This week, we welcome you to our fall season edition, with a roundup of special places in America where you can enjoy the changing of the color that comes with fall foliage. Enjoy our discounts on the Delta or US Airways Shuttle, for instance, from New York or Washington, and you can experience the marvelous New England foliage when you touch down in Boston.

It’s also back to school season, and I’m struck by how much the Apple iPod has become an education tool. There are a wealth of audiobooks out there, but schools and universities across America are embracing the iPod. So check out our special Apple discounts today.

Speaking of school, we just awarded three wonderful children of Veterans Advantage members, $1,000 each as part of our third annual Veterans Advantage scholarship program. I just reviewed their applications, terrific kids. One has got a Dad currently serving in Iraq. More on this soon.

Lastly, be sure to read Dr. Romberg’s column this week. The Founder of Give-An-Hour writes about the “subtle but critical shift within the military community” to recognize the psychological consequences of combat. She makes reference to Admiral Mullen’s remarks in May of this year that “make clear that a strong military force requires a proactive response to these consequences. They provide encouragement for officers to lead by example by seeking appropriate mental health care when needed. And, most important, they make acknowledging the need for help and seeking appropriate care honorable and courageous acts.”

Ever since my college wrestling days, I’ve been inspired by the drama of international sports competitions such as the Olympics. There’s a great sense of “serving one’s country” about it, while the world watches. Naturally, many of our military servicemen and women are drawn to it for that reason. This week, we honor those Active Duty military who are currently in Beijing with dreams of gold. Click here to read more about them, and be sure to root for them as they compete. Also in Beijing is Donna DeVarona, the two-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer and Veterans Advantage Advisory Board member. This super-star athlete and sportscaster has long been involved in the Olympic movement. She’s currently working to bring back women’s softball to the Games and is attending with her spouse, Army Veteran and hedge fund manager John Pinto, and children JD (a standout swimmer at Brown) and Joanna (a talented actress from Catholic University). Go Donna!

And be sure to root for one very special Veteran, Duke Men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski who is leading America’s best professional basketball stars for its own gold medal run.

We’ve launched new benefits this week, too, for those of you who have furry friends in your household – save 10 – 15% on your pet accessories, foods and medicine, thanks to Target.com and 1800petmeds.com. More on the wealth of stuff you can get are available here.

Earlier this month, we were tremendously excited to witness the passage of a new GI Bill, and were amazed with the level of bipartisan support for the measure. Rightfully so!

Thanks to Veterans Advantage Advisory Board member Ed Vick who made the introductions, today we are profiling a veteran who was instrumental in generating the necessary support in Congress to pass this piece of legislation. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff is our HeroVet for July. He is establishing himself and his organization as the voice of a new generation of Veterans, fighting for legislation to recognize, acknowledge and thank veterans for their service. We congratulate Paul on his recent successes and are grateful for his service in Iraq, as well.

The IAVA is hosting a special Web site that will be updating us on the upgraded educational benefits of the new GI Bill. Estimates are the new monies should start getting into the hands of those who serve by next August. For future updates and how to access these benefits, check out www.gibill2008.org.

More on Veterans Advantage benefits here.

I wanted to pass along a message from our customer service team: Our members-only half price sale ends tomorrow, July 18. With this special offer, current Veterans Advantage members can add three more years to their existing membership for half the price they would normally pay through three of our standard annual renewals — that’s a savings of almost $100!

Its just another way we want to thank our members for their service, and their support. If you are a current member, you can act now by clicking here.

The New York Times ran a piece yesterday on its front page about a serviceman returning from Iraq, struggling with alcoholism and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), whose drunk driving took the life of a 16-year-old cheerleader. It was a heart-wrenching story that highlights the extraordinary health issues that so many of our servicemen and women face returning to the States from Iraq and Afghanistan. To raise awareness, we are expanding our own services for Veterans Advantage members with the launch of a special area devoted to returning active duty troops –as well as their families – for dealing with the health issues associated with PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury).

And let us not forget our colleagues who are living with experiences of WWII, Vietnam, and Korea. These conditions do not discriminate.

As we launch our PTSD Resource Center, we are featuring an article by Dr. Barbara Romberg. I hope you read it. Dr. Romberg, the founder of Give An Hour, is a leader in mental health therapy for those suffering from PTSD and TBI and their families; she’s building a remarkable organization – a nationwide network of health care providers who give one hour a week to help address these critical health issues

Did you know that every Veterans Advantage benefits alert (over 200) in the last seven years was produced and designed on a Dell computer? Dell, one of our longest-serving partners is recognizing the loyalty of Veterans Advantage members with a special 15% discount, combinable with most generally advertised specials, too, through July 13. Aside from great quality, Dell offers us upgraded phone support just for Veterans Advantage members. Click here for more on Dell Military and Veteran Discounts for Veterans Advantage Card members and upgrade your tech gear!

Got a challenging job to fill? Hire a vet. That’s what the National Basketball Association (NBA) is doing by hiring the former #2 at the Army Corps of Engineers. you see, the NBA is currently in the throes of a gambling controversy surrounding one of its referees. And with the integrity of the game being questions, the NBA taps General Ronald L. Johnson, its Senior Vice President of Referee Operations!