Milpets - Take Two!

Many thanks to everyone who submitted photos and may this post put a smile upon your face.

Enjoy!

Very Cool

Check out these military-themed pumpkin carving patterns. Wish I had seen these a week or two ago....

Thanks to Kelly for the tip.

The View From Below

At SpouseBUZZ LIVE San Antonio, we had a discussion about civilian misconceptions of military life. It was really very entertaining. My adult family and friends have a better understanding of military life since I became a milspouse, but apparently their understanding hasn't trickled down to the next generation.

A few weeks ago, my nephew and niece were visiting. My nephew, who is nine, looked at me and asked if my husband makes me do push-ups. "Does he say, drop and give me twenty, Aunt Andi?" Funny how the little ones tend to equate all military men with Drill Sergeants, isn't it?   

I laughed and said, "Well no, of course not, I make him do push-ups."

I think my nephew is duly confused now....

Respite Care

It's tough on caregivers to maintain 24/7 care of their loved one.  After several years, I can't imagine how some families are still able to hold it together.  Now, TriCare offers primary caregivers of active duty servicemembers rest, relief, and reprieve authorized by section 1633 of the 2008 NDAA.

The respite benefit helps homebound active duty servicemembers who need frequent help from their primary caregiver. This benefit provides a maximum of eight hours of respite per day, five days a week. Active duty servicemembers, or their legal representatives, can submit receipts for reimbursement of respite care services beginning Jan. 1, 2008, by a TRICARE-authorized home health agency.

For more information on this benefit visit TRICARE’s Web site.  Make sure you look into all the details if you need this and feel you should qualify! 

The Bandaids On Our Hearts

Today I went to a memorial service for a soldier in our brigade.  I didn't know this man and neither did my husband, but after hearing the eulogies, I think we would've liked him.

He left behind a wife and four kids.

You know, it does horrible things to your heart to sit back on the homefront and watch other people's husbands die...

Articles from TriWest

TriWest administers the TRICARE system in 21 western states. Last week, they sent over some interesting aticles designed to help educate military families about their healthcare benefits. After the jump, you'll find three articles:   

Children's Deployment Stress May Mirror Their Parents'

TRICARE Coverage for Your College-Bound Child

Don't Leave TRICARE at Home: Traveling With TRICARE   

Did You Know?

Don't Miss SpouseBuzz Live in Seattle
Military.com Launches an Education Benefit Blog
Chance of Delay for New GI Bill
Time for Flu Shots
Spouses Eligible for DoD Job Placement
TRICARE Overseas Emergency Care
Army Reaches Out to Hire the Wounded
LINKS Expands to Children of Marines
Motor Coaches Bring Vet Services Closer
Holiday Mailing Dates Announced
Historic Tuskegee Airmen Site Opened
Stock Drop Hits Military Investors
Old System to Deliver New Tuition Checks
Pet Photo Could Win a Shopping Spree
AF Europe Launches Spouse Jobs Website
Disability Employment Awareness Month
Army Survivor Outreach Services
Army Remembers WACs
2008 Fall/Winter Jewelry Catalog
Exchange Holiday Gift Wrap Program
Fisher Houses Serving Families

Lizards and Cats and Alarms, Oh My!

The TDY gremlins struck last week, and I mean to tell you - IT.WAS.UGLY.

It all started around midnight on Wednesday. I sent the last batch of email for the evening, shut down my computer and set the alarm. I walked around the house and began turning off the lights, which is when I heard all kinds of clatter near the back door.

Duplicates...I Have Duplicates

Now, I'm not one of those uber-organized military spouses who move in, paint, unpack and decorate the first couple of weeks that they are in a new house.  Heck, I'm lucky if I accomplish those things during the first couple of years.  So it probably comes as no surprise that I've still got a lot of boxes left unpacked despite having moved in MAY.

Aside from the sheer displeasure of being surrounded by clutter, the thing that bothers me most is not being able to find specific items.  My iron, for example.  I'm completely embarrassed to admit that I haven't ironed since May because I couldn't find my iron.  Oh, well, I did borrow one from the neighbor when I had to iron labels into my daughter's clothes for summer camp.  Anyway, today I really, really needed to iron.  So I had to shuffle through boxes until the iron popped up.  Thankfully it didn't take as long as the three hole punch did.  I'm sure you know the story...girl looks for three hole punch for weeks, girl gives up and purchases new three hole punch, girl finds old three hole punch shortly after destroying packaging for new three hold punch.

As I unpack boxes, I find doubles of many things.  Hot glue gun:  2.  Mops & buckets:  2.  Fabric shears:  2.  I hate to imagine how much money I've wasted buying things that I already have, but can't find.  And then there are those cutting boards; they've been missing for two moves.  I guess I should admit defeat and replace them.  A girl can never have too many cutting boards, and I'll have twice as many after I go buy new ones!

And if you see the charger for my cordless screwdriver, will you let me know?

Grief...and the many ways we face it

My father passed away two weeks ago. This isn't a post looking for sympathy...what I want to examine is how we deal with these situations (not sure I'd call it a crisis...I'll explain why in a moment) when they occur and you are separated from your extended family by thousands of miles.

My father was 80 years old. He fought lung cancer - giving up a lung in the process - in the early 90s. He then went on to battle heart disease, skin cancer, a heart arrhythmia, a series of minor strokes, and bladder cancer. He was a mess. I came face to face with his mortality when I was a senior in high school and they had to remove his lung because of the cancer. He was given a 5% chance at long-term survival at that point.

He went on to live another 18 years. That was my dad.

Tonight on SBTR: SpouseBUZZ LIVE San Antonio

Join us this evening at 9:00 p.m. EDT on SpouseBUZZ Talk Radio as we speak with some of the attendees of SpouseBUZZ LIVE San Antonio. We talk with these ladies about the event this past Saturday and find out what they took away from the experience.

If you were at SpouseBUZZ LIVE San Antonio, feel free to call into the program and join the conversation. The dial-in number is          646.478.5665       . This will be a good program for those of you who are registered for the Tacoma event to tune into. It should give you a good idea of what to expect when we hit your town on November 15.

Click here to listen live to the show and, as always, our chat room will be open. If you don't have an invitation to the chat room, but would like to join us, please send your request in before 8:00 p.m. Details here.   

From the Mailbag: Hey, You Know What's Boring? Separation, that's What...

Milspouse Heather has a problem. It's called boredom....

I had a question and was wondering if you could help me out…My husband just re-enlisted (after a 5 year break in service), and is in training in Oklahoma, then he goes to Benning, and then we get our duty station.  We have two kids, ages 8 and 10, who go to bed at 8:30. 

My husband has now been gone 12 weeks, and won’t be home until after Thanksgiving.  I know it’s not long in comparison, but I haven’t done this for a long time, and forgot how slowly the time can pass.

So my question is, after laundry, time on the treadmill, and tv, what is there I can do at night to pass the time?  The last two nights by 9:30 I was bored out of my mind.  And my civilian friends here are supportive, but have their own lives, so I don’t feel like I can call on them to entertain me.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Suggestions?

Military Wives Plan Conference

Sara Horn of Wives of Faith sends word that the group will hold a conference on November 7-8 in Nashville, Tennessee for military wives.

Wives of Faith is a faith-based military wives support organization that was started by a Navy reservist wife and an active Army wife in 2006 to connect, encourage and support military wives who do not live near a military installation or lack the resources or knowledge they need to succeed as a military wife in their marriages, families and deployments when they apply. 

The group will hold its first weekend conference in Nashville, Tenn., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7-8.

Full press release with more details after the jump.

Postscript

Interesting postscript to the cheeseburger story.  Tonight when the webcam pops up, there's my husband, ceremoniously eating a cheeseburger on camera.  With this devilish, I'll-show-you look on his face.  We both cracked up.

I love how he can turn something irritating into something endearing.

Do you have pets?

Many of us proudly showed off our milpets back in the spring.  How cute they are - indeed!!

For those of you that are new to SB, I would like to give you the opportunity to showcase your special non-human friend(s).

If you sent in photos for the previous milpets posting and would like to share some new photos or showcase a new pet - please send in your photos. 

Come one, come all - let's show off our pets!

Military Life From Two Different Perspectives

Here at SpouseBUZZ, we generally examine life from the perspective of being a military wife, but it's nice to examine other perspectives, too.

Second Place To a Cheeseburger

Today I needed to call my friend's mother to ask her for a recipe.  I looked at the clock and thought, "My husband never contacts me at this time, so I'll call my friend's mom now."  So naturally, my husband was trying to beep in while I was taking down recipe information.  And it's awkward to tell a woman you've never talked to before that you need to hang up on her and call her back in a few minutes.  But it's even worse to miss a call from Iraq.

Is it a Generational Gap?

An interesting conversation took place at SpouseBUZZ LIVE San Antonio. A family support leader stood up and asked, and I'm parphrasing, "What can we do to get more participation from spouses for our meetings and events?" Other people agreed that this is a common problem at their post/base and expressed their frustration.

I've never been fully satisfied with some of our FRG/FSG discussions here. Some of them have been excellent, but we tend to hear some things over and over; volunteer burnout, adversion to clicks, personality clashes, people don't want everyone in their business, we don't need the hand-holding, and on and on. Not only that, some FRG/FSGs are efficient and function as they were meant to, and some (from what you have told us) do not, so it's hard to discuss such a broad topic because there's no one-size-fits-all.

Did You Know?

Register for SpouseBuzz Live in Tacoma
Army to Assess Emotional, Mental Fitness
Attention Military Spouses
Bob Hope Auction Will Benefit Veterans
Bush Signs Bill with Troops' Pay Raise
Coordinated Care for Military Families
Discounts Available in Kentucky
DoD Launches Red Ribbon Week
Fall Safety Campaign Begins
Free Coping with Deployment Course
Get Workout Tips on the Military.com Fitness Blog
Questionnaire Deadline Extended
Sweeping Mental Health Bill Passes
TRICARE Blog Keeps Members in the Loop

Baby Come Back....

Have you seen those commercials pushing Swiffer WetJet? You know, the ones where the old brooms and mops try to woo housewives back after they've been replaced by the latest and greatest way to sweep and mop the floors. I crack up each time I see those commercials, especially the one where the mop lays a path of rose petals leading to a candle-filled jacuzzi.

Very clever.

Yesterday, the SpouseBUZZ gals began making their way home from San Antonio, and I stayed on for an extra day. One by one they took off. With each good-bye, I began to feel a little bluer. I thought I was going to throw myself on the floor and start singing Baby Come Back like those brooms and mops do. It was so quiet when they left. No more laughter and warmth that comes with being surrounded by some of your favorite people in the whole world. They're just suddenly gone. And you know what it reminded me of? PCS season.

For me, there's nothing worse than being the last one to PCS. Four months ago, I watched all of my new milspouse friends pack up and move out of town. We were the last to go. It's a gut-wrenching experience to be the last one to leave, and to not know when you're going to see your new friends again - if ever. I'm determined to be the first person to leave Seattle after SpouseBUZZ LIVE Sea/Tac.....

Big Wheels keep on turning...

Thank You San Antonio and Ft. Hood Spouses!

Wow - I hated for SpouseBUZZ LIVE to end today, we were having way too much fun! Thanks to everyone who came out and spent part of their day with us. The SpouseBUZZ crew enjoyed meeting you, and hearing your stories. You gave us a very warm welcome and we were truly touched by your hospitality. We've GOT to come back to San Antonio again....

Below are links to a few of the posts that we discussed today:

The SpouseBUZZ Blog Series

Anticipatory Grief

Embarassing PCS Stories

Military Spouse Network Plus: New San Antonio Spouse Network (build it, ladies....)

Wanted: FRG and Found: FRG

America Supports You

It's That Time Again...

Updated and Bumped: Originally published on 9/15/08 after SpouseBUZZ LIVE Hampton Roads. I'm bumping the post up so that the San Antonio LIVE attendees can browse through various milspouse blogs.

Periodically, we run a list of milspouse bloggers here at SpouseBUZZ so that new readers can find more spouse blogs to read and connect with. After our LIVE event this weekend, I thought now would be a good time to publish the list again. If you have a blog that isn't listed, it's not a snub, there's just so many to keep track of. Please leave the blog url in the comment section and we'll add it to the list.

Here's the list, in no particular order:

Okay, Now This is Getting Ridiculous

I've spoken about the moving process, as has armywifetoddlermom, fairly frequently and with quite a few adjectives not acceptable on family-type blogs.  The process stinks, even if I do love to go new places.

A few weeks ago in the chatroom during a SpouseBUZZ Radio show, I got some great tips about how to pack the gear Air Force Guy has left behind from the lovely Butterfly Wife and her very helpful husband Jack Bauer. 

The problem, you see, is body armor.

TroopTube

 

TroopTube is the new online video site designed to help military families connect while miles apart. The site is designed for easy use, so you can quickly upload and share videos. 

TroopTube is sponsored by Military OneSource and approved by the DoD.

Tonight on SpouseBUZZ Radio!

You know you want one! 

Tonight on SpouseBUZZ Radio we'll talk to Joanna from Atta Girl!   It took a while, but I finally hinted enough to Air Force Guy and in July he presented me with my own Atta Girl bracelet!  It was quite the ceremony, and so sweet.  It is never far from my wrist.

So where did the idea for Atta Girls come from?  And what new ribbons can we expect to see in the future?  Joanna is even going to get some ideas from us for other Atta Girl awards!

Don't miss this show tonight at 9 PM Eastern on SpouseBUZZ Radio!  And as always, our chat room will be hopping!

AUSA Conference Recap

On October 6-8, The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) held their annual conference in Washington, DC. Things were a bit different this year. The Army has begun actively engaging bloggers and SpouseBUZZ was invited to take part in Blogger's Row at AUSA giving us, and other military bloggers, access to senior Army leadership and their spouses. I was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict, so Army wife Tammy Munson went in my place, and she filed this recap last night:

What military support looks like in DJ Emery country

Folks who read milblogs with any frequency will know who Sgt. D.J. Emery is.  The latest news on DJ is found here.

In addition to the support from milbloggers, DJ's own home community is marvelous in their support for him and the vets who live in their area of Pennsylvania.

Courage After Fire, the SpouseBuzz Book Club announcement

My DH returned from a Military Wellness conference this summer, and returned with Courage After Fire.  In good news, I had heard about this book before from SpouseBuzz Radio, in which one of our listeners, suggested the book. 

I have read the book, but I am going to read it again, because there was SO MUCH information to absorb.  I am hoping, we have a lot of participation in this months Book Club.   

Preventing the Second Tragedy

Have you tried talking your spouse into Legal to get your wills updated?  It's worse than pulling teeth or making doctor appointments.  And yet, it's one of the most important things we can do for our families.  If you are having trouble getting your spouse or others in your units to realize the importance of this type of planning, there is a new program out there that can help - "Preventing the Second Tragedy - Casualty Tough Talk"!

They come home, and sometimes it feels different.

When I ask my fellow wives "how are things going?", when their loved one returns from battle.  I am not trying to uncover any gossip or dirt. 

I seriously  want to know. 

When my DH came home, he seemed quieter, more contemplative, didn't seem to require much sleep, and well it took a while for us to learn our new dance. 

This is Our World, and it's a Very, Very Small One

I love my friend Dave, but he threw me for a loop this morning when he sent an interesting link my way. I was in the middle of composing another post (which I've since abandoned in favor of this one) when the inbox pinged. I've added to, taken away and rewritten this post for hours now. I wanted to address all of the points, one by one, but this would resemble a book instead of a blog post had I done that. Finally, I realized that the SpouseBUZZ readership doesn't need much commentary. You'll understand, and you'll address the points which interest you. So, about the link....It's a blog entry written by a fellow milspouse and posted on CNN's website.

If the American military went to war and America went shopping, then seven years later the war wages on but America is home from the shopping spree with her credit cards maxed out and her head aching from buyer’s remorse.

The war didn’t change and the fighting force didn’t change, but the people back home are over it. War, it seems, went out of style in 2003.

In the military community we roll our eyes when we hear that Americans are war weary. Just what, we wonder, are you all weary of? Hearing about the war? Seeing stories in the news? Most Americans don’t even know anyone in the military and won’t have any direct contact with the war besides seeing uniformed soldiers in the airport.

No disrespect to the author, but it wasn't the post itself which interested me. Putting Rebekah's last couple of paragraphs aside, because that's a subject that we could discuss and agree or disagree with on another day, most of the blog post reads like something we've seen posted dozens of times in other spouse forums. Most spouses will understand the sentiment behind many of Rebekah's statements, but when her words are posted in a broader forum with a wide-ranging readership, we're able to see how others react. And that's when it becomes interesting, at least to me.

Did You Know?

Come to SpouseBuzz Live in San Antonio this Weekend
Attention Military Spouses
Beat the Recession with Coupons
Camping Fees Waived
Exchange Mall Includes Recycling
Exchanges Issue Sports Catalog
Homework Help for Marines, Families
Improve Your Fiscal Fitness
Navy Crime Reduction Program
TRICARE Offers Respite for Caregivers
Veterans Day Resource Guide
Website Connects Parents, Children
1st Cavalry Scholarship Program
AbilityOne Provides Jobs for Disabled Veterans

Note to Self: Be careful when nagging DH

Okay, so I have a hundred things to write about (for once) and this is where I will start.  Yesterday I asked DH to vacuum the living room.  Which he did..... almost.  We have a rug that covers most of the living room floor, but leaves about 2 ft. of hardwood floor along three sides.  So he vacuumed the rug - only! 

I was a bit upset because he has watched me vacuum the living room at least a million times and I always vacuum over the hardwood floor parts.  We have a dog and two cats.  And the hardwood floors often look like a street in an old western movie with the giant hairballs floating around.  Seriously, can he NOT see the hairballs?!?!?!

I kindly asked him (okay, maybe I nagged a little) to vacuum the the parts of the floor that he seemed to have accidentally forgotten the first time.  And he did.  Thank you, Honey.

And then... some little spark of motivation lit a huge fire under his butt......

Paying Respects

I always look forward to SpouseBUZZ Live weekends.  It's a time to gather with my favorite group of people on this planet.  I love seeing friends who fit like a glove, and I also like meeting new ones.  Especially ones who knit in the audience!

So I'm looking forward to SpouseBUZZ Live San Antonio this weekend.  But I also have another reason to be thankful I am going to San Antonio.

I will get to pay respects to a dear friend.

Stop Number Two on the Fall Tour: San Antonio

Just a reminder that the SpouseBUZZ Fall Tour will land in San Antonio one week from today. If you haven't registered (it's free), click here to register. For you Ft. Hood spouses, San Antonio is only a short drive from Killeen, so please come join us. We're going to have a great day full of fellowship, laughs and free stuff! We'll wrap up our fall tour on November 15 in Seattle, Washington. Click here to register.

Testimonials from past events:

Not much I can say except WOW! It was an awesome day. It is a day that turned my life as a military wife into a different direction. It made me put into perspective some things that I guess I just didn't have a grasp on yet. – Sgt's Wife, SpouseBUZZ LIVE Ft. Hood

Thank you for a wonderful event. Loved it. When you have another one I want to come and bring all the young wives from my unit. What a wonderful experience, absolutely worth the babysitter and dragging myself out bed. Thank you!!!!!! – ArmyMom, SpouseBUZZ LIVE Ft. Bragg

I walked out a bit shelled shocked from having had such a great time and being treated like a VIP for the day. And to think I actually considered not going! – Navy Wife, SpouseBUZZ LIVE San Diego

It was a great day. Thank you guys for coming out. I had no clue what I was in for but so glad I went! - photogbreezy, SpouseBUZZ LIVE Hampton Roads

I'm Changing my Will...

Last week, my mother told me that when I was a child, I always had to touch and smell objects that looked interesting to me. I couldn't pass a fuzzy or shimmery something without touching it, and I couldn't pass a smell-good without taking a whiff. This is still true today. Just this past week, I was in Target and saw a cozy-looking blanket and had to stop and run my hands over the plush fabric. I could spend an entire day at Yankee Candle Company smelling the various candles they stock.

When my husband and I were dating, we popped into a Wal-Mart store one evening. As we walked down the aisles, I saw a huge, almost life-sized teddy bear. Although I wasn't a kid anymore, I paused for a moment to give it a big squeeze. The teddy bear just looked so huggable that I couldn't resist. I didn't say anything else about that bear, I just paused and hugged it, then we walked on.

A Reminder: A Call for Veterans Day Videos

Attention military spouses:

We want to know how you plan to celebrate Veterans Day. Record a short video message detailing how your family or your local military community celebrates this holiday. Then, upload your video titled, "How I Plan to Celebrate Veterans Day," to Military.com's Shock & Awe channel. Videos will be featured on our Spouse Network and the Family Newsletter.

If you upload a video, let us know so that we can post a link to your video on SpouseBUZZ.

The Best Quote I've Heard All Year

A little while ago I met up with several other wives and we got to talking.  As always comes up when a bunch of mil-spouses are sitting around, we started in on our game of Military Spouse Poker.

And, as always happens when we play Military Spouse Poker, PCSing came up.

One wife, whom I believe was probably the smartest of us all, gave us this little gem about moving overseas:

Tonight on SpouseBUZZ Radio!

We're talking to authors of Parents Zone! 

What challenges face the parents of servicemembers?   What benefits are out there?  What needs to be done?  We may even hear from a reunion in progress!

You don't want to miss this show!

Join us tonight at 9PM Eastern on SpouseBUZZ Radio.  And as always, our chatroom will be hopping!

Teen Budgeting Class

Our Airman and Family Readiness Center has a boatload of classes available for family members on a wide variety of topics.  These classes are worth going to, but I never knew they had them - now I'm on a roll with taking them!  The latest was a class that I dragged my 13 year old to - Teen Smart.  All about money for teens.  Tough class to teach with an audience as wide ranging as 13 - 21, but I thought it was worthwhile attending.  I learned a lot about what teens thought about money and what they didn't know.

Pilot Program for National Guard and Reserve Families

Eight test sites have/will be chosen for this pilot program.  Read more after the jump and then please share your thoughts.

Support centers proposed for families

Teen Deployment Classes available

Do you have a teen in your family (immediate or extended) who is having trouble dealing with deployment - or you think they might have trouble dealing with an upcoming deployment - - and, let's face it, who doesn't have trouble dealing with deployments!?!?!?!?  Have I got a deal for you - okay, actually the Army Reserve has a deal for you!

Nothing Funny About It

I've blogged here before about the rollercoaster my husband and I have been on for the past two years to try to start a family.

Last week I sat alone in the doctor's office, trying to become pregnant.

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: UPDATED

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).  

UPDATE 2/9/09:  Pet Lovers, You need to click here to see another amazing video of two puppies rescued by soldiers in Afghanistan.  

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.