Jim Absher

Jim Absher, the military benefits editor, joined the Navy to see the world and later realized the world is 2/3 water. He also worked for the VA in field offices and Washington, DC before coming to Military.com in 2015.

Email: jim.absher@monster.com

Latest Articles

A soldier salutes during a graveside service for Anthony La Rossa in Farmingdale, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 15, 2014. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Will the VA Pay for Your Funeral? The Answer May Surprise You

If you think living is expensive, try dying.

Burial Preparations

Burial preparation is a sensitive subject, but you should be aware of your burial benefits before you need them.

What Can You Gain From an Online Degree Program

You could live in the boonies, or maybe you have five kids and a job that keeps you at your desk until 7 p.m. every night. Or...

Computer keyboard with "insurance" written on a key

Military Life Insurance - SGLI

SGLI is a program of low cost group life insurance available to all members of the Uniformed Services.

VA Program Provides Veterinary Care for Some Service Dogs

VA pilot program provides veterinary care for some service dogs

Home with Foreclosure for sale sign in front

The VA Is Offering Two New Mortgage Relief Programs for Those Impacted by COVID

These programs can help you get current with your payments and back on track.

Everything You Need to Know About Military MyPay

The military MyPay website is your one-stop-shop for everything pay related.

View of flooded street and windblown palm trees in hurricane

VA Offers Debt Relief to Those Affected by Natural Disasters

Due to unprecedented circumstances, the VA will give those who owe it money a break.

GI Bill Overpayments

There may be a time where you find yourself owing the VA for an “overpayment” of GI Bill benefits. What to do?

U.S. helicopter spraying defoliant in dense jungle during the Vietnam War.

Agent Orange

If you are veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange you may be eligible for free medical care and disability from the VA

Here's How Caregivers of Disabled Veterans Can Get Time Off

Partnership offers family members up to 24 hours of free professional caregiver services.

Traumatic Injury Financial Protection

SGLI has an added provision for Traumatic Brain Injuries

Veterans Now Have Access to Military-Only Discount Travel Deals

Save up to 60% on travel and pay no fees for tickets to sports, concerts and more.

Check Out the New IRS Tax Withholding Calculator

Now that you're done with 2017 taxes, start planning for 2018. Changes in the law may affect your income tax big time.

DoD Begins Notifying Over 130,000 Vets They May Be Due Tax Refunds

For years, the DoD improperly withheld taxes on disability severance payments from thousands of unsuspecting veterans.

Military News

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Most Popular Military News

In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, rioters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. (John Minchillo/AP Photo File)

Yes, an Air Force Recruit with Ties to a Hate Group Is Out. But the Military’s Extremism Problem Isn’t Fixed.

The Air Force has kicked out a man who belonged to the white nationalist group Identity Evropa months after reporters...

U.S. Army Reserve 1st Lt. Amber English qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games Skeet Event

Army Shooter Is First US Service Member to Win Gold Medal at Tokyo Olympics

First Lt. Amber English, a logistics officer and member of the Army Marksmanship Unit, bested Diana Bacosi of Italy, the 2016...

Army Reserve sergeant stirs chili at Bagram Airfield.

A $500 Rip It? How Grilled Cheese and Energy Drinks Fueled the Afghanistan Withdrawal

Energy drinks and tobacco became hot commodities as residents at Bagram Airfield hunted for diminishing supplies before the U...

Defense Department police officer Richard Martinez, a patrol officer with the 673d Security Forces Squadron, turns on a new body camera during a routine stop Jan. 8, 2021, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (Senior Airman Crystal A. Jenkins/U.S. Air Force)

Air Force Suspends Using Body Cameras for Its Security Personnel

The service estimates 13 units actively employed body cameras; nine had bought the equipment but had not activated them for...

Former Airman Who Leaked Details of Drone Program Sentenced, Will Serve Prison Time

A former Air Force intelligence analyst has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for leaking classified information.

Latest Military Videos

Disabled Veteran Among Those Impacted by Florida DEO Data Breach

A disabled veteran is among the victims impacted after her account was compromised as a part of that big...

VA Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine for Medical Employees

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Monday that VA health care personnel will be required to get...

Vietnam Veteran gets VIP Treatment at Minnesota Twins Game

A Vietnam veteran living with stage four cancer got the VIP treatment at Monday's Minnesota Twins game.

Army News

Soldiers assigned to the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Surge of COVID-19 Infections at Fort Polk as National Guard Training Continues

At least 115 soldiers have tested positive for COVID-19 during a critical National Guard training exercise this month.

Ecuadorian Court Revokes Citizenship for Julian Assange

Ecuador has revoked the citizenship of Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks who is currently in a British prison.

'Do You Want Him 6 Feet Under?' How a Purple Heart Recipient Infiltrated a KKK Murder Plot

In 2015, three Ku Klux Klan members hatched a plot to murder a Black man who recently had been released from a state prison.

Navy News

US Navy Loses Two More Sailors to COVID-19

The total number of COVID deaths in the military is at 26 as of July 21, according to the DoD.

A user-generated skin based on the 1980 movie "The Final Countdown" was created for Digital Combat Simulator. (DCS World/Author "Reflected")

How the Navy Stole the Show In a Movie About the USS Nimitz Going Back in Time to 1941

How we got to see American F-14 Tomcats fighting Japanese Zeros on the silver screen.

Iranian frigate "Sahand" of the Southern Fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.

Russia Marks Navy's 325th Anniversary, Iranian Ship Joins In

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the main parade of more than 50 vessels in St. Petersburg.

Air Force News

Two A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft fly a flight training mission March 16, 2010, over Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The A-10C is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close-air support of ground forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Benjamin Wiseman)

Congress Rebuffs Air Force's Plan to Retire Older Aircraft, Putting A-10 Move on Hold

Lawmakers would block the retirement of the A-10s again if the recent Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the bill...

Former Airman Who Leaked Details of Drone Program Sentenced, Will Serve Prison Time

A former Air Force intelligence analyst has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for leaking classified information.

Frank Kendall III, President Joe Biden's nominee to be secretary of the Air Force, appears for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, May 25, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

Senate Confirms Frank Kendall to Lead Air Force

Despite facing several holds during the confirmation process, senators ultimately voted to confirm Frank Kendall as the 26th...

Marine Corps News

F-35B Lightning II lands at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Lightning Strike Damages Two F-35B Stealth Fighters over Western Japan

Both aircraft, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, landed safely after the strike and neither pilot was injured.

A $500 Rip It? How Grilled Cheese and Energy Drinks Fueled the Afghanistan Withdrawal

Energy drinks and tobacco became hot commodities as residents at Bagram Airfield hunted for diminishing supplies before the U...

Former Marine Thae Ohu joins the ranks of service members whose stories have grown to be rallying cries in the struggle for change in the way the military treats mental health and handles sexual assault. (Michael Hinesley)

'They Choose Not to Listen': Thae Ohu Speaks for the First Time on Her Experience in the Marines

Former Marine Thae Ohu's story became a very public symbol of the way military commanders can fail those under their care.

Coast Guard News

That is one Semper Paratus game face. (U.S. Coast Guard)

5 Combat Victories the Coast Guard Scored Against America’s Enemies

To honor the Coast Guard's August 4th birthday: five stories to remind you the Coast Guard punches way above its weight.

The remaining military aviation unit at the Former McClellan AFB, Calif., is home to Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento which operates four HC-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircraft with 189 personnel assigned to the unit. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Sheriff: Florida Man Stole Car, Got into Coast Guard Plane

The suspect went into a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft and made it to the cockpit, where he was arrested.

A duck boat that sank in Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, is raised.

3 Men Charged in Deadly 2018 Missouri Duck Boat Accident

Rides on the lake in modified former World War II vehicles once were a popular draw in the Branson area.