Kiona Smith-Strickland

America’s Homeless Heroes

The most recent survey released by Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that over 136,000 homeless veterans spent at least one night in homeless shelters sometime during 2009; on any given night, over 75,000 veterans sleep in homeless shelters or on the streets. Other sources...
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How to Leave a Job Gracefully

If you’re a working military spouse, you know that we get a lot of experience at leaving jobs when Uncle Sam sends us elsewhere. Even though we don’t get a real choice in the matter, we can choose to be responsible, considerate, and helpful when we break the news and...
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Veteran’s Guide to Final Arrangements, Part 4: Cemetery Options

You can read Part 1 of the Veterans Guide to Final Arrangements here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. National Cemeteries Any veteran who meets the eligibility criteria may be buried in a National Cemetery. The Department of Veterans Affairs maintains 131 National Cemeteries in thirty-nine states (and Puerto...
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Veteran’s Guide to Final Arrangements, Part 2: Memorial Items

In addition to burial allowances, grave markers, and veterans’ cemetery interments, the families of deceased veterans are also eligible for a couple of memorial keepsake items: a burial flag and a memorial certificate signed by the President of the United States. (Read part 1 of the Final Arrangements series here)...
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Disaster Readiness for Military Families

No matter where you live, you live with the possibility of some type of natural disaster – a blizzard, an earthquake, a flood, a hurricane, a tornado, or a wildfire – or man-made disaster – a blackout, a nuclear or chemical plant incident, a pandemic, or a terrorist attack. These...
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Career Advancement with MyCAA

Education pays; the more education you have, the more likely you are to find a job and the more you are likely to earn. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that high school graduates earn a median yearly income of $33,072, compared to $37,024 with some college credits and $39,884...
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