Free tickets are being offered to veterans and their families for the performances June 9 and 10 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. While priority will be given to Korean War veterans and their families, all veterans will be offered complimentary tickets for the performances on a first-come, first-served basis. A maximum of 4 complimentary tickets will be offered for each veteran and his or her family.

The Little Angels’ tour will begin in the prestigious Kennedy Center’s Opera House in Washington, D.C., with four performances from June 9-12, all beginning at 7:30 p.m. The first two performances on June 9 and 10 will be benefits for the veterans. The third and fourth performances on June 11 and 12 will be public events for which tickets must be purchased. All public tickets will be at a reduced rate as a tribute to the Korean War veterans.

To request your complimentary tickets, fill out this form and e-mail it to KW60tickets@gmail.com.

In addition, both companies have long-standing programs geared toward hiring servicemembers (both active duty and retired) and their spouses, and supporting military charities.  Supporting our troops, one purchase at a time!

Check it out:

• The Home Depot offers a year-round, 10 percent discount, up to a $500 maximum, to all active duty military personnel, reservists, retired or disabled veterans and their immediate families. We offer this discount to thank them for their outstanding service to this nation and to help make their homes more comfortable and safe. Customers requesting the discount should present a valid military ID. This discount is not available for our online shoppers or in addition to existing discounts or promotions.
• Lowe’s Companies, Inc. announced today it will expand its support of the military by offering an all day, every day 10 percent discount to all military personnel who are active, reserve, retired or disabled veterans and their family members, with a valid, government-issued military ID card.

  All other military veterans will receive the discount on the Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Veterans Day weekends. The discount is available on in-stock and Special Order purchases up to $5,000. Excluded from the discount are sales via Lowes.com, previous sales, and purchases of services or gift cards.

Applications and instructions are available online at www.georgia4h.org/AFRANGTeenSummit. To attend one of the following sessions, teens must answer essay questions and complete code of conduct and transportation forms:

• Classic Summit, June 13-18 at the Wahsega 4-H Center, Dahlonega, Ga. Attendees will be flown into Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport. The summit will focus on developing an awareness of programs and services available to Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard dependents. Activities at the summit include a high/low ropes course, rock climbing, white water rafting, hiking, environmental education and leadership classes.

• Survival Summit, July 20-25, Colorado Youth Programs, Boulder, Colo. Teens must have attended a previous AFR/ANG Teen Leadership Summit to apply for this camp. Attendance is limited to 36 teens. The teens will fly into the Denver International Airport. The summit will begin at a base camp where the teens will have a day to prepare for a three-day, two-night survival experience.

• Adventure Summit, Aug. 10-15 at Cheley Camps, Estes Park, Colo. Attendees will be flown into Denver International Airport. In this setting, they will choose from daily activities, such as Rocky Mountain hiking, Western horseback riding, Colts campers learning what is involved in training horses, backpacking, mountain biking, technical climbing, archery and a low-ropes challenge course.

More information is available by contacting Stacey.young@us.af.mil or calling Ms. Young at (800) 223-1784, extension 70971, or brandi.mullins.ctr@us.af.mil or calling Ms. Mullins at (800) 223-1784, extension 72090.
Become a fan of the AFR/ANG Leadership Summit on Facebook – AFR/ANG Leadership Summit

Gradient and Afterburner are seeking up to 50 transitioning military veterans across the U.S. to earn a seat at one of three Veteran Transition Assistance Boot Camps. These fully-immersive, three-day courses will help transition military veterans into civilian life through Afterburner’s military-to-business vernacular training, coaching and career placement.

Top candidates from each boot camp will be vying for select positions with Afterburner’s network of Fortune 500 clients and will be awarded two years-worth of financial services from Gradient, which will include asset analysis, risk tolerance assessment, retirement planning, home mortgage origination, tax planning, and debt review and reduction strategies.

One deserving military veteran will be selected in late 2010 to receive the Ultimate Financial Gift – six months of mortgage/lease payments; waiver of home mortgage origination or refinancing fees; debt reduction; free tax planning and filing of 2010 and 2011 taxes; and career counseling and guidance!

To learn more about Gradient Gives Back Community Outreach Program or to nominate a deserving veteran in your community, visit: www.gradientgivesback.com. Follow us on Twitter @gradientgives.

Military wives are much more likely not to be in the labor force, more likely to involuntarily work part-time, and more likely to have relatively high levels of education for their jobs than their civilian counterparts.

However, there does not seem to be a strong link between military wives’ labor force position and satisfaction with their life situation. RAND researchers conclude that the effects of underemployment among military spouses may not be as serious as previously thought.

The study, “Measuring Underemployment Among Military Spouses” can be found online.

During Census 2000, the mail participation rate was 72 percent as of the April 2000 cut-off. About $85 million is saved for every one percent increase in mail participation. For these and many other reasons, everyone’s participation in the census is encouraged.

Other facts:

It’s easy. The 2010 Census form asks 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. It is one of the shortest census forms in history.

It’s important. Census data are used to reapportion seats in Congress and ensure proper district representation in state and local governments. Information from the census helps determine locations for child-care and senior centers, new roads, hospitals, schools and community centers.

It’s safe. By law, the U.S. Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities. All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

The most efficient way to respond to the 2010 Census is to complete the form as soon as it arrives and return it in the postage-paid return envelope. Census workers will visit households that do not return forms by the end of April to take the count in person.

1. Combat to Classroom
2. Combat to Career
3. Combat to Corporate

• 5 scholarships will be presented, including 3 Ft. Hood scholarships to commemorate fallen Army women Sgt. Amy Krueger of Kiel, Wis.; Pfc. Francheska Velez of Chicago, Ill.; and, Lieut. Col. Juanita Warman of Havre De Grace, Md.

That’s where an inflatable satellite terminal made by GATR Technologies in Huntsville, Ala., fits into the picture. The Department of the Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center has awarded GATR Technologies a one-year contract (with renewable options) for $26 million to deliver an indefinite quantity of the inflatable satellite terminals.

The terminal mounts a collapsible parabolic antenna on an inflated ball that can be set up on a satellite in 40 minutes. The reflector is available in 1.8 and 2.4 meter parabolic versions. “There’s a flexible reflective dish on the inside of the inflated ball,” says Dean Hudson GATR’s marketing director. “The ball has two chambers, and pressure is carefully managed to make sure the dish stays rigid and can support the feed mount which attaches to the outside of the unit. The larger the dish, the lower the power needed to transmit and receive.”

The advantage of the system is its portability, says Hudson. The system weighs 89 pounds ,and it fits into two checkable airline hard cases. “The system is reusable, quick to deploy, and easy to transport,” Hudson says. “After the recent earthquake in Haiti, we were the first to deploy a large aperture high bandwidth antenna. While others were trying to figure out how to get the crates onto a ship or cargo plane, we packed one into the back of a Cessna and flew in, helping the UN in support of search and rescue missions. The U.S Army had another of our units at the other end of the airport.”

Paul Gierow, president of GATR Technologies, says that besides Haiti, the firm has inflatable satellite systems in operation in Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, and Korea. “The unit enables missions that would not otherwise be able to be done, which is what makes it unique for military use,” Gierow says. “It’s transportability and reduced cube also are key and the unit opens up a lot of areas where users can get in quickly as opposed to waiting a week or two.”

About the author: Alan M. Petrillo is a Tucson, Ariz., freelance writer who works in a wide variety of fields, writing for national and regional magazines and newspapers. He’s also the author of the mystery novel, Full Moon, and several books on historical military small arms.

Activities honoring the WASP commence with a private remembrance ceremony at the World War II Memorial on Tuesday, March 9 at 4 p.m. A welcome salute reception will immediately follow at the Women In Military Service For America Memorial. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Republican Leader John Boehner, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and Members of Congress will hold the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony on March 10 at 11 a.m. in the Capitol.

A celebration reception for WASP, family, and friends will be held in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center following the ceremony. Legendary television news anchor and author of “The Greatest Generation” Tom Brokaw will attend. Additional special guests include Vice Admiral Vivien Crea (USCG, Ret.), the first woman to serve as a Presidential Military Aide and pioneering Coast Guard aviator; Colonel Eileen Collins (USAF, Ret.), the first woman astronaut to command a Space Shuttle; and Major Nicole Malachowski, who initiated legislation to recognize the WASP and the first female to serve as an Air Force Thunderbird pilot. The celebration will conclude with a Military Aviators Tribute Dinner on Wednesday night at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center at National Harbor.

The Women’s Memorial is currently home to Fly Girls of World War II, an extensive exhibit that tells the story of women aviators who, as WASP, performed the stateside service of male pilots, relieving more men to fly combat missions overseas during the war. To learn how to help ensure all living WASP can attend celebration activities in Washington, D.C., please visit www.flygirls.org.

Ever wish the world could see that special moment when you picked up your little girl and twirled her around like a ballroom dancer? When you lifted your baby boy onto your shoulders as you swayed in delight to the music? When your little one danced while standing on dad’s big shoes? 4TROOPS are looking for home video moments such as these featuring members or veterans of the military and their children for possible use in their upcoming television special and/or U.S. tour. Deployment, “missing you” and homecoming videos are also welcome.

4TROOPS has appeared on Good Morning America with Bob Woodruff and twice on Fox and Friends, in addition to features in USA Today and Military Times. 4TROOPS debut self-titled CD will be available this spring with a portion of the proceeds from sales to benefit veteran-related charities, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).

Please visit www.4TROOPSmusic.com for details on how to submit your video for consideration and for official rules and video submission requirements. Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.

We can’t wait to see the videos, that’s for sure!