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

Should You Sell Back Leave or Take Terminal Leave When You Get Out?

In the final months of active duty, one of the biggest decisions isn’t about paperwork or moving logistics — it’s whether to...

Do Veterans Benefits Expire?

Did you know that many of your VA benefits have an expiration date? If not, you are not alone. Most veterans aren't aware of...

Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance Increase Announced

The benefit will increase by the same percentage as retirement pay every year from now on

The GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program Explained

The Yellow Ribbon program is designed to help students avoid up to 100% of their out-of-pocket tuition costs

Graduate mortarboards, one decorated, pictured from the rear with a row of flags representing the military services on a stage in the foreground.

Post-9/11 GI Bill Overview

The Post-9/11 GI Bill offers greater benefits than ever, but figuring out who gets what can be very confusing.

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.

Automobile and Special Adaptive Equipment Grants

Grants are available for veterans to help purchase a new or used car or special equipment to assist those with disabilities

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...

Future airmen take the oath of enlistment.

Everything You Need to Know About the Military Draft

What is the military draft and Selective Service? Here’s everything you need to know.

Airman & Son Place Flag on Veteran's Grave

When You Die, VA Will Provide a Free Grave Marker

The VA provides headstones and markers for the graves of veterans anywhere in the world.

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.

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

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Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Cavalry Troops in Rare 21st-Century Encounter

A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

Every shutdown forces the government to decide what counts as “essential.” Air traffic controllers and TSA agents fall into...

Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

The federal government shutdown is raising anxiety levels among service members and their families, because those in uniform...

Latest Military Videos

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Trump's Insurrection Act threat stands out against the law's long history.

Venezuela's Machado Says She Presented Nobel Peace Prize to Trump

Venezuela's Machado says she presented Nobel Peace Prize to Trump.

At a Devastated Training Base, War Can’t Stop Ukraine’s Winter Athletes

At a devastated training base, war can’t stop Ukraine’s winter athletes.

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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

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A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize...

Army News

Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry captured by Mexican forces during the Battle of Carrizal. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Battle of Carrizal: America's Worst Defeat in the Hunt for Pancho Villa

Captain Charles T. Boyd knew his orders. General John J. Pershing had told him to avoid a fight. But on June 21, 1916...

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A decade after Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis died shielding a fellow soldier in Afghanistan, his family now waits as President...

Navy News

Llamas jog through a creek on Al Ellis' property. (Submitted photo)

Wyoming Navy Veteran Donates Llama Ranch as Sanctuary for Veterans

Navy veteran Al Ellis donated his 207-acre ranch in Wyoming to a group that helps struggling veterans to develop a llama...

Smoke rises from the wreck of USS LST-480, at right, as tugs and other craft try to put out her fires. At left is USS LST-39, also burning, with men on her bow ramp, probably removing cargo, and other vessels alongside and nearby. Photograph is dated 22 May 1944, the day after the explosion. (Wikimedia Commons)

Pearl Harbor's Forgotten 1944 Disaster Killed at Least 163 Men and Reformed Navy Safety Measures

The blast consumed everyone near the bow. No witnesses survived to explain what triggered the detonation. A fireball erupted...

Air Force News

An artist rendering of the proposed Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo from Terry Massey/The Post & Courier)

Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Coming to South Carolina Tourist Town

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is working on another attraction that will finally honor the sacrifices of Vietnam War veterans.

Air Force veteran Dominic Marino was murdered in the fall of 2018. Police are still searching for leads in his case. (Photo from obituary)

Who Killed Dominic Marino? 7 Years Later, Murder of Disabled Veteran Baffles Police

More than seven years after Dominic Marino was brutally killed inside his Connecticut home, police are still searching for...

Space Force News

President Donald Trump holds top a signed executive order as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watches in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

How Trump’s 2025 'War' Agenda Rewired the Pentagon

Trump’s 2025 executive actions reshape how the current administration defines national security.

A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

A military working dog and handler, alongside Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents and Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY)Security personnel, conduct a routine K-9 sweep at postal distribution facility. (U.S. Navy photo by Sheryl Sullivan)

Two Marines Were Murdered in 1980. New Evidence Could Open the Cold Case.

An NCIS spokesperson told Military.com that a 45-year-old cold case involving murdered Marines is still being investigated...

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Grant Morris, a digital wideband systems maintainer with 2nd Intelligence Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, II MEF, works on the hand-held radio test set at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 4, 2025 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Brady Hathaway)

Marines Revolutionize Readiness at Innovation Campus

Marines at the II MEF Innovation Campus are revolutionizing combat readiness with additive manufacturing. 2nd MLG troops 3D...

Coast Guard News

Adm. Kevin Lunday was sworn in Thursday as the 28th commandant of the United States Coast Guard. (US Coast Guard)

New US Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday Sworn In: 'Nation Will Prevail'

“I am honored to assume command of the United States Coast Guard,” Adm. Kevin Lunday told Military.com prior to becoming the...

US Seizes Another Sanctioned Oil Tanker It Says Has Ties to Venezuela

U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker the Trump administration says has ties to...