posted by admin on May 20
As tens of thousands of veterans of the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq try to collect on their promised college benefits, they finding that their combat experience complicates the transition from soldier to student.
Some have trouble collecting the government money that is supposed to pay for college, or they discover that the benefits aren’t nearly enough to cover tuition and other bills. While their classmates complain about homework and hangovers, many vets struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, the effects of traumatic brain injury, lost limbs and a range of chronic medical problems. With 1.5 million service members coming out of military duty in Afghanistan and Iraq since October 2001, universities across the state and the nation have been anticipating a postwar influx and looking for ways to welcome veterans to campus.
posted by admin on May 17
Air traffic control specialist
Coordinates activities of and supervises personnel engaged in operating an air traffic control tower. Directs radio searches for overdue or lost aircraft. Should be responsible, decisive and handle stress well. Must be a U.S. citizen, age 30 or younger.
• Training: Complete program sponsored by Federal Aviation Administration; pass a certification exam.
• Average pay: $74,773.
Elevator installer and repairer
Also called elevator mechanic. Assembles, installs and replaces elevators, escalators, chairlifts, dumbwaiters and moving walkways in office buildings and homes. Must follow safety regulations and building codes. Should have some math skills and be able to read blueprints.
• Training: Four-year apprenticeship offered by the International Union of Elevator Constructors, Local 34.
• Average pay: $50,943.
Power plant operator
Controls and monitors boilers, turbines, generators and auxiliary equipment in power-generating plants. Distributes power demands among generators, combines the current from several generators and monitors instruments to maintain voltage and regulate electricity flow from the plant. May use computers to keep records of switching operations and loads on generators, lines and transformers. Should have strong computer and technical skills.
• Training: Prior experience or on-the-job training.
• Average pay: $61,118. Read the rest of this entry »
posted by admin on May 16
STARKVILLE, Miss. — By the time he completed his four-year stint in the military three summers ago, Frank Wills had gotten used to taking orders, carrying a rifle and taking pictures of dead bodies as a combat photographer.
He knew how to be a Marine. He hadn’t a clue how a Marine becomes a college student.
Neither did anyone else on campus. Advisers at one school Wills attended gave him incorrect information. Officials at a second offered no help. Often, he says, he felt like “the new kid who didn’t fit in.”
The Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill, helped turn a college education into a right of middle-class America. It covered the cost for millions of World War II veterans as compensation for having disrupted their lives to serve.
Today, with tuition climbing, and a college degree increasingly the ticket to economic security, the promise of money for education is no less important to service members. The Department of Defense says 95 percent of Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard sign up for the GI Bill when they enlist.
For many, like Wills, 28, it is the reason they join. Yet his experience, and those of other recent veterans, suggests that often the road from combat to college can be riddled with potholes.
Read the full article here.