Family Readiness

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The Strength that Lies Beneath: Our Children and their Dragon Hearts

Every year since we returned from Europe, our children’s schools have held assemblies to honor Veterans. Every year our children have asked their dad to attend. He refused to do so the first two years, but has been swayed since then by the righteous indignation of our children, especially our...
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Advance Pay: The Payday Loan That Isn’t

Your PCS orders have finally arrived! Look out! Here comes your “friend” to give you the inside track on how to make a little money at the government’s expense. “Advance pay, man! It’s an interest-free loan from Uncle Sam! Invest it, dude, or get that computer you’ve been looking for. ...
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Relocation, New Friends, and Long Distance Friendships

A host of recent studies have examined the effect of frequent relocation on children and adolescents. Military families relocate significantly more often than civilian families, and service members’ kids are not the only ones affected. Leaving close friends and established support networks, and bidding farewell to friends as they leave for...
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How to Protect your Family: The Basics of Operational Security

Military families are familiar with worry. We know better than anyone in the world what it feels like to know that someone we love is far away and in danger, and that we are almost completely unable to protect them. Fortunately, there is one thing we can do to protect...
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Returning to a Civilian Job after Deployment

Your work environment, like other areas of your life, may be different when you return from deployment. You may worry about how you’ll fit back into the picture. Someone may have assumed your role, or at least picked up the slack in your absence. You will be required to shift...
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Healing Stress Injuries

The stress of operational deployment can challenge service members and their families like few other experiences in life.It can also change them in many significant ways. The changes caused by a tough deployment can often be positive, including developing a greater appreciation for life and relationships, a greater level of...
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Return and Reunion Tips

Sometimes the most challenging part of a deployment can be the return. Reunion is a special time, but it can be a source of emotional strain for all members of your family. However, it can be a good time to work together to strengthen relationships. A great deal of time...
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Just the Two of Us: Child-Free Couples and Military Culture

I still remember the first Family Readiness Group dinner that I attended after getting engaged to my husband. Most of the women in attendance were either pregnant, shepherding fairly young children, or both, and I barely lasted five minutes before a complete stranger hit me with the apparently inevitable (and...
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A Guide to Understanding Deployment

Being a parent can be a difficult task in itself, but being an active duty military parent can not only be complicated, but also strenuous on a family unit. The United States Armed Forces have taken precautionary measures to insure the safety and well-being of all military dependents. Why The...
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The Importance of a Positive Attitude for a Military Spouse

It goes without saying that having a good attitude towards the ups and downs life throws your way is generally a helpful characteristic to have. In military life, however, it is even more vital. Life as a military spouse requires the relinquishment of a certain amount of control that for...
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