 

He started working with four agencies. One was able to help him get a partial compensation.  As he approached more agencies, Fernando’s frustration led to anger because he felt he was not being helped.  Through a friend, he approached one of the current volunteers of VSSA for help.  This volunteer and Fernando set personal goals to accomplish full compensation. 

Fernando received his full compensation in January 2012 after his initial application in December 2005. With VSSA, he finally completed his goal of full compensation. 

25 Colleges With Incredible Veteran Support

BestCollegesOnline.com

May 8, 2012

Upon returning home, many veterans feel as if a college education makes for the most fitting route toward their ultimate goals. But even institutes of higher learning sometimes fall short when it comes to adapting their offerings to the unique needs of current and former Armed Forces members. Others, however, push themselves to offer the most accommodating, accepting atmospheres possible. Things may be improving across the United States, and anyone involved in the veterans affairs profession might want to turn to the following schools for inspiration about serving them right. Read more here…

Sat, 5/12 Food Trucks Fundraiser for VSSA

Come support Veterans Supportive Services Agency at their Food Trucks Fundraiser! 

Saturday, May 12, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Synaptics Parking Lot

3120 Scott Blvd

Santa Clara, 95054

SJ Sharkie is making an appearance at 11:30 a.m.

Food Trucks featured include:
Soulnese

MoGo BBQ

The WOW Truck

Babaloo

MoBowl

Mayo & Mustard

Sam's Chowder Mobile

Yumsilog

Twisted Chill

- Bay Bombs Car Club Eastbay is hosting a car show and shine in support of VSSA

- Live music by the Touch Tones and Ku'u Aloha I Ke Akua

- Caricatures, Face Painting and Balloon Animals by Nito Gomez

- Gifts for Mom, Arts & Craft booths and carnival games round out the fun!

Veterans Supportive Services Agency, Inc. (VSSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization solely dedicated to providing life enhancing supportive services to US Armed Forces Veterans and families.

Find the flyer at vssainc.org under the 'Calendar' tab

Needs of women veterans reflected in art at San Francisco exhibit

By Angela Woodall
Oakland Tribune

May 8, 2012

When Victoria Hudson joined the Army's Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1979, the rule against women in combat was firm and the front line in conflicts was clear.

"In Iraq and Afghanistan, that's just not true," said Hudson, who served 32 years in the Army on active duty or as a reservist, including in Iraq.

Both wars have pulled women into combat situations because the fighting doesn't adhere to front lines.

Since the first troops landed in Afghanistan in 2001, more than 238,000 women have been deployed there or in Iraq. More than 800 have been wounded. More than 130 have died. Hundreds won top honors for their valor, blurring the line between combat and noncombat and forcing the military to include women in nonsanctioned roles. Read more here…

Disabled National Veterans Foundation Prepares to Launch Scholarship Program to Help Veterans With Tuition Not Covered by the G.I. Bills

The Disabled National Veterans Foundation (DVNF), a non-profit organization that exists to help men and women who come home with emotional and physical wounds after serving our country, is preparing to launch a scholarship program to assist Veterans with tuition that is not covered by the Montgomery or Post-911 G.I. Bills.

Washington, D.C.

May 04, 2012 

The program comes at a time when many men and women are waiting a year or more to receive Veterans Benefits available to disabled veterans - including tuition waivers - from overburdened and often understaffed VA Centers across the country. Wait times are especially bad in states like California, where returning veterans wait an average of 320 days in the Oakland office, according to recent news reports. That includes wait times for disabled veterans seeking tuition waivers for themselves or their children.

The DVNF program would provide a bridge to veterans waiting on their VA education benefits or to those who have tuition expenses the G.I. bills do not cover, said Raegen Rivers, Chief Administrative Officer of the DVNF.

"There are thousands of American heroes back from war who want to get an education so they can have a rewarding career and provide sufficiently for their families," said Rivers. "Our organization exists to help disabled veterans in every way possible, and we are committed to seeing as many as possible attain the college education they deserve and have earned by serving our country." Read more here...

Military Veterans Can Use VA Benefits for Healthcare Training at Unitek College

Military personnel looking to use their VA education benefits by enrolling in college now have another excellent option - Unitek College.

Fremont, CA

May 04, 2012 

Military personnel looking to use their VA education benefits by enrolling in college now have another excellent option - Unitek College. The majority of healthcare training programs offered by Unitek College are VA approved. The school provides accredited training in fast-growing careers such as medical assistant, pharmacy technician, licensed vocational nurse, registered nurse and Bachelor's degree in nursing. 

Unitek College Administrators are excited to help veterans meet their educational and career goals once they complete military service. Most military veterans are looking to enter a rewarding career as quickly as possible, which is why Unitek College's healthcare training programs are ideal. For example, the school's Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN Program) is designed to be completed in just 11 months. Students also receive employment assistance increasing the chances they will land that dream job.  Read more here…

MIT, Harvard link up with free online courses

May 2 (Reuters) - Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both academic heavyweights and often neighborly rivals, are joining hands in a new partnership to offer courses online and for free.

The two schools, located near each other in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are teaming up on an initiative called edX only five months after MIT rolled out MITx, its online learning system which allows students to earn certificates for completing course work from a distance.

Harvard and MIT each committed $30 million to the project, which will be overseen by a not-for-profit group based in Cambridge. Anant Agarwal, who led the development of MITx and directed MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, will be edX's first president.

The group plans to offer its first courses in the fall and eventually expects other universities may join. Read more here...

Military vets honored at graduation reception

By Elaine Bible

San Francisco State University

May 1, 2012

Dressed in cap and gown, military veterans were honored at a special graduation reception at SF State on April 28.

Shea Casperson, president of the veterans club on campus, and Rogelio Manaois, Veterans Services Coordinator at SF State, are among the veteran students graduating this year.

Veterans who are graduating this year celebrated with family and friends in Jack Adams Hall. Bucky Peterson, chair of the California State University's Troops to College initiative, and University President Robert A. Corrigan addressed the graduates and their guests. Each student was presented with a medallion representing the symbols of the branches of military service and the SF State seal. 

"This event highlights the accomplishments of our veteran graduates. They are an example to future classes of veterans, showing them that they can succeed and can overcome the challenges in their lives," said SF State Veterans Services Coordinator Rogelio Manaois.

There are 105 military veterans graduating from the University this year. Among those marking this milestone is Daniel Mendoza, a first-generation college student from Richmond. He served in the Marines, assisting with humanitarian aid missions after the 2004 tsunami and in Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake, before coming to SF State to study political science. Read more here...