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Know Your Military

Get to know your military, the people who serve, and what it means to serve.

 
#KNOWYOURMIL
Rescue Ready - A sailor uses a recuse hoist from a Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter during an expeditionary mine countermeasures training exercise in Apra Harbor, Guam, June 3, 2021.
Shooting Stare - A soldier participates in a fire support coordination exercise at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, June 7, 2021.
Smoke Screen - An Idaho Army National Guardsman participates in a training exercise at the Orchard Combat Training Center in Boise, Idaho, May 13, 2021.
Shot Scores - Sailors score targets during a qualifying gun shoot aboard the USS New Orleans in the East China Sea, May 30, 2021.
Hornet Inspection - Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Drew Werosta inspects the cockpit of an F/A-18F Super Hornet in the hangar bay of the USS Harry S. Truman in the Atlantic Ocean, June 9, 2021.
Normandy Flyover - Airmen aboard a C-130J Super Hercules watch as the aircraft passes over the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France, June 6, 2021, during a flyover to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day.
Cool Camel - Army Maj. Steven Kornegay pets a camel after his promotion ceremony in Djibouti, June 9, 2021. Kornegay had a ceremony in traditional dress with Djiboutian soldiers.
Hanging Around - Soldiers demonstrate their insertion and extraction capabilities during a study course at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, May 27, 2021. Throughout the course, students were taught how to rig, inspect and deploy via a UH-60 helicopter.
Geospatial Survey - Air Force Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Rodriguez levels a geospatial surveying instrument at Kadena Air Base, Japan, June 9, 2021. The instrument calculates relative distance, direction and elevation — calculations that are then uploaded to update geographical information.
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About Your Military

Your military is an all-volunteer force that serves to protect our security and way of life, but service members are more than a fighting force. They are leaders, humanitarians and your fellow Americans.

Get to know more about the men and women who serve — who they are, what they do and why they do it.

Military Life Myth Busters

Sure, you’ve seen military life depicted in movies and TV shows. But misconceptions abound about service members’ daily lives. Here’s your chance to bust those myths and learn the real deal.

A man in uniform, a civilian woman and two children walk together on a flightline.

According to a survey, 50 percent of young people thought that joining the military meant it would be harder to stay in touch. But it’s 2020, everyone.

Smartphone capabilities and other tech advances have made communication easier than ever. Skype, FaceTime or any of the other many video-chatting services have given deployed service members around the world the ability to be in touch with their families and friends at any time of day in some of the most remote areas of the world.

There is a misconception that the military can be a lonely life that involves lots of location changes and deployments. While there is a lot of moving in the military, it’s very family oriented. In fact, 52 percent of the enlisted force is married, while 70 percent of the officer corps is. That’s higher than the U.S. average of about 48 percent, according to Census Bureau statistics.

DOD offers some of the best maternity leave available in the United States. The Defense Department has supported military families by expanding maternity leave to 12 continuous weeks for all new moms serving in uniform, and is working to expand paternity leave for dads, too.

Not true. Many service members are also able to get their degree while on active-duty. Then there’s the ROTC (the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, if you’re unfamiliar with it), which trains college students for future service. About 120,000 people have benefited from ROTC scholarships in the past decade.

Also, the GI Bill has helped more than 2.3 million veterans pay for college. And did you know that there are actually several options for educational benefits under the GI Bill? There’s the Montgomery GI Bill for active-duty and select reserve service members, as well as benefit programs for disabled veterans. There’s also the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which offers more than just help with tuition and fees. It also offers a living allowance, money for textbooks and even the option to transfer education benefits that service members don’t use to their spouse or children.

Like anything else, when you leave one way of life for another, it can be a transition. Moving cross-country. Leaving home for college. Those all represent a big change, but people adjust, and it’s no different for veterans.

Sure, there’s definitely a transition period when you leave the military, but there are several programs that help service members with transition and separation, including the Hiring our Heroes program.

And if you’re thinking that your job skills won’t transfer, that’s a myth, too. People forget that the military has all sorts of opportunities – from cooking to doing scientific research to public affairs – and a lot of those skills are extremely transferable. Not only that, but in the military, you get a crash-course in things like dependability and reliability, teamwork and team-building, leadership, handling stress, decision-making and critical thinking, just to name a few. All of those qualities are highly valuable to employers in the civilian sector. So, just like any civilian who might transfer from one job to another, people with military backgrounds can do that, too.

Need help with your civilian resume, or tips on how to interview? The military also has that covered. And if you’re looking for a career change when you leave, as we’ve shown above, there’s lots of help to get you where you want to be!

HELPING HANDS

The U.S. military is a force for good around the globe. When disasters strike, troops are on the move. Whether securing the homeland or assisting partner nations abroad, military members participate in numerous humanitarian missions both planned and unforeseen.

Community Cleanup - Sailors assigned to the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Constitution clear weeds during a community relations event in Kansas City, Mo., June 28, 2021.The event was part of Kansas City Navy Week, the first in-person Navy Week since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Relief Supplies - Air Force airmen with the 60th Aerial Port Squadron prepare to load a shipment of pallets containing COVID-19 mitigation supplies onto an aircraft at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., June 17, 2021. The pallets were part of a shipment of 175,990 pounds of supplies destined for Nepal and Pakistan.
Flower Power - Navy Seaman Claire Tinoco plants flowers during a beautification project at an animal shelter in Great Lakes, Ill., June 9, 2021.
Cohesive Connection - Air Force 1st Lt. Kimberly Hegeman, a nurse assigned to the 151st Medical Group, gives a sticker to a child visiting the pediatric section of a military field hospital in Tafraoute, Morocco, June 7, 2021, during African Lion 21. With more than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO, African Lion is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise, and is focused on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces.
Slovakia Assistance - Soldiers assigned to the Indiana National Guard transport donated medical supplies to assist the country of Slovakia in its ongoing fight against COVID-19 at the Indiana National Guard Headquarters in Indianapolis, June 6, 2021.
Tiger Dam - Louisiana National Guardsmen set up a Tiger Dam system, a series of water-filled tubes that create a barrier to mitigate flooding, during efforts to support local and state officials battling rising floodwaters in Pierre Part, La., May 21, 2021.
Getting Groceries - Army Spc. Eduardo Anzures delivers groceries to residents at a senior center in Scottsdale, Ariz., June 3, 2021. Anzures is a quartermaster and chemical equipment repairer assigned to the 3666th Support Maintenance Company, Arizona Army National Guard.
Patient Care - Air Force Lt. Col. Marc Wisner, a dentist, examines a patient's teeth at the Military Medical Surgical Field Hospital in Tafraoute, Morocco, June 7, 2021, as part of African Lion 21. With more than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO, African Lion is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise, and is focused on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces.
Home Builders - Airmen construct the first home in the Cherokee Veterans Housing Initiative in Tahlequah, Okla., May 18, 2021. The initiative is a collaboration between the Defense Department's Innovative Readiness Training program and the Cherokee Nation that constructs new single-family homes and supporting infrastructure for eligible Cherokee Nation veterans and their families.
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Face of Defense:

On the Beat

Army Spc. Roberto Rojas is part of what the military police. He talks about his day and what being an MP means to him.

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A Mother's Dedication, A Daughter's Inspiration

Air Force Master Sgt. Namir G. Laureano grew up watching her mother's love and passion for family, community and soldiers. It was the selfless service of her mom that influenced Laureano to join the military.

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Marine Corps Sgt. Jenna Cauble poses for a photo with Bbutler, a military working dog.
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Marine Adopts, Reunites With Military Working Dog

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And the Band Played On

Dan Valadie is part of an elite group – but it’s not Special Forces. He’s a percussionist and key leader in the Air Force Band’s Ceremonial Brass Unit.

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KnowYourMil Poster - #KnowYourMil Poster - Web
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