Join Us For the Lebanon Veterans’ Home Dedication
Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP)
Colleagues and Fellow Veterans,
This is a note for Veterans who have or are in a Master’s degree program. If you are, or know of a Veteran who might qualify please read on. This is a great opportunity.
In any event, we’d like to wish everyone a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend with family and friends.
For Veterans who are considering careers in diplomacy and international development, I want to make you aware of a great opportunity for which you may be eligible. The U.S. Department of State has launched the Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP), a new public-private alliance platform aimed at serving America’s Veterans and separating Servicemembers by preparing them for diplomacy and development careers, providing education and employment resources and expertise while enhancing America’s global leadership.
They are currently accepting applications for the Fall 2014 class of VIP Fellows. The main focus of VIP is to build and deploy strategic partnerships between the U.S. government and the U.S. private sector to mobilize resources and build networks to promote foreign affairs career opportunities for Veterans.
The VIP fellowship will include the following components:
- Full-time employment beginning in Fall 2014 and lasting for one year
- Responsibilities and compensation commensurate with a Master’s degree
- Mentoring and professional development opportunities throughout the year
Eligibility Requirements
VIP fellowships are only open to Veterans who:
- Are enrolled in a Master’s degree program in the preferred fields of International Business, International Relations / Affairs, Public Policy, Public Administration, or related fields (this includes MPA, MPH, MPP, MBA, and JD degrees).
- Completed a Master’s degree in the preferred or related fields listed above less than two years prior to applying for the fellowship (except for Veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, they will have up to six years after degree completion to apply).
- Are able to obtain a Secret Level security clearance.
- Provide a resume. Use your resume to highlight your education, expertise, achievements and honors, extracurricular activities / community service, and any leadership experience. The resume should not exceed two pages.
- Criteria include outstanding leadership and life experience, as well as excellence in academic, cross-cultural and communication skills.
- To be considered, an applicant’s cumulative GPA for the Master’s degree should be 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent.
How to Apply
If you are interested in applying to be a VIP Fellow, please submit your resume to apply@vipfellowship.org. Subject to funding and further arrangements, the application deadline is currently September 15, 2014, with participants beginning their fellowship in Fall 2014. Please refer to www.vipfellowship.org and @vipfellowship for further information and updates.
Curtis L. Coy
Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity
Veterans Benefits Administration
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Core Values: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence (“I CARE”)
Please Remember:
- If you would like to review prior messages sent through this listserv, click http://benefits.va.gov/vow/economic_opportunity.htm.
- If you would like to research, find, access, and, in time, manage your VA benefits and personal information please visit and/or register at https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal.
- If you looking for a job or an employer committed to hiring Veterans, please register on the Veterans Employment Center (VEC) at: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs
- If you are seeking employment in the federal government, particularly the VA, our VA for Vets high-tech tools and resources can help. Visit online at https://vaforvets.va.gov/Pages/default.aspx or call 1-855-824-8387.
If you would like to contact us about your VA education benefits:
You can send us a secure email that will usually be answered within 48 hours. You can also search for answers to frequently asked questions and register to be notified of any updates to the information. This contact method is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can also be utilized worldwide. Click here to enter the “Ask A Question” site or here to review our frequently asked questions.
You can call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551). This line only accepts calls from 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM central time Monday – Friday
Becoming an USMC Officer
Oregon State University Veterans,
My name is Capt O’Doherty. I am the local Marine Officer recruiter for Oregon. Congrats on pursuing your college education. That is a great milestone to achieve in your life. I would like to extend the opportunity to anyone who would like to know more information on how to become a Marine Officer and help you complete your degree. If you would like more information please feel free to contact me anytime at (541)758-0835 Office, (541)760-4414 Cell, casey.odoherty@marines.usmc.mil.
Some key things to know if flying has been an interest for you only the Marines can GUARANTEE a flight contract. Also earlier in college standing that you apply there are more selection spots for training. If you are still in the reserves still that is a great green weight for applications and is counted as drill time if you attend OCS. While at OCS you are paid as an E-5 if you have not attained a higher rank. Thank you for your time.
Captian O’Doherty, USMC
Officer Selection Officer
Officer Selection Station Corvallis
572 NW Van Buren
Corvallis, OR 97330
(541)758-0835 Office
(541)760-4414 Cell
Area Manger-Student Entry Level Management Opportunity
Job Description
Are you looking to become a leader in a global operation with hundreds of managers and thousands of employees? Would you like the challenge of delivering continuously improved customer experiences to over 150+ million customers? Could you assume financial responsibility that impacts both the bottom line and shareholder expectations for a growing Fortune 100 corporation? If you want to be involved in creating the future of online retail, and are dynamic, organized, and a self-starter join our Operations Team as an Area Manager.
Amazon is looking for high potential graduates who are ready to do what it takes to be successful in the Operations Field and have your leadership capacity stretched to its full potential. As front-line managers, you have an opportunity to develop a people-focused leadership style, while mastering the tools, processes, and operations that have created the most customer centric company on Earth.
As an Area Manager, you will have the opportunity to manage and develop your own team of associates, drive process change at the ground level of our fulfillment centers, and learn how the largest online retailer in the world runs its operations.
To apply login to Beaver Careers or click here for more information.
Top 20 Hot Jobs for Veterans 2014
You’re getting out. You need a job. We’re here to help.
Last year we asked the nation’s Military Friendly Employers® to list the top jobs they were recruiting America’s veterans for. The resulting Top 20 Hot Jobs for Veterans was so popular, we’re going to do it every year.
So we asked the 2014 Military Friendly Employers® – 184 large employers that boast the best military recruiting and retention programs in the nation – to list their hottest jobs for veterans. The resulting list ranks the Top 20 Hot Jobs for Veterans according to demand with a brief description of each, their average national salary, why they’re “hot” and what you need to land the job.
For more information:http://www.gijobs.com/hot-jobs-list/top-20-hot-jobs-for-veterans-2014/
Raytheon-SVA Scholarship
Student Veterans of America and Raytheon have partnered to provide three (3) $10,000 STEM scholarships to student veterans pursuing engineering degrees or a degree in a closely related field. These student veterans have the potential to fill a critical skills gap plaguing the nation and usher in a new generation of technological advancements. This partnership will support the professionals that are well equipped to answer the challenges of tomorrow.
The 2014 Raytheon-SVA Scholarship application will open July 4, 2014 and remain open until October 1, 2014 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time. Student veterans must complete an online application, answer two essay questions, attach the required documents, and have one letter of reference be submitted prior to the deadline to be considered.
Eligibility
All successful candidates must:
- Be entering their sophomore, junior or senior year of undergraduate study, or be enrolled in a graduate program for the 2015-2016 academic year
- Be attending full-time at an accredited four-year university in the United States
- Be pursuing an engineering degree or a degree in a closely related field, as listed below
- Demonstrate a commitment to and passion for their chosen field of study
- Demonstrate leadership and engagement in their community
- Be a current student veteran, as proven by a DD 214 and transcript
- Have received an honorable discharge, or be in good standing with his/her branch of service
Closely related fields include:
- Software Engineering / Computer Science / IT
- Computer Engineering
- Cyber Security / Network Security
- Electrical Engineering
- Systems Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Essay
Please provide answers to the following two essay questions (maximum of 300-500 words per essay). Your word document should include your name and clearly specify each answer by number.
1. What sparked your interest in your chosen field of study? What do you hope to accomplish with your degree? In your answer, please describe how your experiences have influenced the goals you have for yourself.
2. Please provide 1-2 examples of how you have demonstrated leadership. Explain how you were influential and what you were trying to achieve. These need not be demonstrated through formal or traditional leadership roles. Think broadly and examine the many ways you are having an effect on the members of your technical community, your chapter, your university, or your broader community.
Letters of Reference
You must arrange for one letter of reference be emailed directly to SVA at scholarships@studentveterans.org. The email should contain in the subject, “2014 Raytheon-SVA Scholarship Letter of Reference for (Provide Your Name)”. Letters can also be mailed to:
Student Veterans of America
c/o Raytheon-SVA Scholarship Committee
1625 K Street NW Suite 320
Washington, DC 20006
All letters of recommendation must be sent by the author, signed by the author, and be on official letterhead.
Additional Materials
A complete application must include:
- Current copy of your Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Unofficial copy of current university transcript updated for the most recently completed semester
- One letter of reference from a professor, adviser or supervisor
- Responses to the 2 essay questions
- DD 214, Certificate of Discharge
Questions
Should you have any questions, or experience any problems, please submit a contact form so an SVA team member may help you.
Obama signs veterans’ health care overhaul
Veterans may soon have easier access to government-paid health care under a bill President Barack Obama signed into law Thursday, the government’s most sweeping response to date to a public uproar over systemwide problems that have rocked the Veterans Affairs Department.
With service members, lawmakers and military leaders looking on, Obama put his pen to the bill at Fort Belvoir, an Army base south of Washington, where he held up the legislation as a rare example of Republicans and Democrats working together effectively. Denouncing delays in care for veterans as wrong and outrageous, Obama said the government would keep moving ahead with urgent reforms to ensure veterans have the care they’ve earned.
“This will not and cannot be the end of our effort,” Obama said. “We have to make sure the VA system can keep pace with the new demands.”
The $16.3 billion measure allows the Veterans Affairs Department to hire thousands of doctors, nurses and other health professionals at the VA’s nearly 1,000 hospitals and outpatient clinics nationwide. Under the new law, employment rules will be revised to make it easier to fire senior VA executives judged to be negligent or performing poorly.
For more information see the following website; http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/07/obama-to-sign-veterans-health-care-overhaul/
Congress Passes Veterans Access and Accountability Act
Friday, 01 August 2014
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congress passed historic legislation that will give the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) critical tools to carry out their mission of providing veterans and their families with access to care and benefits. Student Veterans of America’s (SVA) President and CEO, D. Wayne Robinson, hailed the comprehensive measure’s passage as a step towards accountability within the VA.
“This week, Congress has made it clear that they are serious about providing for our nation’s veterans,” said Robinson. “Tuesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Robert McDonald as the new Secretary of the VA, and today they hand him the keys to begin a reformation process that is long overdue.”
The broad measure includes language that would grant in-state tuition to veterans attending public institutions, extend the Post-9/11 GI Bill to dependents of service-members killed in action, and increase accountability in a VA overwhelmed by scandal, a move that aims to restore public trust in the department.
“We applaud the long-time efforts of Chairman Miller in the House and the push for a comprehensive measure from Chairman Sanders in the Senate,” said Robinson. “We look forward to continuing our work with both leaders and all of Congress, as well as Secretary McDonald to ensure that every facet of this measure is used to its fullest potential. This is a big step, but it’s only the first.”
Message from VA – Deputy Undersecretary Curtis Coy
Colleagues and Fellow Veterans,
This is one of my longer notes … concerning the new Transition Assistance Program…. If not remotely interested please delete now .. For most, however, it might prove to be beneficial. What you will see below is an amazing transformation of what is now being done for separating Servicemembers.
There have been extensive changes in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for those Servicemembers leaving the military. Gone are ‘death by PowerPoint’ presentations. In its place is an interagency (Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Labor (DOL), Small Business Administration (SBA)) Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success) program. This five to seven day event, generally within 180 days of separation, has established Career Readiness Standards for every transitioning Servicemember regardless of Service. For those of you who have already separated, we’ll tell you how you can see the new program and what you may have missed.
This mandatory interagency Transition GPS program is broken down into several different segments:
- An overview. A military occupational codes crosswalk, resilient transition overview, and financial planning seminar conducted by the Services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard). This training provides the foundational pieces for a successful transition.
- Employment Workshop. A three-day Employment Workshop conducted by DOL addresses factors that contribute to successful employment transition, as well as challenges that may interfere with work performance. The intent is to provide transitioning Servicemembers with the skills needed to find and maintain a private or public sector civilian job.
- VA Benefits Brief. A two-segment Benefits Brief by VA informs transitioning Servicemembers of their Veterans benefits options to include information on education, health care, life insurance, home loans, VA disability compensation, and the eBenefits portal. In addition, VA provides individual assistance to address specific questions about benefits, help with filing claims, and establish a profile on the Veteran’s Employment Center.
- A Capstone event, conducted before a Servicemembers’ transition from military service and sponsored by the Services, confirms all objectives of the Career Readiness Standards have been met and a viable plan to successfully achieve transition goals has been established. Representatives from DOL, VA, SBA, and other community organizations attend the CAPSTONE event to ensure Servicemembers connect with the proper resources as they become Veterans.
Servicemembers may also select and participate in optional two-day Transition GPS tracks as well which include:
- The DoD-sponsored Education Track in which Servicemembers intending to pursue a college education receive guidance to prepare for the college application process by identifying an education goal, exploring education funding, and researching and comparing institutions. Upon completing the education track, Servicemembers will be prepared to submit an application to an academic institution, schedule a session with a counselor from the institution, and connect with a Student Veterans Organization on campus.
- The VA-sponsored Career Technical Training Track workshop assists transitioning Servicemembers and their spouses to identify civilian occupations, establish career goals, and begin applications for credentials and vocational training. Servicemembers pursuing further technical training will receive guidance and help in selecting schools and technical fields with an emphasis on such topics as selection of a reputable career and technical training school, the application process from start to finish, and how to use certification finder web tools and other web tools that identify licensed occupations.
- The SBA-sponsored Entrepreneurial Track, in which Servicemembers pursuing self-employment in the private or non-profit sector will learn about the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, the benefits and realities of entrepreneurship, and the steps toward business ownership. Upon completing the Entrepreneurship track, Servicemembers will have developed the initial components of their business plan and after completing an optional eight-week online course, will be connected with a small business owner to mentor and guide them through their business start-up.
It is never too early, or too late, to make plans for the future. Servicemembers, Veterans, and their spouses can view and re-visit valuable Transition GPS information and resources at any time, pre- or post-transition, by accessing the curriculum through the eBenefits website (another shameless pitch to sign up for eBenefits). If you have specific questions about Transition GPS or VA benefits and services, or wish to attend a VA Benefits Briefing or Career Technical Training Track, contact your local Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Manager, by visiting http://www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil/.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to also remind you about our integrated employment tool, the Veterans Employment Center (VEC), in the eBenefits portal. The VEC was developed to put America’s current and former military personnel and their families in the job search driver’s seat by translating and matching their extensive training and experience with available jobs. Additionally, the VEC provides employers who are seeking to leverage the skills and talents of those who have served our county to ability to search thousands of Veterans profiles – leveraging eBenefits as the validator that they are searching through actual Veteran profiles.
I encourage you to utilize and inform others about the Veterans Employment Center which can be found at: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs
V/R
Curtis L. Coy
Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity
Veterans Benefits Administration
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Please remember:
If you would like to review prior messages sent through this listserv, click
http://benefits.va.gov/vow/economic_opportunity.htm.
If you would like to research, find, access, and, in time, manage your VA benefits and personal information please visit and/or register at https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal.
If you would like to contact us about your VA education benefits:
You can send us a secure email that will usually be answered within 48 hours. You can also search for answers to frequently asked questions and register to be notified of any updates to the information. This contact method is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can also be utilized worldwide. Click here to enter the “Ask A Question” site or here to review our frequently asked questions.
You can call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551). This line only accepts calls from 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM central time Monday – Friday
Message to Veterans from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Fellow Veterans and Family Members,
After 38 years in The Army, I am now honored and privileged to serve as your Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA remains committed to providing the high quality benefits you have earned and deserve.
Allegations of VA employees’ misconduct have surfaced over the last several weeks, beginning with scheduling delays at the Phoenix VA Health Care System. As I testified before Congress on May 15, I take any allegations about patient safety or employee misconduct very seriously. The reports of Veterans’ negative experiences while seeking VA care are of great personal concern to me. I fully agree with President Obama’s statement on May 21, 2014: “If these allegations prove to be true, it is dishonorable, it is disgraceful . . . .”