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

Military PCS Allowances

If you PCS, the government will either provide you transportation between duty stations or will reimburse your travel.

A housekeeper hangs clean towels at the General John K. Cannon Hotel.

PCS Spotlight: Temporary Lodging Allowances

Temporary lodging reimbursement will help to pay some of your expenses while occupying temporary quarters during a PCS move.

Ship Your Household Goods During a PCS Move

The government will ship your household goods when you are transferred to a new permanent duty station.

Ask the Right Questions Before Choosing a School

Deciding whether a school is right for you requires asking smart questions. This guide will help you become a smart consumer.

Social security card indicating retirement income

Can Veterans Get Social Security?

You can get both Social Security benefits and military retirement.

In a silhouette appearing mostly black and gray, an airman walks away from the camera while tossing a wrench in the air.

Air Force Tuition Assistance

The Air Force pays Tuition Assistance for up to 100% of the cost of college courses.

Your 2025 State Veteran Benefits

There are great federal benefits offered to veterans. Did you know there are also state-specific veteran benefits? Find out...

Why You Should Get a Veterans Designation on Your Driver's License

Most states offer a free veteran's designation on their driver's licenses, and if you want to get your full benefits as a...

The chest and arms of a soldier in a camouflage uniform, one hand holding a pen, appear poised over a textbook and note paper.

Army Tuition Assistance

The Army's Tuition Assistance (TA) benefit pays up to 100% of educational expenses for college courses.

Shundra Johnson returns a wedding ring to her husband Coast Guard Lt. Sancho Johnson after his seated discus practice Navy’s wounded warrior training camp. Shundra is also her husband’s caregiver. (DoD News photo by EJ Hersom)

What Benefits Are You Eligible For as a Spouse of a Disabled Veteran?

Spouses of disabled veterans are eligible for many benefits, but getting them can be difficult. We make it easy with this...

U.S. military retirees listen to guest speaker Mark E. Overberg, the Army Retirement Services director, as part of the Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia, Retiree Appreciation Day, Sept. 30, 2023. (Chad Menegay/Army)

Hearing Aids for Military Retirees

DoD and VA offer programs to help military retirees get hearing aids.

Veteran in wheelchair looking at laptop with wife

Aid and Attendance and Housebound Benefits

Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits help with paying for in–home care, assisted living or a nursing home.

Two small figures of Army soldiers in a barren, rocky desert walk toward a mountain range in the distance.

Combat Veteran Health Care Eligibility

The VA offers special health care eligibility to combat veterans.

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

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

If you think living is expensive, try dying.

A pair of hands work at some math with a calculator, highlighters, and post-it notes scattered around.

Tutorial Assistance with the GI Bill

The VA's tutorial assistance program is available to help student veterans who struggle academically.

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Most Popular Military News

A gavel rests on the judge’s bench in the courtroom of the 39th Air Base Wing legal office at Nov. 14, 2019, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.

Marine Sergeant Sentenced to Confinement, Dishonorable Discharge and Reduction in Rank for Lejeune Killing

Dakota Honstein pleaded not guilty and was acquitted of the most severe charge -- murder, also known as Article 118 in...

Here Are All the Big Cuts and Changes Coming to the Army

The service's aim is to streamline the force while investing in emerging technologies that Army officials say are critical to...

Military family with PCS orders prepares to move

Problems with Privatized Household Goods Shipments Prompt Hegseth to Order Immediate Changes

The directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth follows a rash of issues with a contract meant to privatize the Defense...

USS Jason Dunham conducts a replenishment-at-sea

A Single Server Holds All Navy Pay and Promotion Data. DOGE Canceled a Contract to Upload It to the Cloud.

The Navy has been in a yearslong struggle to modernize its critically important human resources computer systems that...

Soldiers guide an M1A1 Abrams on to a equipment transportation railcar

Cots, MREs, Per Diem: Army Offers New Details for Soldiers Sent to Massive D.C. Military Parade

Thousands of soldiers flying or busing into Washington, D.C., next month will be sleeping on cots, eating mostly MREs (and...

Retired Marine Corps Officer Caught with Cocaine After Plane Emergency Sent to Prison

Troy Othneil Smith, 36, pleaded guilty in January to two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, admitting...

Latest Military Videos

Master Class: Translation Lab: How To Translate Your Military Experience for a Civilian Audience

In our 60-minute Translation Lab, we will examine your job title and bullet points and translate your experience LIVE...

Master Class: Interview Genius: Strategies for Veterans to Excel When Everything Is an Interview

This engaging course is specifically designed for veterans like you, giving you all the tips and tricks to turn...

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...

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

U.S. Army soldiers cross a floating bridge on the Imjin River

The US Military Spent $6 Billion in the Past 3 Years to Recruit and Retain Troops

The services tailor their recruiting and retention money to bolster harder-to-fill jobs, including cyber, intelligence and...

President Donald Trump speaks to United States Military Academy graduating cadets.

Trump Hails West Point Cadets for Their Accomplishments and Takes Credit for US Military Might

Trump said the cadets were graduating at a “defining moment” in the Army’s history.

Navy News

The US Military Spent $6 Billion in the Past 3 Years to Recruit and Retain Troops

The services tailor their recruiting and retention money to bolster harder-to-fill jobs, including cyber, intelligence and...

New Mexico National Defense Area sign emplacement mission

Pentagon Sends 1,100 More Troops to Border in Continued Mission Ramp-Up

The Pentagon is sending 1,115 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border from over half a dozen units across the different...

Air Force News

The US Military Spent $6 Billion in the Past 3 Years to Recruit and Retain Troops

The services tailor their recruiting and retention money to bolster harder-to-fill jobs, including cyber, intelligence and...

Pentagon Sends 1,100 More Troops to Border in Continued Mission Ramp-Up

The Pentagon is sending 1,115 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border from over half a dozen units across the different...

Space Force News

Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee about joint force readiness on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Trump Names Space Force Vice Chief to Oversee Golden Dome Missile Defense Project

President Donald Trump has named a four-star Space Force general to oversee the development of Golden Dome -- the massively...

HC-130 Hercules aircraft approaching Johnston Atoll

Space Force Rocket-Testing Plans at Pacific Atoll Stir Controversy

The Pacific Islands Heritage coalition—a diverse network of scientists, cultural practitioners and community leaders—already...

Marine Corps News

A sailor assigned to the Navy’s Water Quality Action Team (WQAT) collects a rapid-response drinking water sample at a Moanalua Terrace neighborhood residence in Honolulu.

Navy Wants to Test Drinking Water for Synthetic Chemicals near Virginia’s Northwest Annex

The testing is for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS -- a combination of thousands of different chemicals that...

Marine Sergeant Sentenced to Confinement, Dishonorable Discharge and Reduction in Rank for Lejeune Killing

Dakota Honstein pleaded not guilty and was acquitted of the most severe charge -- murder, also known as Article 118 in...

Coast Guard News

Navy Wants to Test Drinking Water for Synthetic Chemicals near Virginia’s Northwest Annex

The testing is for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS -- a combination of thousands of different chemicals that...

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Adm. Kevin Lunday

Admiral Tapped to Lead Coast Guard as Noem Outlines Plans for Bigger Service

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she plans for the Coast Guard to have a service secretary and 15,000 more service members.

Jim Absher

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