It’s no secret that military life can be hard on families. Children of service members deal not only with the deployment of parents to dangerous places but also with regular relocations that require a transferring of records between school districts, which often have different standards. The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) aims to replace these widely varying policies that affect transitioning military students with a comprehensive approach every school district can use if their state chooses to take part. Issues addressed include enrollment, placement, attendance, eligibility and graduation.

An interactive map on the commission’s website displays which states participate. By clicking on one, visitors can access information about state contact officials. Children of active duty members of the armed forces, National Guard and Reserve members on active-duty orders, and veterans who were medically discharged or retired in the last year are eligible for assistance. Families can learn more on the MIC3 site or by reaching out to school liaison officers on local installations. A list of those liaisons is available on the Military K-12 Partners site.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

Catastrophically wounded or ill service members and people involved in their care can access the Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of Daily Living (SCAADL) calculator to determine the amount of stipend they can receive to help cover nonmedical expenses. Authorized under the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, SCAADL is a monthly compensation for eligible service members who require assistance with daily living or who are at high risk for personal safety and cannot live independently.

The amount of compensation is based on a troop’s level of dependency, the caregiver assistance required and local wage rates. Qualification requirements are posted online. Service members suffering catastrophic physical conditions and their caregivers can reach out to primary care managers or care coordinators to discuss eligibility for this program.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

People across the United States are eager to thank troops for their service, but direct encounters can leave these grateful citizens feeling unsure or awkward about how to show their appreciation. The Gratitude Campaign is working to fix that. This organization has created and is trying to spread the word about a universal hand gesture that means “thank you from the bottom of my heart.” To make the sign, place your hand on your heart as if you’re saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, pull your hand down and out, bending at the elbow, stopping for a moment near the belly button with the hand flat, palm up and angled toward the person being thanked. A video showing the gesture, and a text explanation of why the campaign does not use the traditional American Sign Language sign for thank you, is available online.

Help the trend catch on by using the gesture and telling others about it. And next time you’re walking through an airport or at a ball game and you see some troops, stop and say thanks without uttering a word.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

A new app from the U.S. Defense Department provides wounded warriors with a comprehensive mobile resource guide. The Compensation and Benefits Handbook for Wounded, Ill and Injured Members of the Armed Forces is available for Android and iOS devices.

The application allows service members and their families to access information at any time about benefits available to them upon separation or retirement as a result of a serious injury or illness. It includes resources for recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration, including chapters on medical care, Defense Department pay and allowances, the Disability Evaluation System and returning to civilian life.

Download the free app from the Android Market or the iTunes App Store.

If you have a suggestion for a Cool App-titude feature, email Rachel Eisenhower at reisenhower@afcea.org.

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For the past 40 years, Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) has been working to boost the morale of former service members in VA medical centers, military hospitals and state veterans homes. The organization provides arts and crafts supplies to patients, giving them an activity that engages the mind and fine motor skills. More than 300 kits are available, so veterans can select the ones suited to their personal needs. Since 1971, more than 27 million free kits have been handed out.

HHV also gives the public a chance to remind veterans that they are remembered and valued. Through the organization’s correspondence program, citizens can send letters to veterans in medical care facilities. There is also an e-card option that allows site visitors to choose a card, personalize it and send it to a hospitalized or homebound veteran. For more information about other HHV efforts, how to participate in the programs or to donate funds to keep them going, visit the website.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

Homes on the Homefront is more than just a catchy name. This partnership between Operation Homefront and Chase Bank will give at least 100 wounded-warrior, military and veterans’ families their own permanent homes this year. In addition, selectees will receive financial counseling. First priority will go to families currently living in Operation Homefront Village. Other wounded warriors, surviving single spouses of troops killed in action and post-9/11 disabled veterans also will receive priority consideration. However, all honorably discharged veterans and active duty, Guard or Reserve members who do not own a home currently but who are financially capable of sustaining one are eligible and encouraged to fill out the application.

The dwellings distributed by Homes on the Homefront come from Chase’s inventory. Once selected, families will reside in the property as a tenant of Operation Homefront for one to two years. Families must pay any actual costs of property taxes, insurance and homeowner’s association fees during that time. Customized transition plans will be developed for recipients. Other terms and conditions also apply to help ensure families are prepared to take full ownership of properties.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department (VA) has put 20 extra Mobile Vet Centers on the road to increase access to readjustment counseling services for veterans and their family members living in rural or underserved communities. Each vehicle serves as an office on wheels with space dedicated to confidential counseling and a high-tech communications package. These mobile centers also can provide emergency support for national disasters and will be located across the country.

The 20 new vehicles—which the VA says are American made—join a fleet of 50 already existing Mobile Vet Centers along with 300 permanent Vet Centers. The VA also has plans to add 230 emergency shuttle vehicles to its fleet during the next five years. They will provide routine transportation for veterans seeking medical care in and around various metropolitan areas. In the event of a disaster or emergency, the shuttles can double as mobile clinics to evacuate patients and their care teams.

A list of Mobile Vet Center locations is available on the VA website.  To find a Vet Center in your area, visit www.vetcenter.va.gov.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

This week marks the VA’s National Salute to Veteran Patients, a celebration dedicated to expressing gratitude and respect for our nation’s veterans and to encourage the public to reach out to them. It’s the perfect time of year to send a card to or pay a visit to a hospitalized veteran. The VA also encourages people to learn about volunteering at its many care facilities across the nation.

To find more information about the 2012 National Salute program and how to get involved in your area, check out the website. Make a sick or wounded veteran your special Valentine!

 Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

The hard-and-fast, no-exceptions deadline to apply for the Scholarships for Military Children Program is fast approaching. All applications must be received at eligible military commissaries by February 24. At least one $1,500 scholarship will be awarded at each commissary location where qualified applications are received. More than one scholarship may be handed out depending on response and funding. Recipients can use the awards for tuition, books, lab fees and other education-related expenses. 

Children of active duty, Reserve, Guard or retired military commissary customers can apply for the scholarships. Recipients must be enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in a four-year undergraduate college or university accredited in the U. S. and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 basis. For complete rules and requirements, visit the program’s website.

The scholarships are funded primarily through companies who sell goods at commissaries.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.

Promoting the idea that “Kids Deploy Too!” when they see parents go to battle overseas, Military Kids Connect offers children of the armed forces an online forum to network with others in the same situation. Users can participate on message boards, take part in activities and games or watch videos of children who have experienced a parent’s deployment. Monitored social networking features allow military dependents to share their struggles and experiences in a secure environment. Resources are divided by age groups: 6 to 8 years; 9 to 12 years; and 13 to 17 years. Developers of the site hope it eases the pain children go through during a deployment.

The website also includes sections for teachers and parents and for caregivers, offering information and guides. Parents can learn more about summaries of typical behaviors throughout the deployment cycle depending on age and receive some parenting tips. Military Kids Connect is an initiative of the U.S. Defense Department’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology.

Homefront Help also has a Facebook page where visitors can gather and share information. If you know of a program that is helping service personnel, veterans or their families please submit that information to Rita Boland, SIGNAL’s news editor.