Financial program provides 'portable' careers for military spouses Published July 8, 2009 By Greg Allen 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Military spouses now have another financial tool available to help expand their job opportunities as they travel from assignment to assignment with their spouses. Following congressional authorization, the Department of Defense is expanding the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) that will provide up to $6,000 in financial assistance for licenses, certifications, and education in high growth, high demand portable career fields. And, according to one Cannon spouse, the process is relatively simple. "It took me about an hour and a half to fill out the form online, after I completed a career assessment questionnaire," said Dilshani Tyson, "and then I had to wait 10 days while it was processed and approved." The end result was approval for a total of $6,000 for tuition at Eastern New Mexico University that will help earn her a medical degree in obstetrics/gynecology. She plans to pursue that medical degree even further by focusing on care for high-risk pregnancies and babies. "That's $6,000 in loans that I won't have to pay back," she said. The wife of Tech. Sgt. Daniel Tyson, a 27th Special Operations Support Squadron medic, Mrs. Tyson said she learned about the program through the Cannon Spouses' Club. She already has a degree in electrical engineering, because, she said, medical schools seek individuals who have a more diverse working or educational background than strictly medical. The program is so new that many spouses have not heard about it. Mrs. Tyson said she was talking on the phone about the MyCAA program and a friend who was visiting her at the time overheard the conversation. "She's a nurse and will be PCSing soon," she said. "She didn't know that the program will pay her relicensing fees. She said it was something medical personnel had to do at every new location" The program is designed so individuals can develop "portable" skills or job opportunities where service members are stationed. These might include, but are not limited to, career fields such as business management, health services, real estate, or information technology. "The MyCAA program is now available for use by all eligible spouses," said Ellen Saccoia-Smith, community readiness consultant for the Airmen & Family Readiness Center here. "The monies can be used for college classes, licensure, certification, and continuing education to maintain, expand and upgrade skills." Spouses interested in learning more about the program should visit www.militaryonesource.com or call the Cannon A&FRC at 784-4228.