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Mountain State University (MSU), a multi-campus and online university based in West Virginia, is expanding its benefits to military personnel and their families. Beginning with the summer semester, Mountain State is lowering its tuition for active duty military, reservists and National Guard members to $250 per credit hour for many of its undergraduate programs. Spouses and dependents are also eligible for the offer.

“For 76 years, we have been committed to making education affordable and accessible for people from all walks of life. Continuing our tradition and recognizing how important family is to the success of our service members, we decided to extend the same commitment and tuition benefits to their spouses and dependent children,” Dr. Charles Polk, President and CEO of Mountain State University said.

Mountain State University is offering the reduced tuition on such associate and bachelor degree programs as business administration, accounting, legal studies, medical assisting, criminal justice, aviation, forensics, leadership, computer science and information technology. In addition to delivering most of the courses online, the university, which is based in Beckley, WV, has branch campuses in the metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, PA, Orlando, FL, Charlotte, NC, and Washington, DC. Another campus is located in Martinsburg, WV, serving northern Virginia and Maryland. The institution’s accreditation was recently renewed by the Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association for 10 years, the longest possible term.

For more information about Mountain State University’s benefits to active duty military and National Guard members, its academic programs or financial, go to www.mountainstate.edu or call 1.866.FOR.MSU1 (1.866.367.6781) The offer cannot be combined with other promotional rates. Some additional restrictions may also apply.

The Military may be dubbed all work and no play but Pro vs. GI Joe, the non-profit that supports the troops through high profile video game competitions between professional athletes and military men and women, is attempting to change all that. The organization today announced its newest program, Military Online Gaming (MOG), an exclusive military-only online gaming network that gives troops stationed all over the world a vehicle to connect with one another in fun yet fierce online video game competitions. Pro vs. GI Joe has teamed up with GGL Global Gaming, a gaming platform that provides millions of gaming fans with a unique social/interactive platform where they can connect, compete & manage their gaming lives across hundreds of game titles on all game platforms, as the online host for their MOG tournaments.

Pro vs GI Joe is kicking off the program’s launch with a special Call of Duty¨: World at War tournament, bringing together troops from all over the world in a military only competition. The top 10 contenders from the ladder tournament will be flown to Atlanta (unless stationed overseas in which case they will participate in the live final remotely) for the live final event. The top gamers win a chance to play against the Atlanta Falcons and prizing that includes a top of the line all terrain vehicle. Registration for the first MOG tournament begins July 4th, and the ladder tournament will run for five weeks, from July 27th through August 30th, with the final tournament taking place in mid-September. (Promotional consideration is provided by Activision.)

Troops can register for the first MOG tournament online.

Country music and the sweet smell of cotton candy filled the air as the crowds made their way among the various overpriced arcade games. Craft booths filled with the unique creations of local artisans enticed would-be shoppers while hamburgers and hotdogs sizzled on outdoor grills, much to the culinary appreciation of the hungry in attendance. There was no shortage of beverages for the thirsty, either.

There was a bouncy castle in place designed to give those sugar-induced youngsters a place to burn off the extra energy and parents a chance to catch up on conversations with one another while their children defied the basic laws of gravity before their ever-watchful eyes.

And it wouldn’t have been a real Fourth of July celebration without the spectacular fireworks display, complete with the requisite “oohs” and “ahhs” whispered in unison among the blanket dwellers under the stars followed by the usual traffic jam as partygoers left the grounds after the event.

At the end of the day, this could have been a Fourth of July celebration in any town in the U.S. But it wasn’t.

It was a Fourth of July celebrated on a military installation overseas where an ID card was needed to attend and those you called your family weren’t related to you at all — they just happened to be ones you shared your life with in this moment of time.

It was a July Fourth celebrated on an installation where a good portion of the population couldn’t attend because they were in Afghanistan or Iraq defending the freedoms that we sometimes take for granted.

Anyone who has ever experienced a Fourth of July overseas will tell you there is something special experiencing the holiday outside the U.S., far from everything you know and love.

Pick your country. Pick your base, camp, or post. It just doesn’t matter. You’ll have to look hard to find a dry eye in the tent when at some point the band belts out the must-have song of the night “Proud to be an American” and is joined by the unwavering voices in the crowd as the words travel across the night air in a foreign land.

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.

King’s Hawaiian is sporting the red, white and blue spirit this summer by offering service men and women around the country a chance to taste paradise with a trip to Hawaii. The “Trips for Troops Sweepstakes,” running from June 1 – September 30, will be giving two local heroes a chance to win a seven day, six night stay on the luxurious island of Oahu. Participants can enter to win a Honolulu vacation for two, including airfare, deluxe hotel accommodations, round trip hotel transfers and $250 spending money by entering online at www.kingshawaiian.com/tripsfortroops.

The sweepstakes is open to all authorized commissary patrons 18 years of age and older. Two winners, one each in the Eastern and Western Region, will be chosen in October 2009. Contest details, entry rules, recipes and green-living tips are available at the Kings Hawaiian Web site.

Def Leppard and Raven Drum Foundation announced yesterday that they will be celebrating America’s military veterans with the gift of music – free tickets to Def Leppard Summer concert dates, beginning with the tour kick-off last night in Camden, NJ. The offering is intended to thank these heroes in a meaningful way for their service. In a time where families are unsure of their personal and professional stability, many of our heroes are coming home to families that are suffering in the wake of a turbulent economy and these families are often forced into a position of having to do more with less, eliminating the opportunity for a night out for an important, bonding entertainment experience.

Def Leppard’s involvement did not come by chance: “It came through a desire to give something back and what better way to honor these heroes than with a night of music,” said Def Leppard drummer and Raven Drum Foundation founder Rick Allen. “Our mission with Raven Drum Foundation is to serve, educate and empower veterans and people in crisis through the power of the drum, and music is just one of the tools we use to promote healing. It is so exciting to have my band, family and so many others contributing to this effort; it is a significant part of who I am as a person. To have this moment means a great deal in ways I cannot measure. And I thank everyone involved, especially the veterans.”

Military personnel and veterans with a military ID are eligible to receive 2 tickets to one Def Leppard show. Tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis through the Raven Drum Foundation. Raven Drum Foundation’s partners, Wounded Warrior Project and Salute America’s Heroes, two worthy nonprofit organizations, will handle the distribution of the tickets.

At a time when the economy continues to worsen and the unemployment rate continues to rise, North Park University announced that it is offering two unique scholarship opportunities for those looking to improve their career prospects.

North Park University is offering a 20 percent scholarship to all active-duty military members, full-time National Guard and Reserve personnel (including spouses) from all branches of the armed forces and Coast Guard.  This scholarship is for graduate programs at North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management and other graduate programs.

Additionally, North Park University is offering a 35 percent scholarship to all students who are employed full-time at a non-profit organization, 501(c), or have completed a successful tour of service with the Peace Corps or AmeriCorp.  This scholarship is for graduate programs at North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management and other graduate programs.

Get more information about these and other unique scholarship opportunities available at North Park University here.

More than 890,000 troops and their families visiting any of the 18 USO centers in the Pacific Region will now be able to connect with their loved ones around the world for free.  IPEVO, a designer and manufacturer of Internet-based devices, is donating its S0-10 Skype Desktop Phone and S0-20 Wi-Fi Phone for Skype devices to the USO.  This will allow military families to connect with friends and family around the world for free.

“A simple phone call from a loved one makes a world of difference in the day of a deployed service member,” said Tom Kolstad, vice president, USO Operations Pacific.  “We appreciate this generous donation from IPEVO, and are excited to be able to provide the latest technology to help keep our men and women in uniform connected with their families.”

“With the number of military personnel around the world, we understand the importance of being able to hear the voice of a loved one,” said Royce Hong, CEO of IPEVO.  “We jumped at the opportunity to give back and provide our troops with products that will improve their quality of life while serving our country.”

Phones provided by IPEVO will be available at USO centers on Guam and at Hickam Air Force Base and Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii; Camp Fuji, Camp Hansen, Camp Schwab, Kadena Air Base and AMC Terminal, MCAS Futenma, Sasebo Nimitz Park and Fleet Landing and Yokosuka, Japan; and Camp Casey, Camp Humphreys, Camp Kim; Incheon International Airport, Moyer Recreation Center and Osan Air Base AMC Terminal, Korea.  For more information on USO operations in the Pacific Region, visit www.uso.org/pacific.

Customs and Border Protection, the largest uniformed law enforcement agency in the country, has launched an intern program to attract exceptional men and women to CBP. The agency seeks applicants with competencies that would prepare them for careers in analyzing and implementing public programs, along with diverse professional experience and successful academic training.

“Federal Career Intern Program Virtual Job Fair” is a two-year program designed to recruit, develop and retain a group of future leaders for CBP’s administrative functions. Selections for these positions are made at the 5, 7 and 9 grade levels, with most positions having promotion potential to the grade 12 level.

The 30-day intern recruiting opportunity will end on July 22.

To enter the Virtual Job Fair, go to http://www.cbp.gov/careers and click “FCIP Virtual Job Fair” photo. For a listing of all CBP vacancy announcements, visit www.usajobs.gov.

The goal of the virtual fair is to inform the national community that CBP looks to hire a growing number of non-uniformed mission support personnel to support our law enforcement efforts. CBP currently is hiring qualified candidates for opportunities under the internship program in the following series:

• Accountants – Indianapolis, IN
• Contract Specialists – Washington, D.C.
• Budget Analysts – Washington, D.C.
• Management and Program Analysts – Washington, D.C.
• Information Technology Specialists – Washington, D.C.
• Human Resources Specialists – Washington, D.C.

The National Association of American Veterans (NAAV) teams up with the Washington Mystics for Military Night. See the fabulous Washington Mystics play the Sacramento Monarchs on Sunday, July 26 at 4 p.m. at the Verizon Center. Check out their site for more info on tickets (PDF).

NAAV is a 501(c)3 organization that provides services to all veterans, including veterans from the current Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts, and their spouses and children.

Services include-

• Suicide Prevention
• Free Summer Camp for Kids
• Assistance Programs for Caregivers and Single Parents
• Educational Programs with the assistance of the Walter Reed Medical Center’s Equal Employment Office: Managing Stress & Anxiety Through Imagery Training, Female Soldier Readiness
• Marriage and Family Counseling
• Emergency Financial Assistance
• Chaplain Services
• Housing Assistance
• Medical Care Information

As early as this October, the ‘Mighty Mo’ will become one of the largest ships to ever be drydocked at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

The 887-foot battleship Missouri, site of Japan’s unconditional surrender that ended World War II, will undergo extensive maintenance and preservation work in Pearl Harbor’s largest drydock — the 1,100-foot-long ‘Drydock No. 4′ — for up to three months.

“Our shipyard workers resurrected the U.S. Pacific Fleet from the bottom of Pearl Harbor following the attack of Dec. 7, 1941, and they played a crucial role in winning World War II,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Gregory R. Thomas, Commander, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. “So we take great pride that our shipyard is helping to preserve one of the greatest symbols of victory in that war – the battleship Missouri.”

When the U.S. Navy donated the ship to the association in 1998, the non-profit became responsible for maintenance of the ship in accordance with Navy material standards. “As Missouri embarks on her second decade in Pearl Harbor, we look toward the future and her long-term preservation. It has always been part of our long-term plan to drydock the battleship, which was last drydocked in 1992,” Carr added. “We are especially proud to complete this important work with the help of the highly skilled men and women of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and BAE Systems.”

Pre-drydock cleaning, inspection and preparation will begin while the memorial remains open to visitor tours. Visitors will see this in the form scaffolding and enveloping parts of the ship’s superstructure.

In drydock, work will include sand blasting, hull inspection and any needed repairs, followed by preservation treatment.

The association will also take advantage of the ship being in drydock to complete a host of other major work. For example, Missouri’s onboard bathroom facilities will be refurbished for visitor use. Presently, visitor bathroom facilities are only available on the pier. In addition, the ship’s fantail will be equipped with a new tent for ceremonies and events, significantly enhancing the ship’s ability to serve as an unforgettable venue for just about any special event. The fantail has served as a venue for a wide variety of events, ranging from annual commemorative ceremonies, to special events for former First Lady Laura Bush and music group U2.

While the memorial is closed to the public during the two- to three-month drydocking period, the association intends to keep its employees busy completing significant pierside enhancements and planning re-opening events. The memorial employs approximately 150 full- and part-time staff. In the meantime, the Battleship Missouri Memorial is welcoming visitors and will continue business as usual until going into drydock.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial’s standard operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. General admission is $16 per adult and $8 per child 4-12. All military in uniform are granted free admission at the gate. Guided tours are recommended and begin at just $7 additional. For visitor information or to reserve a tour, call toll-free at 1-877-MIGHTYMO (1-877-644-4896).

For the latest updates about drydocking, follow Missouri on Twitter at @USSMissouri and visit the Friends of the Mighty Mo website at mightymomembers.org.