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The DoD has come a long way in how it prepares its members for transition back to civilian life since the Vietnam era. I have worked with Vietnam era vets who were pretty much on their own to try an figure out what benefits were available to them once they left service. For me, my indoctrination into benefits for after service started in Navy bootcamp 1992. During recuit in processing while filling out the many forms that would go on to make up the base of my service medical record, it was repeated over an over, the Navy is an industrial environment where you have the potential to be exposed to lots of things that are detrimental to your health. If you are exposed, document it with medical. If you're hurt, don't suck it up, go to medical. If you don't get it documented, it's like it never happened. Getting it documented will help you when you file for VA compensation/disability. Also, during bootcamp and everywhere in the Navy I went after, I was constantly reminded to take advantage of education benefits for active duty such as PACE (Programs Afloat for College Education), where college professors are embarked with the crew during the deployement to teach general education requirement classes. I took advantage of that, knocking out math, history and governement credits. They also pushed CLEP which I used to knock out COMP 1 and 2. When I went to shore duty, I was pushed to utilize Tuition Assitance. Because of that I earned my Associates in Applied Marine Engineering. All through this, it was people in my chain of command that kept reminding me to take advantage of these programs because there is life after the Navy.Another facet of the transition that has improved greatly was the Transition Assistance Program. I first heard about it in the mid 1990's. It was developed for Sailor's getting out of the Navy. At first it was voluntary for those that wanted to do that to the point now that it is mandatory and pretty much standardized through out the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. It is a week long program that covers VA benefits, how to put together a resume translating military skill sets to civilian skill sets. They even had folks from the state employement agencies and head hunting recruiters to give presentations on what to expect and how to make yourself look more competative in the job market. We were even required to develop a job prospecting plan and have it reviewed by the class coordinators. I'm not sure if other training sites did this, but the one where I attended at Tinker Air Force Base (Yes, there is Navy there in the middle of Oklahoma), required us to make 2 copies of our service medical records. One copy was for us to keep and the other was to go over the Military Treatment Facility/Clinic and see the VA rep to fill out our VA claims and submit it using our medical records. This goes back to importance of getting everyrthing that I was exposed to or injured, documented into my record. We were then required to bring back proof that it was done. This was all part of the mandatory transition course. What this helped me do is after 23 years of Naval service, I was able to transition into a civilian job right after retiring. I technically was not separtated from the Navy and was on terminal leave when I started my new job. I'm now also using my GI Bill and enrolled in the Masters program and OU for Adminstrative Leadership.In my view, if there are modern era vets who say that they recieved no assitance whatsoever when transitioning, I would find that highly unlikely with the most likely scenerio that they didn't pay attention when all of this was being put out.

Is there any way for free college and free health care to be provided to every US citizen without increasing taxes? If yes, how can that be done? If no, how high do the taxes have to be for each income group?Since you posted this question in the US Healthcare Policy Space, I can respond to the healthcare part of your question. Education is unrelated to Universal Heathcare Coverage (UHC), with the exception of medical education which is addressed below.I am also citing an article that explains an overview of UHC, and pros and cons. [1]Hearings on numerous proposed healthcare bills were held in Congress on Tuesday, April 30, 2019, before the House Rules Committee, and they will also be held by the House Ways and Means Committee.[2] [3]There are a few facts to keep in mind, so let me divide my answer into parts because this is extremely complex.Part I: Basic FactsThere are numerous bills (at least 8 proposals) being looked at ranging from an all-encompassing bill that includes practically every type of service needed such as vision, dental, mental health, and even long term care assistance, to other proposals that are massively scaled back and essentially maintain the current system but offer public Medicare buy in options, and everything in between. The Kaiser Family Foundation is keeping track of all of bills and offering side by side comparisons.[4]Moving to universal healthcare coverage in the US will be disruptive no matter what system we put in place. CBO (Congressional Budget Office) is warning us about this.[5] It's like building a new construction house because our old house is in utter disrepair. Putting on a new roof might not be as disruptive, but if we want to fix the guts of the house, we need much more in-depth construction. The question is whether we can save any of the old house, or if we need to tear it down.The current trajectory of projected healthcare costs with our current system are unsustainable. Almost everyone agrees on this point.[6] “The U.S. currently devotes 18 percent of our economy to healthcare, and that number is on the rise. Such a large proportion of resources devoted to healthcare makes it increasingly difficult to invest in other sectors of our economy.” The graph below is from 2015. We are currently spending over $11,000 per capita in 2019. In 2015, we ranked #28 in the world, and now we rank lower. Here is an extensive article from Kaiser Family Foundation in the US Healthcare World Ranking. [7]The majority of Americans want universal healthcare coverage. [8] Healthcare is the #1 most important issue.Part II: The Real Story On Costs:The hearings on a national healthcare plan are the beginning of the discussion on how to deliver healthcare, not the end.I encourage people to participate in the conversation because we are all in this together and it will take a while to implement any solutions.There are many stakeholders, the largest of which is a $300MM-500MM annual healthcare lobby, that for obvious reasons is committed to a disinformation campaign against universal heathcare coverage. [9] [10] [11]In 2018, the US Healthcare industry spent $500MM lobbying Congress to own politicians, write laws, and maintain the status quo.So far, only one bill, the all-encompassing Medicare For All bill (proposed by Bernie Sanders) has been analyzed by a Koch Brothers-funded conservative think tank, Mercatus.CBO was unable to score any of the proposed bills because there are still too many questions regarding costs and implementation.CBO put out a chart that lays out the questions that need to be answered before they can estimate costs for the various proposals.[12]Charles Blahous, the economist for the Mercatus Center, looked at Bernie Sanders Medicare For All plan and concluded that we are more or less spending all of the same money on healthcare now.The increase in federal spending would be dramatic but, as Republican witness Charles Blahous of the Mercatus Institute acknowledged at the hearing, much of that would just be a shift from the private sector to the public. People would pay taxes instead of health insurance premiums and existing federal funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare would be repurposed for the national health plan.[13]This difference is in shifting the costs to within a single payer system, administered by government, from an outside payer system adminstered by insurance companies.In addition, though the costs are more equivalent today, in long term, we will yield savings, even when moving to an all encompassing plan.Remember, when single payer comes into play, all current insurance premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and annual caps go away. So, we are spending the same money differently, through tax funding, than premium funding.In conclusion, it is extremely fair to say that long term costs will go down with universal heathcare coverage, and everyone will be covered.The key is that rates must be negotiated on behalf of all Americans. We must have single disclosed pricing for drugs and procedures.This does NOT mean that government must be the sole payer; it just means that government can't be banned from negotiating rates for drugs and medical procedures, on behalf of all Americans. In fact, they MUST be negotiating lower pricing!Part III: Other ConsiderationsWill UHC compromise or enhance the quality of healthcare?Is there concern over a medical provider shortage?How will we handle the transition?Should ESI be eliminated?Each on of these questions deserves an answer in itself. In fact, many of these questions have been proposed and answered.I will try to add some thoughtful comments.Quality: All healthcare is triaged. The term “ration” is used as a scare tactic. The appropriate term is in our current system care is triaged. If you go to the emergency room now, you are called in order of emergency. If your condition becomes emergent, your care is prioritized or additional resources are called in. This is exactly what will happen with universal healthcare coverage. In fact, a credible argument can be made that if we insured everyone in the US, we would have more appropriate use of the ER, and remove people out of the triage list who shouldn't be there OR would never end up there with preventative care. This also saves a ton of money by off loading ER costs to the everyday clinics. This prevents cost shifting for uninsured being added to insureds premiums. In addition, UHC prevents the spread of infectious disease. [14]Doctor Shortages: This issue also impacts the quality of care issue because without UHC in the US, we are facing a critical shortage of doctors. There are several reasons for this. In addition to an aging population, the American Medical Association lobbied US Congress for decades to limit the amount of residency slots available for doctors in order to create an artificial shortage to maintain high salaries. They wanted doctors to be perceived as a nobler practice so that Americans would pay higher salaries. This has led to a profound shortage. To add insult to injury, the cost of medical school has become so expensive that those who decide to take on the cost have often bypassed internal medicine and moved to specialty positions because they often pay double or triple the salary and the debt can be paid off more quickly. Ironically, independent of any discussion of UHC, the AMA is now lobbying to add to the number of residency positions to reduce the shortage, and private foundations are now paying the full cost of medical school for students who qualify to get admitted. [15] [16] [17] Finally, hospitals are now hiring thousands of foreign doctors, who have already completed residency, in order to properly staff the doctor positions. So, this scarcity of doctors is being actively addressed and it will likely be substantially reduced by the time any UHC is out into place. [18][19]The net effect of AMA-type restrictions hasn’t been to make better quality doctors available to more people, but to reduce existing options, especially in rural and other under-served areas.Transition Issues: It is very unlikely that the US will move lock, stock and barrel to UHC without a carefully planned transition process. For example, an age based transition has been proposed over a number of years, even under the very generous Bernie Sanders plan. It starts with reducing the age to have Medicare from 50 to 64 years, and downwards, and children get added as well. While I personally believe that ESI is a form of indentured servantry, it is unlikely that ESI will transition to UHC in one swoop. I will further address ESI in my last point.ESI Employer Sponsored Insurance: ESI is an invention created in the aftermath of WWII. [20] It is an artifact of history that no other country has.The problem with ESI is threefold:It forces an employee to take less in salary in exchange for healthcare benefits. Instead, every year during open enrollment, the employer decides which hospitals and doctors are in network and out of network, what the new premiums and co-pays are, the annual caps, and new uncovered drugs and services.The employee is unable to leave the employer because they are tied to their healthcare. They can't guarantee that they will match their benefits or have the same doctors or hospitals in their new job.If they leave to become an entrepreneur, they are required to get COBRA, which is 2 to 3 times the cost and is temporary. Until the ACA, if the employee left group insurance and went to individual insurance, they faced pre-existing conditions limitations in their insurance policies.Overall, ESI tends to be anti-competitive, anti-entreprenurial and anti-capitalistic. ESI ranks after the VA, Medicare, and Medicaid in satisfaction levels, just above the uninsured. However, ESI is so built in to the fabric of American society, I don't see it going away anytime soon.As I said at the beginning of this answer, the national discussion on UHC has only begun. It's important to consider facts and read a lot of information. Political parties and rhetoric do not offer facts and data.Reputable foundations and non profits have studied UHC extensively. I recommend reading information from Kaiser Family Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, World Economic Forum and World Health Organization. The CDC can also be a good place to review health information.Footnotes[1] Pros & Cons of Universal Health Care (THE COMPLETE LIST) - Formosa Post[2] Advocates and Opponents Testify at 'Medicare for All' Hearing[3] Ways and Means Committee to hold hearing on 'Medicare for All'[4] Compare Medicare-for-all and Public Plan Proposals[5] CBO warns of complexities, disruption of a single-payer system[6] Finding Solutions: Healthcare[7] How does the quality of the U.S. healthcare system compare to other countries? - Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker[8] KFF Election Tracking Poll: Health Care in the 2018 Midterms[9] CBO’s Report On Single-Payer Health Care Holds More Questions Than Answers[10] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/04/12/weve-done-lot-more-than-you-would-think-how-health-insurance-industry-is-working-pull-democrats-away-medicare-for-all/[11] Industry battles Medicare for All traction[12] CBO’s Report On Single-Payer Health Care Holds More Questions Than Answers[13] 3 key moments from the House’s first-ever Medicare-for-all hearing[14] Pros & Cons of Universal Health Care (THE COMPLETE LIST) - Formosa Post[15] How the NYU School of Medicine is going tuition-free[16] Kaiser Permanente's New Medical School Will Be Free For Its First 5 Graduating Classes[17] https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/articles/2017-07-13/how-to-attend-medical-school-for-free[18] New research shows increasing physician shortages in both primary and specialty care[19] The Evil-Mongering Of The American Medical Association[20] How We Got to Now: A Brief History of Employer-Sponsored Healthcare

A friend of mine put together an awesome handwritten sign outlining why she's voting for President Obama this year, I think it says almost everything you need to know:Many Americans take it for granted that President Obama has been one of the most effective Presidents since FDR. It's important to remember just how bad things were when he took office and how much he's accomplished since he's been in office.We were hemorrhaging jobs when this President took office and now we've gone from 10% unemployment down to around 8.5%. If the recovery continues on this path, we'll be back to around 5% unemployment by 2016.It's not just about jobs though, President Obama has also worked to restore America's image around the world. When President Bush was in office we were invading countries for no reason, now we've left Iraq and are in the process of leaving Afghanistan.In case you needed a few other examples of what President Obama has accomplished I put together a list below:Extended child tax credits and marriage-penalty fixesCreated an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to invest in peer-reviewed manufacturing processesRequired economic justification for tax changesImplemented "Women Owned Business" contracting programChanged standards for determining broadband accessEstablished a credit card bill of rightsExpanded loan programs for small businessesExtended the Bush tax cuts for lower incomesExtended the 2007 Alternative MinimumTax patchClosed the "doughnut hole" in Medicare prescription drug planExpanded the Senior Corps volunteer programRequired insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditionsGave tax credits to those who need help to pay health premiumsRequired large employers to contribute to a national health planRequired children to have health insurance coverageExpanded eligibility for MedicaidExpanded eligibility for State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP)Required health plans to disclose how much of the premium goes to patient careEstablished an independent health institute to provide accurate and objective informationIn non-competitive markets, forced insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient careEliminated the higher subsidies to Medicare Advantage plansExpanded funding to train primary care providers and public health practitionersIncreased funding to expand community based prevention programsReinstated executive order to hire an additional 100,000 federal employees with disabilities within five years.Increased the Veterans Administration budget to recruit and retain more mental health professionalsExpanded the Veterans Administration's number of "centers of excellence" in specialty careAppointed a special adviser to the president on violence against womenFully funded the Violence Against Women ActDirected military leaders to end war in IraqBegan removing combat brigades from IraqCreated a military families advisory boardEnded the abuse of supplemental budgets for warMade U.S. military aid to Pakistan conditional on anti-terror effortsOpened "America Houses" in Islamic cities around the globeAllocated Homeland Security funding according to riskCreated a real National Infrastructure Protection PlanIncreased funding for local emergency planningExtended monitoring and verification provisions of the START I TreatyAppointed a White House Coordinator for Nuclear SecurityInitiated a grant and training program for law enforcement to deter cyber crimeImproved relations with Turkey, and its relations with Iraqi KurdsLaunched an international Add Value to Agriculture Initiative (AVTA)Created a rapid response fund for emerging democraciesGranted Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to CubaRestored funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) programEstablished an Energy Partnership for the AmericasExpanded the Nurse-Family Partnership to all low-income, first-time mothersRequired new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions.Provided affordable, high-quality child careRecruited math and science degree graduates to the teaching professionReduced subsidies to private student lenders and protect student borrowersEncouraged water-conservation efforts in the WestIncreased funding for national parks and forestsIncreased funding for the Land and Water Conservation FundEncouraged farmers to use more renewable energy and be more energy efficientExpanded Pell grants for low-income studentsPursued a wildfire management planRemoved more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfiresExpanded access to places to hunt and fishPushed for enactment of Matthew Shepard Act, which expands hate crime law to include sexual orientation and other factorsRepealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policyRestored funding to the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance ProgramsReformed mandatory minimum sentencesCreated a White House Office on Urban PolicyFully funded the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)Established program to convert manufacturing centers into clean technology leadersEstablished 'Promise Neighborhoods' for areas of concentrated povertyWorked toward deploying a global climate change research and monitoring systemFunded a major expansion of AmeriCorpsCreated a Social Investment Fund NetworkBolstered the military's ability to speak differentlanguagesAppointed the nation's first Chief Technology OfficerProvided grants to early-career researchersWorked to overturn Ledbetter vs. GoodyearCreated a national declassification centerAppointed an American Indian policy adviserCreated new financial regulationsIncreased funding for land-grant collegesBanned lobbyist gifts to executive employeesSigned a "universal" health care billCreated new criminal penalties for mortgage fraudRequired 10 percent renewable energy by 2012Released oil from Strategic Petroleum ReserveRaised fuel economy standardsInvested in all types of alternative energyEnacted tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid carsAsked people and businesses to conserve electricityRequired more energy-efficient appliancesCreated a 'Green Vet Initiative' to promote environmental jobs for veteransCreated job training programs for clean technologiesRequired states to provide incentives for utilities to reduce energy consumptionSupported high-speed railSupported airline service in small townsInvested in public transportationEqualized tax breaks for driving and public transitConsidered "smart growth" in transportation fundingShared environmental technology with other countriesDoubled federal spending for research on clean fuelsProvided grants to encourage energy-efficient building codesIncreased funding for the Environmental Protection AgencyRaised the small business investment expensing limit to $250,000 through the end of 2009Extended unemployment insurance benefits andtemporarily suspend taxes on these benefitsSupported network neutrality on the InternetReversed restrictions on stem cell researchKilled Osama bin LadenDoubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a program that encourages manufacturing efficiencyIncluded environmental and labor standards in trade agreementsCreated an international tax haven watch listMade permanent the Research & Development tax creditRequired automatic enrollment in 401(k) plansRequired automatic enrollment in IRA plansCreated a consumer-friendly credit card rating systemCreated a $60 billion bank to fund roads and bridgesRequired full disclosure of company pension investments to employeesProvided easy-to-understand comparisons of the Medicare prescription drug plansInvested in electronic health information systemsPhased in requirements for health information technologyRequired that health plans utilize disease management programsRequired providers to report measures of health care costs and qualityHeld hospitals and health plans accountable for disparities in careImplemented and funded proven health intervention programsPrevented drug companies from blocking generic drugsAllowed Medicare to negotiate for cheaper drug pricesWorked with schools to create more healthful environments for childrenImproved recruitment of public health workersMandated insurance coverage of autism treatmentFully funded the Combating Autism Act and Federal Autism Research InitiativesDoubled federal funding for cancer researchIncreased participation in cancer-related clinical trialsFully funded the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)Set a national goal to provide re-screening for all 2-year-olds for developmental disordersCommissioned a study on students with disabilities and their transition to jobs or higher educationSet goals and timetables for implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation ActCreated a best practices list for private businesses in accommodating workers with disabilitiesLaunched educational initiative for employers on tax benefits of hiring employees with disabilitiesReduced the threshhold for the Family and Medical Leave Act from companies with 50 employees to companies with 25 employeesProvided a $1.5 billion fund to help states launch programs for paid family and medical leaveRequired employers to provide seven paid sick days per yearStreamlined the Social Security disability approval processExpanded Veterans Centers in rural areasEstablished standards of care for traumatic brain injury treatmentMade the Veterans Administration a national leader in health reformReduced the Veterans Benefits Administration claims backlogInstituted electronic record-keeping for the Veterans Benefits AdministrationExpanded housing vouchers program for homeless veteransLaunched a supportive services-housing program for veterans to prevent homelessnessExpanded the Family Medical Leave Act to include leave for domestic violence or sexual assaultFully funded debt cancellation for heavily indebted poor countriesCreated a fund for international small and medium enterprises (SME)Launched robust diplomatic effort with Iraq and its neighborsProvided $30 billion over 10 years to IsraelLimited Guard and Reserve deployments to one year for every six yearsEnded the "Stop-Loss" program of forcing troops to stay in service beyond their expected commitmentsFully and properly equipped troopsCreated a Civilian Assistance Corps that would organize private sector professionals to help in times of needIncluded humanitarian international missions in long-term budgetingReviewed weapons programsModernized ships and invested more in small vesselsSet standards for when the government should hire defense contractorsRestored the government's ability to manage contracts by rebuilding our contract officer corpsCreated a system of incentives and penalties for defense contractsEstablish a Global Education FundStrengthened the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at stopping spread of weapons of mass destructionOrganized successful Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in 2010Expanded federal bioforensics program for tracking biological weaponsDeveloped a comprehensive cyber security and response strategyMandated standards for securing personal dataRequired companies to disclose personal information data breachesWorked to persuade the European Union to end credit guarantees to IranSeek to negotiate a political agreement on CyprusRestructured and streamlined USAIDIncreased the size of the foreign serviceUrged China to stop manipulation of its currency valuePressed China to end its support for regimes in Sudan, Burma, Iran and ZimbabweCreated a public "Contracts and Influence" databaseRequired Cabinet officials to host Internet town hall meetingsConducted regulatory agency business in publicPromoted more pre-school educationExpanded Early Head Start and Head StartReformed No Child Left BehindDoubled funding for Federal Charter School Program and require more accountabilityAddressed the dropout crisis by giving schools incentives for more dropout preventionCreated Teacher Residency Programs that will send teachers to high-need schoolsExpanded teacher mentoring programs and provide incentives for more planning timePromoted innovative ways to reward good teachersSimplified the application process for financial aidIncreased the number of high school students taking college-level coursesCreated incentives for tree planting and promote carbon sequestrationImproved water qualityRegulated pollution from major livestock operationsStrengthened federal environmental justice programsIncreased funding for organic and sustainable agriculturePartnered with landowners to conserve private landsCreated a community college partnership programIncreased funding for progams that conserve lands and habitat for select species such as the Osceola turkeySupported wetlands protectionPromoted economic development in MexicoSupported repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)Vigorously pursued hate crimes and civil rights abusesSigned the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act into lawSupported regional innovation clustersHelped low-income areas get phone and Internet serviceCreated a Homeowner Obligation Made Explicit (HOME) score for mortgage comparisonsIncreased the supply of affordable housing throughout metropolitan regionsInvested in transitional jobs and career pathway programsFully funded the COPS programImproved emergency response plansCapped interest rates on payday loans and improve disclosureExpanded public/private partnerships between schools and arts organizationsImproved climate change data recordsSupported improved weather prediction programOffered prizes for advances in consumer technologyEncouraged contests and programs to interest students in scienceIncreased research opportunities for college studentsStrengthened the levees in New OrleansDirected revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling to increased coastal hurricane protectionShook loose federal money for rebuilding the Gulf Coast