Long Term Assistance Program - Fall/Winter 2025

Long Term Assistance Program - Fall/Winter 2025
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In This Issue

TSA Honors Gold Star Families with Free TSA PreCheck

TSA PreCheck Logo

For years, the TSA PreCheck program has helped frequent travelers move through airport security with less hassle. Now, thanks to a new initiative called “Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease,” the Transportation Security Administration is extending this benefit to a group that’s made the ultimate sacrifice—military surviving family members.

As of July 2025, families of fallen service members can now apply for TSA PreCheck at no cost. It’s a simple gesture, but one meant to recognize the deep loss these families have experienced and to make their travel a little easier.

The initiative allows spouses, parents, siblings, and children of U.S. military members who died on active duty or died from a service-connected injury or illness after separation to enroll. To qualify, they need a verification letter from the nonprofit TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), which can be used when applying through approved providers like CLEAR or IDEMIA. To obtain a verification letter, families must provide a copy of the DD Form 1300 (Report of Casualty) and either the Line of Duty Memo or their VA Award Letter/Benefit Summary Letter.

For more information, please contact our office at 866-210-3421 ext. 2 or email us at smb_ltap@usmc.mil.

Understanding the VA Office of Survivor Assistance (OSA)

Image representing VA Office of Survivor Assistance

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Survivor Assistance (OSA) serves as a key resource for the surviving family members of deceased veterans. Established in 2008, the OSA aims to ensure that survivors—spouses, children, and parents—are aware of and can access the full range of benefits and services for which they may be eligible.

Survivors of veterans may be entitled to benefits such as Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), education and training support (like the Fry Scholarship or Dependents’ Educational Assistance), home loan assistance, burial benefits, and more. The OSA helps guide families through the often-complex VA system, providing information, referral services, and emotional support during difficult times.

Although the OSA does not process claims, it plays a critical support and coordination role on behalf of survivors. It works across VA departments to improve the survivor experience and ensures that survivor voices are considered in policy decisions. The office also collaborates with military and community organizations, such as our USMC LTAP, to expand outreach and support.

A key initiative supported by the OSA is the VA Joint Survivor Forum, which brings together survivors, VA officials, other government agencies, and advocacy groups in a collaborative space to discuss challenges, share experiences, and provide feedback on survivor policies and services. The forum serves as an important platform to enhance communication between survivors and the VA, ensuring that survivor concerns are heard and addressed effectively. Through this ongoing dialogue, the VA strives to continuously improve its support systems and resources tailored to the unique needs of surviving families.

For families of fallen service members or veterans who have passed away, the VA Office of Survivor Assistance stands as a compassionate supporter—helping to honor their loved one’s service by ensuring their legacy is supported through appropriate care and benefits. For more information, visit OSA’s official page.

VA STEM Scholarship: Extending Educational Benefits for Surviving Dependent Children

Image representing VA STEM Scholarship

The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship is an educational benefit offered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It provides additional financial support to eligible students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields.

What Is the VA STEM Scholarship?

This scholarship is an extension of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and is designed to support students who have exhausted or are about to exhaust their GI Bill benefits while working toward a STEM degree. The program offers up to nine additional months (or $30,000) of benefits.

How It Applies to Surviving Dependent Children?

For surviving dependent children of veterans, eligibility is tied to the Fry Scholarship. These programs provide education benefits to children (and spouses) of service members who died in the line of duty.

If a dependent child is using the Fry Scholarship and is pursuing an approved STEM degree, he or she may be eligible for the VA STEM Scholarship, giving the student extended education benefits beyond the standard 36 months provided by the Fry Scholarship.

Eligibility Requirements for Dependent Children

To qualify, dependent children must:

  • Be using the Fry Scholarship.
  • Be enrolled in a qualifying STEM program (e.g., engineering, biological sciences, health professions, mathematics).
  • Have 6 months or less of their Fry Scholarship entitlement.

Why It Matters

Higher education in STEM fields often requires more time and resources. The VA STEM Scholarship can help bridge the gap for surviving children, ensuring they can complete their degrees without taking on substantial debt. It honors the sacrifice of their parent by investing in their future success and financial stability. For more information, please visit the VA Stem scholarship's website.

Honoring Our Heroes

Corporal Joshua C. Sticklen

Corporal Joshua C. Sticklen

CPL Joshua C. Sticklen died December 3, 2006, when the CH-46 helicopter he was in crashed in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay. Hawaii.

Josh was an intelligence specialist and served in Afghanistan and had been awarded the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Korean Defense Service Medal. Josh was featured in a 2004 Marine Corps magazine article in which he explained his role in creating terrain models that give planners and commanders a realistic view of geographic areas. Josh, the much-loved son of Maggie Sticklen of Virginia Beach, Va., and Larry and Becky Sticklen of Virginia Beach, was born in Rota, Spain, but grew up in Virginia Beach. He was very close with his two sisters, April Swain and husband Tony of Palmyra, Va., and Tricia Koss and husband Chris of Virginia Beach. Josh was the proud and loving uncle of four nieces that he called his “munchkins,” Kendra and Adryanna of Virginia Beach and Breanna and Mackenzie of Palmyra. Josh attended Salem Elementary and Salem Middle School and graduated from Salem High School in 2000, where he was a leader in the Navy’s JROTC program. Josh attended two years at Tidewater Community College and then fulfilled his childhood dream and joined the Marine Corps in October of 2002. Josh was one of the first Virginia Beach Marines lost during Operation Iraqi Freedom, having also served a tour in Afghanistan before his tour in Iraq.

Josh is laid to rest in Colonial Grove Memorial Park in Virginia Beach, VA. IF LOVE COULD HAVE SAVED HIM, HE WOULD HAVE LIVED FOREVER!

By: Maggie Sticklen, Surviving Mother

Private First Class Courtney Nicole Sexton

From the heart of a mother, it is with immeasurable love and profound sorrow that I honor my beloved daughter, PFC Courtney Nicole Sexton. Courtney was ambitious beyond her 18 years, fiercely loving, and cared more deeply for other people than words can express. Her decision to become a United States Marine embodied her courageous spirit and unwavering commitment to serving and protecting others. Though taken from us far too soon in a tragic accident while on active duty, her light and compassion touched everyone who knew her. Our family is eternally proud of the Marine she became, and we will carry her bright spirit and selfless love forever. Semper Fidelis, our bright star.

By: Shannon Lorenzo, Surviving Mother

Private First Class Courtney Nicole Sexton
Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Ryan McMillan

Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Ryan McMillan

Our hero is SSgt Nathaniel Ryan McMillan. Nathan joined the Marines back in 2003 with a heart to serve! In 2005, he met and married his love, Carie, while serving at his first duty station in St. Mary’s, Ga. (Kings Bay). They had four daughters, Havana, Lillian, Isabella (with Jesus and her daddy in Heaven), and Olivia. Over the years of Nathan's career, he did tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Japan working to serve his country and provide for his family. Above all, he loved his savior Jesus and served in the local church when he was stateside. He loved his family well and gave every ounce of himself to show them daily he loved them. In 2014, he was diagnosed with a degenerative liver disease that caused him to be placed at Wounded Warrior Battalion Camp Lejeune where he was working to regain his strength and preparing for a new life outside of the Marine Corps due to his illness. On Feb. 13, 2015, while doing his conditioning workout, he suddenly went into cardiac arrest and died in the Wounded Warrior Gym. His dedication to serve and give his all until the end was honored when the United States Marine Corps officially named the gym in his memory, now known as the SSgt Nathaniel R McMillan Fitness Center. He is loved forever and missed deeply by his family and friends.

By: Carie McMillan-Levin, Surviving Spouse

 

Contact Us:

Long Term Assistance Program and USMC Gold Star and Surviving Family Member Representative
Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps
Marine and Family Programs Division (MF)
Casualty Section (MFPC)
1-866-210-3421, option 2
LTAP@usmc.mil

Last Updated: 19 Nov 2025
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