Army Celebrates Year of the NCO in 2009

It's not a controversial statement to say that Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) run the military. Many civilians mistakenly believe that officers have the biggest impact, but it's the Sergeants and Chiefs who know the personalities of their units, and it is they who make sure that an officer's orders are put into action.

In honor of its NCOs, the United States Army has declared that this new Year will be the "Year of the NCO." In doing so, the Army will honor the legacy of the senior enlisted Soldiers who have been decorated in battles at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Omaha Beach, Vietnam, Iraq and everywhere in between.

The purpose of the year's commemoration will be several initiatives to raise the country's awareness of the sacrifices that NCOs have made in support of the Army and the country. The Army has highlighted two large goals:

    Make sure that Congress and the American public understand of roles and responsibilities of today's NCO
    Build on the development of NCOs through education, fitness, and leadership development In the area of education, the Army wants to make sure that its NCOs have increased access to both military and civilian career training so they can develop and be at the top of their game. In 2009 the Army plans to initiate the following NCO education initiatives:
    The Army Career Tracker pilot
    Phase one implementation of Structured and Guided Self Development
    Launch of the Warrior University website, which includes College of the American Soldier
    Transformation of NCO Education System

The Army is also looking to increase the number of online colleges under the Service Members Opportunity Colleges Army Degrees (SOCAD).

And online college degree programs are something that is not only available to Army NCOs, they are available to service members of every pay grade and every service branch though Military Tuition Assistance (TA).

While many NCOs enroll in a college degree to advance into the highest enlisted ranks of the military, a college education goes beyond the military. Whether one is a buck private or a master sergeant, a service member will eventually get out and have to face the civilian job market, which makes getting an associate or a bachelor's degree a good idea.

Online college degree programs are particularly helpful for service members, because the distance education format allows service members to study while still serving on active duty. Military personnel can pursue an online college degree whenever they have time off - all that's needed is a computer and an Internet connection.

And the best way to pursue a college degree is to have Uncle Sam pay for it by using your TA funds. TA benefits provide service members with up to $4,500 a year in funds for accredited, online college courses. One can enroll in an associate or bachelor's degree. Service members do not have to enroll in programs that are related to their MOS to get the funds.

Kim Yanez is a writer of nationally accredited online university for military offers certification programs and associate and bachelor's degree programs. Pursuing your career education in certificate and degree programs through the convenience and affordability of distance online education.

How to Search For US Army Military Records Online

Searching for any records or information on the internet can be both time consuming and extremely frustrating.

There are thousands of sites from all over the world that claim to be able to produce records and information on identities at the click of a button.

Gov-Records.com is a HUGE website dedicating to finding us army military record lists and dozens of other government records. It is a very useful website for finding public records. They have a huge databases you can query for just about anything.

Searchable records include:

- phone information
- criminal files,
- births and deaths
- marriage
- unclaimed money
- State and Federal census
- Bankruptcy
- Military Records
- Court proceedings
- US Phones and addresses
- Australian Phone and addresses

Reasons it might benefit you:

- Do you need to check a potential employees criminal history?
- I need that phone number!
- Do you need to find an old school friend?
- Where did my grandfather serve in World War II.
- Did my uncle return from the war?

Gov Records have a very sound reputation. Here are a couple of many testimonials:

"This is the most unique search tool I have found on the internet today. I was able to track down my family military history in just a few short minutes! Great research tool. "

Army Military Loans Explained

What exactly are Army military loans and why are they sometimes needed? How can people in uniform who are serving their country apply for these kinds of loans? These are questions that many military personnel ask and this article will offer answers.

First of all, "thank you" to the men and women of the Army and other branches of the military. People who pledge a life in service of others. Personal interests are taken aside and the welfare of their countrymen remains on top of their priorities. Indeed, their sacrifice for others should be of significant recognition.

This kind of career can make life difficult for a military person with a family, especially if the loved ones are living far away, off-base. The income that a service person obtains is not always enough to get he or she and their family through the days. Thus, paydays are most awaited. More often than not, though, the gap between these pay periods seems extremely long for someone with immediate basic needs to address.

Here comes in the usefulness of Army military loans. These types of loans are conceptualized primarily for the benefit of army members. Instead of them borrowing from their friends or relatives or succumbing to poor rates offered by pawnshops, these loans offer much better alternatives. Not only are the terms and rates superiorly good, the hassle and possible embarrassment coming from other means are likewise reduced as confidentiality is of utmost importance to the military loan providers.

Active duty military personnel, active reserve personnel, and those who had spent 20 years or more in the army service but are now retired are welcome to avail themselves of these loans. As long as these basic qualifications are met, credit checks and background investigations are sometimes not as important anymore regarding eligibility. There are some stricter organizations, however, which still impose the usual application procedure.

A growing number of organizations provide this type of service. In fact, the Army, Air Force, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, the United Service Organizations, and other service organizations of the military provide these loans and they can

even offer them interest-free. There are also several private financial companies all over the United States catering to the military most of which guarantee same day processing and approval of applications and lower interests than other types of loans.

Army military loans, especially those provided by private institutions, may range from $500 to $10,000 depending on one's need and credit history. The usual criterion in identifying the maximum amount to grant is the capacity to repay the loan which is manifested by income and credit history. It would be wise to indicate all income sources so as to give more evaluation bases to the credit officer. Each loan application is taken individually as needs and conditions differ, and is not compared against others or against a definite regulation. Application may be done personally or online.

Message centres are usually available to facilitate communication between the credit officers of the provider and the loan applicant. This ensures that coordination in terms of application as well as the status and payment of the loan once approved is systematic. Emails are not depended upon for information exchange as they are not very secure.

As processing is promised to be fast and efficient, army men are encouraged to just indicate their account numbers so that the funds may be directly deposited there once approved. With this, it may be easily withdrawn to immediately address the need for it. Conventional methods are available as well such as issuance of checks and mailing via regular US mail. With all these, areas of assignment should not be of major concern.

Should more need arise during enjoyment of previous loan which has not yet been paid fully, reapplication is permitted. However, the status of the previous loan, especially the amount that is yet to be paid, will be a major consideration in identifying the succeeding amount to be granted. Basic requirement for approval normally is at least one payment of the monthly amortization of the preceding loan. If target is a bigger loan amount, then there should have been more payments done in the past.

Updates on current balance may easily be viewed through the message centres. Statements are likewise sent on a regular basis or maybe requested by phoning the provider or logging on to the message centre. Payment schedules are also indicated in these statements.

With this type of financial assistance specifically designed for and readily available to the army men, one may be relieved of worry about current pressing needs and concerns for the family. However, the responsibility that comes with borrowing should not be taken for granted, so as to avoid further money problems in the future. Always be a careful borrower, of any kind of loan, including Army military loans.

Pat Caymus writes articles on a variety of topics designed to help consumers who are looking online for answers to questions about subjects such as personal loans, mortgage loans, Military Loans, auto loans, Bad Credit Military Loans and more.