Separating from the military sets off a series of financial deadlines that don’t run on the same schedule, and most of them aren’t automatic. Health coverage, life insurance, Department of Veterans Affairs disability filing and retirement account decisions all run on their own separate clocks, and missing any one of them can mean a gap in coverage or a benefit that closes for good. Here’s how the sequence goes, from before separation through the end of the first year. Before Separation: 90 to 180 Days Out The window to start planning opens well before your separation date. Veterans and service…
If you read my story about the Violence Policy Center’s so-called study, you had to know that sooner or later, the media would get hold of it. While I kind of expected the New York Times or someone to get hold of it and make a thing of it, I still knew someone would if they declined. And, sure enough, someone has.There’s this report out of South Carolina, and we need to talk about it.South Carolina’s rate of women killed by men remained above the national average in 2024, according to a nationwide study highlighted…
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A pilot on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel stabbed another pilot Wednesday and then apparently tried to crash the jetliner carrying around 170 people, Israel’s prime minister said. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia. As some passengers screamed, the FlyDubai flight issued an emergency alert and abruptly descended thousands of feet (meters). Israel scrambled warplanes amid concerns about a possible hijacking. As a plane carrying passengers from the flight landed Wednesday evening in Israel, it was not clear what motivated the attack. Video…
If a policy that won preliminary approval in the Lexington-Richland 5 school district this week is implemented, students may be protected by armed school staff in the future. Then again, they might not, even if the district allows for the practice. That’s because the policies that the district is planning on putting in place are so burdensome that officials might not find any staffers willing to shoulder the responsibility. The newly-drafted ordinance requires staff carrying weapons to wear a district Security Department badge visible or “clothing that clearly identifies the employee as a member of the…
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping left their Washington meetings last week with a list of eight “deliverables and understandings.” The list covers trade, artificial intelligence and Iran, along with diplomatic and symbolic commitments. It is not eight separately signed treaties or completed deals. A proposed military crisis agreement appears separately, and neither government has announced that it is in operation. President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping participate in an arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon) China’s published list identifies these eight outcomes: Strategic stability: The leaders agreed…
Let’s start off by noting that yes, warning shots are stupid. I don’t feel like getting into why, generally speaking, in this piece, because it’s not about that. It’s about a California man facing charges for firing warning shots. It started with the nightmare scenario for many people: the proverbial bump in the night. Someone was inside of the home in the dark of night who shouldn’t have been there.So a man who works as a security guard decided he needed to do something, but he apparently didn’t want to hurt anyone.A security guard was…
I grew up hunting and fishing with my father. There were times I was bored off my butt, sitting in a boat, saying nothing, just waiting for a fish to bite, but in hindsight, those are the moments that stick out to me now that Dad is gone. It was something we shared. But hunting was solitary. It might be freezing cold, and I might have gone into the woods with Dad, but it was the first taste of responsibility. I already knew the damage a .303 British round could inflict, at least to some…
Military spouses who are heading out to other Air Force installations can now seek help finding civilian jobs through the Department of the Air Force’s Global Military Spouse Connection program. The Air Force said in a release that it expanded the program to five additional destinations. The available bases are below: United States: Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; Goodfellow and Laughlin Air Force Bases, Texas; Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; Travis Air Force Base, California; and Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. Germany: Ramstein Air Base. United Kingdom: RAF Croughton, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Lakenheath and RAF Feltwell. Japan: Kadena Air…
Active-duty military personnel and their spouses will soon benefit in their employment endeavors due to a new law going into effect Thursday. On Oct. 1 in Maryland, legislation known as the Modernizing Civil Relief for Service Members Act kicks in and allows active-duty service members and their spouses who relocate to the state pursuant to military orders to practice under a valid occupational or professional license issued by another state, provided they meet specified eligibility requirements and remain in good standing with their licensing authority. The bill, signed into law May 26 by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, aims to reduce…
A Republican lawmaker has forced a House vote this week to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a vocal critic of his party’s policies who earlier this year lost his GOP primary when President Donald Trump endorsed his opponent, read the articles of impeachment on the House floor on Tuesday. He introduced the resolution as privileged, which under House rules forces a floor vote within two legislative days. Massie invoked a procedural maneuver that bypasses party leadership and puts some of his fellow Republicans in a difficult position weeks before the…
The National Rifle Association Range Technical Team is a little-known program for ranges and gun clubs. It wants people to know they’re available to help and are looking for volunteers. The NRA Range Technical Team is a program put on by the National Rifle Association for the benefit of advancing the Second Amendment. This program comes at no cost to those seeking help, except for on-site range evaluations that require an advisor. The team is responsible for helping facilities in everything having to do with running a range and/or gun club. The NRA’s Range Technical…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, a remarkable revelation after previous warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponizing a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told the Air and Space Cyber Conference in Maryland on Monday that the U.S. has fielded “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.” Meink did not detail what the weapons were, how they work or if they were targeting other objects in…
The United States government has never been above using the tax code as a means of controlling behavior. Look at the taxes on cigarettes, for an example. The taxes are a good chunk of the cost of a pack, and that’s by design. The desire was for the tax code to make the cost of smoking high enough that many would rather just quit than pay the price. I didn’t work on my mother, to be fair, but it probably worked on others. Smoking is far from as common as it used to be. I…
The U.S. military destroyed two Iranian small boats that tried to steal a Navy drone. Axios, citing Iranian media’s Mehr News Agency, reported Tuesday that U.S. forces struck two fishing boats off the coast of Kargan and near Larak Island, in the Hormozgan province, on Monday, Sept. 14. The publication said that the province’s deputy governor for security affairs, Ahmad Nafisi, said that an undisclosed number of fishermen had gone missing because of the attack and that search-and-rescue operations were underway. But Axios, citing anonymous U.S. officials, said the boats had been used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and…
Normally, gun dealers and gun buyers are aligned on various proposals by the ATF involving the purchasing of firearms. After all, the ATF has a long and storied history of trying to interfere with gun sales. However, now, the interests of gun dealers may or may not be lining up with the interests of gun buyers.That’s because a new proposal from the ATF would allow guns to be shipped directly to people’s homes after a face-to-face chat with an in-state dealer.Some dealers aren’t thrilled with that.The competition between brick-and-mortar stores and online sales isn’t new…
Headed to MEPS soon? It’s completely normal to feel a mix of excitement and pre-test nerves before your processing day. From early-morning medical checks and the ASVAB to sitting down with a counselor to lock in your military career, MEPS sets the stage for your entire enlistment. To help you show up prepared and eliminate surprise delays, we’ve broken down exactly what happens during every phase of the process. Key Takeaways MEPS screens recruits’ medical, aptitude, and moral qualifications; process includes ASVAB, physical, counseling. Bring ID and medical records, remove jewelry, wear underwear, sleep well, and study for the ASVAB.…
For several weeks now we’ve been covering the saga of Goodland Guns, the gun shop in Goleta, California that’s been the subject of complaints by some residents because of its new location next to a daycare center. Goodland Guns owner Dan Ashton did everything by the book when relocating his shop from Old Town Goleta to its new location, but the move has led to some neighbors and patrons of the daycare center to demand that city officials do something to shut Ashton down or force him to move once again. The city has no real…
Did you know that you could earn a signing bonus simply by shipping out to basic training quickly? When you enlist, you are also eligible for GI Bill education benefits. Learn more about some of the incentives and benefits of military enlistment below. Tip: Always ask about bonuses. Not all jobs have them, but you may not know which ones do unless you ask. Check out this article to find out about current enlistment bonuses by military branch. What Enlistment Bonuses and Benefits are Available? Enlistment bonuses: Most sign-on bonuses are paid for enlisting in a specific job or enlisting…
A U.S. Army veteran has claimed Department for Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits errors left him struggling without benefits he was entitled to, leading to $43,000 in “overpayment” debt. Army veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable are entitled to a comprehensive suite of VA benefits, including education assistance, home loan guaranties and health care. VA disability compensation is a monthly, tax-free monetary payment designated for veterans who sustained injuries or contracted illnesses during active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training. This coverage spans physical conditions like chronic back pain and hearing loss, alongside mental health struggles such…
We’re now about two weeks away from the first conference of the Supreme Court’s new term, and a number of Second Amendment cases are awaiting the justices’ attention. One of them is Johnson v. Jacobson, which deals with recognition (or the lack thereof) of out-of-state concealed carry permits. The “Johnson” in this case is an over-the-road truck driver named Jeffrey Johnson, who would like to be able to lawfully carry his handgun while driving through Minnesota without having to go through the process of obtaining a non-resident permit. A coalition of Second Amendment groups comprised…
Roughly 90 U.S. Navy sailors from USS Kearsage reportedly saw their cars towed from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., after they spent 10 days at sea. The USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy. It is designed to transport and deploy elements of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) using landing craft, hovercraft (LCACs), and a variety of V/STOL jets and helicopters. The vessel has been working up to a scheduled deployment and has been in and out of Norfolk, the world’s largest naval station, training with Marine units stationed in North Carolina. A U.S.…
