A while back, I posted some information pertaining to the various information "portals" that are provided by the various armed forces. I mentioned that most are offered to retirees as well. Those that are not right now, will be in the near future as they bring their network up to speed with the Navy and the Army. For that part of the discussion, I refer you to the past post "Didja Know about NKO, or AKO... Did you?" You can find it below or listed in the archives at the right.One thing that I negelcted to mention was the address to the Retiree Onward Portal within NKO. As an active member of NKO since it came online, I have compiled some of the information that would be helpful for a retiree and put it into one page. Of course, in order to get to the link, it will lead you to your signup or login page. That is one of the beauties of these systems, they are many more times secure than any of the other sites out there. And some information hits there first, because it is like the "straight from the horse's mouth concept". The Navy or Department of Defense makes a decision or passed a regulation and informs folks via their network first and then passes it on to the news media and other internet sites via press releases. So, generally it is on NKO first. I am pretty sure that the Army does it the same way.Here is the link: CPOTonyStewart-Retiree Onward Portal .As I also have info from the other services, I am looking at using their option to signup on their sites and present the same thing. At least, the Army system presents the opportunity for me to enroll there as well. And so on and so on. Remember, BEFORE you click the link above, you must have access to the NKO Website. When you click the link above, it will take you to that page. If you are a retiree, active duty service member, or a dependent of one and enrolled in the DEERS System, then you can register at that time as well. Once you log in, it will take you straight to the Retiree Onward Portal or "ROP". I will eventually add the link to OUR LINKS at the right for future use. I will do the same for the other services as I am able to build them.As always, if you have questions or comments, click the "comment" link below this message and I will get back to you!
Most military personnel are well aware of the recent efforts of their respective service organizations to bring the world of information to the doorstep, or at least computer screen, of each servicemember. But, the word still hasn't completely made it out to the retirees that these same services are also available.The information appears to grow daily and varies from online computer classes to library collections of audiobooks, music, e-books, congressional reports, and so much more. There is the latest health news including alerts and ways to research concerns. There is legal information including downloadable forms and data to use as well as helpful links. There is information about job hunting, transition assistance, veterans organizations, financial services, counseling services, personal and professional growth services, and many more. For some people it is information overload and for others it is the new frontier. No matter what your take is on it, it is information that saves you money, time, and is always available.I can at least vouch for the Navy and say that if a Navy servicemember (as well as Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel) doesn't know what is available to them on the "Navy Knowledge Online (NKO)" website, they must be living under a rock or just haven't reached that point in their life where they are investing in their future. I know that the Army has the same system under the umbrella of "Army Knowledge Online (AKO)" and it is available to retirees. However, the Air Force version, the "AF Portal" reports the following, "Currently, the AF Portal team is focused on delivering capabilities to the military, civil service community and base support contractors. In the long term, the AF Portal will support the entire AF community: Active Duty, Reserve, Air National Guard, civil servants, retirees, dependents, and our support contractors. As we evolve the AF Portal we intend to offer capabilities to our retired and dependent communities such as quality of life information and self-service personnel and financial applications. Please stay tuned to the AF Portal and the AF Link public website over the next year for more information on AF Portal registration for retirees and dependents." It is just a matter of time before they too will be onboard and offering the same services.To help "corrall" some of the resources within the website that I am able to access from my Navy affiliation, I have created a "Personal Community" within Navy Knowledge Online and will continue to build with references related to veterans that are able to access it. I was talking to another friend of mine about this and he asked me, "Why don't you just create a NEW website that everyone can access with all the information." Well, the information for NKO, AKO, and all the others is a combination of the efforts of hundreds of people and hundreds more contracted agencies who are experts in the field of information that they provide. I do not claim to be an expert of all that I come across. So, I will that to the professionals. However, there is no reason why I can't do what I can to help bring the information to a more collective sectionSo, if this is new information to you, here is some helpful links for you to begin your quest:If you learn something new about ANY of these services, share the wealth! And let's pass it on!
A while back, I posted some information pertaining to the various information "portals" that are provided by the various armed forces. I mentioned that most are offered to retirees as well. Those that are not right now, will be in the near future as they bring their network up to speed with the Navy and the Army. For that part of the discussion, I refer you to the past post "Didja Know about NKO, or AKO... Did you?" You can find it below or listed in the archives at the right.
