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

VA Will Reexamine Agent Orange Claims It Previously Denied

'Blue water' Navy veterans who served offshore and were exposed to the deadly herbicide are now eligible for compensation.

The VA's Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) program helps vets learning cutting-edge skills to help them find employment.

The VET TEC GI Bill high-tech training program has run out of money every year since it began; now funding has more than...

computer screen with "fraud Alert" warning on screen

Avoiding Scams That Target Military And Veterans

Military members are especially vulnerable to scammers, learn how to protect yourself

The VA Appeals Process

Frequently Asked Questions about the VA appeals process

Family Legal Assistance

If you need legal assistance for just about any reason, military family members have access to it for absolutely free!

Reserve And Guard Reemployment Protection Explained

The law gives protection to any person whose absence from their job is caused by recall to active duty service.

Man with empty pockets turned inside out signifying out of money

Military Members Get Federal Protection On Mortgages And Other Legal Contracts

Military members may be protected by law if they have an installment contract that began before they entered the military

Military Taxes: Doing Taxes Overseas

If you are a military member on duty overseas, here's what you need to know about filing your taxes.

Military Education Benefits User's Guide

Military service offers several education benefits, but trying to use them can be confusing.

A Power of Attorney Can Be Useful For Military Members

Military Lawyers can offer help in preparing a Power of Attorney.

Federal Law Gives Service Members And Spouses Special State Tax Benefits

The SCRA prevents double taxation when a spouse works in a state other than the permanent legal residence

Blue house on top of stack of money (Photo: Flickr/Scott Lewis)

Can You Terminate Your Lease Due To Military Orders?

The SCRA makes provisions to allow a servicemember to terminate certain lease agreements.

Can You Be Taken To Court While In The Military?

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects servicemembers from certain judicial proceedings while on military service

The CRDP Program Gives You Military Retirement and Disability Pay At The Same Time

Concurrent Receipt is now officially named Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP).

Financial planning is essential for all military personnel.

Thrift Savings Plan to Debut Mutual Funds, Mobile App and Other New Features in 2022

Among the changes, TSP users will be able to invest up to 25% of their total balance in the new mutual funds, with a minimum...

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Most Popular Military News

Hegseth Orders End to Race Consideration in Admissions at Military Service Academies

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered all military service academies to no longer consider race, ethnicity or sex for...

An identity card created by the CIA in an attempt to replicate Adolf Tolkachev’s building pass to facilitate removing secret documents from his Soviet military institute. (From David E. Hoffman's 'The Billion Dollar Spy')

'Billion Dollar Spy' Is the Real Story of the Only Russian Agent Whose Portrait Hangs in CIA Headquarters

The upcoming film, based on a book from Pulitzer Prize-winning author David E. Hoffman, stars Russell Crowe, Tony Goldwyn...

Transgender U.S. Army captain Jennifer Sims

Pentagon Moves Out on Transgender Ban After Supreme Court Ruling

About 1,000 service members who volunteered to leave the military after the Trump administration unveiled its transgender...

Soviet-Era Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

The chances of anyone getting clobbered by spacecraft debris were exceedingly low, scientists said.

mobs of Vietnamese people scale the wall of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, Vietnam

Lessons Not Learned

As this is being written on the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the final end of the Vietnam War, that history is...

Child Development Center parade at Eglin Air Force Base

Florida Air Force Base Reduces Child Care Hours as Pentagon Pares Down Workforce

A May 7 memo shared with Military.com sent by the Eglin Air Force Base Child and Youth Services detailed to families that...

Latest Military Videos

Russia Marks 80 Years Since Defeat of Nazi Germany With Massive Parade - AP Explains

Russia marked the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II with a massive military...

Village in Pakistani-Controlled Kashmir Assesses Damage After Shelling From India

Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged heavy volleys of shells and gunfire across their frontier in Kashmir overnight, killing at...

Pakistan Says It Shot Down 12 Indian Drones and One Attacked Military Target

Pakistan's air defense system shot down a dozen Indian drones overnight, as one attacked a military target near the...

President Macron Leads French Ceremony Marking 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day

French President Emmanuel Macron led a ceremony in Paris on Thursday marking the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in...

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

A target pops up at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) on the Big Island of Hawaii

Army Hits Snag in Effort to Keep Hawaii Training Range Land

The ruling is an embarrassing setback for the Army after years of working on the document and submitting several drafts since...

An adult male eastern massasauga rattlesnake was captured by volunteers at Camp Grayling on May 6, 2025. The snake was brought to a small field lab at the military base to be measured, tagged with a microchip, and checked for health problems. (Sheri McWhirter/MLive.com)

Rattlesnake Wranglers Help Conserve Michigan’s Only Venomous Snake at Military Base

Each spring, dozens of conservation researchers and volunteers descend on the Michigan Army National Guard base in northern...

Navy News

Coal Shed Brewery on Mare Island in Vallejo, Calif.

Navy Subs, Nuclear Secrets and Beer: The Riveting History of Bay Area’s Mare Island

Mare Island supported the Navy during both world wars and helped spy efforts during the Cold War by using nuclear submarines...

Hegseth Orders End to Race Consideration in Admissions at Military Service Academies

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered all military service academies to no longer consider race, ethnicity or sex for...

Air Force News

Space Command Could Bring 4,700 Jobs to North Alabama, Congressman Says

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R- Monrovia, remains confident that the decision to bring U.S. Space Command to Huntsville will be...

Hegseth Orders End to Race Consideration in Admissions at Military Service Academies

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered all military service academies to no longer consider race, ethnicity or sex for...

Space Force News

Space Command Could Bring 4,700 Jobs to North Alabama, Congressman Says

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R- Monrovia, remains confident that the decision to bring U.S. Space Command to Huntsville will be...

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...

Marine Corps News

The Gundam 22 dedicated cenotaph memorial in Japan

Osprey Safety Investigation Stalls in Congress, Angering Gold Star Families

Congress' probe into the safety of the military's V-22 Osprey last summer following multiple deadly crashes has been stalled...

Marines march pass a platoon of new recruits at MCRD San Diego

A Woman Drove into a San Diego Military Facility by Mistake. She Now Faces Deportation.

A spokesperson for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot said that if a person without proper authorization attempts to enter a...

Coast Guard News

An uncompleted U.S. Coast Guard Cutter sits in a hangar bay at Bollinger Shipyard in Lockport, Louisiana

Louisiana Shipbuilders Bollinger, Edison Chouest Join to Bid on $22B Coast Guard Cutter Program

Two of Louisiana's largest shipbuilders, Bollinger Shipyards and Edison Chouest Offshore, have joined forces to compete for a...

A 30th Sex Assault Claim Filed Against Coast Guard Academy

A 30th sexual assault complaint was filed against the U.S. Coast Guard, a law firm representing former Coast Guard Academy...

Jim Absher

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