Did You Know?

Army Honors Gold Star Mothers

Sweeping Veterans' Mental Health Legislation

Word to the Wise on the GI Bill 

Debt Crisis Stings Military Families

Military Spotlights Breast Cancer

Military Health System Seeks Feedback

Feds Fast-track Mil Spouse Hiring

Changes to Retiree ID Renewal Rules

Life Insurance in an Economic Downturn

Active Duty Education Benefits User's Guide

Earn Cash and Help the Goodwill

New Navy Female Mentorship Program

DoD Launches New E-Library

New Holiday Exchange Catalog

New Media Policy for Military Funerals

AF Forums Still Available

Deadline Spouse to Teachers Vouchers

Personal Finance Website Available

YMCA Partnership Provides Child Care

Get a Carpool Going on New Website 

Motherhood

I always felt discounted by people with children before I actually had them myself. It was always, "Oh. You don't have children. That explains it", or "You'll never understand until you have children of your own." Talking with mothers about Anything Related to Children was off limits, although at the time I didn't really understand why.

Murphy's Law on TDY Dates

I've written before about my husband's "main holiday miss".  Our miss is usually Halloween.  He's managed to make two Halloweens since 1998 (last year being the second).  He's going to be away again this Halloween. 

We're used to it, although it's sad.  We really go all out and celebrate Halloween with age appropriate scary movies all month, pumpkin patch visits, and the like.

He's missed Easter, he's missed our anniversary, he's missed Thanksgiving.  He's missed many birthdays and he's missed several Fourths of July. 

There's one holiday season Air Force Guy NEVER misses, though. 

For a Friend

And any other friends who might need this today.

Love ya, babe.  Take care of you.

Man's Best Friend

One of the happiest moments of my husband's homecoming was when he finally got to see our dog again. Our pets really are members of the family, as many of you have reminded us here at SpouseBUZZ. Check out this video of an airman who greets his dogs after a 14-month deployment.

Melts the heart.

Hat tip: Dave in Texas

We'd love to hear your stories. Tell us what happened when your spouse was reunited with the family pet(s).   

Survey for Wounded Service Members and their Families

Secretary Gates is asking for feedback about the Military Healthcare system from wounded (or ill) service members and their families. If you're interested in participating, click here to take the survey. You can take the survey until October 15. Results will be published in November.

Thanks to reader SV.

Semi-related, a new website to address PTSD and transitioning from military life to civilian life is now in development. From the Mailbag:

Andi, I just got finished reading an article you posted in 2006 about PTSD. My hubby is an OIF Veteran (Army). [B]ecause of his PTSD and other injuries, our family and many others we knew were really struggling to find real-world information about coping with the "aftershocks" of combat. So I, with some other OIF/OEF Vet wives, got together to start FamilyOfaVet.com.

Updates For Our Military Children

Website Allows Deployed Parents to Connect with Children

MyChildMyMilitary.com is an interactive website designed to provide military families with a real-time platform to share books and activities with their children. MyChildMyMilitary.com's activities are geared towards children of all ages, interests and educational levels, with books for pre-readers, advanced readers and struggling readers on a broad range of topics. Thanks to grant funding, the website’s service is currently offered free to military families. To learn more about this site please visit: http://mychildmymilitary.com/. FamCorner, the company that created MyChildMyMilitary.com, has also developed a similar web application to help grandparents keep in touch with their grandchildren. Mygrandchild.com is offered by monthly subscription only.

Fit Club - Report In!

Okay, folks, I have an assignment for you.

Here's the deal - my gym opens on October 11.  I have been "working out" by moving all the boxes in the house and cleaning like a madwoman - but the first Friday after 10/11 I'll have a full workout report (plus pictures I hope!) for you.

But lifting boxes isn't as much of a workout as I'd like to have.  And I keep hearing from several of you that you need to get back on track, too.  So here's the deal - do this short workout once a day every day until next Friday and we report in.  I will want to hear everything - were you sore?  How long did the soreness last?  How do you feel Friday vs. how you felt on Monday?  We'll be doing this together, so let's motivate each other to get this brief 15 minutes a day done this week! 

I have a bit more news for you after the jump!

That Third Kind of Courage

Webster defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty "

As we near the sixth anniversary of the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom (October 7, 2001), we have all seen different kinds of courage.

Tonight on SpouseBUZZ Radio!

We live in interesting times, that's for sure.

What does the current economic crisis mean for military families?  With so much emphasis on the housing sector and the fact that we have to move and don't have a choice - how can we best position ourselves during this crisis?

For the first half of today's show we'll be talking to our favorite Real Estate agents - Larry and Madeline of LarMad Homes.  Larry will have tips and facts on the search for housing in today's market.  Very important to know!  We previously talked to Larry and Madeline here, and it was a great conversation.  Madeline also runs a blog called Just Ask Madeline, and we all LOVE blogs!

In the second half of the show we'll be speaking to USAA mortgage specialists about how the current market crisis affects your mortgage or your ability to get one.  With all the talk of a credit crunch, this is stuff you really need to know!

Join us tonight at 9 PM Eastern on SpouseBUZZ Radio for a very timely show!  As always, our phone lines will be open for questions and our chat room will be hopping.

Good news for National Guard Families

I was thrilled the other day when I saw the news that the YMCA, and DOD joined forces for National Guard families.

I only wish the DOD would have done this when the GWOT started. I urge National Guard families to take advantage of this program.

Flexibility In Hiring Military Spouses

Will this initiative help you?

Well, I'll be Damned...

I remember the first time I met some of my husband's Army buddies and their wives. We were dating then so the military lifestyle was all very new to me. I felt like I was in a foreign country and didn't speak the language. No, I felt more like an anthropologist who had been sent to the field to study these strange people who persisted in speaking a very odd tribal language. I heard things like PCS, TDY, NTC, MOS, TLA, DFAC, BAH and BAS. On and on it went.

It didn't take long to figure out that acronyms are just a part of military culture, and the Army has to use them for everything. Apparently, the world will come to an end if military types have to fully pronounce every single word. They seem convinced of that and somewhere along the way, they managed to brainwash me and I now believe it, too.

There was a time when I could have easily embarrassed my husband by not knowing an acronym, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would embarass him by actually using one. Ah well, there's a first for everything, it seems....

Lactation, Navy Style

SpouseBUZZ reader and milspouse blogger Marine Wife, has entered into an essay contest at Get the Gouge.  Her story, Lactation, Navy Style can be found here. Voting ends today. If you want to vote for Marine Wife, go to the right-hand sidebar and scroll down towards the bottom to find her story, then click vote.

Good luck, Marine Wife! 

Did You Know?

TRICARE-Medicare Questions Answered
Head-to-Head Comparison of the Old and New GI Bills
Moving Again? Earn Cash and Help the Goodwill
Military.com Classifieds: Motorcycles for Sale
Flu Season is Coming, Get Prepared
Combating Childhood Obesity
Dry Pet Food Recalled
Army-Navy Game Ticket Sweepstakes
Education Program Rewards Good Grades
Fort Lee Recalls Ground Beef
Free High School Test Preparation Programs
Keeping Your Child Safe Online
Protecting Yourself from Foreclosure
TRICARE Nurse Advice in Europe
Policy Change for Replacing ID Cards
Saving the Tomb of the Unknowns
More Compensation for TBI and Burn Vets
Free YMCA Memberships for Guard, Reserve
AF Launches Website
Parents Track Grades Online
USO Golf Tourney and Live Webathon
American Red Cross Aids Servicemembers
Family Assistance Program Goes off Base
Army Services Changes Name

Heavy Chats

This evening while my husband and I were instant messaging, I had a surreal thought.  I realized that we have saved IMs of conversations that a husband and wife should never have to have via typing.  We have chats filled with sadness over the miscarriage I had back in June, and the one before it.  We have chats about our fears for the next pregnancy.  And now that I have started fertility treatments and am trying to get pregnant here without him, we have chats about what we will feel if this doesn't work...or if it works like crazy and we end up with three babies.

We have some pretty heavy chats.

And part of me just finds this fundamentally sad, that we have to use such an impersonal method to discuss some of the most emotional and intimate aspects of our life.  It's the nature of being a military family these days, and most of the time I just IM away without really thinking about it, but as we were chatting today and kinda re-living some of the moments in the emergency room last year, I just had the thought that this really should be a conversation we get to sit on the same sofa for.

But at least we have the IM so we can have the conversation at all.

Stretching the Military Dollar

Challenging economic times, no? Looking for ways to make the most of the military dollar? If so, head on over to a great new site which offers sensible tips for military families.

The military money experience is unique and challenging. The Paycheck Chronicles is here to help with daily tips on the special financial situations of military servicemembers and their families.

Good stuff....

Perspective

There are times when we all need a good dose of perspective.   Times when all we can think about is how big our problems are and how insurmountable they seem to be. 

And when you get it, it's like a punch in the gut.  A punch, by the way, that you welcome through tears of pride.

Urraahh, Devil Dogs. 

What is success?

I was reading an article this morning on the success of reintegration, reunion, and the transition of Military families.

How does one measure "sucess in reintegration?"

My Prized Possession: The Single Letter

After reading Sarah's blog post about letter writing, or lack thereof, I was reminded of something. When we spoke with Mrs. Casey, I mentioned that my husband wrote exactly one letter during his last deployment. I received tons of email and many cards, but as for letters - one. I was okay with that because my husband is not a letter writer, never has been. Everyone's situation is different and some spouses have more access to computers than others. As for me, I could hardly complain about communication because on most days, I got an email, and most weeks, a phone call.