• County Veterans Day events pay tribute to area service members
  Beaufort County has a long and proud heritage of honoring those who have served our country with patriotic tributes on Veterans Day. Again this year the sounds of marching bands, jet flyovers and even silence will echo from the rolling waves to the swaying pines.

• Too many opting out of valuable benefit plan
  A typical officer retiring today who declines to enroll in the Survivor Benefit Plan lets the government off the hook for a subsidy worth $50,100 in "net present value," say Department of Defense actuaries.

• The Sanbox salutes military heroes
  The Sandbox -- An Interactive Children's Museum on Hilton Head Island will use its Family Fun Night on Friday to thank military soldiers and their families for their service to our country. Local Marines will be on hand to collect new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots. The Blue Star Mothers, an organization of mothers who have or have had children serving in the military, will be collecting items to be sent overseas to soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. A complete list of needed items is available at www.thesandbox.org.

• Snapshots of service: Veterans Day concert to feature photos of local military members
  Patriotism and love of country is a natural part of life for Fran and Emma Williamson, but they don't take it for granted.

• Middle-class opt for service in lackluster job market
  Middle-class American youth are entering the military in significant numbers today, drawn by more competitive pay, a battered job market and the buzz surrounding an improved GI bill education benefit.

• Military honor, Oct. 29
  • Army Capt. Patrick L. Devine, son of Michael and Scherlie Devine of Sun City Hilton Head, recently was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq. Devine is set to return to the United States in November after completing a 12-month tour in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division.

• Bluffton family endures life on active duty after 17 years of downtime
  It had been 17 years since Bluffton resident Brad Donaldson was on active duty in the Army. Over that time, he became a husband, a father of four and a successful entrepreneur.

• Hold the mayo? Not when it comes to astute pilots
  GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Running a marathon, grab a carbohydrate bar. Lifting weights, gulp a protein shake. But climbing into a fighter jet? Butter-soaked lobster might help.

• Lawmakers, VA to blame for GI Bill payment delays
  Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki got a bipartisan hug from the House Veterans Affairs Committee last week as lawmakers accepted his plan to fix post-9/11 GI Bill payment delays, and blamed their own rush to enact the complex education benefit last year for some of the challenges VA now faces.

• Bike tour takes cyclists on a ride through Parris Island's past
  Visitors to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island will get a chance to experience the island's 400-year history next week -- one pedal at a time.