As many student veterans know, moving around a lot makes it hard to find yourself in a stable enough environment to attend a brick and mortar school.  Nevertheless, Hayleigh Perez decided she wanted to attend a college in the University of North Carolina system once she finished her military service.  Although originally from Iowa, Hayleigh and her husband had been stationed at Fort Bragg in NC before they deployed to Iraq in 2007.  In 2008 she returned to Charlotte and in 2009, Hayleigh was honorably discharged from the military.  After she left the military, Hayleigh and her husband bought a home in North Carolina and continued to pay property taxes on it while her husband was stationed in Texas.

When he was sent back to North Carolina in 2012, Hayleigh decided she wanted to attend classes at a North Carolina school.  She chose two schools because the Post 9/11 GI Bill covers in state tuitions, so she was shocked to find she didn't qualify.  Apparently, because Hayleigh paid her income taxes to the state of Iowa, she didn't meet the in state standards. 

"I'm an American and I served our great country," she said. "My husband continues to serve and I don't have a state of residency if North Carolina is not considering me a resident."

She is now trying to reverse the decision so she can attend college in North Carolina.

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Veterans of the United States military are usually looked at as heroes and inspiration for their bravery and courage during the war, but one veteran is earning admiration for his athletic abilities in London.  Brad Snyder was serving with the Navy in Afghanistan when he stepped on an IED.  Although he was not initially blinded, doctor's had to remove Brad's eyes because of the damage.

Although this would be a blow to anyone, Brad decided not to let it get him down.  He returned to his love of swimming but wasn't thinking of the long-term.  For Brad, swimming allowed him to escape his injury and feel free.  His hard work has payed off and on the one year anniversary of the day his life changed forever, Brad's life changed again: he won a gold medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games. 

The trip to the podium on the anniversary of his wounding wasn't his first time on the podium.  Previously in the London Paralympic games, Brad won gold in the 100-meter-freestyle and silver in the 50. 

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The time between being enlisted as active military and the time when you become a veteran can be a confusing one.  Military.com, the site where many military men, women, veterans, and their family go for the latest information on military news, has launched a transition center to help those make the jump easier.  The transition center gives veterans four choices of what to do next: go to school, find civilian jobs, reenlist, or plan for retirement.

The transition center is a place where members can "input their estimated separation date and will then receive scheduled email notifications with checklists to help them prepare for their exit from the military due to retirement, separation, or a move to the National Guard or reserves. The checklists not only help to ensure the member is on track for planning for their future, but provide valuable information on healthcare, benefits, relocation, translating military skills for potential civilian employers and resume writing assistance," according to the press release.

Would you use this program?

Memorial Day weekend is here and we all take a moment to celebrate the military men, women, and veterans who put their lives on the line for the safety and preservation of the American people.  Each year we celebrate the holiday with picnics, bbqs, pool parties, and parades, but where did the holiday even come from?  Here are some Memorial Day facts for you to impress, and teach, others with.

• Waterloo, NY is acknowledged as the birthplace of Memorial Day.  Although the holiday started just after the Civial War, it wasn't decided that Waterloo was first until 1966.
• In 1868, the holiday became declared an "official holiday" and it was called Dedication Day.  This is because it started with local women putting flowers on the gravestones at Gettysburg and then slowly getting bigger from there. 
• The tomb of the unknown soldier, which houses un-idnetified remains from soldiers from WWI, WWII, and Korea, was disturbed in 1998 so genetic testing could be done in hopes of identifying these men.
• Although there are no set rules on how to celebrate Memorial Day, it is typically observed by flying the flag half staff until noon and then raising it proudly for the remainder of the day.
• Southern states still have a confederate memorial day called "Grey Memorial Day" to honor fallen Southern soldiers.

What will you be doing to celebrate Memorial Day?

One veteran has finally received the honor and recognitions that had long since escaped him.  Bruce Covey was finally decorated with six medals and two ribbons celebrating his work done in Vietnam.  His decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, Navy Good Conduct Medal, Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal with 2 bronze stars, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 1 bronze star, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 device.

Back in 1972, Bruce was serving in the navy when he rescued a pilot who had been hit my enemy fire.  Just two days after that, Bruce's ship was also hit by enemy fire.  Thanks to 70 rounds of artillery fire, the ship was damaged, but miraculously no one was injured.

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When it comes to writing a resume, it can be challenging for anyone.  But when your resume contains mostly military service and therefore doesn't have much in the "prior work experience" column, typical resume outlines may not work.  There are lots of ways to showcase your military work in a way that will impress future employers.  Here are some resume tips for veterans.

• Focus on your resume on personal skills that will drive you to succeed.  Saying your hard working and dedicated isn't enough.  Instead, use your military service to demonstrate exactly how you can prove you are those things.  For example, saying you did two tours of duty shows your dedication to your country and your fellow soldiers rather than simply saying that you are dedicated.

• Write as who you want to be not who you used to be.  Focus on the specific job you're aiming for and how you can get to that point.  Cater your goals in that company to what you aspire to be.  This will inevitably be used as a good conversation topic when you get that interview.

• The military is a job, and a challenging job at that.  When it asks for "previously held job titles" it may be in your best interest to make your former job titles civilian friendly.  Not every civilian will understand military speak, so by just re-wording it so they can understand, you may have a better shot at getting the job.  Don't change the tasks you performed or the projects you led, but by simply altering your language you may open up new doors.

Do you have any other advice?

When you sign up from the military,  you don't always end up on the front line.  For some veterans, they didn't end up anywhere near the fighting, rather they ended up being human guinea pigs.  From 1955 to 1975, many men were sent to Edgewood, a military base where they were given a variety of drugs and were subjected to various biological weapons.

While the men were subjected to everything from tear gas to LSD, they weren't allowed to know what it was they were given.  They were just expected to sit back, see what happens, and let others take notes.  For many, these have led to debilitating conditions now that they are older.  Because they were never allowed to know what medical tests preformed on them there and they were instructed never to speak of the testing to anyone (including their physicians) it has made their medical diagnosis challenging. 

For this reason, the veterans have decided to sue to have the government pay for their healthcare.  They aren't sure if their present health problems are caused by their past treatment, but because they were never allowed to know, they are taking action.

Do you think they have a right to do this?

Unfortunately, those who go to prison don't fall into a certain demographic.  All kinds of people go in and out of jail each year, but one prison in Florida is aiming to rehabilitate prisoners in a different way.  Here, veterans are seperated from other prisoners.  Their block is identified with a giant American flag mural.  Besides that, their daily routine includes daily flag raising and retiring ceremonies, staff with military backgrounds and the requirement of military standards for clothing, bunks and dorm areas.  The use of profanity is prohibited in these areas and the inmates are encouraged to attend evening group meetings. They are also required to maintain good behavior and be disciplinary report-free.

To be eligible to stay in the veterans portion of the prison, inmates must be verified veterans, within three years of their prison release dates, and must volunteer to live in the special quarter.

“The military emphasizes pride, character and integrity,” said an employee of the Office of Corrections. “By housing veteran inmates in the same dorm before their release from prison, they can work together to recapture some of those qualities, while also learning about programs and benefits available specifically for veterans.”

What do you think of this plan?