Family Readiness

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Tips for PCS

Prime PCS season may be a few months away for most military families, but you never know when Uncle Sam will send your loved one home with travel orders in hand (just ask me how I know). It’s never too early to start thinking about organizing your next PCS. And...
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Doing it Again: How to prepare for yet another deployment

This past week we got the semi-official news that my husband will be deployed again next year. I don’t consider anything official until he leaves, but this announcement most likely means he will be deploying for a fourth time in 2013. This deployment won’t be our longest with the Army,...
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5 Myths about Military Life

I have been an Army wife for a little over 7 years now. Before my husband joined I had some idea about Military life, but I really didn’t know what it truly meant to be married to a soldier. A lot of people don’t. If you don’t have a close...
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A Christmas Dinner

A guest post from David J. Karwoski – John was a disabled Vietnam veteran who struggled with debilitating health issues as a result of the war. His daily struggles centered around diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and residual problems from malaria—not to mention the several pounds of metal used to hold his...
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Understanding the Returning Warrior

After many long months of worrying and waiting, of staying strong when times were tough, of pushing hard through fear and anticipation, your servicemember is coming home. They are the same person you have known and loved – but they have changed. Whether this was their first deployment or their...
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What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Homecoming

The day your service member returns from a deployment is one of the most anticipated events in your relationship and the life of your family. You probably want it to be perfect for your loved one. No matter how much you plan and how great your intentions are, it’s not...
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5 Things Nobody Tells You About Deployment

My husband just returned from his second deployment as a Soldier; it was his third total, since he did one as a Marine prior to a stint as a civilian which led to the Army. It was my first. As the year progressed, I realized how many things I wished...
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Veteran’s Guide to Final Arrangements, Part 3: Grave Markers

Read Part 1 of the Final Arrangements series here, and Part 2 here. Marker Types and Materials The VA will provide each deceased veteran with an upright grave marker in granite or marble, or a flat grave marker in granite, marble, or bronze. Upright grave markers are two-to-three-inch thick slabs...
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What I Love about Army Life

Being an Army wife has been a difficult and humbling experience for me. Seven years ago this November we became an Army family and it hasn’t been what I thought it would be. We have had our ups and downs. Deployments and frustrations. There are however a few things I...
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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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