By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2012 - The deadline is swiftly approaching for the Fisher House Foundation's 2012 Scholarships for Military Children Program, conducted at military commissaries  [ http://www.commissaries.com/ ]worldwide.

Applications must be completed and delivered ? not postmarked, but delivered ? to a commissary by close of business Feb. 24, according to an agency release. People can pick up applications at their local commissary or download it from the scholarship program's website [ http://www.militaryscholar.org/sfmc/index.html ].

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2012 - Federal officials are urging military members, their families and other Americans living outside the United States to register to vote and request an absentee ballot.

Both can be done easily by downloading a federal postcard application on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website, Bob Carey, the program's director, said in an interview today with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.

By Megan Doyle
Army National Guard

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 30, 2012 - The Army Reserve, the Army Human Resources Command and the Army National Guard have joined to provide Individual Ready Reserve soldiers and their families a way to connect with the military community.

By affiliating Individual Ready Reserve soldiers and their families with a local reserve-component unit, the IRR Affiliation Program creates a support network intended to improve readiness and encourage soldiers with valuable skills to continue their service, officials said.