Military Savings Days at Sam's Club

I can't believe I just heard about this...the press release is dated November 11th!  During this holiday season, Sam's Clubs are offering special days for military members to shop at Sam's Club without purchasing a membership.  From their website:

"Military personnel with proper identification can shop and save on their holiday meals and gifts at Sam’s Club without a membership. The company will also waive its 10 percent non-member service fee. The military open houses will be held Monday, Nov. 17, Monday, Dec. 1 and Monday, Dec. 15 in 598 Sam’s Club locations in the U.S., during regular club hours.

More than 3,000 Sam’s Club and Walmart associates are active military personnel and the company supports numerous military and veterans programs. “We hope this event makes the holidays easier for military families and, if we can help them enjoy a special meal or find a unique gift, our mission will be accomplished,” said Greg Johnston, executive vice president, Operations at Sam’s Club. “This event is in honor of our nation’s military families present and past, to show our gratitude for their sacrifices.”

What a lovely gesture!  A list of Sam's Clubs can be found here.  I hope that some of you can take advantage of this offer.  While I often find that the prices at the commissary are equal to or better than Sam's, they do have some individual great offerings and often make a good choice if you don't live near a commissary.  As long as you can keep yourself from filling a cart with a bunch of impulse purchases, this could be a great opportunity to sample Sam's Club and see if it is something that would save you money.  Enjoy!

The Lemonade and Silver Lining

Have I mentioned how much I hate Murphy? 

Have I mentioned how much I love Murphy's opposite?

Whatcha Doin'?

The Holidays can be rough for military families because we often find ourselves separated from either our spouse, or extended family. I remember when I was first married and we would have the single guys over for Thanksgiving. Even if we weren't with our blood relatives, we were with our military family. Good memories....

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? 

And I thought they were treasured memories

A few weeks ago l read a post at SisB's site that reminded me of something from my own deployment. From another commenter, I know I wasn't the only one who experienced this and I was hoping to hear some of your stories and feelings about where the letters you send end up once a deployment ends.

Before Seadaddy left for his deployment we went to a craft store and bought three unfinished wooden boxes for us to keep our deployment letters and postcards in. I let Seadaddy know that in addition to whatever Navy and Army things he had, I was adding painting the boxes for both my stepdaughter and myself to his predeployment checklist. He was able to work on them, but they weren't finished and his bigger box was not even started. I really just wanted to have a specific place with a Seadaddy touch to keep these things, especially since my stepdaughter wouldn't be around for every mail call moment at our house.

Perhaps I should confess that I knew if I was lucky my husband would feel inclined to write about as much as Sarah's husband. So, in an effort to help keep myself from being a bitter betty and hit him with a subtle hint the size of a sledgehammer, I set about making him a special wifeunit deployment folder of ocd goodness. I printed out pages of his APO address on address label paper. And pages of address labels of all of our family and friends he might want to send something to. I also bought some postcard paper. I found some online resources for coloring pages and put the image of Cinderella and other stepdaughter favorites on some of the postcards. Then there were some that said 'A Special Message From Daddy/Seadaddy'. Or my personal favorite 'Greetings From . . . Wherever I Am'. Last in there were some blank cards and a  notepad with some envelopes. I am pretty sure he was all set to go. And that I possibly do in fact have control issues.

A Surprise in Civilianland

I spent the past few days in civilianland, a place where there is no military community. Funny how I sleep, eat and breathe military life when I'm at home or in other military communities, but when I find myself in civilianland, I don't expect to find any connections to militaryland. And when I do, it's always a welcome surprise.

I was at a department store in civilianland this weekend. As I was standing in the shoe department, I glanced over towards the cosmetics department, and lo and behold, there stood a young woman wearing an "Army Wife" t-shirt. I immediately felt connected to this stranger. My first instinct was to rush over to her and say, "Hey, I'm an Army wife, too," but then I thought about it a little more and decided that might be a little lame. Not to mention, kind of stalkerish. And you know how well my stalkerish behavior in civilianland has worked out for me in the past. Not very well. In the end, I didn't approach her, but I should have. I would love to have a milspouse approach me in civilianland, and I bet she would have, too. But, I'll never know because I wimped out.

Ah well, there's always next time....   

I love a man in uniform...

...but not just my husband. Seems I've had a love affair with men in uniform since I was a small child. Come to think of it, I think I was born being in love with men in uniform. My grandfather was both a SeaBee in WWII and a Warrant Officer in the Army during the Korean conflict. Several of my uncles served in the Army both in WWII and the Korean conflict. My father was in the Army as well.

Growing up, my mother was a dog breeder and the kennel club to which she belonged sponsored a Toys for Tots benefit dog show each year. At the age of 7, I met my first Marine in Dress Blues (SemperFi Wife, correct me if I got that terminology wrong!) and have been head over heels ever since.

Seeking Seasoned Milspouses

Shortly after my husband gets home from deployment, he will be heading off to SERE school.  After conversations with people who have gone through the school, I am a little freaked out.  In fact, I have been made to feel more nervous about our reintegration after SERE school than I am about the one coming up at the end of this deployment.

Have any of you welcomed your spouses home from SERE school?  Is it as bad as people have been telling me?  Any advice you'd pass along would be appreciated.

Hello, Murphy! Come on in and sit awhile!

How can I tell Murphy to take his dumb law and leave?  No, really - I'd appreciate any advice.

Also, I'd love it if someone could tell me how to unclog a toilet that doesn't seem to have a clog but won't flush anyway.

And finally, are we the only family that doesn't "do" a traditional Thanksgiving?  We're gearing up for our yearly Chinese Food feast and hot movie viewing party.  If we can get Murphy to go away, that is. 

The End Of Mail

The one thing my husband wants on deployment is letters.  Even if we get to chat online or talk on the phone often, he likes handwritten letters.  And I like writing, so it's a win-win.

Thus it's always a little bittersweet for me when we near the end of the deployment and have to cut off the flow of mail.  It should be such an exciting feeling, but sometimes it makes me feel disconnected from my husband, that I can't compose a thought and throw it in the mailbox.

But the end of mail means the end of deployment is nigh.  And that is definitely a good thing.

The expectations surrounding homecoming

When we discuss "reunion, and reintegration" here at SpouseBuzz (which we seem to do often).  Homecoming seems to come up.

Welcome home parties, balloons, banners, backyard barbeques, well it paints a wonderful picture.  And perhaps it is EXACTLY what your returning service member WANTS, but you may want to check with him or her and find out. 

I Always Think the Worst First

This doesn't make sense to everyone, but even though I'm an optimist I always plan for the worst case scenario to happen.  In fact, I expect it to.  That way when it doesn't I feel like I'm the luckiest person on earth.

For instance - if I have to take my car in to the mechanic, I always assume it will take the entire amount (to the penny) of whatever we have in savings to fix it.  That way when the mechanic calls and lists some amount that would normally cause my heart to completely stop, I feel like I got off easy.

Usually this helps me save my sanity.  Today it made for some very amused conversation.

Wounded Warrior Diaries

The Department of Defense announced today the launching of Wounded Warrior Diaries...

Telling your story, is important. 

“The diaries are intended to be sources of strength, encouragement and reassurance for other wounded troops and their families,” Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brook DeWalt, DoD’s director of new media, said. “They illustrate the ultimate triumph over injury – returning to full and active lives through hard work and the support of loved ones, the community and the military family.”

The Conversation Continues Tonight

We had a great time with the Tacoma-area spouses last weekend. Tonight on SBTR, some of the spouses who attended will join us to talk about the experience. We'll also recount some of the great stories we heard in Tacoma. Join us at 9:00 p.m. EST (6:00 PST). Click here to listen to the show live at 9:00. If you're a spouse who attended SBL Tacoma, feel free to dial into the program. We'll be opening the phone lines and accepting phone calls from listeners. The dial-in number is 646.478.5665.

The chat room will be open. If you would like an invite to enter the chat room, directions are here. I know some of you have outstanding requests for an invite, I will have all of them issued later today.  

Groundbreaking Forum: A Warrior Care Webhall with Senior Military Leaders

Sorry I'm late in getting this up, but what a great concept. It's happening today from 2-4 EST.

More details after the jump:

Welcome Them Home in Style

Anyone gearing up for an R&R or Homecoming? BuildASign emails to say that they are giving away 20,000 free customized welcome home banners, or jumbo cards to send to loved ones who are deployed.

Austin, TX - November 10, 2008 - In honor of Veteran's Day, BuildASign.com™ is re-launching its banner giveaway to help 20,000 more Americans show their support for the US armed forces. With this donation, BuildASign.com™ will provide military families all over the country with personalized banners for their homecoming and holiday celebrations while encouraging businesses to create banners that show their support for our troops.

BuildASign.com™ is also giving away jumbo holiday cards to families whose service members won't be home in time for the holidays. These families can send personalized jumbo holiday cards to loved ones overseas for less than the cost of shipping a banner. Both free banners and free jumbo cards are available to everyone at www.BuildASign.com/Troops.

What Are You Doing on Dec. 13th?

ParentsZone author, LAW, and I are going to be at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 13th for the annual wreath-laying ceremony.  If you're a milspouse in the area, come on over and be a part of this wonderful event.  If you want, we can have a Spousebuzz/ParentsZone meetup there. 

Even if you don't live in this area, there are wreath laying events scheduled all over the country.  Locations and schedules can be found by using the sidebar. 

We've all seen the beautiful and moving pictures of this event.  Now's your chance to be a part of that.

Undeserved Guilt: One Woman's Emotional Story

We heard so many wonderful stories in Tacoma, but there is one that I can't seem to get out of my head. A beautiful milspouse sat quietly in the front row the entire day. She finally stood up near the end of the day and told the audience that she had been trying to build up the courage to speak. Clearly, she was nervous. While she was at the microphone, speaking with a shaky voice and starting to cry, a milspouse from the back of the room got up, walked up to her, put her arm around her and stood with her while she spoke. Another rushed a kleenex up to her. I got the impression that they didn't know each other - it was simply a case of spouses offering support to another spouse, but I could be wrong.

What the spouse said to over 250 of us broke my heart.

Us and Them: The Great Healthcare Divide

I left my glasses in Tacoma. That's really bad. Especially since I had a good book, a good magazine and eight hours of flying ahead of me. I'm as blind as a bat when looking at objects close to me. Needless to say, it was a miserable flight as I couldn't read.

When I got home, I opened the bills and started to pay them, but was squinting and thought better of it. Not wise to pay bills when you can hardly see. I could have wiped out our checking account, underpaid a bill or paid it on the wrong date. So, I made an emergency eye appointment yesterday. I was due for an exam anyway. I was super-excited to learn that I would get a fantastic discount on my new glasses due to a promotion (bought two pair - sometimes I do learn my lesson the easy way).

I called my husband with the great news. He didn't get it, exactly.

Calling Military Dads & Kids

Contests for dads and kids are available.  See the details after the jump.

Did You Know?

AF Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
Adopt-a-Marine Program
Deal of the Week: Free Recordable Card
DoL Expands, Clarifies FMLA Rules
Exchange Online Mall Expands
Holiday Deals for Military Families
How to Buy a Gaming PC
Make a Movie--Save a Life
Mental Health Groups Aid Troops
Possible Compromise of Pharmacy Data
Program for Spouses at Ramstein
Project Valour-IT Fundraising
TriWest Offers New Brochure

Military brats and their roots

Military brats have a tough life.  They have to move every two or three years.  They have to make new friends every time they do.  They have to re-make their tribe every time just as we spouses do.

Their roots are as complicated as we spouses find them to be.  Perhaps it is even harder for them as they are much younger and in a different environment.

VIDEO: Sinbad Stops By SpouseBUZZ LIVE Tacoma

We were lucky to have an impromptu visit by the comedian Sinbad at SpouseBUZZ LIVE Tacoma. Sinbad was hysterically funny and offered his advice to military wives on how to deal with their husbands. Unfortunately, we didn't capture his entire "free seminar" for milspouses, but we got some of it on video. Click here to watch.

Thanks for the laughs, Sinbad. You rock!

Click here to read the Tacoma News Tribute article about SpouseBUZZ LIVE Tacoma.

Links for Sea-Tac Spouses

For those of you who attended SpouseBUZZ LIVE Tacoma, below is a list of topics and links that we discussed at the event:

The SpouseBUZZ Blog Series

Anticipatory Grief

Military Spouse Network

Building a Virtual Community

To request an invitation to our chat room, go here.

Are Milspouses Caged Animals?

Is it a Generational Gap?

A list of Milspouse Blogs can be found here.

Thank You Sea-Tac MilSpouses!

We had such a blast at SpouseBUZZ LIVE Tacoma! The area milspouses were so warm and gracious, and we felt right at home. We wanted to thank all of you for coming out and sharing an incredible day with the SpouseBUZZ team. What a fantastic event!

As Guard Wife mentioned in her live-blogging post, Sinbad stopped by to deliver a brief and funny tribute to the milspouses in attendance. I have video of Sinbad's entire routine, which I'll post early next week. Meanwhile, here's a little photo (click to enlarge):

One again, thanks to all of you who turned out on Saturday. The house was packed and we had a great time. The resource links that I promised all of you will be posted here tomorrow, so be sure to check back.

A Birthday Ball Carol (with apologies to Charles Dickens)

Friday night I attended Lancelot's Marine Corps Birthday Ball and was visited by the ghosts of Birthday Balls past, present and future.

2009 Scholarships for Military Children Program

Deadline is February 18, 2009

Details and links after the jump.

SpouseBuzz Live Tacoma!

Several of the SpouseBuzz authors are on location in Tacoma, WA. 

We're enjoying our live event with area milspouses and it's a packed house! 

Service Wars: Bust-A-Move Edition

Post bumped from original publishing date. I needed a laugh this morning, how about you?

Nominees in the "Best Performance" category are:

The United States Marines:

The United States Navy:

The United States Air Force:

The United States Army:

The United States Coast Guard (with Army Spouse):

airforcewife Humiliating Moment #18976

We're moving.  Again.

Well, actually I'm in the process of moving stuff and fixing stuff as we were able to buy our first house and it needed some work.

I have a laminate flooring now.  I have painted walls.  I have eight of my bookcases and my couch.  I even, as of Wednesday, have internet and cable tv.  And the story of my FiOS installation is what I'm about to tell you.

Need a little Inspiration?

If you said yes, then you need to read "I Will Not Be Broken: 5 Steps to Overcoming a Life Crisis" by Jerry White.

Jerry writes about how his life was flipped upside-down after stepping on a landmine in Israel, thus resulting in the loss of one leg.  He shares his story in this book, as well as the stories of many others who have been faced with a life crisis.  From his own experience, Jerry made a decision to continue to LIVE his life, rather than rue the day he lost his leg.  And because of his strength, courage, and commitment to helping others, the book "I Will Not Be Broken" is now available to help so many more...

Who Knew?

I bought this book several months ago, and never got around to reading it. On my way out to Tacoma, I decided to dive in, and boy was this book helpful. Moving is stressful on people, but those of us with pets know about the added stress placed on our pets during a move.

There happens to be a chapter in 50 Simple Ways to Pamper Your Cat on moving. It's titled, "Smooth Moves." One tip caught my eye.

Rub a slightly damp towel on your cat's back and then rub it on the walls, floors and furniture inside the new home. When your cat recognizes his own scent, he will be less anxious.

Wow - never heard that before. Our cats have always had a harder time adjusting to a new home than our dog did, but it makes sense that this tip would work for dogs, too. Ask your vet about this.

Par for the course, I find this tip after multiple moves spanning years and years. Ah well, better late than never.... I highly recommend the book, which you can order here for as little as fifty-four cents! It's loaded with great tips. In fact, I'm going to try to get in touch with the author and invite her on SpouseBUZZ Talk Radio to talk about acclimating your pet to a new environment. Hey look, she's a blogger, too.

Additions to the FMLA

New rules have been added to the Family and Medical Leave Act.  Read more after the jump.

SPOUSEBUZZ TALK RADIO NOW LIVE

Dr. Suzanne Best, who contributed to the book Courage After Fire, will be joining us at TONIGHT on SpouseBuzz Radio

This show will be part one, of our two-part series on the book of the month. 

I seriously think reintegration is one of the most important issues facing our Veterans who have served this great Nation.   

The Chat Room is open.

This time last year...

A lot has changed since this time last year.  The two most outwardly changes are that JD is home and we're living somewhere else.  The less outwardly, but equally important change, is that our daughter seems to be back to "normal".  JD's last deployment was rough on our third oldest (#3) and her already emotional, fairly dramatic, and willful personality.  Ultimately, because it was rough on her, it was rough on me.

We've all dealt with the questions from our civilian friends and family regarding how we manage when our spouse is deployed.  I'm sure many of you have also had the same asked regarding your children.  People asked me all the time and I'd always been able to answer that they were coping pretty darn well.  That all changed last year. 

21 Years Ago Today

How can this be?

Light Twin and Dark Twin are turning 21 today.  I don't know where the years have gone.  Below the fold is a picture of a much earlier birthday.

Holiday Mail for Heroes

The public can send holiday greeting cards.  More details after the jump.

Program sends holiday cards to troops

Hmmm, I need to apologize

Last night, I had something I wanted to say.  Along the way as I was typing, I decided to curb my tongue and modify the thoughts.  It produced a post that although accurate in context and question -- wasn't what was on my mind.  So, I'd like to apologize for not being true to you in SpouseBUZZland, and ask for a do-over.  If yall would be so kind...It started out something like this:

The Snowman in the Globe

You know the character -- happily housed in his little bio-dome of water and snow.  You flip it over and shake it up and all hell breaks loose inside ... except for the snowman. 

Figuring out where they fit in....

Dr. Suzanne Best, who contributed to the book Courage After Fire, will be joining us at SpouseBuzz Talk Radio  this Thursday night at 8pm CST to discuss reintegration.  This show will be part 1, of our 2 part series on the book of the month. 

I seriously think reintegration is one of the most important issues facing our Veterans who have served this great Nation.   

Veterans Day

For some reason, when I was asked the other day to write something about what Veterans' Day means to me, I came up blank.  Not because I didn't have anything to say but because I honestly didn't know where to begin.

Did You Know?

New COLA Increases Announced
Survey Request: We Need Your Help
To All Veterans, Active Duty, Reservists and Guard
New Fitness Blog on Military.com
SpouseBuzz Live in Tacoma is Happening This Weekend
AF Reservists to Receive More Money for School
New Program Helps Severely Injured Sailors
New Education Website Launched
New Exchange Catalog Now Available
USPS to Offer Military Discount on Packages
New PTSD Program Helps At-Risk Airmen
Center Provides Free Support for Severely Injured
The Price is Right Salutes the Military
Commissary Scholarship Applications Now Available
Financial Aid Now Available for Surviving Spouses
Holiday Mailing Guidelines Set
Law Establishes Special Allowance for Surviving Spouses
Applebee's Salutes the Military on Veterans Day
New Law Aids Debt Relief for Guard and Reserve

Marine Corps Birthday (Belated)

I admit it.  I was AWOL yesterday when I should have put up a post for the Marine Corps Birthday.

Bad SemperFi Wife!!!

I did hang around with a couple of Marines and I did buy a dress for the Ball so I won't be showing up naked like I have been in my dreams.

So below the fold, is my Marine Corps Birthday post:

It's almost that time ...

Time Hack: 0115MST. 

In just under two hours, in Paris France, it'll be 1100 hours.  Bells will ring.  All of the old, and hopefully many of the young will stop.  They must.  Cease Fire.  Western Front. 1918. 

And though I could go into myriad accounts for what followed politically, one thing remained constant.  The warrior answered the call, bore the burden and fought the fight. 

In about nine hours, I will get one more chance to return to a small town armory to see those I haven't seen in 365 days.  They are my friends whom I'd never met, they are my compadres with whom I'd never rode,  yet we are sisters and brothers who all answered the call.  To them, I once again say Thank You.

To each of you with "a dog in the fight," I repeat my prayer for the speedy and safe return of your warriors, to your arms.

O&O, MaintenaceToadOne

The Snowman in the Globe

You know the character -- happily housed in his little bio-dome of water and snow.  You flip it over and shake it up and all hell breaks loose inside ... except for the snowman.  He hasn't changed either his expression or his outlook.  He just likes being part of the goings-on.  And regardless of environment, bookshelf, coffee table, or in the bottom of the 3.1 cu box marked "Living Room" he's still the same guy.  (yes I do know he's a snowMan ... aww, come on, don't make me finish the joke here ...)

So how difficult would it be to liken this snowman, to say a Military Spouse?  While you're pretty constant in what you do, when we shake you up and put you down, do you land having control over your immediate surroundings while the rest of the flakes, err, snowflakes, swirl around you?

Y'all Would Recognize This...

but my neighbors sure didn't.  Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that you would be able to figure out the following situation without having to come over and ask:

Imagine your neighborhood military spouse, headed out the door casually, but neatly attired, armed with her tools:  a purse, some small pieces of paper, a stack of books, window cleaner, a box of tissues, some Goo Be Gone, a water bottle, and a razor blade.  She walks to the car, deposits all the stuff on the hood, opens the car door, and climbs up onto the car.  What in the heck is going on?

You experienced military spouses will immediately recognize that this spouse has a doctor's appointment and has just realized that the new DOD stickers that she picked up last week still haven't been put on the car.  With careful planning, she has estimated that she has just enough time to put the kids on the bus, scrape the old stickers off, put the new stickers on, drive to the post, get through the gate, and still arrive at her appointment the requisite 15 minutes prior.  I'm sure you can guess, this was me on Wednesday.  As I stretched across the car from my perch in the door, I just imagined what my neighbors were thinking.  And I knew that last year, when I was living on post, no one would have asked.  They would have immediately recognized the sticker replacement tools and position.  Furthermore, they probably would have come over to offer a hand, because they would instinctively know that I was pushing the time limit for my appointment and that medical often has no sense of humor about being late.

I've told this story to several of my civilian friends and haven't even gotten a chuckle.  I hope that you will find it as amusing as I did...just an ordinary day in the life of a milspouse. 

Grading DoD Schools

If your children attend Defense Department schools, consider taking a few minutes to do a survey.

More after the jump.

"What Do You All Know About that War in Iraq?"

Saturday, November 8 - Fresh updates and new developments are still coming in.... All updates will be posted after the jump.

There's a video which is making the rounds on the internet, and it's clearly disturbed a number of you because it involves a military child. The video does have political content, so it's tricky. We debated on whether or not to post it because we never discuss politics here. Never. But in the end, it's obvious that this is a subject which is relevant to military families. 

The video is below:

Tonight on SpouseBUZZ Talk Radio:

Join us this evening, at 9:00 p.m. EST, as we speak with Mr. Ed Kringer, Director, Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, Military Community and Family Policy.  What does that mean?  That's why Ed is coming on our show!  Basically, his offices work in conjunction with state governments on issues that affect military families.

The department's website, USA4MilitaryFamilies.org, talks about their work and their ten key issues.  Check it out - it is very interesting!  I had no idea that the Department of Defense worked in this area to improve the lives of our military families, and I'm encouraged when I hear how much progress they've made.

Mr. Kringer will give a brief overview of the key issues, and we will be able to take calls if you have questions (or kudos, always welcome!)  Click here to listen to the show live (or later) and, as always, the chat room will be open.  Set an alarm, put a post-it on your fridge, or write a note on your hand.  It promises to be a very interesting show and I'm quite excited!

Military Homeschooling

Many of you already know that my military family is a homeschooling family, as is AFW's family.  Homeschooling military families continue to grow in numbers.

Here are a few things related to military homeschoolers that were in my inbox this week.

I "Hope" I Love This Product

It seems that all the cute tops and dresses are cut just narrowly enough that traditional bra straps peek out, even racerback bras don't always do the trick. Drives me insane. Until now, I've done the best I could do - wear black bras with black tops, blue bras with blue dresses and red bras with red tops. That way, when the straps show, at least they don't stand out like a sore thumb. But, the television advertising has sucked me in, despite my pronouncements that I'm very skeptical of this sort of thing.

I've ordered one of these, actually nine, because that's the package. Here's to no more rogue bra straps. Oh, and the side benefit? Looks like I'll get a "boost" which will make me look "one cup size bigger." If you're coming to Tacoma, please don't confuse me with Dolly Parton. I'm a brunette. And I can't sing.

I'll report back on how effective they are once I've tried them out. For more products we love, see here (just keep scrolling down).

Moving Does Have its Advantages: The List is Taking Shape

The election is over and on January 20, we will have a new Commander-In-Chief. SpouseBUZZ is, and has always been, a politics-free zone, but something happened in one of the Congressional races that made me think about our lives, and how fortunate we are. A retired Army Colonel was a candidate for congress and his opponent accused him of being a carpetbagger. I found that a little insulting considering military life generally forces us to move every few years and we don't exactly have a say in the matter. What a great compliment to communities when service members choose to plant roots in their soil. Unless employment drives the decision, the decision is usually made out of a desire to live there, and only there. My husband and I have very few friends who have returned to their home towns after separation from the military. The majority of our friends have chosen to retire elsewhere.

Have you seen that show on HGTV where home buyers are allowed to spend the night in a house before deciding whether or not to buy it? What a great concept. Military families have an even better deal. For all the hassles that come with moving, we get to try out not just houses, but actual communities, regions and states. And for more than a night. We are able to get a good sense of what we like and what we don't like about certain areas. Where we would be happy, and where we wouldn't. And that's a huge benefit when it's time to decide where to live after military separation.