They specialize in connecting job candidates from the military community with top job opportunities in all areas, as well as connecting outstanding employers with viable candidates. They offer thousands of pages and directories offering users all types of free resources and information. The site has entire sections devoted to each branch of service, with links to Bases, Transition Centers, Organizations, News, Benefits and Forms.

They also feature many Veteran resources, including Veteran Centers, Legislation, along with Articles and Columns, featuring a fabulous Q&A column by retired Army Colonel George Compton, the Veterans’ Service Officer for the County of Ventura.

I have listed below just a few of the numerous and free resources offered:

• Job Board
• Education Directory
• A Directory with thousands of Employers
• A Directory of Scholarships
• Links & Directories for all Branches of the Military
• Directories of Commissaries & Exchanges
• Directories of Benefits, Organizations & Forms
• Directories of Pay Charts & Retirement Calculators
• Salary & Cost of Living Calculators
• Virtual Job Fairs featuring Top Jobs
• Directories of Career/Job Fairs
• Our New Job Board featuring thousands of Jobs
• Job Tips including Interviewing Questions
• News, Videos, Music, & a Forum
• Veterans Q&A
• Columns of Interest including Syndicated Columnists & Employment Coaches
• Professional Conferences
• Reunions
• More…

The site is called Prosper. Prosper connects people who are looking to borrow money with people all over willing to loan them money in increments as little as $50. Prosper has helped thousands of borrowers raise nearly $200 million dollars in the past few years.

They essentially cut the banks out of the middle and let average Joe’s and Jane’s lend directly to borrowers earning them more interest then they would otherwise find through money market funds, savings accounts or CDs. Once loans are fully funded bidding ensues and the interest rate charged on the loan falls. Competition for your loan actually helps you to lower the interest rate!

For example, the borrower behind the title “OOPS–I lost a leg“, rocket20229 in Virginia, has already raised the $25,000 they sought and the interest rate that started out at 16.17%, has been bid down to 12.9% with 4 days left for more wannabe lenders to jump in drive the rate down further.

There’s obviously no guarantee that a borrower will get the loan they’re after funded, but it’s worth looking into as an alternative to going to a bank or credit union. Especially if you have high interest credit card debt.

Couple of other points worth mentioning are:

1) you will remain completely anonymous to the lenders and others reviewing your request. Only Prosper has your personal information.

2) Prosper handles all paperwork, funding of the loan (i.e. one lump some), and receiving your 36 monthly payments. So it’s easy as apple pie.

NMFA – National Military Family Association

Be sure to checkout their new program called Operation Purple that was featured on Fox News and CNN.

I was thrilled to learn that one of my all-time favorite charities, the USO, opened a center in Iraq! Not only is this great news for the troops there, but it’s further evidence that things are stabilizing over there. All good news for the troops.

Colin Powell Sets an Archbishop Straight

When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building’ by George Bush.
He answered by saying, ‘Over the years, the United States has sent many of its f ine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.

Why We Ignore Insults From the French

Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying ‘Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?‘ A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: ‘Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce severa l thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?‘

Why We Will Never Speak French

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, ‘whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.‘ He then asked, ‘Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?‘ Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied ‘Maybe it’s because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German.‘

French Customs Officer is Put in his Place

A group of retired American teachers recently went to France on a tour. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. “You have been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. “Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.” The American said, “The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.” “Impossible. Ame ricans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!” The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. “Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in ‘44 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find any damn Frenchmen to show it to.”

We couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present then the safer conditions in Iraq have provided. Even the NY Times is writing about the calm in Iraq although you’d think Chicken Little was the author of the article as every positive development is abruptly challenged with a “but…”. It’s as if they feel a need to point out the frailties of our successes in Iraq to avoid depressing their readers. Their warped passion for our defeat is truly bizarre.

Even Iraqi Christians came out in droves to celebrate Christmas Mass today.

Patriot Express is a streamlined loan product based on the agency’s highly successful SBA Express Program, but with enhanced guaranty and interest rate characteristics.

Patriot Express Loan Program Details:

Whose eligible?

Patriot Express loans are available to military veterans, service-disabled veterans, service members leaving active duty, Reservists and National Guard members, current spouses of any of the above, spouses of active duty members, and the widowed spouse of a service member who died during service, or of a service-connected disability.

What can the loan be used for?

The Patriot Express Pilot Loan can be used for most business purposes.How much can I borrow?

Loan amounts can be up to $500,000 (although the average is currently running close to $100,000) and qualify for SBA’s maximum guaranty of up to 85 percent for loans of $150,000 or less and up to 75 percent for loans over $150,000.

What do the terms of the loan look like compared with a standard bank loan?

Interest rate maximums for Patriot Express loans are the same as those for regular SBA 7(a) loans: a maximum of prime + 2.25 percent for maturities under seven years; prime + 2.75 percent for seven years or more. Interest rates can be higher by two percent for loans of $25,000 or less; and one percent for loans between $25,000 and $50,000.

Where can I get more information?

Details on the initiative can be found at http://www.sba.gov/patriotexpress.

The article about the explosives factory can be found here:

Explosives Factory put out of business

For ongoing news from the front line in Iraq click here:

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Always nice to have good news!