Jim Absher

Jim Absher is Military.com's former benefits editor and columnist. He joined the Navy to see the world and later realized the world is two-thirds water. He also worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in field offices and Washington, D.C. before coming to Military.com in 2015.

Latest Articles

Ask the Right Questions Before Choosing a School

Deciding whether a school is right for you requires asking smart questions. This guide will help you become a smart consumer.

Social security card indicating retirement income

Can Veterans Get Social Security?

You can get both Social Security benefits and military retirement.

In a silhouette appearing mostly black and gray, an airman walks away from the camera while tossing a wrench in the air.

Air Force Tuition Assistance

The Air Force pays Tuition Assistance for up to 100% of the cost of college courses.

Your 2025 State Veteran Benefits

There are great federal benefits offered to veterans. Did you know there are also state-specific veteran benefits? Find out...

Why You Should Get a Veterans Designation on Your Driver's License

Most states offer a free veteran's designation on their driver's licenses, and if you want to get your full benefits as a...

The chest and arms of a soldier in a camouflage uniform, one hand holding a pen, appear poised over a textbook and note paper.

Army Tuition Assistance

The Army's Tuition Assistance (TA) benefit pays up to 100% of educational expenses for college courses.

Shundra Johnson returns a wedding ring to her husband Coast Guard Lt. Sancho Johnson after his seated discus practice Navy’s wounded warrior training camp. Shundra is also her husband’s caregiver. (DoD News photo by EJ Hersom)

What Benefits Are You Eligible For as a Spouse of a Disabled Veteran?

Spouses of disabled veterans are eligible for many benefits, but getting them can be difficult. We make it easy with this...

U.S. military retirees listen to guest speaker Mark E. Overberg, the Army Retirement Services director, as part of the Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia, Retiree Appreciation Day, Sept. 30, 2023. (Chad Menegay/Army)

Hearing Aids for Military Retirees

DoD and VA offer programs to help military retirees get hearing aids.

Veteran in wheelchair looking at laptop with wife

Aid and Attendance and Housebound Benefits

Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits help with paying for in–home care, assisted living or a nursing home.

Two small figures of Army soldiers in a barren, rocky desert walk toward a mountain range in the distance.

Combat Veteran Health Care Eligibility

The VA offers special health care eligibility to combat veterans.

A soldier salutes during a graveside service for Anthony La Rossa in Farmingdale, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 15, 2014. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Will VA Pay for Your Funeral? The Answer May Surprise You

If you think living is expensive, try dying.

A pair of hands work at some math with a calculator, highlighters, and post-it notes scattered around.

Tutorial Assistance with the GI Bill

The VA's tutorial assistance program is available to help student veterans who struggle academically.

GI Bill Will Pay for Work-Study Jobs that Help Veterans

If you're enrolled 3/4 time or more in college or a training program, you can earn while you learn with the VA's work-study...

female computer programmer in front of monitor

GI Bill Benefits for Vocational and Technical Training

The Post-9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill will pay for non-college degree programs such as technical and vocational...

A soldier uses a computer in college. (Courtesy photo)

Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

If you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate in VEAP, your contributions are matched on a $2...

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Most Popular Military News

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth receives a coin

Hegseth Works Hard to Portray Himself as a Man of the Troops. They Might Not Be Buying It.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and National Guardsman, has attempted to reframe the role of the...

Veterans salute during a Veterans Day event.

Don't Dishonor Veterans with Broken Promises and Empty Gestures

It's time to get back in step with the veteran community -- not with fanfare, but with follow-through.

Staff Sgt. Elyse Bailey, a U.S. Army Reserve military police soldier representing the 200th Military Police Command, recovers after running the 2-mile Army Combat Fitness Test during the 2020 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

The Best Running Workouts to Improve Your Time on Military Fitness Tests

If you want to ace a timed run over the 1.5- to three-mile distances used in most military running tests, the pacing strategy...

Medical provider conducts a medical evaluation with an applicant

Defense Department to Review List of Medical Conditions that Disqualify Potential Recruits from Serving

The review follows changes over the last three years that expanded waivers for 51 conditions.

Nightclub where an immigration raid occurred in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Fort Carson Soldier Charged with Cocaine Distribution, Possession After DEA Nightclub Raid

Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez is charged with one count each of distribution and possession with intent to...

Capt. Matthew Lohmeier instructs a trainee

Senators Voice 'Deep Concerns' About Trump's Pick for Air Force Under Secretary

Democratic senators voiced serious concerns about a former Former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier's political social media posts...

Latest Military Videos

AP Explains Israeli Troops in Self-Declared Security Zones in Gaza

Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and...

Russian Strike on Kherson Kills One Person and Injures 3 Others

At least one person was killed and three others injured following a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of...

Fort Benning Takes Back its Old Name, but to Honor a Different Soldier

The Army is restoring the name Fort Benning to its storied training post in Georgia, only this time to...

Former Pentagon Spokesperson Speaks Out About Leaked War Plans

President Donald Trump is downplaying the texting of attack plans to a group chat that included a journalist as...

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark...

Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

Unsupervised: Military Child Care Centers Slow to Report Abuse with Little Oversight

A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize...

Army News

Most of the military's four-star officers occupy top leadership positions

Military's 4-Star Officers to Be Reduced by 20% or More Under New Order by Hegseth

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that...

Air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Army Pausing Helicopter Flights near Washington Airport After Close Calls

The commander of the 12th Aviation Battalion directed the unit to pause helicopter flight operations around Ronald Reagan...

Navy News

Military's 4-Star Officers to Be Reduced by 20% or More Under New Order by Hegseth

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that...

USNS Sojourner Truth christening ceremony

Sojourner Truth Descendant Christens Navy Ship Named After Ulster Native

Barbara Allen, sixth great-granddaughter of Sojourner Truth, says she’ll never forget the ceremony where the U.S. Navy...

Air Force News

Military's 4-Star Officers to Be Reduced by 20% or More Under New Order by Hegseth

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that...

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin

Gen. Allvin Outlines Air Force Moves to 'Revive Our Warrior Ethos and Rebuild Our Military'

Gen. David Allvin, the chief of staff, said the service has already signed up and enlisted 74% of the people it set for its...

Space Force News

Senators Voice 'Deep Concerns' About Trump's Pick for Air Force Under Secretary

Democratic senators voiced serious concerns about a former Former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier's political social media posts...

Launch of hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Secretive 'Dark Eagle' Hypersonic Missile Launches from Cape Canaveral

The action on the Space Coast comes a day after the Army officially dubbed the defense system with its new moniker.

Marine Corps News

Military's 4-Star Officers to Be Reduced by 20% or More Under New Order by Hegseth

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that...

Maj. Zachary Sessa, an F-35C Lightning II pilot

Marine Aviator Describes Historic F-35 Combat Sortie in Mission Against Yemen's Houthis

After Maj. Zachary Sessa launched his F-35C Lightning II's payload at Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen last year...

Coast Guard News

A crew from Coast Guard Station Charleston patrols Charleston Harbor

Coast Guard Reservist Wins Landmark Supreme Court Case Over Pay Disparities for Federal Workers

In a 5-4 decision, the justices said Nick Feliciano, a Coast Guard petty officer who was called to active duty from 2012 to...

Bales of interdicted illegal drugs aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball

Honolulu Coast Guard Crew Nabs 20K Pounds of Cocaine in Pacific

The haul was a result of six separate interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions and other operations off...

Jim Absher

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