Air Force Airman Matthew Jones graduated basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, SanAntonio, Texas. The 2009 graduate of Southside High School in Fort Smith is the son of Suzanne and Richard Jones of PrairieGrove, formerly of Fort Smith.
Cadet Isaac David Cantu Ritter, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Bruce Ritter of Fayetteville, completed the six-week Cadet Basic Training course at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. He is a 2012 graduate of Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville.
A video of the 2011 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival will be broadcast on AETN public television at 6 p.m. Nov.
11, Veterans Day.
The festival was hosted by the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville as a celebration of the yearlong therapeutic arts program sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It attracted 120 participants and concluded in an art exhibit and stage show at Walton Arts Center.
Veterans compete at their local VA medical centers.
Winners at the national competition are invited to participate in the festival.
Entries for the 2013 competition will be accepted after Jan. 14 from veterans served by the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks.
Information: Carol E. Kick, chief, voluntary service, 444-5060.
In honor of Veterans Day andin recognition of their dedication and commitment to service, AARP Driver Safety is offering a free classroom course or 50 percent off its online course to all members of the U.S. armed forces, including active duty, veteran, guard or reserve from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30.
This offer is available to individuals who serve or have served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard/Reserves or Coast Guard.
Spouses, including domestic partners, widows and widowers, dependents and children are also eligible to take advantage of this promotion.
To redeem the free classroom course offer, veterans and their family members must present a completed coupon to the host organization or the volunteer instructor at the time of registration or payment.
No additional identification is required. Course coupons are available for download at aarp.
org/veterans.
As an alternative to theclassroom course, veterans and their families are invited to take the AARP Driver Safety online course at 50 percent off the normal course price.
Some area classes are:
8:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Nov. 6, Butterfield Trail Village, 1923 E. Joyce Blvd. in Fayetteville.
Register: (479) 442-7220.
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Nov. 7, and 8 a.m.-noon Nov. 20, Village Insurance, 2838 Bella Vista Way in Bella Vista. Register: (479) 855-3076.
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Nov. 19, Fayetteville Senior Activity and Wellness Center. Register: (479) 871-9117.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 28, Schmieding Senior Center in Springdale. 800-734-2024.
Veterans benefits and services will be explained at the Mobile Services Office of the Disabled American Veterans from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 10 at Pig Trail Harley-Davidson, 2409 Hudson Road in Rogers.
Veterans may receive free assistance in filing claims aspart of the nationwide Harley’s Heroes program.
All 45,000 slots for the new Veterans Retraining Assistance Program have had applications approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2012. The federal office currently has applications to consider for 54,000 slots for fiscal year 2013 in about 200 job skills that the Department of Labor (DOL) has determined are the most sought-after by employers. Qualifying veterans can receive up to 12 months of education assistance.
Some of the high-demand job training programs veterans pursued in FY 2012 include computer support specialist, general and operations manager, business operations specialist, and heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic and installer. Potential applicants can learn more about VRAP and apply online at benefits.
va.gov/VOW, or call VA at (800) 827-1000.
Life, Pages 7 on 10/31/2012