marines

Each year, a disturbing number of women fall prey to fraudsters posing as U.S. servicemen, who woo them long-distance, then ask for cash. "A couple of years ago we were getting hundreds of calls a year about this scam," says Christopher Grey of the Army Criminal Investigation Command. "Now we get thousands."

The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will guard all of us from being taken advantage of financially. Turns out, one group needs extra protection in that arena: those who protect our whole nation -- U.S. service members and their families. And Holly Petraeus is going to make sure they get it.

Major League Baseball's lineup of freebies often includes the wacky or the worthless, but one team got it just right this week. The Los Angeles Dodgers will give any member of the U.S. military -- active or retired -- two free tickets to any of its home games in May.

Everywhere you turn, it seems like companies are offering military discounts. Some of these deals are outstanding while others are scams, but the best deal may be one offered by the military itself. Here's a brief guide to the savings opportunities offered to service members and their families.

Members of America's military face threats around the world every day, but it's a domestic threat that has the top brass on the offensive on the home front -- predatory lenders. Here's how the Department of Defense is fighting back.

Veterans with disabilities have a staggering 41% unemployment rate. That's especially true for veterans who return from Iraq and Afghanistan with two signature disabilities: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, which frequently go undiagnosed.

About 1.5 million of nearly 22 million troops who have served are women. But recent military conflicts, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, show that upon returning home, female veterans don't always get the support they need to reintegrate into society.

The Ninth Circuit Appeals Court that put the decision ordering the military to stop enforcing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" on hold is a brief win for the government. But don't assume it means the policy will survive: The stay just means that the judges want time to think.

The U.S. will close 20 major bases by September 2011. What happens then depends on the base's location. But the ripple effect is always felt throughout the surrounding area. Often, families lose neighbors, businesses lose customers and workers lose jobs.

Anthony Exsted joined the Marine Corps to get a higher education. "I didn't have the discipline to stick with college [right out of high school]," Exsted says. "I figured I'd do that rather than rush into school and drop out my freshman year." Exsted decided to wait until he returned from his...