Kiona Smith-Strickland

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Bumper Stickers and Opsec: Caution for Military Families

As military family members, most of us have been admonished about operational security (opsec in military-speak) countless times. We are told- though not nearly enough of us seem to remember- never to post anything online about our spouses’ flight times, arrival times, or destinations; or anything our spouses share with...
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Never Leave a Pet Behind, Either!

At our new station, I met a lady with two gorgeous and sweet-tempered German shepherds. Both were assistance dogs, and when she told me about their background, she mentioned that both had been abandoned and rescued. “Who would ever abandon such beautiful, affectionate dogs?” I asked. She told me that...
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5 Activities You Can Share with Your Spouse During Deployment

Skype calls are almost a universal part of military life these days. However, when you are separated for months at a time, it can get harder and harder to find anything new and interesting to say. When you run out of synonyms for “I miss you,” try these suggestions for...
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Welcome Home! 5 Tips for Reintegration

The day a service member returns home from deployment is one of the happiest and most eagerly anticipated days in the life of any member of a military family. The following months are a wonderful time full of re-connection and re-discovery, but they can also be stressful and challenging. A...
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Getting The Most Out Of Military OneSource

The Department of Defense offers military families a comprehensive resource for all aspects of readiness, resilience, and even recreation. The program, called Military OneSouce, is meant as a virtual extension of on-base services. It offers one source of easily accessible information, resources, and services for military families. For example, Military...
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Building Resilient Relationships with Army Strong Bonds Retreats

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I enjoyed a romantic weekend getaway at a local tourist spot, complete with catered meals, outdoor activities, great relationship-building sessions, and a nice evening out. We made some new friends and came home with great insights about ourselves, each other, and our...
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Choosing an Online School: Safety Tips for your Education

For service members or military spouses seeking higher education, online programs often sound like the perfect choice. Online classes are portable, so you don’t have to transfer every time you move, and mid-semester PCS or deployment orders are much less likely to wreck your transcript if you can take your...
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Financial Aid For Military Spouses (Part 2)

Part 1 of this article covered financial aid options which are available to everyone. As military spouses, we face unique challenges in our educational pursuits; fortunately, we also have access to unique resources to help fund our educations, such as Career Advancement Accounts and a number of scholarships specifically for...
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Putting the Right Spin on Employers’ Assumptions about Military Spouses

Military spouses face some serious challenges in the job market, especially compared to our civilian counterparts. A 2007 study by the RAND Institute found that military spouses consistently had higher unemployment rates, lower wages, and slimmer prospects for advancement than civilian spouses with the same education, experience, and demographic profile....
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Financial Aid for Military Spouses (Part 1)

Education is the best way to increase your employment opportunities and your earning potential, and for many people, learning is a worthwhile goal in its own right. The bad news is that the cost of higher education is steadily increasing. The good news is that college can be affordable; financial...
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