Cap Phantom

Life of a personnel having a defence back ground is quite different from that of a civilian. The prime focus of those in the armed forces or any other defence services is to serve the nation and safe guard its boundaries. Risking life naturally comes to them, even if fighting for the interest of other nations. However, they too have their life and families and like every one else they too face financial constraints. Military loans are designed for those who are in the defence services, which in fact provide financial assistance so that they can maintain their needs and wishes.

As the name refers, these loans are solely meant for those who are coming from the military back ground. It incorporates all the 3 services armed forces, navy and the air force. The notable feature of these loans is that the applicants can seek the monetary assistance in a completely hassle free manner. The terms and conditions levied on the loans are quite flexible.

The basic criterion to obtain the loans is that the applicant must be a part of the military. Usually the amount approved is based on the applicants annual income and repaying capability. it is not a matter of concern if the applicant is a high ranking officer or a normal soldier. In fact, the provision of the loans has been designed to accommodate retired defence personals too. While applying for the loans, the applicants are required to submit documents related to bank statements, proof of income, ETS etc. By assessing these details, lenders approve the loans.

Once the details are checked and verified, the approval of the loans comes immediately. The amount obtained can be used for a number of purposes such as renovating home, purchasing a car, wedding, paying back debts, expenses on child’s education and so on.

Before availing the loans, make it a point to take a proper research market. In this regard the applicants can also take the help of online services. There are number of sites which are dedicated to provide loans to those in the army or any other service at very relax able rates.

Thus with military loans, a defence personal can gain financial assistance at very lucrative terms and conditions to meet the various needs.

Speaking to numerous organizations from military to veterans and charities is my passion when not running my business.

I speak to veterans and coach them on everything from starting a business to going back to school.

Out of everything I do I get the most enjoyment from speaking and teaching. Maybe it’s the old stand up comedian in me, but nothing feeds my addiction like standing in front of a room of military and veteran entrepreneurs talking about the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the do’s and don’ts of business.

My latest class of eager entrepreneurs is a special one in that it is made up almost entirely of U.S. Military Veterans: nearly two dozen men and women of all ages who either have a business idea in mind or are in the process of actually starting and running a business.

Going around the room, I asked each student to stand up, introduce themselves, and talk a little about their business idea and what they expect to get from the class. As I listened to each Vet speak, I was impressed at the passion the entire group exuded. Most new entrepreneurs love to talk about their business idea, but this group was somehow different. They were more precise in their thinking, more intense, more passionate than the average entrepreneur. This group was not only excited at the prospect of starting their own business. They were downright zealous about it.

As each Vet stood to talk about their idea and their expectations, the rest of the group hung on every word and was truly interested in what was being said. The typical entrepreneur is only interested in his own venture and has a hard time feigning interest in anyone else’s. That was not the case here. Each Vet not only listened intently, but empathized with the speaker, as if they were taking a vested interest in the speaker’s idea and were eager to help the speaker succeed. It was as if the group who had never met before, had come together as a single cohesive unit with one mission in mind: to succeed in business.

The theme became: In the business battles no one gets left behind.

I reall need not be surprised given all I know now. These were, after all, highly-trained, highly-disciplined individuals who have spent time in every corner of the globe in conditions most of us can only imagine. One young entrepreneur in particular was so freshly back from the Middle East that you could almost imagine sand on the floor beneath his boots.

They are an impressive group, indeed, and it is my privilege to serve as their leader for the next six weeks. I am learning far more from them about the human spirit than they are learning from me about business. I hope they see it as a fair trade.

Veteran entrepreneurs are emerging as one of the fastest growing segments of new entrepreneurs. According to a recent Small Business Administration (SBA) study there are approximately 4.2 to 5.5 million veteran-owned businesses in the United States. The study further revealed that 22% of veterans are either considering starting or purchasing a business in the near future or are in the business start up or purchase phase now.

The SBA study was done as a result of The Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999, which required the SBA’s Office of Advocacy to develop information on the various programs designed to assist veteran and service-disabled veterans succeed in business.

The SBA study found that:

More than one-third of “new veteran-entrepreneurs” and current veteran business owners had obtained skills from their active duty service that were directly relevant to business ownership. This should come as no surprise when you consider the intensity of the training and the emphasis on discipline that comes with military training.

Over the course of their career the typical longer-term Veteran receives at least cursory training in everything from time management to employee relations to supervisory techniques to dealing with subordinates (employees) to budgeting and accounting to supply chain management and so on and so on.

One organization that is working hard to promote entrepreneurship among Veterans is the Veteran’s Corporation. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, the Veteran’s Corporation bills itself as “the complete business source for current and prospective Veterans and Service-Disabled Veteran business owners, and for companies interested in working with Veteran-owned businesses.” The Veterans Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that was created in 1999 by Public Law 106-50, which also set a 3 percent goal for federal procurement to Veterans including Service Disabled Veteran-owned businesses.

The Veterans Corporation serves transitioning military personnel and all Veterans of the U.S. Working with the military, veterans and armed forces with agents and partners in all sectors.

Membership to the Veterans Corporation is free and available to all transitioning military personnel and all Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard and Reserve. Members will find assistance in securing capital for a business, entrepreneurial education, access to markets and services, and business networking.

The military recruitment process is extremely disciplined. All the information one need about military service can be found at the click of a button on the army website. You can either serve part time or for full time and the website details the differences between the two. A person who chooses to apply through this site for taking up military service is led to the army career explorer which gives you a plethora of information on beginning the recruitment process. The site also provides every bit of information you need starting from the recruitment process to the life in the US Army.

Military recruitment is an ongoing process for both the American and the British armies because of their current overseas involvement. Once the people waiting to be recruited go through the information in the site and the career’s explorer, they are required to submit documentation. After this, a military recruitment officer will pay a visit to the applicant to verify the information provided by you. Also, the officer will be able to make sure your skills and qualification and ensure that you are fit to serve the US army and can survive its rigorous lifestyle. It is not necessary that the officer must come home to do all this. You may complete the entire process over the telephone if you wish to do so.

This military officer is your friend, philosopher and guide throughout your life in the army. This officer can tell you anything regarding life in the army or the application process or even on how long you can be expected to stay in the army. If you are interested in pursuing education even after joining the army, your officer is the one you must contact. He can provide you al the necessary information. There are many recruiters whom you can reach for more information. They can be found either online or even in your neighborhood. On completion of this, you will have to take up an aptitude test. You will be subjected to a set of multi choice questions which allows the military to asses your skill set and zero down on a role you are fit for.

On successful completion of all these processes, you will be given a posting station where you can collect your kit. You will also be assigned to a post here and be inducted into the army.

China has stated that it will increase its spending on the military sector to 480.6 yuan (that’s £50 bn) which works out as a 14% rise from last year. Official Li Zhaoxing has assured that the increase in spending is aimed at improving defence for the country and “not threaten any country.” This increase comes very soon after China expended a great deal of cash hosting the Olympic games in Beijing 2008. This news is the latest in a string of mixed messages that China has been sending out regarding its financial state recently. The global recession is suspected to have hit China hard as Western consumerism slows and thus reduces production demand from their factories. Wages of workers in such factories have been reported to have been cut by as much as 75%.

BBC’s James Reynolds (based in Beijing) points out that whilst this year’s military budget is an increase; it is still small in comparison to the US budget, which is around 8 times greater, “China is simply redistributing funding rather than trying to match that of greater military powers”. In contrast to this growth in the Chinese military sector, the US military market has seen very recent falls in share prices as many fear that contracts have been reduced or cut all together. Business analysts first suggested that the market would fall after President Barak Obama highlighted his intention to pull troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama’s peaceful policies caused speculation that money would begin to be diverted away from armed forces and towards other areas of US economy and this was a likely cause of the drop in shares seen this week.

America has been keeping in an eye on China for a while now as they continue their emergence as a global power and it is likely that America will be putting them under further scrutiny with this new announcement on their military spending and the switches in spending policy. It is worth bearing in mind however that China has long been a very secretive nation and any information that they provide should be given only a certain amount of weight. Most experts in the area say that China has made claims about its spending in the past which have turned out not to be accurate so there is every chance this announcement is just blowing hot air.

Each year the military holds a gala event in which the men wear tuxedoes and the women dress in formal ball gowns. There is no category of dress called military ball dresses as this simply refers to evening formal wear. Prom dresses and bridesmaids dresses are ball gowns so this is the section of the store in which you should shop. Even though there are short dresses in formal wear, a military ball is one occasion for which you should wear a floor length gown. You should also choose a dress that does not have too many frills and flounces or sequins.

You want to look classy and elegant at the military ball. The dresses worn at this occasion are usually conservative styles.  If you want to wear a strapless dress, that is perfectly acceptable. You do want to make sure the bodice of the dress is a perfect fit because in the dancing that takes place after dinner, you may find yourself constantly pulling up the top of the dress. If you choose a dress with straps, then you will probably have a better time at the dance because you won’t feel as uncomfortable.

The color of the dress you choose should suit the clothing of your date. Your date or partner for this event should wear a tie or cumberbund in the same color as your dress so that you complement each other. if your date is in the military, then he will be wearing his uniform so you have to make sure that the color of your gown doesn’t clash with this color.

You will find many different designs in military ball gowns when you shop online. You will have to take your body measurements to find the matching size in the size chart available on the site on which you find the perfect dress. When ordering online, you should never base the size on what you usually wear because designer dresses are usually smaller than the regular sizes. Look at the size chart shown with each dress on the site to get an idea of the difference between the sizes. The short length of time it takes you to take your measurements will save you a lot of time in getting the dress you want to have.

Measure the fullest part of your bust with the measuring tape feeling comfortable around you and not too tight. If you will have to wear a certain type of bra with this dress, take your bust measurement while wearing this bra. Your bust measurement is not the same as your bra size so don’t assume that the two are the same. When measuring your waist, have the tape measure one or two inches about your belly button and measure the fullest part of your hips about six or seven inches below the belly button.

When you order online, you have to do so in plenty of time to receive the dress so that you have time to make any alterations before the date of the military ball. If you are short, it is quite possible that you may need to have the dress hemmed. This is another factor you have to consider when ordering the dress. The hemline may be one that is difficult to shorten without spoiling the overall look of the dress.