Money Schooling » Military

Military Award Shadow Box Display Case – Large

Retiree — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:27:12 +0000

* Felt display area available in blue, black, or red. Select your preferred color above. * For Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, law enforcement, others. * Hand crafted with solid mahogany for beauty and durability. * Frame has no laminates, veneers, or particle boards. * Crystal clear, shatter-proof Plexiglas panel that is 10 times stronger than glass yet 50 percent lighter. * Superior conservation of your medals. * Plexiglas panel has ultraviolet protection that is 1.7 times more effective than glass. * Finished with a fine lacquer for protection of the wood and a lasting luster. * Velvet backing available in black, blue, or red. * Easy access through the back for placement of your insignia. Easy to hang on a wall. * Dimension: 22 in. wide, 14 in. high, 2 in. deep. Wooden frame is 1.25 inches wide. * Items in case not included. * Available for immediate shipping.

In the Valley of Elah [Blu-ray]

Retiree — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:27:12 +0000

In career Army officer Hank Deerfield's worldview, the American military exists to bring order to the world, and honor and dignity to every one of its soldiers. As played by Tommy Lee Jones, in a layered performance that will haunt the viewer long after the film is over, Deerfield wears the Army life like he does his standard-issue white T-shirts--unconsciously making a cheap motel bed with crisp inspection-ready corners. Yet if war is hell, the purgatory for the relatives of damaged soldiers can cause far more anguish, and Paul Haggis' quietly devastating In the Valley of Elah tells this story through Deerfield, who is desperately trying to piece together the fate of his adored son Mike, a soldier in Iraq. Mike's company has returned from duty, but he is missing; Hank flies from Tennessee to Fort Rudd in the Southwest, to conduct his own investigation into the disappearance. There he meets a smart but put-upon police officer (Charlize Theron, glammed-down but still showing a bit too much sexy collarbone for a cop) who also smells something off in the Army's official story of the disappearance. The two form an unlikely team, but as a friend tells Deerfield early on, "You gotta trust somebody sometime, Hank," and Mike's vanishing is Hank's tipping point. As Hank pieces together the horrifying story of Mike's fate, the incremental pain becomes etched in Jones' ragged features, and the camera captures all of it--far more powerfully than could a million words of reportage from the front lines. Theron's performance is also strong, and Susan Sarandon is moving if underutilized as Hank's grief-stricken wife, robbed of the simple nuclear family life she so wanted. "They shouldn't send heroes to places like Iraq," says one of Mike's buddies late in the film, and it's the viewers' collective sorrow--and the film's great achievement--to feel that at the deepest human level. --A.T. Hurley

A Cost Analysis of the Military Retirement System

Retiree — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:27:12 +0000

This is a AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A429224. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: This research explores possible changes to the current military retirement system. The research contains a detailed explanation of the current military retirement system and its objectives; a summary of the history and past legislation affecting private sector pension plans and the military retirement system; and a discussion of major analytic studies of the military retirement system since 1969 and their impact on the current system. The costs and benefits of three alternatives to the current system are analyzed using a deterministic and stochastic analysis. These alternatives are based on benefit structure changes not explicitly reducing costs. System restructuring would change the emphasis from cutting benefits to keeping costs constant (or lower) with an equal (or greater) benefit level. This restructuring approach is based on three defined contribution options that have varied contribution percentages. The contribution percentages are designed to provide different levels of incentive for continued military service. The analysis demonstrates that each alternative is an attractive consideration for the DoD because the alternatives are aligned with the objectives of the military retirement system, cost the government less to administer, and provide greater benefit annuities to the service member.

Military Award Shadow Box Display Case- for 3 x 5ft Flag – Black Felt

Retiree — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:27:12 +0000

* Felt display area available in blue, black, or red. Select your preferred color above. * For Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, law enforcement, others. * Hand crafted with solid mahogany wood for beauty and durability. * Solid mahogany structure with no laminates, veneers, or particle boards. * Displays 3x5 ft. flag. Please note that this is NOT THE MEMORIAL (BURIAL) FLAG. * Large display area. * Crystal clear, shatter-proof Plexiglas panels that are 10 times stronger than glass yet 50 percent lighter. * Superior conservation of your medals and flags. Plexiglas panels have ultraviolet protection that is 1.7 times more effective than that of glass. * Finished with a fine lacquer for protection of the wood and a lasting luster. * Velvet backing. * Easy access through the back for placement of your flag and insignia. * Beautiful addition to your home or office. Place it on a desk or shelf. * Items in case not included. * Flag available separately.

The Effects of Perstempo on Officer Retention in the U.S. Military

Retiree — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:27:12 +0000

Are increased deployments in the U.S. militaryassociated with decreased retention? This report looks at retention ofservicemembers in the decade following the Gulf War. The study casts doubton hypotheses that say more deployment or hostile deployment causes lowerretention. In fact, the study looks at the actual behavior of officersleaving active duty in relation to individual measures of deployment anddoes not find an association between increasing deployment and increasingseparation rates.

An Overview of Past Proposals for Military Retirement Reform (Technical Report)

Retiree — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:27:12 +0000


Providing an overview of the history of U.S. military retirement studies and associated legislation, the author particularly focuses on the past 60 years of proposed reforms. The report is organized around the following five major issues that have driven attempts at retirement system reform: cost, equity, selective retention, civilian comparability, and force management flexibility.

The Long Gray Line

Retiree — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:27:12 +0000

John Ford pours on the sentiment like syrup in The Long Gray Line, a tribute to the traditions of West Point. Tyrone Power ages 50 years to play real-life West Point legend Martin Maher, the scrappy Irish immigrant who rises from "another Mick waiter" to hot-tempered cadet to one of the best-loved instructors of the institution. Power is at his best as the charming rogue with a thick brogue, who ages into a feisty, gray-haired foster father to the cadets he and his fiery Irish wife (Maureen O'Hara) adopt over the years, among them Harry Carey Jr. (as young Dwight D. Eisenhower). Ford claims he didn't care for CinemaScope, but you wouldn't know it from the handsome, lush images that fill the frame. It lolls along at a lazy 140 minutes, balancing the respectful tributes with boisterous humor and boyish pranks but always centered by the generous heart of Maher. --Sean Axmaker

A Lawyer’s Guide to Military Retirement and Benefits in Divorce

Retiree — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:27:12 +0000

Military Medal Shadow Box with Display Case for Memorial Flag – Felt in Black, Blue, or Red (Black Selected)

Retiree — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:27:12 +0000

* Felt display area available in blue, black, or red. Select your preferred color above. * For Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, law enforcement, others. * Hand crafted with solid mahogany wood for beauty and durability. * Displays casket 5 x 9.5 ft. flag. Fits official burial flag. * Curved base adds stability and style. * Crystal clear, shatter-proof Plexiglas panels that are 10 times stronger than glass yet 50 percent lighter. * Superior conservation of your medals and flags. Plexiglass panels have ultraviolet protection that is 1.7 times more effective than that of glass. * Finished with a fine lacquer for protection of the wood and a lasting luster. * Easy access through the back for placement of your flag and insignia. * Place it on a desk or shelf. * Felt display areas, 7.5 in. wide and 8.75 in. high each. * Ample space for an engraved plate, up to 6.75 in. wide and 8 in. high. * Items in case not included. * Flag available separately.

Reforming the Military Retirement System

Retiree — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:27:12 +0000


Using a model of military compensation they developed, the authors analyze the effects of converting the current military retirement system to an alternative system patterned after the Federal Employees Retirement System. The authors consider the implications of this proposal in terms of the effects on cost, force size and structure, productivity, and force management flexibility.