This Saint Valentine's Day, give your AF spouse a career Published Feb. 11, 2008 By Robert Fay Allied Schools, Marketing Dept. LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. -- You might have heard people claim that Saint Valentine's Day is holiday invented by greeting card companies, but the truth is that this famously romantic day has real historical roots. According to early Catholic Church records, three men by the name of Valentine were killed by Roman authorities because of their Christian faith. The death of all three men occurred on Feb. 14; one man was a bishop, the other a priest and the third was a laymen. In 496 A.D., the Catholic Church established a feast day on Feb. 14 in honor of St. Valentine - yet as to which particular Valentine the Church honored; history does not tell us. It was not until the Middle Ages in England and France that Feb. 14 began to take on its present day romantic character. In those two countries it was observed that half-way though the month of February, birds started to pair off. As a result, couples began to think of the feast day of St. Valentine as an appropriate day for writing love letters and giving gifts to each other. French and English literature from the 14th and 15th centuries contains numerous references to these romantic customs. In modern America, as we know, it means chocolates, flowers, gift cards and dinner reservations. As the war in Iraq and Afghanistan continues, Airmen know they would not be able to maintain the current operational tempo without the support of family and loved ones. This Valentine's Day married Airmen can thank their spouses, in particular, by giving them the gift of discounted or no-charge career training. When active-duty Airmen enroll at select online schools using their Tuition Assistance benefit, their spouses very often receive discounts, tuition assistance, or in some cases, even courses at no charge. Online education allows Air Force spouses to train from home while still maintaining their daily commitments to family and friends. Air Force spouses do not have to worry about in-state/out-of-state tuition rates if they must move to a new duty-station in another state - online training removes the barrier of residency status. When married Airmen speak with admissions representatives regarding their Military Tuition Assistance benefit, they should be sure to ask about the school's military spouse education programs. This article was contributed by Allied Schools, which is a Distance Education & Training Council accredited school offering 100 percent online courses in real estate, the medical field and business. To learn more about no-charge career training for military spouses, visit www.education4military.com or call (888) 501-5221 to speak with a military admissions representative. About Allied Schools Allied Schools, Inc., established in 1992, is nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), which is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally-recognized accrediting agency. Allied Schools has provided quality instruction to more than 825,000 students in the last 15 years. Students can choose from 25+ career training courses in the areas of real estate, medical and business or enroll in a high school diploma program. Online and traditional home study courses offer students a quick and convenient way to learn. Allied Schools is based in Laguna Hills, Calif.