Family Readiness

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Care Packages, Part 2: How to Send Them

Now that we’ve covered What To Send in a Care Package in Part 1, today in Part 2 we explain HOW to send it. Without a doubt the best way to go is USPS. They have priority flat-rate boxes (pictured) made specifically for those who are sending mail to APOs...
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Veteran’s Guide to Final Arrangements, Part 4: Cemetery Options

You can read Part 1 of the Veterans Guide to Final Arrangements here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. National Cemeteries Any veteran who meets the eligibility criteria may be buried in a National Cemetery. The Department of Veterans Affairs maintains 131 National Cemeteries in thirty-nine states (and Puerto...
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Veteran’s Guide to Final Arrangements, Part 2: Memorial Items

In addition to burial allowances, grave markers, and veterans’ cemetery interments, the families of deceased veterans are also eligible for a couple of memorial keepsake items: a burial flag and a memorial certificate signed by the President of the United States. (Read part 1 of the Final Arrangements series here)...
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Personal Responsibility and Health, in the Military and Beyond

I learned a great life lesson from my First Sergeant during our train up for Afghanistan in 2008. We were at Fort Bragg at FOB Patriot with many on the team getting sick from the 18 hours a day, 7 days a week pace accented by the wearing of body...
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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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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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Casualties of War

Robert joined the Army at 18 years young, right after high school. He served in Vietnam and became successful, providing the destruction of war. He served nineteen-months in Vietnam, and did parts of his tour in various assignments: he was a rifleman, a 90MM Recoilless Rifle gunner, and a leader...
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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....
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3 Things You Should Know About the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act

The Military Spouse Residency Relief Act of 2009 (MSRRA) is now law. Unlike some laws (gravity, for instance), MSRRA is not necessarily very easy to understand. Hopefully most states have already gone through their “growing pains” in adapting to and adopting the MSRRA, but that does not mean there aren’t...
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Some Moms Wear Combat Boots

It’s hard to imagine that not so long ago it was mandated that any women who served in the Armed Forces would be immediately discharged upon the confirmation of pregnancy. In 1951, an Executive Order (EO 10240) signed by former president Harry S. Truman, clearly stated. “That any women...
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