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

Scholarships help students and their families limit the financial burden of college.

5 Great Scholarships for Military Veterans and Families

If your GI Bill is gone and you still want to go to college, these scholarships can help.

A woman holds a military discharge paper.

Understanding The Types of Military Discharge

A military discharge is when a service member is released from their military service obligations. More than 200,000 U.S...

Dishonorable Discharge: Everything You Need to Know

A "dishonorable discharge" is a type of military separation given as a punishment for a serious offense during military...

Soldiers return from a 11 month long deployment in Kosovo.

Military Permanent Change of Station PCS Overview

The government will reimburse many costs associated with a PCS move. Here is an overview of what you can expect.

Mario Blount, pharmacy technician, verifies prescription labels at the David Grant USAF Medical center pharmacy. (Photo: U.S. Air Force/ Staff Sgt. Liliana Moreno)

Tricare Pharmacy Program

Tricare provides a world-class pharmacy benefit to all eligible military members, retirees, and their families.

Ball and chain around ankle symbolizing PTSD holding someone back

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Learn more about the Department of Veterans Affairs Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment and outreach programs.

Transfer Your Post-911 GI Bill

You can transfer your unused GI Bill benefits to your dependents while you are on active duty.

Florida State Veteran Benefits

The state of Florida provides several veteran benefits. This page explains them.

Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA)

Surviving spouses whose SBP have been offset as a result of receiving DIC are eligible for a Special Allowance.

Military Tuition Assistance

You could qualify for up to 100% Tuition Assistance for college courses taken during off-duty hours. Read more.

The Pat Tillman Military Scholarship Program Now Open

Scholarship applications for 2022 are now open for active duty and veterans

Survivors' & Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA)

The Survivors' & Dependents' Educational Assistance program has education benefits for eligible dependents of certain...

Mother and daughter Sandra and Nathenia Wells completed and associate of arts in general studies degrees and walked the stage at the Fort Bragg Colleges and Universities Graduation and Recognition Ceremony. (U.S. Army/Amber Avalona)

MyCAA Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts

The Military Spouse Career Advancement Account program can provide up to $4,000 Financial Assistance for military spouses.

State Tax Information for Military Members and Retirees

What tax benefits does your state offer to Military members and retirees? Find out which benefits are available to you.

North Dakota State Veteran Benefits

The state of North Dakota provides several veteran benefits. This page explains those benefits.

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

Spc. Daysha Cartagena, Mya Cortez and Staff Sgt. Isaiah Cortez

An Army Couple Had Their Daughter at a Military Hospital. Then the Collections Calls Started for $600,000.

Missteps by Womack Army Medical Center and Tricare landed a Fort Liberty couple in collections.

Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic

Human Remains Have Likely Been Recovered from the Titan Submersible Wreckage, US Coast Guard Says

The news came hours after the announcement that debris from the Titan, collected from the seafloor more than 12,000 feet...

Navy recruiter discusses opportunities with a prospective recruit

Navy Recruiters Will Work 6-Day Weeks, Face Changes to Orders Amid Recruiting Struggle

The move comes as the Navy, like most of the other military branches, struggles to meet its recruiting goals for the year.

Soldier Crashed Helicopter Before Running to and Crashing a Second in 2022 Suicide, Investigators Find

The documents obtained by Military.com said Bellew had no history of diagnosed mental illness or suicidal ideation.

The 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David H. Berger, speaks

The Man Who Started to Transform the Marine Corps Leaves with 'No Regrets at All'

The Marine Corps' top officer -- the man who has overseen a sweeping and much-debated transformation of the branch -- is...

Airman reads pamphlets on the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., on March 10, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Alyssa M. Akers)

Former CEO of Tech School Receives 5-Year Sentence in Largest Post-9/11 GI Bill Fraud Case

The Justice Department worked with the VA Office of Inspector General and the Education Service of the Veterans Benefits...

Latest Military Videos

Russian General Detained After Uprising

Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian group of forces fighting in Ukraine, is believed to have...

Iraqi Muslims Protest Quran Burning in Sweden

Hundreds of followers of the influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr protested this week's burning of the Quran in...

Plans For World's Tallest Flag Divides Maine Town

Residents of a tiny community in Maine are balking at measuring patriotism by the size of a flagpole. (June...

Rebellion Shows 'Cracks' in Russia System, Per NATO Head

NATO's chief said on Thursday that the weekend rebellion by a mercenary warlord in Russia revealed "cracks and divisions...

Investigations and Features

Poisoned Water: How a Navy Ship Dumped Fuel and Sickened Its Own Crew

A years-long investigation reveals that the Boxer unintentionally compromised its own water supply in 2016.

The Threat from Extremist Groups Is Growing. Service Members and Vets Are Getting Sucked into the Violence.

The U.S. intelligence community deemed racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism -- with adherents such as white...

Army News

Future soldiers recite the oath of enlistment before an NFL game in Phoenix.

What an All-Volunteer Force Looks Like Today 50 Years After America Ditched the Draft

Despite what Americans experienced in the 20th century, the United States does not have a long tradition of conscription.

Army Combat Veteran to Take Over Key Election Security Role Working with State, Local Officials

Cait Conley will coordinate with federal, state and local officials responsible for ensuring elections are secure ahead of...

Navy News

Contractors conduct monitoring operations at tank seven during tank tightness testing at Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility

Military Ready to Drain Red Hill After Finishing Repairs

The tanks currently hold 104 million gallons of fuel and sit just 100 feet above a critical aquifer most of Honolulu relies...

The U.S. Naval Academy welcomes the midshipman candidates, or plebes, of the Class of 2026

Class of 2027 Plebes Report for Duty at Naval Academy: 'This Is Not a Normal College Experience'

Nearly 1,000 first-year entrants reported to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis on Thursday for Plebe Summer, the first part...

Air Force News

Pentagon: Chinese Balloon Did Not Collect Intelligence Over US

Relations between Washington and Beijing had already been tense when the U.S. military detected what U.S. officials at the...

Soil excavation at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex

Space Force Still Figuring Out How Bad the Fuel Spill Atop a Sacred Hawaiian Volcano Was

In the months since the fuel spill at a facility perched on the summit of Haleakalā, the Department of the Air Force has been...

Space Force News

Space Force Still Figuring Out How Bad the Fuel Spill Atop a Sacred Hawaiian Volcano Was

In the months since the fuel spill at a facility perched on the summit of Haleakalā, the Department of the Air Force has been...

Sen. Katie Britt departs after the final Senate votes

Alabama US Sen. Katie Britt Puts Space Command Spending Requirement in Defense Budget

Britt's addition to the Senate spending bill comes as Alabama's delegation pursues reports that the head of the Space Command...

Marine Corps News

The Man Who Started to Transform the Marine Corps Leaves with 'No Regrets at All'

The Marine Corps' top officer -- the man who has overseen a sweeping and much-debated transformation of the branch -- is...

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth appeared on the June 28, 2023 edition of "CBS Mornings." (CBS)

Anheuser-Busch CEO and Marine Vet Answers Hard Questions About Bud Light Marketing

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth hired by Anheuser-Busch in 2013, and by 2021, he was leading the company as its chief...

Coast Guard News

Edward Cassano speaks during a news conference on the Titan submersible.

Recovering the Titan 12,500 Feet Underwater Was Dangerous, Complex, Emotional

Investigating the debris is a crucial part of a multiagency investigation into why the Titan imploded.

a building at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

Coast Guard Apologizes for Mishandling of Sexual Assaults at Academy

The service also acknowledged it did not widely disclose its six-year internal investigation into dozens of cases from 1988...