Posted on Apr 14, 2014
Col Regional Director, Whem/Ssa And Congressional Liaison
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Without a doubt, there are truly some great resources available to active and Reserve component personnel and veterans. Of course, if folks don't know that they're out there, members and their families couldn't possibly benefit from some of these amazing offers and services. So, the idea here is to share those helpful tidbits of information, tips, links, lessons learned, processes, resources, wisdom and/or POCs to help members find the resources they need for their troops, their families, and to help themselves. Just a couple of quick admin notes, please make sure to share the source if known, and remember to post in accordance with RallyPoint guidelines. Well, I'm certain that will be a great way to get timely information, resources, and assistance to those who need it most, when they need it the most... so, if you have something useful, helpful, or good-to-know, please feel free to share. Alright folks, it's that time, so pull-up a keyboard and let's get this thing started; thank you for all that you do, and... see you all in the discussion threads!
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LCpl Rick Ponton
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IN ALL MY AFFLICTION AND DESPERATION I SOUGHT GOD AND I ASKED GOD AND I BANGED ON HIS DOOR AND I HAVE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS THAT I USE TO HELP I THINK THERE FOR IAM I am NOT GOD BUT I KNOW IAM IAM ME IAM HERE HERE IAM I KNOW IAM AND IF THE SHOE FITS WEAR IT GOD AND PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY SPIRITUALITY JESUS CHRIST I BELIEVE IN IN IN JESUS CHRIST AND I BELIEVE IN IN IN AND ONE WITH GOD AND I THINK FEEL AND ACT AND I KNOW I HAVE DISTORTED THINKING AND BATTLE FATIGUE AND SHELL SHOCK AND WORK BURN OUT AND I TOOK HEED WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS STANDING TALL AND MY NAME IS RICK I LOVE GOD AND I LOVE PEOPLE AND I LOVE JESUS AND LOVE OTHERS PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION BUT PERFECTION IS NOT THE ENEMY
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MSG Floyd Williams
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
The need to support Veterans has never been more critical than it is now, 22-30 Veterans committing suicide daily. With so many Vets suffering from PTS, Traumatic Brain Injuries, the exposure to Agent Orange, Asbestos, Carbon Tet, TCE and other chemicals, time is of the essence.
A unique idea to create a permanent perpetual funding stream exclusively to be used for Veteran’s health needs and family support not covered by the VA. To also help fund Veteran Small Business Consortiums nationwide.
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CPT Richard Riley
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*** Military Records Resources ***

What military records does NARA have?

The National Archives holds Federal military service records from the Revolutionary War to 1912 in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. See details of holdings.
Military records from WWI - present are held in the National Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC), in St. Louis, Missouri, See details of holdings.
The National Archives does not hold state militia records. For these records, you will need to contact the appropriate State Archives.

http://www.archives.gov/research/military/
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
How do I obtain a copy of a person's military records?

The National Personnel Records Center-Military Personnel Records (NPRC-MPR) is the repository of millions of military personnel, health, medical records of discharged and deceased veterans and other military records from all services from World War I to the present. The NPRC is one of the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) largest operations. NPRC-MPR stores medical treatment records of retirees from all the services along with records for dependents and other people treated at naval medical facilities.

https://kb.defense.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/688/~/obtaining-copies-of-military-records
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
We specialize in the research of individual veterans of WWI, WWII, the Korean War and other conflicts. We can trace the steps of individual U.S. Veterans to show you where they were and what they did during their military service.

http://www.goldenarrowresearch.com/
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
Do you have the need or desire to obtain your military records? The federal government stores records on people who have been discharged from the military. As a veteran, you can request a copy of your records. If you're the next of kin of a deceased veteran, you also have the right to request this information.

http://military-law.lawyers.com/military-law-basics/obtaining-your-military-records.html
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
When a young man or woman enters military service, a permanent record is kept of the nature of their service including dates, schools attended, unit assignments, awards and decorations, disciplinary actions, discharge, medical data, and more. Under the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) much of these records are available to the veterans themselves, surviving family, and even disinterested third parties.

http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/replacement_medals.html
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MSG Floyd Williams
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
*** Job Opportunities ***
Veterans of the U. S. Armed Forces are provided with unique training that applies well to the civilian labor market, and every year more employers are taking notice.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the unemployment rate for veterans 18 years and older was 5.5% last month, an improvement from last year’s 7% average unemployment rate ...
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MSG Floyd Williams
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
The Apprentice Program and Veterans
In its 15-year history, the Creating IT Futures Foundation has helped hundreds of military veterans get the training and certification they need to jump into the IT workforce.

Our IT-Ready Apprentice Program, which currently operates in four locations, includes veterans among the other unemployed adults wanting to transition to a career in technology.

Information technology is an important backbone of most businesses today. That’s why IT is also a great field for military spouses, giving them skills that can accompany them as they transfer for duty assignments. - See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/it-ready-students/veterans#sthash.Uk5sg7L0.dpuf
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CPT Richard Riley
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*** ID Theft issues ***

Are you concerned about identity theft? With so many stories about identity theft in the news, you’re not alone. IDTheftInfo.org was created by Consumer Federation of America to help you learn how to reduce the chances of becoming a victim, detect identity theft quickly if it does happen, and deal with the consequences. If you have a business, there is information for you about how to keep employee and customer information secure.

http://www.idtheftinfo.org/
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
Knowledge really is power
Knowing identity theft facts is critical. Identity thieves are less likely to prey on a well-informed population. So the more you learn about identity theft facts, the less vulnerable you are. Become familiar with identity theft facts and you'll quickly see identity theft for the serious problem that it is.

http://www.transunion.com/personal-credit/identity-theft-and-fraud/identity-theft-facts.page
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
ITAC provides victim assistance and identity management services. ITAC Victim Assistance® is available at no cost to customers of ITAC member companies.

http://www.identitytheftassistance.org/
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
The Identity Theft Council is a community response to a crisis. And identity theft is at crisis level.

ITC logoIn the last 36 months alone there were more than 30 million victims of identity theft in the United States. That works out to an average of more than 25,000 new victims every single day. To put that in perspective, that's more that the total number of burglaries, attempted burglaries, petty thefts, purse snatchings, pickpocketings, arsons, shoplifting, check fraud, and auto thefts combined.

https://www.identitytheftcouncil.org/
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
The number of ID theft victims and their total losses are probably much higher. It's hard to pin down, because law enforcement agencies may classify ID theft differently--it can involve credit card fraud, Internet fraud, or mail theft, among other crimes.

The FTC reported that only four percent of victims cited stolen mail as the source of personal information. Even so, U.S. Postal Inspectors, charged with protecting the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse, are leaders in the fight against identity theft.

https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/mailfraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/identitytheft.aspx
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MSG Floyd Williams
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
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Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant Jose Chavarria had a very serious assignment: keep his Boeing CH-46 helicopters functioning properly so the pilots could keep the choppers, and their payloads of up to 24 Marines, in the air.
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Col Regional Director, Whem/Ssa And Congressional Liaison
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*** Military Consumer Protection Resources ***

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) resources help protect service members from fraud, illegal business practice, financial deals, etc. More information and resources available online at the CFPB website:

http://www.military.com/military-report/military-consumers-protection-resources?ESRC=miltrep.nl
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
Predatory lenders and scammers often target service members and veterans, who have steady but often limited income and can be vulnerable to abusive practices. - See more at: http://www.nclc.org/special-projects/military-personnel.html#sthash.Ct5pUDnv.dpuf
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
United States military personnel are a set of consumers often targeted for consumer scams. Service member’s unique characteristics - a guaranteed paycheck, income that can be easily ascertained by rank, their more transient lifestyle due to multiple deployments and base relocations, and their directive to comply with authority – make service members more susceptible to predatory lending and fraud.

http://www.naca.net/issues/consumers-military
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LCpl Rick Ponton
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SIR I RECOMEND VETERANS AND WOUNDED VETERANS TO VISIT http://www.maketheconnection.net IT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFULL FOR ME.
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CPT Richard Riley
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*** Award replacement assistance ***

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) does not issue service medals; that is a function of each military service department. Requests for the issuance or replacement of military service medals, decorations and awards should be directed to the specific branch of the military in which the veteran served. However, for cases involving Air Force and Army personnel (click here for exceptions), the NPRC will verify the awards to which a veteran is entitled and forward the request along with the records verification to the appropriate service department for issuance of the medals. Use the addresses listed below, and mail your request accordingly.

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/replace-medals.html
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
Get your or your family members' military records from the U.S. Government record archives!

http://www.vetfriends.com/military_record.cfm
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
You can quickly determine which medals you earned simply by examining your military discharge form (DD-214, WD 53-55, NAVPERS, NGB-22, etc). Listed on the form are all the medals your final military unit deemed, at the time of your discharge, you were officially authorized.

You can purchase replacements of medals you are authorized from any military medal retailer. (Use your favorite search engine to locate a retailer, or contact a local veterans organization to recommend a retailer.)

If you do not have a copy of your discharge form, or you feel your discharge form does not accurately list all the medals you received, you need to request a copy/review of your military records to determine if orders were cut, and placed in your military personnel file, awarding you other medals.

If you feel you deserve a medal or award you were never authorized you may apply as a first-time recipient for that award to your military department's Awards Branch using form DD-149. You will also be required to submit military record documentation, eyewitness statements and other evidence confirming your eligibility for the medal or award you are applying for.

http://www.americanwarlibrary.com/htom.htm
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
Replacing Lost Military Medals and Decorations

The military recognizes that military medals are often a cherished part of family history and makes replacement medals, decorations, and awards available to veterans or their next of kin if the veteran is no longer living or able to make the request on his or her own behalf. Requests for replacement medals, decorations, and awards should be made to the veteran’s respective branch of service, with the exception of Army and Air Force (including Army Air Corps) veterans; requests should be sent to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis where the records will be reviewed and verified. The NPRC will then forward the requests to the respective service where the medal, decoration, or award will be issued.

http://themilitarywallet.com/replace-military-medals-awards-decorations/
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CPT Richard Riley
CPT Richard Riley
>1 y
Unfortunately, over the years many veterans have lost, misplaced, or discarded the medals and ribbons they earned while in the Military. Sometimes, the servicemember never received the medal or award for some reason, even though the citation was written and the award approved.

Many pawn shops, military surplus stores and vendors sell military medals, ribbons, and awards, but there is also a way to obtain replacements (sometimes for free) from the Government.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/medalsanddecs/a/decreplacement.htm
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