American Forces Press Service

FALLS CHURCH, Va., March 8, 2010 – The Military Health System has launched a new www.health.mil web site that provides a single point of entry to military health news, information and resources.

The site is part of the Defense Department’s continued commitment to make health information available and easy to find, officials said. Content is categorized by topic or audience, including servicemembers, retirees and families; health care providers; educators and researchers; Military Health System staff; Defense Department leaders; and the media.

“We’ve listened to the feedback from our users and redesigned the site to make it better-easier to navigate and easier to find information,” said Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, director of strategic communications for the Military Health System. “The new Health.mil is better organized, better looking, and more seamlessly integrated with our social media efforts.”

The new design better serves the system’s health care beneficiaries by providing links to Tricare and eBenefits up front. An easy-to-navigate layout provides multiple paths to the information, including an exposed site map and a topic index on every page. The new site includes improved Section 508 compliance for the disabled and is easier to use with mobile devices. A robust search function pulls in results from across multiple organizational Web sites within the Military Health System.

America’s Military Health System is a unique partnership of medical educators, medical researchers and health-care providers and their support personnel worldwide. This Defense Department enterprise consists of the office of the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs; the medical departments of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and Joint Chiefs of Staff; the combatant command surgeons; and Tricare providers, including private-sector health-care providers, hospitals and pharmacies.

(From a Military Health System news release.)

Military spouses can now apply to the competitive FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program to increase the financial knowledge of military service members and their families. The program provides fellowship recipients with the education necessary to earn the Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) designation and to provide financial counseling and education within the military community.

The program, which began in 2006, is administered in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) and the National Military Family Association. The fellowship covers the costs associated with completing the AFC® training and testing. Applications and information are available at www.MilitaryFamily.org and are due by April 15, 2010.

Many military employers, such as credit unions, financial aid offices and community service centers, need well-trained financial counselors to meet the increasing demand for financial counseling services—from budgeting and credit management to financially preparing families for PCS moves and deployments. With this training, military spouses can apply their own experiences and help more military families while building a rewarding career that is flexible and can conform to the demands of the military family lifestyle.

The program is open to spouses or surviving spouses of active duty or retired Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Army or Air National Guard or reserve component service members, as well as spouses of U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration professionals.  

http://www.militaryfamily.org/publications/enewsletters/military-family-topics/finra-foundation-military.html

Do you know a deserving child that you would like to nominate for a special award? Operation Homefront is currently accepting nominations!

Operation Homefront and Lockheed Martin Corporation have partnered together to recognize the service and sacrifices of the nation’s youngest heroes with the Military Child Award. This award honors children in military families who learn patriotism at a very young age and understand sacrifice and service. The Military Child Education Coalition has also partnered to help with this recognition. Nominations for the award are open to military children between the ages of 8 and 18. The winner will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C., for the $5,000 award and special recognition ceremony on April 8, 2010.

Please don’t forget to pass this on to your military colleagues so every special military child has a chance at this great opportunity.

Anyone can nominate a deserving child for the award, but the nominee must be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility System, DEERS. To nominate a child of both active duty and reserve families please visit www.homefrontonline.com  today.
Nominations end February 25, 2010.

For more information about Operation Homefront please visit www.operationhomefront.net

SYRACUSE, N.Y., (2/9/10) – The Air Force Services Child & Youth Program is sponsoring the AF Space Camp Program at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., July 25-30.

The Air Force Space Camp is a residential six-day program that shows youth firsthand what it takes to be an astronaut. Activities include simulated Space Shuttle missions, training simulators, rocket building and launches, scientific experiments and lectures on the past, present and future of space exploration.

The applicant must meet the following requirements:

* A dependent of active duty military assigned to or living on an Air Force installation, Air Force retired military, Air Force civilian employees, Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve, who have been activated within the last 12 months

* Must have a GPA of 2.8 (must provide documentation)

* Must demonstrate an application of leadership abilities and social maturity through involvement in school and community activities

* Must demonstrate skills and achievements outside of the realm of science and outside the realm of academic pursuits

* Must demonstrate a curiosity and an eagerness to explore many and varied topics

HQ USAF/A1SA has funded all lodging, meals, and activity fees after arrival at Space Camp at no cost to attendees or their installation.

Airline or POV travel costs to Huntsville are the responsibility of the attendees. Spending money for snacks and souvenirs are the responsibility of the participants.

Scholarships are available for youth ages 12 to 18. An electronic copy of the application form is available at www.afyouthprograms.com.

Interested youth must complete the application package by April 16 and send to: Sandra Mason, NGB/A1SA, 3500 Fetchet Ave, Andrews AFB MD 20762-5157.

More information about the Space Camp is available at www.spacecamp.com.

The Department of Defense announced today that its National Resource Directory (NRD) Web site for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families and those who support them, recently received a comprehensive system upgrade to provide users with easier access.

This Web site is a collaborative effort between the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs (VA) and Labor (DOL), and compiles federal, state, local and non-profit resources for wounded warriors, veterans, family members and caregivers in a single, searchable site.

“We worked closely with users of the National Resource Directory to find out how to make the information they need easier to find,” said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense for Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy. “The resulting re-design is easier to navigate and adds useful new features.”

The upgrade makes the latest wounded warrior and veteran issues easier to locate and follow. A new “bookmark and share” application helps visitors alert others to the content they’ve found most helpful through social bookmarking, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking tools. Visitors can also subscribe to Really Simple Syndication (RSS) or e-mail updates to receive new content, events and features based on their specific interests and needs.

“There are thousands of programs and benefits available to wounded warriors and their families, from healthcare and housing to education and employment assistance,” said Koch. “Our people must have an easy way to sift through it all to find the resources that are most helpful for their circumstances, especially while they’re dealing with what can be overwhelming challenges. That’s why we’ve partnered with the VA and Department of Labor to offer the National Resource Directory. And with the feedback mechanisms we’ve added in the re-design, we’ll be able to keep improving our service to our wounded warriors and families.”

The faster, enhanced search engine ranks information based on the popularity of the sources among other site users, so the most valuable resources rise to the top of the search results. Visitors can tailor searches for resources in specific states and territories, and apply filters to narrow their searches.

The re-designed site also highlights resources to assist homeless veterans. NRD users can also recommend additional resources. All resources are thoroughly vetted prior to inclusion on the National Resource Directory, and as always, content is updated and reviewed daily by a content management team which includes veterans and subject matter experts.

More information is available at http://www.NationalResourceDirectory.gov .