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

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...

Air Force Reserve plane awaits postflight inspection

Reserve and Guard Montgomery GI Bill

Read this guide to understand the GI Bill benefits available for Selected Reserve servicemembers.

Man writing at a desk wearing a collared shirt.

GI Bill Correspondence Training

The GI Bill will pay you to take correspondence classes.

Sign by the main gate at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Ft. Worth, formerly Carswell AFB, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Reserve Education Benefits User's Guide

The federal government offers several educational assistance programs that may be of benefit to military reservists and...

Active-Duty Montgomery GI Bill

The following is a summary of the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty program.

GI Bill Q&A: How It Works

The following will offer answers to the most frequently asked questions about the GI Bill.

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Most Popular Military News

U.S. Navy SEAL candidates participate in BUD/S training.

Navy Drops Disciplinary Efforts Against 2 Navy Officers After Death of SEAL Candidate Kyle Mullen

Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman decided to stop the boards of inquiry for Capt. Brad Geary, the commander of the Navy SEAL training...

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Zephen Xaver appeared to gulp but otherwise showed no emotion as Circuit Judge Angela Cowden pronounced the sentence at the...

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More than Half of Senior Army Officers Are Turning Down Command Consideration

More than half of the Army's senior officers are turning down opportunities to command, choosing instead the stability of...

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division receive the Army Commendation Medal.

Army Set to Debut Master Combat Badges in Spring, Memo Says

The Army is set to begin awarding Master Combat Badges, which will combine expert and traditional combat badges, next spring...

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Pentagon Officials, Aviation Experts Say Many Alleged Drone Sightings Are Being Misidentified

The sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere, which so far remained unconfirmed, have triggered widespread concern and demands...

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House Probe Finds Former Coast Guard Commandant Decided to Withhold Sexual Assault Findings

An interim report into sexual assaults at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and subsequent cover-up of an investigation found the...

Latest Military Videos

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In a far-ranging interview news conference, President-elect Donald Trump said the U.S. government "knows what is happening" with the...

Russian Forces Seen Withdrawing Toward Northern Syrian City of Tartus

A lengthy convoy of Russian military vehicles were seen withdrawing from Latakia toward the Syrian city of Tartus on...

Schumer Calls on US Agencies to Use Advanced Technology to Identify Mysterious Drones

After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, U.S...

Mother of American Found in Syria: 'We All Want You Home'

An American citizen who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system said he...

Investigations and Features

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...

A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

They Stood Sentry over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry It Gave Them Cancer.

For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

Army News

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit to Have Confederate Name Restored to Ranger Memorial at Fort Moore

A lawsuit filed by the Columbus-based National Ranger Memorial Foundation to restore the name of a Confederate officer to the...

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers

Judge: Pardoning Army Veteran Stewart Rhodes for Capitol Riot Plot Would Be 'Frightening'

President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly has vowed to pardon rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol nearly four years ago.

Navy News

Mauritius Wants to Rethink a Deal with the UK over Remote Islands Housing a Key US Base

The British government says it still plans to hand over a contested Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a...

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Tom Cruise Honored by US Navy for His Role in 'Top Gun'

Cruise was presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award, which rewards civilians for acts of heroism or support to...

Air Force News

F-16C Fighting Falcon stands ready in the early morning hours

DC Air National Guard Will Lose Fighter Jet Squadron to Maryland as Part of Government Funding Deal

The transfer of the fighter squadron comes after it appeared earlier this year that Maryland would be left as the only state...

Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans

When Ed Meagher reported to Air Force basic training on June 15, 1966, he was a 19-year-old college dropout. Despite two...

Space Force News

The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs, launched a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Army and Navy Team Up for Hypersonic Missile Launch from Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station had a different kind of launch on its plate Thursday when the Army and Navy teamed up to...

(Photo by Airman 1st Class Shelby Kay-Fantozzi)

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Transgender troops' right to serve -- perhaps even to fight and die for a nation they volunteered to defend -- has been...

Marine Corps News

Former Marine Recruiter Indicted on Federal Sex, Porn Charges

A recruiter for the U.S. Marine Corps held without bond since September on a state sexual battery charge in Mississippi has...

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The Japanese government aims to reduce the burden of hosting U.S. military bases on Okinawa Prefecture while maintaining the...

Coast Guard News

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US Coast Guard to Participate in First-Ever Drill in Tokyo Bay

The coast guards of Japan, the United States, Australia and India are to conduct their first four-country drill at the Port...