2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Veterans Day 2009

See the rest of this cartoon on Jeff Bacon’s Broadside blog and don’t forget to donate to Valour-IT!!

Hey, I just realized – Today, 29 years ago, I started my first day of Navy bootcamp at RTC Orlando. Dang, time flies.

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Broadside for Valour-IT!

As Neptunus Lex puts it, “Now, besides the warm glow of knowing that you’ve helped a wounded troop reconnect with his family, friends and the world, you can also receive a tangible reminder of your munificence…”

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

The Valour-IT Auction

Now, look over to the sidebar, and take a look at the thermometer widget for Valour-IT (Team Navy), click on it and give what you can. Veteran’s Day is just around the corner, your gift will go to veterans in need. If you require more motivation than it being a righteous cause, visit this Flightdeck Friday post, or go see CDR Salamander where he makes a great recommendation concerning Valour-IT, “Find some pocket change. Paper pocket change.” Or go see the world renowned Naval blogger, Boston Maggie (oh, for your safety (as correctly stated by CDR Salamander), “Don’t make her angry, you wouldn’t like her when she is angry.” Now, please click the widget!!!

If you would rather mail in a donation, send it to this address and mark your check with Team Navy!
Soldiers Angels
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91104

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Employment Cost Index

The fund started with $2215.62, and to date it is up to $3513.66 – so far we are up to $129.80! You can track the amount daily on the side bar. Don’t worry, bad days won’t effect the total, the amount will only go up!

Ready to pledge a like amount in the name of Team Navy? Click on the Valour-IT widget in the sidebar, what a great way to start your holiday season!

“Project Valour IT”, of Soldier’s Angels, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Soldiers Angel’s has been designated a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity by the IRS, so direct donations to Soldiers’ Angels are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

2009 Project Valour-IT

Grades You Receive
VA can’t pay benefits for courses that don’t count toward your graduation requirements. If your school reports that you received a grade that doesn’t count toward your graduation, you may have to repay all benefits VA paid for the course. Here are some examples:

• An “I” grade for an incomplete which is not made up during the time period required by your school or within 1 year from receipt, whichever is earlier.
• A “W” or other grade for withdrawing
• An “AU” or other grade for auditing

Generally you do not have to repay benefits for a failing grade.

If You Withdraw
If you withdraw from one or more courses after the end of your school’s drop period and receive grades that don’t count toward your graduation requirements, you may have to repay all benefits VA paid for the course from the beginning of the term.

You may not have to repay the benefits if you show the change was due to reasons beyond your control. The reasons must be unavoidable and unexpected events that directly interfered with your enrollment.

Examples of reasons that may be excepted:
• Extended illness
• Severe illness or death in your immediate family
• Unscheduled changes in your employment
• Lack of child care

Be prepared to send evidence to support your reason.

Examples of reasons that may NOT be excepted:
• Withdraw to avoid a failing grade
• Dislike of the instructor
• Too many courses attempted

Not that I plan on ever failing a class, but I was under the impression that if you did fail one you better break out your check book, or maybe that is just Tuition Assistance… Whatever, I shall do my best and I hope you do also! Now back to studying for my accounting test.

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

911GIBill What Ifs

At about noon, the ship stopped all engines and went dead in the water; the “Steel Beach Picnic” was now underway. The picnic was an event that would make any outdoor party fanatic proud. It was our first day off in a month. We were blessed with a perfect, cloudless day with a light breeze that made the mid-summer heat bearable. Eight grills were laid out end to end, covering about 25 yards of the flight deck. Each one loaded with hot coals at the ready, and seemingly begging for the juices that would be produced from the searing cuts of beef. The coals appeared to be just as hungry as those they were giving their all for. The steaks hit the grated cooking surface with a sizzle and sent the smell of freshly grill steak in my direction. A freshly grilled steak smell has many medicinal properties I won’t get into for now, but I can assure you that it cured any amount of depression I may have felt up to that point. Oh, and what is a party without good music? There were six different bands consisting of talented crewmen, playing various genres of music, and strategically placed around the remaining 90,000 square feet of the ship’s runway. I ate until I could hardly move while soaking up the festivities; this day was shaping up to be a truly memorable day.

As the clean up from the day’s festivities came to a conclusion, you could see the other ships in our battle group start to position themselves closer to us. Each ship maintained a couple of miles separation from the others, and maneuvered themselves until the entire group formed a large circle. Then, as if on cue, the sun appeared to extinguish itself in the sea. If you haven’t seen a sunset while in the middle of the ocean, I suggest you put that on your “bucket list.” It is an amazing sight. Once the sun had completed its journey beyond the horizon, a loud cheer from the ships crew numbering about 5000 seemed to summon the stars to our celebration. I promise you, they showed up to provide a most excellent backdrop for what was going to happen next.

Strategically placed along the perimeter of our ship were mounted .50 caliber machine guns, four along the starboard side, to be used for protection during our planned transit of the Suez Canal, but this night they would serve another purpose. With military precision and timing, each of the four machine guns began to fire producing flame from their barrels accompanied by an obstreperous din. Every fifth round from the guns was a tracer round that produced a red stream into the night air. It was then the other ships joined in the action. The other ships, frigates, destroyers, and cruisers were equipped with 5-inch deck guns and other weaponry they used to fire star-burst rounds that would make it appear as if the sun had returned. America and its power were on full display that night, and I had a front row seat.

On that glorious day, we celebrated our nations birthday nearly half way around the world from home. Remembering those who came before me, I stood consumed with national pride, a since of purpose, and deep emotion. Every concussion from the various explosions sending chills down my spine. It was the first Independence Day in my life I felt I understood what it meant to be an American. Every July Fourth since that day I look up into the night sky and become so overcome with pride that tears fall down my cheeks. Not the kind of tears you might try and hide when you watched Ol’ Yeller meet his demise, I am talking pride tears and they are cool.

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

My Favorite Holiday

Happy Birthday United States Navy!

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

234 Years Old

Follow this breast cancer information link, and start to get yourself educated on a disease that is projected to kill about 41,000 Americans in the next year.

Remember, awareness and education is just the first step towards a cure. Support, in any way you can, the American Cancer Society!

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Funny thing, as most young men in their late teens, I actually thought I knew what challenges I would face in life, and how I would handle them. Well, as sports broadcasters say after the underdog team creams the heavily favored team, that’s why we play the game. In as much as factoring in the knowledge and wisdom offered by our elders would make sense, decision-making at a young age is most often completed utilizing our own limited and youthful experiences.

Going to college wasn’t one of the life options that immediately appealed to me; besides, if I didn’t like sitting in a classroom during high school, why would I think sitting in a classroom in college would have been more to my liking? I wanted adventure; I wanted to experience life without being tethered to the expectations of what others considered normal.

The United States Navy offered everything I was seeking at the time. I could travel, experience different cultures, and learn a viable trade; furthermore, because the Navy had many educational opportunities such as tuition assistance, I could have easily mixed my desire for travel and adventure with bettering myself through higher education. Shamefully, I did not take advantage of the college opportunities presented as so many of my mentors had advised.

So here I am, nearly 30 years later, a veteran in every sense of the word. I am more judicious and much wiser than in my “know it all” adolescence, starting a new chapter in my life. Further education is the catalyst I need to succeed; amazingly, the new Post 9/11 GI Bill has provided me a second chance to utilize a benefit I wasted away while serving in the Navy. Now, it is time to capitalize on the second chance with a maturity earned in the face of challenging adversities and enormous successes. It’s time to get my degree!

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

College, Better Late Than Never