A permanent change of station move, or PCS move, isn’t a one-time expense. It’s a major event that can stretch across two or three months, and even experienced military families routinely underestimate the costs. The good news is that PCS spending can be more predictable if you know what to plan for. Here’s how to build a budget that your family can use during the PCS season. How Much Does a Typical PCS Move Cost? The total cost of a PCS move varies significantly based on your family size, rank, distance and moving logistics. On average, military families spend between…
All jobs in the military carry real risks, but some jobs are much riskier than others. Here are 10 of the most dangerous: 1. Pararescue U.S. Air Force pararescuemen and a simulated ‘survivor’ watch as an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter comes in for a landing. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Taylor/U.S. Air Force photo) Pararescue jumpers are basically the world’s best ambulance service. They fly, climb and march to battlefields, catastrophic weather areas and disaster zones to save wounded and isolated people during firefights or other emergencies. 2. Special Operations While this is lumping a few separate jobs together, troops…
A weird Idaho spring turned one big bear into a pile of sweet meat, 11 pints of bear grease, and a batch of cracklings worth fighting over. Here is how to render bear fat cleanly, safely, and deliciously without wasting the good stuff. A Weird Idaho Spring Made One Seriously Fat Bear It’s been a weird weather year in Idaho: The winter was warm with little snow, and the spring has been long. I anticipate that the deer and elk populations will have had less winter kill and plenty of feed through the spring. It seems like bears have had…
The 2018 movie “7 Days in Entebbe” tells the story of Operation Thunderbolt, the daring 1976 rescue of 94 Israeli passengers and 12 crew members from an Air France flight grounded in Uganda after a hijacking by German PLO sympathizers. Inspired by the movie, we’ve got a list of the 10 greatest operation names in military history. The Entebbe raid was an enormous story back in 1976 — so big that it wasn’t totally overshadowed by the fact that the raid took place on the American Bicentennial on July 4, 1976. The popular fascination with the successful raid inspired two…
We were deep in Nepal, backpacking through the Himalayas. The cool evening air blew across the terrace overlooking lush green mountains as we unfurled the Exped Cassira two-person tent. In a matter of minutes, we had the tent set up and the vestibules wide open, letting in air and offering us views of the countryside. We spent 5 days trekking through Nepal, using the new Cassira as our base camp, and it performed well. In rain and wind, it kept the elements out and provided a relaxing place to rest after a long day on the trail. While customers know…
Say what you want about him, but Rep. Thomas Massie has been a strong defender of gun rights. Say what you want about him, but Sen. John Cornyn has not.Both men, however, were defeated in their primaries. Other than both having an “R” after their name, they didn’t have much else in common, and for at least one anti-gun group, the fact that they both lost while being diametrically opposed on the issue of guns is evidence of…something.One of the nation’s leading gun safety groups has a message for Republicans: Tuesday’s results show you don’t have…
In a survival story worthy of Hollywood, a Colorado firefighter is expected to recover after a harrowing ordeal while mountain climbing. On Wednesday, July 1, the firefighter was climbing North Apostle Mountain, a 13,000-foot peak in the Sawatch Range, when a 400-pound boulder rolled over and pinned their leg. The firefighter, who remains unidentified as of Monday, was able to free themselves through “incredible determination” and “primal adrenaline,” according to a news release from the Eagle River Fire Protection District in central Colorado. But even freed from the boulder, the firefighter had a broken leg and couldn’t self-rescue from the…
There’s an informal logical fallacy called argument from authority. Basically, it’s where someone uses their authority, particularly when it’s not relevant to the discussion, to dismiss someone’s arguments. “I’m a lawyer, so I know more than you, and you’re wrong about particle physics.” That kind of thing. But most people are smart enough not to fall into that obvious a trap. Instead, they tend to focus on one aspect of an issue where their expertise looks like it’s relevant, but even if it is, the argument and their authority only go so far.Take, for example,…
The AR-15 is not just a range rifle or a tactical toy. It is a genuinely capable hunting platform, and if you have spent any real time chasing game with one, you already know the critics are missing the point. It’s rather common for people to claim the AR-15 isn’t meant for hunting. The logic is usually along the lines of how no one needs 30 rounds for a deer, the AR-15 is a weapon of war, and it’s entirely impractical and silly. However, the AR-15 is fantastic for hunting, including deer hunting. Those who say otherwise don’t know what…
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On June 23rd, the number of New World screwworm cases stood at sixteen. Now, there are 32 known cases of the flesh-eating parasite in the United States. Researchers are fast-tracking options in an attempt to slow the population growth of the devastating screwworm before it does widespread economic damage. US Screwworm Cases At 16 The latest effort comes through a $300,000 research investment announced this week by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), which is partnering with biotechnology company Agragene and researchers at North Carolina State University to develop genetically sterile male screwworm flies that could outperform the…
Divorce can be a financially complex event, especially if a VA loan is involved. A divorce decree can divide property and assign who pays the mortgage, but it can’t change your contract with the lender or automatically free up your VA loan entitlement. That means your entitlement could get tied up for years, limiting your ability to buy a new home with VA financing. This guide covers everything you need to know about VA loans and divorce, including who can keep the house, whether a non-military ex-spouse can assume the loan, and how and when entitlement gets restored. What Happens…
National reciprocity legislation is now something we know the Trump administration is working on. While it’s not the ideal situation–national constitutional carry would be so much better–it’s far better than the status quo. As it stands, a permit in one state might be recognized in another, or it might not. You have to navigate the insane patchwork of laws, all to exercise a constitutionally protected right. But if you have a driver’s license in Minnesota, you can drive anywhere in the United States. Your license is accepted everywhere, even though driving is considered a privilege…
Take a look at data fromiSeeCars, and you’ll see a handful of SUVs that are anywhere from 2.9 to 9.1 times as likely to cross a quarter million miles as the average vehicle, led by Toyota models like the Toyota Sequoia. These SUVs are all made by automakers with a reputation for dependability, like Honda and Lexus, but that’s not all they have in common. It’s not just that these SUVs are remarkably well-built, but that they buck certain trends. Namely, small, overstressed turbocharged engines and one-speed CVTs. All of these SUVs are available with multi-speed automatic transmissions, and engines…
Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have grown to 1,561 while deaths have surged to 506. The virus is still spreading as new treatment trials begin. DR Congo Begins Ebola Treatment Trial This is the largest ever Ebola outbreak, and it has yet to reach its peak. Researchers began the study of two possible treatments on Thursday at the Ebola treatment center inside Bunia’s Evangelical Medical Center, in eastern Congo’s Ituri province. Vaccine candidates are also in the works, as health care officials struggle to contain the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. This particular strain of the virus is…
A new option has hit the market for heavy e-bikes and versatile riders. Introducing the Thule Vero hitch bike rack, which joined our testing ring this season. The Thule Vero hitch bike rack is engineered to bridge the gap between heavy-duty e-bikes — and virtually any other bike. Gravel bikes. Road bikes. Fat bikes. Kids’ bikes. “The primary goal was to create the ultimate bike rack, capable of carrying virtually any bike type while remaining easy to use,” Oliver Berg, Thule’s international product manager for bike racks, told GearJunkie. That it is. In short: The Thule Vero ($1,300) is an adaptable and…
What should have been a summer getaway at a hunting camp ended in heartbreak. Two University of Alabama students were killed after a fire tore through a hunting camp in Conecuh County early Wednesday morning, and investigators now believe fireworks may have played a role in the tragedy. According to reporting by WKRG, 19-year-old Walter Hensley and 21-year-old McNeil Mostellar, both from the Mobile area, died after flames engulfed the camp near Highway 84 west of Evergreen. Two other young men escaped the fire and were hospitalized with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. Investigators with the Alabama…
After separating from the military, receiving your first civilian paycheck is a milestone. But when you’re used to the military’s unique pay structure, you might be confused about what to do when that initial direct deposit hits your bank account. Here’s what you should know. What Changes Financially After Separation Military compensation is more than your base pay. When you’re on active duty, you likely receive non-taxable allowances, such as the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), which can add up to thousands of dollars each month without affecting your taxable income. In the civilian…
The ATF is changing rules aplenty, and they’re a massive departure from years gone by, when everyone in leadership there was as anti-gun as they came. It’s almost universally good news for us, to say the least. Yes, I’m happy overall with where things are headed.However, things aren’t perfect, and Gun Owners of America is a little less than pleased by what we’re seeing.In particular, they have one problem, but it’s kind of a big one.The pro-gun rights group Gun Owners of America is calling out the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives over…
A proposal that could effectively ban hunting, fishing, slaughterhouses, and many forms of animal testing in Oregon just took a big step toward the November ballot. According to KATU, supporters of Initiative Petition 28, also known as the PEACE Act, say they submitted roughly 140,000 signatures to the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office. That does not automatically put the measure on the ballot. The state still has to verify the signatures, and officials have until Aug. 2 to decide whether the petition qualifies for the November general election. Still, for hunters, anglers, ranchers, seafood restaurants, and anyone who enjoys eating…
When a military retiree dies, the individual’s retirement pay stops. If you are a retiree or approaching retirement eligibility, you need to give serious thought to how you can protect your spouse from the potential hardships caused by the loss of your retirement pay. One option available to you is the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). The SBP is an insurance plan that will pay your surviving spouse a monthly payment (annuity) to help make up for the loss of your retirement income. The plan is designed to protect your survivors against the risks of: Your early death Your survivor outliving…
