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

Financial planning is essential for all military personnel.

Thrift Savings Plan to Debut Mutual Funds, Mobile App and Other New Features in 2022

Among the changes, TSP users will be able to invest up to 25% of their total balance in the new mutual funds, with a minimum...

Military families don’t need extraordinary acts of thanks -- just a helping hand. U.S. Army MWR photo

Army Emergency Relief Now Accepting Scholarship Applications

Army Emergency Relief offers scholarships to spouses and children of soldiers

The U.S. Pacific Command joint service color guard participates in the 2016 Governor’s Veterans Day Ceremony at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe, Hawaii, Nov. 11, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Staff Sgt. Jason W. Fudge)

Should You Get the Veteran ID Card?

The card is available free from the VA for all honorably discharged veterans.

Volunteer Group Offers Free Yard Care to Families of Deployed Troops

Services provided by volunteers in all 50 states to families of deployed military members

Wounded Warriors Find Solace And Healing In Surfing

Group finds success promoting mental health healing through surfing

Survivor's Resource List

Dealing with loss can be difficult. Many resources are available to help you deal with it

Special Operations - Common Denominators of Success

Special Warfare Continuation Pay

Sailors in the special warfare community are eligible for over $700 special monthly pay.

Career Enlisted Flyer Incentive Pay

If you are deemed a "Career Enlisted Flyer" by your service branch, you may be eligible for Career Enlisted Flyer Incentive...

Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay

Members who perform hazardous duties such as parachute jumps, flight deck, hazmat handling, etc. can earn $150 extra per...

Overseas Tour Extension Incentive Program - OTEIP

The military may offer certain servicemembers an added incentive for extending their overseas tour.

Now Is the Time to Apply for the 2022 Pat Tillman Foundation Scholarship

The scholarship is for active-duty members, veterans, spouses and surviving spouses.

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)

GI Bill Users Must Now Verify Their School Attendance to Get Paid

The new rule affects more than 550,000 veterans every month.

Military Members and Families Can Get Free Tax Help And Filing

Free tax prep software, filing, and free tax advice is available to almost all active duty members, their families, retirees...

Free Tax Preparation and Help For Military and Veterans

Don't pay to pay your taxes.

5 More States Make Military Retirement Tax Free

With 26 states now not taxing military retirement income, this may just help you decide where to retire.

Military News

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Most Popular Military News

Handcuffs rest on a table inside the security forces building during a training exercise

Tennessee Man Shot Dead After Flipping Middle Finger at War Memorial

Albert Sturgill Jr., 63, was confronted by a group while gesturing at the flag and monuments at Cumberland County Veterans...

U.S. soldiers with the West Virginia National Guard conduct a routine patrol at the Stadium-Armory Metro Station in Washington, D.C.

Chicago Braces for Potential National Guard Deployment Amid Trump Threats

Illinois politicians are sounding an alarm and bracing for possible National Guard deployments to Chicago amid President...

After Sept. 11, 2001, this is what the NEADS operation floor looked like. Above the Q-93 (the large green radar scope) is the NORAD contingency suite that was installed immediately after 9/11 to provide radar data of the entire country. Photo courtesy of Master Sgt. Stacia Rountree, Eastern Air Defense Sector

9/11 Air Defense Stories You Might Not Know

As hijacked planes turned into weapons on September 11, 2001, inside a quiet Air National Guard facility in upstate New York...

California National Guard stand guard as protesters gather during the No Kings protests in Los Angeles.

Is Trump's Troop Buildup in US Cities a Declaration of War — or Something Else?

As President Donald Trump goads Democratic-led cities, Americans are grappling with a fundamental question of American...

Rep. Ronny Jackson during the 2024 Republican National Convention

Navy Demotion Reversed for GOP Congressman Who Government Watchdog Found Abused Subordinates

Jackson was quietly demoted to captain in 2022, three years after his retirement from the Navy, following an inspector...

Soldier Dies on Fort Leonard Wood Rifle Range

The Army identified the 18-year-old on Monday but has not provided details into the circumstances of his death.

Latest Military Videos

Cox Says He Believes Suspect Acted Alone, Calls Social Media a 'Cancer on Our Society Right Now'

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators believe the 22-year-old suspect in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk acted...

Giant Drawing of Trump and Netanyahu on Tel Aviv Beach Draws Attention to Plight of Hostages

A beachside drawing in Tel Aviv on Friday featured portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister...

UK's Prince Harry Makes Surprise Visit to Ukraine in Support of Wounded Service Members

The UK's Prince Harry arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday for a surprise visit in support of wounded service...

NATO Launches New Operation in Answer to Drone Incident in Poland

NATO’s top military officer on Friday launched a new operation, dubbed Eastern Sentry, to better defend the alliance’s eastern...

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

Vietnam War veteran John L. Smith is shown at Essex County College.

Black Vietnam Veteran’s Story Reveals War’s Harsh Realities 50 Years Later

It was May 1970, deep in the jungles of Vietnam, and 19-year-old infantryman John Smith stepped to the edge of a hill to...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Tacoma, Wash

Disabled US Army Veteran in ‘Limbo’ at Tacoma ICE Detention Center

A U.S. Army veteran's immigration case remains uncertain after he was recently denied bond by a judge, family members say.

Navy News

An entrance to the U.S. Naval Academy campus in Annapolis, Maryland.

1 Injured in Naval Academy Shooting; No Active Shooter

The U.S. Naval Academy was on lockdown Thursday evening after a person was injured in a shooting and after the military...

U.S. Navy meritorious promotion ceremony

Navy Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks

Explore U.S. Navy ranks from seaman recruit to admiral. Learn rank structure, pay grades, insignia and promotion paths in...

Air Force News

Senate Democrat Tries to Formally Condemn Funeral Honors for Ashli Babbitt

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., went to the Senate floor to request what’s known as “unanimous consent” to pass a resolution...

Pilots of military training planes prepare for future competition

Air Race Championship Takes Flight in New Mexico's Roswell

The National Championship Air Races are kicking off in New Mexico for the first time in the competition's 60-year history.

Space Force News

Col. Edward Segura, director of manpower, personnel and services, Air Force Reserve Command, speaks

Space Force Opens Applications for Air Force Reservists to Sign Up for Part-Time Service

Applications have opened for certain Air Force reservists to join the Space Force under its new one-of-a-kind, part-time...

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle discusses the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal

US Space Command Can Be Running in Huntsville Before Trump Leaves Office, Official Says

U.S. Space Command headquarters can be fully operational before President Donald Trump leaves office, a Redstone Arsenal...

Marine Corps News

The sign at the entrance at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Camp Pendleton Officer, Wife Sue Military Housing Company over Crash That Killed 8-Year-Old Son

A Marine Corps family whose 8-year-old son died last year after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Camp...

Marine Veteran Charged with Threatening to Shoot Schoolchildren Now Out of Jail

Once held on $1 million bond for livestreaming threats to shoot elementary school children, a military veteran is now out of...

Coast Guard News

A retail services specialist 3rd class, assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) supply department, conducts a command fitness class in the hangar bay.

Fitness at Sea: Workouts You Can Do on a Ship and Ace the Navy Fitness Test

Staying fit in tight spaces with little to no equipment is always a challenge, whether you are in a hotel room or living and...

A Military Approach to Drug Busts Upends US Efforts and Raises Legal Questions

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