Page 8
The INDEPENDENT, April 7, 2011
Tips for transitioning from the military Walk a mile in her shoes for CCWRC
by Jason Alderman (www.prac-
ticalmoneyskills.com)
Reentering the civilian work-
force after a career in the
armed forces can be challeng-
ing even during the best of
times. But with today’s eco-
nomic uncertainty and high un-
employment rates, retiring and
discharged military personnel
may need extra help to develop
a game plan and manage their
personal finances during that
transition.
The issue has gained in-
creased visibility with the re-
cent creation of the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau’s
Office for Service Member Af-
fairs, to be headed up by Holly
Patraeus, wife of Gen. David
Patraeus, and a long-time ad-
vocate for educating military
families on consumer issues.
Here are a few resources to
help with the important financial
and job-transition decisions
you may face:
Transition Assistance. The
government provides an inten-
sive three-day Transition Assis-
tance Program (www.taonline.
com/TAPOffice) to separating
or retiring service members
and their spouses. Workshop
attendees learn about setting
career objectives, conducting
job searches, current occupa-
tional and labor market condi-
tions, resumé preparation and
interviewing techniques.
The Department of Veterans
Affairs’ VetSuccess Program
(www.vetsuccess.gov)
pro-
vides additional assistance to
M
military personnel released be-
cause of service-connected
disabilities. For those whose
disability is so severe they can-
not immediately consider work,
VetSuccess offers services to
improve their ability to live as
independently as possible.
Finding a job. Although ex-
pertise acquired during military
service often translates readily
into marketable civilian job
skills, it sometimes takes extra
effort to make those links more
apparent. Consider these tac-
tics:
• Begin your research well
before you leave the military –
a year or more, ideally.
• Contact organizations that
link job seekers with military-
friendly employers such as Hire
a Hero (www.hireahero.org),
Military Exits (www.militaryex
its.com), Helmets to Hardhats
(www.helmetstohardhats.com)
and Vetjobs.com (www.vetjobs.
com).
• Make your resumé civilian-
friendly – watch out for military
jargon that might be hard to un-
derstand.
• Become acquainted with
and post your resumé on popu-
lar online job sites such as
Monster.com (www.monster.
com),
Careerbuilder.com
(www. careerbuilder.com) and
USAJOBS.com, the govern-
ment's official job site (www.us-
ajobs. com).
• Many service members
have one government-provided
relocation left when they leave
the service; so if a potential job
al Marijuan
c
i
d
e
a
entails a move and you’re flexi-
ble about where to live, use
that free relocation to your
competitive advantage.
Continuing education. While
investigating career options,
learn what additional required
education or certifications you
lack so you can begin acquiring
those skills now – or at least
map out a game plan for how to
proceed after you leave the mil-
itary.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill (www.
gibill.va.gov) provides financial
support for education and
housing to military veterans, in-
cluding undergraduate and
graduate degrees and voca-
tional/technical training. Other
VA-sponsored education assis-
tance programs include:
• Reserve Educational As-
sistance Program for reservists
called up to active duty.
• Survivors and Dependents
Assistance for eligible depend-
ents of certain veterans.
• VA Work-Study Allowance
Program for full- or three-quar-
ter-time students in college de-
gree, vocational or professional
programs.
One last tip: Money could be
tight during your transition, so
it’s vital to develop a budget
you can live with. Numerous
free budgeting tools, including
interactive budget calculators,
are available online at sites
such as the U.S. Financial Lit-
eracy and Education Commis-
sion’s www.mymoney.gov, the
National Foundation for Credit
Counseling (www.nfcc.org),
www.mint.com, and Practical
Money Skills for Life (www.
practicalmoneyskills.com), a
free personal financial man-
agement site run by Visa Inc.
ivery Service
l
e
D
High Quality
Fast Service
503-805-2663
O.M.M.P. card required
503-901-1705
April is Sexual Assault
awareness month. Join the Co-
lumbia County Women’s Re-
source Center (CCWRC) and
our allies on April 16. There will
be a one-mile high heeled walk
to raise awareness and reduce
incidence of sexual assault.
Come and join our male allies
as they “Walk a Mile in Her
Shoes ® .”
The walk will take place be-
ginning at IGA/Red Apple in St
Helens at 12, noon. The walk
will end at the Columbia View
Park with a short program, mu-
sic, prizes and fun. We hope
our male allies can make it the
downhill mile in heels!
All are welcome to be a part
of this international movement
where men walk in heels to
support survivors and make a
statement that gender violence
is NOT OKAY in our communi-
ty! This Walk a Mile in Her
Shoes ® Event will be a playful
opportunity to raise awareness
about the serious causes, ef-
fects and prevention of sexual-
ized violence. Special thanks to
our event sponsor Counseling
and Wellness.
Sexual Assault is not just a
women’s issue. It affects indi-
viduals of all gender identities
as well as women, men who
care about them, their families,
their friends, their coworkers,
and their communities. Sexu-
alized violence is epidemic.
Every two minutes someone in
America is raped. One in six
American women are victims of
sexual assault and most of
these assaults are never re-
ported. That means someone
you know, someone you care
about, has been or may be-
come the victim of sexual vio-
lence. It may be your mother,
your sister, your friend, your
girlfriend, your wife, your
coworker, or your daughter.
This event will be perform-
ance art to get people talking
and working together to end vi-
olence in Columbia County.
There is a $10 registration fee
before April 11 that includes a
walk t-shirt, after April 11 regis-
tration is $13.
For more information and to
register for the walk see our
website www.ccwrc.com, call
503.397.7110 or email events
@ccwrc.com/ .
CCWRC is the only agency
of its kind dedicated to serving
victims and survivors of family
violence and sexual assault in
Columbia County.
The 22-bed shelter is more
than
temporary
housing.
CCWRC provides wrap-around
services to women and chil-
dren. Supports and programs
include job training, connec-
tions to medical and mental
health care, legal advocacy,
counseling, support groups,
education, risk assessment
and safety planning.
Columbia County
Mental Health
800-294-5211
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
1-800-
784-2433
or
1-800-273-
TALK(8255)
Domestic Abuse
Hotline
503-397-6161
or
866-397-6161
-----------------
Military Helpline
888-HLP-4-VET
(888-457-4838)