4MCA.com  /  Operation Reach Out: Suicide Prevention App

  1. Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance May Help Some, But Not Many

    Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of the Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA) Program. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? You, gentle readers with your hands in your laps, are not alone. The program, outlined in Department of Defense (DOD) Instruction 1341.11, isn’t very well known. The website used to determine...
  2. What’s in a Name? Plenty…

    Although planning a wedding can be stressful, there is no doubt any married man will tell you it is completely, unreservedly worth every minute. One decision, however, looms over even the color of the text on the place cards: do you change your name? If you are keeping your own...
  3. MotoMail for Marines

    Family and friends of Marines deployed to Afghanistan can send a physical letter to their loved one without leaving the house or paying for postage. MotoMail is a free, private and secure service that allows you to write a message out like an e-mail. Then, in Afghanistan, the letter will...
  4. 5 New Year’s Resolutions to Strengthen the Family

    The New Year is fast approaching, and if you’re like most people, you’re taking stock of 2011 – your ups and downs, successes and failures – and figuring out how to do better in 2012.  The most common resolutions people make are major life changes like losing 50 pounds or...
  5. Free or Discounted Child Care Agencies for Military Families

    According to my father-in-law, Cokes used to cost only a nickel, everybody liked Ike, and the world was a swell place. Childcare was easy to find in this world also, since family was always nearby and you had known the neighbor’s kids their whole lives. Sadly, military people have never...
  6. Children and Homecoming

    The homecoming of a service member is a major change for the children in a household. They have grown physically, emotionally, and socially during the deployment. They are not as skilled at coping with their stress because they have little life experience. As a result, they may become firmly attached...
  7. Homecoming Tips for Single Service Members

    As a single person living in the barracks, you may have new roommates when you return, or you may have someone who has been living in your home or apartment while you were away. Perhaps you moved out prior to deploying and will need to find a new residence when...
  8. Caring for Yourself While Supporting Your Service Member

    Deployment and reintegration can be extremely difficult times for a family. If you are the spouse of a service member, a lot of your energy will be spent supporting your loved one. However, it is important that you take care of yourself as well. Staying Healthy Eat well. Be conscious...