Kiona Smith-Strickland

Disaster Readiness for Military Families

No matter where you live, you live with the possibility of some type of natural disaster – a blizzard, an earthquake, a flood, a hurricane, a tornado, or a wildfire – or man-made disaster – a blackout, a nuclear or chemical plant incident, a pandemic, or a terrorist attack. These...
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We Can Do It: 4 Challenges and 6 Solutions for Military Spouse Education and Careers

Do you ever feel like being a military spouse is a full-time job all by itself? During my husband’s last deployment, I often said that I had two full-time jobs; one required keeping the office at the local funeral home running smoothly, and the other required assembling and mailing care...
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Need Someone to Talk To? A Guide to Getting Help

They used to call being married to a soldier “the toughest job in the Army.” Now more than ever, it still is, and sometimes we need some support. As military family members, it is important to remember that although most of us do not deploy or face combat situations, we...
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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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Career Advancement with MyCAA

Education pays; the more education you have, the more likely you are to find a job and the more you are likely to earn. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that high school graduates earn a median yearly income of $33,072, compared to $37,024 with some college credits and $39,884...
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