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Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) announced today that it will once again reward Discover Cardmembers with Double Cashback Bonus¨ or Double Miles when they make purchases at U.S. military bases from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Double rewards will be given automatically on up to $1,000 in Discover¨ Card purchases at these bases.

The program will include military installations in the United States and overseas, and includes purchases made at commissaries, exchanges, shopettes/convenience stores, exchange catalogs, exchange online stores and exchange gas/service stations on-base. Cardmembers can learn more at Discover.com/military.

To coincide with this promotion, Discover is, once again, proud to welcome Operation Homefront as a Cashback Bonus Partner from mid May through Labor Day. Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, their families and to wounded warriors when they return home, and has provided critical assistance to more than 45,000 military families in need.

Discover Card’s consumer credit cards are founded on a commitment to helping cardmembers earn more meaningful rewards while giving them more choices and allowing them to spend smarter. Discover Card has launched the following tools to help cardmembers manage debt better:

• Spend Analyzer: The Spend Analyzer helps cardmembers better understand their spending habits by providing a visual representation of their Discover Card purchases through graphical charts that organize their purchases into useful categories such as travel, supermarkets and gas. The tool also allows cardmembers to take a closer look at their spending, with the ability to drill down to view greater detail and compare spending behavior over time. Visit www.discover.com/spendanalyzer.

• Paydown and Purchase Planners: Calculators that give cardmembers the personal information they need to help pay down their balances or understand how a purchase could affect their monthly payment. Visit the Account Center at www.discovercard.com/paydown.

• Discover.com Mobile: This mobile version of the Discover Card Web site allows cardmembers to manage their credit card account directly from their mobile phone’s browser. The new mobile Web site offers a simplified version of the Discover.com account summary interface. Visit www.discover.com/mobile.

Army & Air Force Exchange Service facilities will no longer offer money order services after close of business Sunday, May 31.

“Fortunately, these services are already available on military installations,” said AAFES’ Chief of Corporate Communications Lt. Col. William Thurmond. “These banks, credit unions and post offices will be able to meet the need for financial services such as money orders while AAFES focuses on meeting authorized shoppers’ retail needs.”

Stringent anti-money laundering requirements and DoD Financial Management Regulations that forbid “base organizations” from selling money orders when banking offices are open prompted AAFES’ decision to curtail Money Order services at 107 of its Main Stores and 136 “Specialty” Stores.

As you know our servicemen and women sacrifice greatly on the battlefield in the face of adversity. However, one of the toughest obstacles our service members face is their transition to civilian life once they exit the military.

In an effort to provide our nation’s Veterans with a seamless transition, The Veterans Corporation has partnered with American Corporate Partners (ACP) to bring a nationwide mentoring program dedicated to helping Veterans transition from the armed services to private enterprise through career counseling and networking. Their corporate sponsors – Campbell Soup, Energy Future Holdings, General Electric, Home Depot, IBM, MacAndrews and Forbes, Morgan Stanley, News Corporation, PepsiCo, URS, Verizon, The University of Oklahoma and The University of Texas System – are each offering some of their finest employees to serve as Corporate Mentors to Veterans of the armed services, National Guard and Reserve members, as well as spouses of former service members severely wounded or killed in action.

Participation is available in or near the following cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Norwalk, CT, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, San Francisco, Tulsa and Washington, DC.

If you have any Veteran constituents interested in signing up as an ACP Protégé or would like to receive additional information about the program please visit American Corporate Partners or email Trevor Summerfield at TSummerfield@veteranscorp.org.

Few people will ever know what it’s like to serve overseas in a prolonged war. But those who do know the experience know it well, and often bear the invisible scars for years.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America are posting real accounts from people who have seen and experienced these events themselves.

In Their Words: “Coming Home” by Rey Leal, Jr.
Posted by IAVA Staff on February 18

When I was discharged from the Marine Corps in February 2008, there were two questions I feared the most: “What was it like over there?” and, “Did you kill anyone?” Carrying that anxiety, I delayed my return to south Texas for as along as possible. I couldn’t bear the thought of being around familiar faces and, strangely enough, that fear led me to push away those who cared about me the most. I wanted to suppress the memories of my time fighting in Fallujah, and as a Marine I wanted to avoid any and all expectations of being a ‘war hero.’ Though I didn’t know it at the time, I was suffering from an invisible wound: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)…

To read the rest of this post, and others by our brave men and women serving overseas, visit IAVA’s Web site.

Episode #37 – CPT Roger Hill and P.W. Singer

CPT Roger Hill from Dog Company 1/506th, 4th BCT, 101st will be on the show for an hour to talk about his Article 32 hearing and how he is trying to get the Army to change his discharge type so he is able to leave the service with some benefits after giving so much. P.W. Singer, author of “Wired For War”, a book studying robotic and drone warfighters and explores how these new war machines are changing the very nature of human conflict.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast of the interview.

Not only do MOAA members bravely serve their country in battle, but they also have many other talents. Among them is the ability to tell their own story, and share their knowledge with others.

Many MOAA members have written books about their experiences, both in the service and in civilian life. You can find out about some of these books through the Member Books page on the MOAA Web site.

Check it out! You may just learn something new!

Have you published a book yourself? Learn how to submit it to MOAA for submission in our Member Books page.

According to the official Web site of the White House Military Office:

The White House Military Office (WHMO) provides military support for White House functions, including food service, Presidential transportation, medical support and emergency medical services, and hospitality services. The office oversees policy related to WHMO functions and Department of Defense assets and ensures that White House requirements are met with the highest standards of quality. The WHMO Director oversees all military operations aboard Air Force One on Presidential missions worldwide. The Deputy Director of the White House Military Office focuses primarily on the day-to-day support of the WHMO.

The WHMO’s operational units are the most visible part of the WHMO’s support to the President. The WHMO units include the White House Communications Agency, Presidential Airlift Group, White House Medical Unit, Camp David, Marine Helicopter Squadron One, Presidential Food Service, and the White House Transportation Agency. To assure proper coordination and integration, the WHMO also includes support elements such as operations; policy, plans, and requirements; information and technology management; financial management and comptroller; WHMO counsel; and security. Together, WHMO entities provide essential service to the President and help maintain the continuity of the Presidency.

Want to know more? Visit their Web site to learn about the White House Military Office Director, and the history of the office itself.

By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

ARLINGTON, Va. — Military scientists are learning how roadside bombs — the most common weapon used against U.S. troops in the field — harm the brain even when there is no other physical damage, according to research results released by the project’s lead scientist.

They discovered a sliding scale of injury ranging from brain cell inflammation to cell damage or cell death depending on the power of the blast, says Army Col. Geoffrey Ling, a neurologist at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency…

Up to 360,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may have suffered brain injuries, the Pentagon announced last month. Many of those injuries are from IED blasts, and about 90% are so-called mild cases where recovery is expected.

An estimated 45,000 to 90,000 victims, however, suffer persistent symptoms such as memory loss, lack of balance and problem-solving difficulties.

To find out more about how these injuries are affecting our servicemembers, read the full story at USA TODAY.

Rolling Stone goes on the road with the young acts the military books for the scariest gigs on earth. Read the full article by Evan Serpick.

Or follow the NY rock band Edison as they play for the troops in Iraq!

Those who can, do.
Those who can do more, volunteer.

There was a big tent and enough hot dogs and soft drinks to supply a small city for an undetermined length of time. There were gift certificates, camera flashes, and a constant stream of comfortable chatter among the attendees. The event’s goal was to recognize and show appreciation to the many community volunteers who contributed their time and talents over the course of the past year. It happened last month in my community. I’m certain it happened in some form or fashion in yours, too.

While April has passed us by, we find ourselves in another month, May, in which we can show appreciation to all those in the greater military family.

Such appreciation, often buried in the business of living our day-to-day lives, always is relevant. Because let’s face it. When you take the time to peel back the layers on the subject, you can easily see that, in or out of a military uniform, regardless of the month posted on the calendar, volunteers matter.

Without them, we wouldn’t have an all-volunteer military.
We wouldn’t have coaches guiding our youth in team sports.
We wouldn’t have the welfare and leadership that comes from our spouses clubs and spread throughout the corners of our communities.
We wouldn’t have thrift shops or well-shelved libraries.
We wouldn’t have baggers at the commissary or Girl Scouts selling cookies.
We wouldn’t have PTAs or other parent involvement in school activities.
We wouldn’t have that extra hand where we need it the most.

Definitely not in it for the money, volunteers often are the cornerstones in our communities, making our world a better place for all of us.

Now that is something to appreciate.

About the Author: Janet Farley is author of The Military Spouse’s Complete Guide to Career Success (Impact Publications, 2007) and The Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide (Jist, 2004). Visit her Web site at www.janetfarley.com.