The Military Advantage, 2009 Edition (Military Advantage: The Military.com Guide to Military &) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Terry Howell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Military Advantage, 2009 Edition is the most current and complete guide to military and veteran s benefits. Written by Chris Michel, founder of Military Advantage, the nation's largest military and veteran membership organization and backed by the resources of Military.com, The Military Advantage,2009 Edition is the most reliable benefits guide available for the over 30 million Americans who have answered the call to serve in the nation s military. These valuable benefits include billions of dollars in scholarships, educational benefits, VA home loans, thrift savings, life insurance, allowances, allotments, retirement pay, disability pay and military discounts. All too often the many benefits earned by the millions of Americans serving in uniform or retired from military service are overlooked or go unused. This book unlocks the availability of every benefit, allowing readers to make the most of the military experience whether they are active duty, veterans, military retirees, or family members. Straightforward in its approach, this fully up-to-date, easy-to-use guide is filled with insider tips, little-known benefits, shortcuts, and answers to frequently asked questions. For example, it is the first reference to offer a complete informational guide to all of the new educational benefits just authorized in the post-9/11 GI Bill and it reflects the very latest information on such topics as loans, health care, professional development, travel and lodging, training resources for spouses, and transition to civilian careers. Drawn from the resources of Military.com, the most trusted name in the military community, The Military Advantage, 2009 Edition is the one essential resource for everyone with military or veterans benefits. This reference guide is the newest edition of the most complete guide to making the most of the military experience whether one is on active duty, a veteran, a military retiree, or a family member.

About the Author

Christopher P. Michel is founder and former chairman of Military.com and president of Affinity Labs. He holds an MBA from Harvard and was a P-3 navigator in the U.S. Navy and later worked in the Pentagon as aide to the chief of the Naval Reserve. He is the author of the previous editions of The Military Advantage. He lives in San Francisco.

Terry Howell is the Managing Editor for Benefits for Military.com. A retired Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer, Terry used both traditional and non-traditional education methods to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Communication at Western Baptist College while on active duty. He is currently using his GI Bill benefits to pursue a MBA at Corban Graduate School.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press; 2009 edition (March 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159114499X
• ISBN-13: 978-1591144991
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #201,780 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally....., March 8, 2009

By	Judyann Allen "Wacky woman" (Covington, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Vets may not think they need this or wish to pay for it but as a military widow this is invaluable. I don't talk "military" or even know where to look for the answers to most of my questions. If those who served don't need this I'm sure their dependents do.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An easy-to-understand guide to benefits, March 7, 2009

By	GI Jane (USA) - See all my reviews

To address the negative reviews about having to "pay" to know your benefits: sure, you can take the time to travel to your local VA, then sit down with a government publication and try to find the information you're looking for (good luck, by the way; have you tried to read those things?) OR you could get an easy to read reference like this book, or go to the companion site, www.military.com, which is completely free.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific resource!!, March 15, 2009

By	Renee Serrano "R.S." (Maine) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am amazed there are so many reviewers knocking this book. My husband is a retired and disabled veteran and everytime he tries to get help or answers to his questions from his so called VA rep, the rep doesn't know all the answers. Everytime he tries to get help from the patient's advocate at the local VA medical center, it takes days to get the guy to call back. He is DISABLED and legally blind with glaucoma now traveling to his other eye (one eye not working...get it?). For all the vets who have medical issues that keep them from *looking* (for lack of a better word since it obviously does not apply to him) for these free publications that tell them what benefits they can find, I applaud the author/authors on putting this one stop resource together. Nobody complains, for example, when someone comes up with a scholarship book listing all the scholarships around the U.S. and elsewhere for students, right? What's wrong with listing all the benefits a veteran can receive? Plus the book at 14.95 is inexpensive. Why doesn't the guy just give it away (as one reviewer asked) because obviously the cost of printing the book is expensive so he cannot just give it away. There are tons of resource books out there on various subjects, why not this one for the men and women who may be disabled or so busy they have no time to go *looking* for benefits they may not even know about. I work full time and go to school full time so I have NO time to go hunting along with taking my disabled and blind spouse to his doctor appointments. So I APPRECIATE that the author took the time to do this. This is an excellent resource for veterans who may not be able to hunt down all the benefits they are entitled to due to medical issues, time issues, etc.

Renee S.