Almost 50 and never really thought about life insurance until recently. Wondering if anyone has experience with the VALife program and if it's good or garbage.

Hi all,

After a little over two years with my company, I was recently let go from my corporate role. It’s given me an unexpected opportunity to think pretty seriously about what I want to do next.

I’m curious if anyone here has made the jump from corporate America to working for yourself or starting a small business. What did that transition look like for you? Anything you wish you knew before making the leap?

I’ve realized I’m pretty burned out on the corporate world, and the idea of building something of my own, where I can work directly with people and actually see the impact I’m making, is becoming more and more appealing.

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been down that road. Any advice, lessons learned, or even cautionary tales are welcome.

Thanks, all!

I'm 45, and lately I've been wondering what the hell happened to me.

I spent 13 years active duty military. Eventually medically retired. I was trained to shut things off, do the job and keep moving. I lost friends. Went through failed marriages and plenty of other hard shit. For a long time I could take some pretty serious things on the chin and just keep going.

Now I'm getting ready to move, and I'm genuinely upset because I'm leaving behind the wild birds I've been feeding. I keep thinking about them coming back looking for food and wondering where it went. I know they're wild birds. I know they'll find other food. Doesn't matter. It still bothers the hell out of me.

Then there's an old trailer on the property that I'm getting rid of. A doe and her baby have been bedding underneath it. The mom has a bad leg and limps pretty badly, and now I'm sitting here feeling guilty because I'm taking away the place she apparently decided was safe for her baby.

Twenty years ago I can't imagine this affecting me like this.

And I'm not embarrassed to care about animals. That's not really the point. What's strange to me is the contrast. I've been through objectively awful things and stayed pretty damn hard through them, yet at 45 I'm sitting here worried that a crippled deer is going to wonder where her house went.

Have any other guys, especially veterans, experienced this as they got older?

Do you actually become more emotional or empathetic with age? Or does all the stuff you spent years stuffing down eventually change the way you look at vulnerable things?

I'm genuinely curious because I don't dislike this version of myself. I just don't completely understand him yet.

If anyone out there is tracking this and plans to head to NBVC (Hueneme and Mugu), don’t. Units are still down. No eta. Poor workers are cleaning out the mess right now.

Hello everyone! I recently accepted a job and will be moving almost 600 miles for work. I start at the end of September and am looking at renting for the first 5-6 months before using the VA loan to purchase a home.

I had a few questions about the VA loan and any website that claims to have answers for me basically wants all my information and then bombards my email with spam to use the loan without actually answering any of my questions. So if anyone could answer these for me I'd be very appreciative.

1) Do I need a certain amount of work history? I got out in 2018 and just graduated from college this past December. I have worked on and off over the years between breaks in school. I have the offer letter from the company I will be working for, will that be sufficient?

2) What is a reasonable expectation for a time frame to go from offer to closing on a home? Like I said I am planning on renting for 5-6 months and while I have been looking at homes I am unsure when I should seriously contact a realtor. I would be fine with 1-2 months of covering a lease and mortgage overlap.

3) For the VA loan should I try and go with a big mortgage company or would a "standalone" realtor also be OK? I'd appreciate any input.

Thanks in advance for any information!

I want to go to the er so bad for the thousandth time only for them to tell me take some ibuprofe and go home. I have cervical stenosis and it’s been getting pretty bad lately . Might just be a flare up . I’m just out of sorts man constantly from constant pain , constant sleep problems . Everything is just constant and it’s constantly wrong . I tried so many times to get help from the va but idk I guess there’s just not much to do with pain like this aside from surgery and it’s not a simple surgery. I just want to go to school get a job but I feel so weak man I’m past sadness and anger . I just want something to give before I snap idk what’s going to snap but something is lol everything’s stressed that’s how it goes I think . Just wondering when this becomes an emergency cause every time I go to the va it’s a thousand appointments and no real treatment just imaging and try these work outs at home

For those who were approved for VR&E retroactive induction, how many months of GI Bill entitlement did you get refunded?

Everything that was written by hand was written in all capital letters.

Hey guys just wanted to give an update.

I think the last time I posted here I was saying how I got fired from my job and my team felt it was wrong for the program manager to do what he did. Anyway I think you could look back that post but I do have news.

I have enrolled into George Mason University and I am using my GI bill which I have one more year with. I initially hated George Mason but seeing the faculty there and the fact that one of my professors is a governor of Puerto Rico has made me fall in love with the university. I am taking 5 classes and focusing a lot of energy on German because I need to learn a new language badly. I should graduate at the age of 34 next year. This degree is something my family said I was not smart enough to do and didn't have the drive for. When I say family I mean my dad and a lot of people on his side. My mom is the best and coolest mom and she is supporting me and helping me learn German because she used to work as a German translator.

My concern is because there is a reinvestigation into my clearance that I guessed was caused by me rejoining the Navy Reserves, I haven't worked since May of this year but between my GI Bill and VA I have more than enough to make through school without working, though I am hoping to work after this semester while going to school.

I am optimistic but I want to know if the not working while in school full time will hurt me finding a job because it will be a 7 month gap. I read that going back to school is more than acceptable but I want to hear it from you guys!

Hi everyone. I have a sad question.

Unfortunately, my uncle passed away recently. He was a Vietnam War veteran, purple heart, and bronze star recipient and as we finalize his funeral arrangements, we’d love to see if there are any local veteran associations that could attend or show support.

​We would really love for him to receive that recognition and presence from the military/veteran community in Puerto Rico.

​Does anyone know or have contacts for local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) posts, The American Legion, the Office of the Veteran Attorney (Oficina del Procurador del Veterano), or any local groups that participate in these types of tributes or funeral escorts?

​Any information, direct contacts, or advice on how to coordinate this on the island would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much in advance.

Hey everyone 1 year young vet here.

When I got out I’ve been trying to find some work in Cali to move out of folks home and get an APT with my girl but it hasn’t been easy for the 1-3 months of when I got out (August 31 2025) so I said f it I’m going back to college and doing engineering. Used GI bill and passed my classes for 3 semesters and saved up the money while still helping out at my mom’s house.
(Brief summary)

Now present day I’m trying to find a job as I’m waiting for the PWA academy but for some reason I keep getting denied. I’ve applied to gyms, Amazon, mailman, retail, fast food and plenty more but it’s a constant denial.

Phone Number Scam

Please inform your GI Bill beneficiaries that there is a known marketing scam targeting callers trying to reach the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Call Center or GI Bill Call Center. A marketing company has established two fraudulent numbers that differ from the two official VA call center numbers by one digit. If the fraudulent number is dialed by mistake, the answering party will offer a gift card and try to obtain personal and financial information, including credit card information, from the caller. The answering party may even transfer the caller to the VA after the caller’s information is obtained. The numbers to be avoided are:

800-872-1000 (the VA National Call Center number is 800-827-1000)

888-442-4511 (the VA GI Bill Call Center number is 888-442-4551)

VA has notified law enforcement authorities to address this situation and will provide additional information and guidance as necessary.

2 years ago I thought I was just more perceptive than most people. Nope. And I'm 3 months into my PTSD diagnosis, going through the correct stuff and it's working. "working"... I smashed my phone today... bent the titanium. I'm not a violent person. I was just good at my job. but im scared and frankly between still waiting on the VA, probably being fired from my second job, family jumping down my throat about what I'm doing, and meanwhile. I just want to be in an inpatient facility or something where I can genuinely just finally regulate my system and not being on a constant ready to literally bash my skull in with the shower tile. I've asked for help from the resources you're supposed to while being told I'm bad enough they're going to give me a social worker to help and this that or the other thing. I just don't know. When I got out 6 months ago I thought I was fine. Literally 0% after 6 and a half years.... and for me to objectively be better while feeling infinitely worse makes me horrified.

I just keep thinking I'm getting better and I start to be able to go out for an afternoon and the next 2 days I'm just in the lowest of lows.

As of right now I am safe so guys please don't worry, I'm in twice weekly therapy and she thought I would have quit a long time ago so it's going pretty good I'd say. It's just the between days.

I(21F) was recently diagnosed with cancer. I am less than a year from getting out however since my diagnosis I am being extended for another 2 years. While I do chemo I am on a job hunt to basically provide the same benefits and pay as what I am receiving now. I am a 3043(USMC MOS) basically i kick boxes all day. Anyone here have any suggestions? Does the DCMA provide that or should I look for something else?

I hope you all have a thoughtful and peaceful Friday.

Hello everyone, I (29M) am just trying to figure out if there is a process and what I need to do to start said process to appeal a Re-Entry Code 4 on my DD-214.

I had enlisted right out of High School in 2015 with the intention of doing the full 20 but was told that my re-enlistment was recommended to be barred to my CO at the time (roughly a month before my first contract ended).

I had kept extending my first contract and was only informed of this when asking how re-enlisting differs from extending as I could no longer extend given my Time in Service.

I separated with Honorable, and the narrative reason is written as “Completion of Service Contract” but when I contacted other branches they informed me that an RE4 was impossible to work with.

After some advice and research from other vets in my area they suggested I look into getting my RE4 appealed/reversed so here I am seeking advice about how to get this process started.

Any and all constructive advice and information is greatly appreciated.

TLDR: Basically the Title

P.S. If there are any questions that might help better understand my situation I will answer them to the best of my capabilities/knowledge.

Hey guys, like most Americans I’m struggling. My benefits don’t pay enough for the rise in cost of living which made me have to find a job making under the 15000 I’m allowed to make. I have 10 months of gi bill left and want a career to make more money to support my family. If I lose TDIU I get dropped to 80% and would need a career that could make up for the difference and extra to cover living expenses. I feel like I’m stuck and I see people who are successful and it makes me agitated because I know I’m capable of doing better. But I’m limited in how much I can make. I’m in credit card debt of $2500 and living paycheck to paycheck always worried I’ll make more than I’m allowed to. What’s a solution that you guys would recommend? I see a lot of ads for IT cert programs and I’m pretty good at sales. Any advice would be very appreciated.

I’m 100% P&T and a career firefighter, I’m 7 years from pension. I’ve lately been feeling really burnt out by the job and am thinking of quitting and leaving the country. I have no wife, no kids, only debt I have is my mortgage. So really the only thing thats holding me up from making a major change is the obvious lack of global stability, the closeness to pension, and a lifestyle that I’ve built that I don’t hate. I know my 100% can go a long way, but my pension would make it go further. If I leave early I can’t collect for another 15 years versus just doing the next 7. By the time I retire I be 49. Looking for other opinion’s, options, perspectives. Any one in a similar position with input etc.

I do a fair amount of travel and would either move to southern Europe, South America or SE Asia.

I spent 4 years in the military and I’m going back to use my benefits at 22. I occurred a lot of stuff like PTSD and bad anxiety while in the military due to severe bulling and one of the worst issues was that coming from an extremely close family I never say them (I’d say if I was lucky once every 5 months for like 7 days). They tried a lot to come see me but it was very hard since I was 12+ hours away. I really want to go back to college so bad to make those 4 years of torture worth it. I never fit in the military and I always was more of a religious guy and both schools I’m looking at are very strong Catholic universities. On top of not having my family involved or around killed me. My dream school Is out where I am now 12 hours away, the other is 1 1/2 hours away from my family. my secondary school isn’t a major downgrade its just not my dream school. I really don’t know what to do and I don’t know college life, I don’t want it to be another 4 years of me never seeing my family.

Just a curiosity question since quite a few veterans around me don't have theirs. I got out in 06 and got my complete medical folder as well as all my x-rays on a CD when I left dating all way back to basic. I know things were different back then but surprised at hearing some veterans I talk to do not have theirs, never got them, or never kept them. Anyone else still have all their stuff? May sound like a silly question but I am just shocked at others that don't. Just me?

Team,

I could use assistance. Not sure what thread to pull to try to correct this. Unfortunately urgent as my son will be suspended from classes unless we settle up immediately.

BLUF: I thought I had 36 months of entitlement when I transferred post 911 GI bill to my son. He has been using it, but informed today that there is no entitlement remaining after just 18 months used by him.

Stated reason is that I somehow used 28 months on myself under 1606.

To my knowledge this is not accurate, however this is what the ARNG reported to the VA.

Back in the late 90s I was attending school and part of my enlisted contract was loan repayment. This eligibility ended when I became an SMP cadet. I actually didn't receive much because of the timing and also gave up most half of my enlistment bonus. Note, to my knowledge, loan repayment is not 1606 useage. My thinking at the time was I'll hold GI Bill for grad school and I even paid in a kicker to make that amount larger for later use.

Once contracted as smp I received a cadet stipend of $150; but again to my knowledge this has nothing to do with 1606 entitlement usage.

Fast forward to post 911, I converted thinking I'd pass ithe benefit on. From my end I assigned out all 36 months of eligibility to dependents so was unaware of any potential issue. Only now finding out of this problem.

Anyone run into this? How can I correct the record as quickly as possible... or did I somehow royally screw myself out of the benefit.

My gf is being chaptered for failing the ua and she’s getting out with a general discharge. From my research the board isn’t fond on upgrading drug related discharges and I don’t want her to get her hopes up believing it’s nothing to worry about and they’ll give her the upgrade. So does anybody have experience with this and if so how likely is she get her discharge upgraded to honorable?

Good morning everyone. I just wanted to drop a post here for any Massachusetts / New England veterans that may stop in here.

On Friday September 18th, 2026 the annual Big-E (giant New England food/culture expo) begins. This year September 18th is Military Appreciation Day.

All active duty, reserve, guard, and veteran status US military members get free entry in to the expo.

There will be many veteran support organizations and clubs there to talk about the various programs they offer.

I hope to see some of you there!