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  1. The Difference Between Military and Civilian Life

    We’ve had a military life and a civilian life. I have to say, most times they aren’t that far apart. My husband goes to work Monday through Friday, is usually home for dinner, has holidays off, and takes vacation time during the year. But then there are times where our...
  2. Telling Your Family About Joining the Military

    We’ve all seen the movies/commercials where the young man comes home, excited and nervous, sits his parents down, and explains to them that he’s joined the military. Usually the mom cries and the dad gruffly pats him on the back with a “Congratulations, are you sure about this?” Then talk...
  3. Moving and the Military: Keeping Family Close

    Moves are simply a part of military life. For some, they happen every 3-4 years. For others, it’s a bit further apart. But the majority of people who make the military a career move several times throughout their enlistment, both domestically and overseas. Growing up, we moved around a lot....
  4. Family Readiness Group: How the FRG can help you

    I never knew what the FRG was until my husband joined the Army last March. In the Marines, I was too new and too young to really put any thought into what they offered – and the Marines (at least a decade ago) weren’t nearly as family oriented as the...
  5. The Emotional Timeline of a Separation

    Brief or extended, the words “I’ll be leaving on_______ and by home by _______” strike a sadness into every military spouse’s heart. It’s a process of it’s own, somewhat like a grieving. Most spouses are given varying amounts of time to plan and prepare, but also to worry and become...
  6. Benefits to Military Families for International Adoption

    My husband and I are in the middle of our home study for an international adoption. It’s something we’ve always wanted to do, and yet weren’t sure we could in the military. We had so many questions: Would the moving and deployments hinder the process? Would we even qualify as...
  7. 8 Things Every Military Spouse Should Know

    There are certain things that every military spouse, regardless of branch, should know about their husband or wife and the lifestyle they’re in. Beyond things like rank and who your spouse reports to. As a Marine wife, I only knew some of these. I was also 19 and an airhead....
  8. Ideas of Items to Send to Deployed Military

    My husband has been overseas for deployments multiple times during our marriage. Some of these were during war, some not. Each time he went there were things he missed from home that he wasn’t able to buy on the base there or didn’t have access to at all. When he...