Education & Transition

Pledges by President Barack Obama and a national nonprofit organization to end homelessness among veterans did not meet their goal, but advocates see bright spots and remain encouraged that the issue is prominent on the radar.

In the Army, Richard Ress survived duty in some of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan, but on a July day in 2009, he seemed ready for his life to end in the back of a Texas police car facing his third drunken-driving arrest in less than a year.

Faith Blackaby, 13, and Jillian Wynne, 12, of Kalispell spent last summer brainstorming on a project to help the community. What the pair learned through the process affected them in a way they didn’t anticipate.

At age 96, Cyrus Porter is a devoted Taylor Swift fan. He’s traveled from his rural Missouri home to St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee, to see her in concert.

Phil Lagarde donates the toys to police officers and firefighters, who hand them out to children who have been affected by traumatic events.

‘Tis the season for seeking out scholarships, and the Fisher House Foundation has just launched a free new search tool to help troops, veterans and families.

One sign of a strong campus mental health program is a readiness to show an open door to veterans even before they arrive.

If collaborative assignments turn you off to courses — or college completely — consider this:

Colleges with undergraduate certificates in certain high-demand fields are invited to have their programs vetted for recognition by the Defense Department’s Career and Technical Education Program.

Agencies were evaluated on their military recruiting, service member-related policies, rules for reservists, and departmental culture.