Ever thought about your change of command?

We've all had some great opportunities to attend one of the rights of passage for many people in uniform, the Change of Command.  Even though that is a specific event and denotes UCMJ authority, we've all seen the passing of the flag, the hand-over of the baton, ... the passing of the brain-book, from the out-going to the in-coming.  Shop level, platoon level, company or squadron, and higher.  Some with flair, some over a cup of hot coffee.  Always though, it's the transfer of "I tried to do my best" to the "it's now your turn to try your best, to better it yet still."

Okay -- the mental image is set.  You with me?

Coming Soon - For Children of Wounded Heroes

We previously discussed that a new Sesame Street DVD, designed to help injured veterans talk about their disabilities with their children, would be available in 2008. 

Initial articles stated that the DVD would be available in January.  We now have an update on the DVD release date. 

Researchers in AFRL work to limit friendly-fire

I realize that most of what we write about is the operational units, but I'd like to pay tribute to the Air Force Research Lab here at Wright-Patterson Ohio!  The RDT&E units (military, civilian and contractors) often get overlooked because their job is to create the resources and life-saving technologies for the operational guys......Once again they have come through in spades! 

I'm not really up to snuff in the techno stuff, but I think it's really cool what amazingly intelligent people can create!  This time they came up with a way to limit friendly fire.  Read on, it's pretty cool.

Military Spouse Education and Employment Updates

Stay updated about the general status of military spouse education and employment programs.

What I want to be when I grow up...

One of the many, many reasons that I love being a military spouse is that I have been able to successfully avoid choosing an actual career.  First, there were the moves.  Then, there were the kids.  In the future, there is another deployment.  However, I know that eventually I will have to get it together and make plan.  I have all four kids in school this year, and He of the Sea is coming up on 17 years of active duty this year.  I am rapidly running out of excuses.

Miscellaneous Career/Money-Making Links

If you missed our show with Kathy Rockel of TRS Institute and Bridget, the most recent graduate of TRS, click here to listen. We posed the question to Bridget, "is this really too good to be true?" She answered the question.

To the Fallen Records emailed some info on their new money-making program, designed specifically for military spouses. If you're interested, details are here.

And a reminder, don't forget to listen to tonight's show!

News You Can Use: Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative

Yesterday, the Pentagon announced a new pilot program which will assist military spouses with education-related costs, and help establish a secure career path.

Dubbed the "Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative," the new effort teams the Pentagon with the Department of Labor to expand job opportunities for spouses in "high-demand, high-growth occupations," such as healthcare, education and information technology and helps guarantee those jobs will still be available even if the spouse relocates.

"We understand how hard it is for military men and women to have to be ready to move anywhere in the world every year," said Pentagon chief Robert Gates during a ceremony at the Pentagon that launched the new program. "Spouses are called upon to pack up and relocate their family, often at the cost of their own careers. This makes it difficult to navigate the career licensure and certification requirements that go with most professions. In addition, education is often unaffordable for young families who must also bear the expense of child care."

The pilot program will begin in January backed by $35 million in Labor and DoD funds to give grants to eligible spouses that can help them pay for education, training, licensing fees, books and other materials to get their careers off the ground. The program is intended for spouses with family pay grades of E-1 through E-5 or O-1 through O-3, and the grants total $3,000 per year for each spouse.

Thank You

Today I witnessed an annual event, an honoring of our Veterans at a Veterans Day celebration.

The event was small, maybe no more than 150 people came out on this Sunday morning, rainy day service held in the local town Armory to pay tribute to those serving and those who have served, and as importantly, to those that will serve.

This local community has a band ... a volunteer band that while they won't soon be on Broadway, they are the beat, the heartbeat, of this community...  They played wonderfully well and everyone sat and listened as it was "their band playing patriotic music" ... and they were pretty good.

In attendance were two of our young, Army Guardsmen on mid-tour leave.  They were there with their Moms and Dads and sisters ... and they told the guest speaker, a Flag officer from the local Air Force Base, it was the right thing to do to be here to honor those that had gone before.  It was obvious, they didn't realize we were all here to honor them as well.  Hometown boys, Traditional Guardsmen, serving the common good--it doesn't get much better than this.  Also in attendance, were two others.  A bit less clean shaven but no less as patriotic.  Two of "our Riders."  Patriot Guards.  Two guys; black leather, patches from wars and battles and times few of us remember.  They were from the community ... and fortunately were home between times when their presence separates "us" from "them" that dishonor our loved ones at the most vulnerable of times.  (I tell you, I've met many a man who professed a hearty strength, but THESE guys have steel "ones" folks--solid, stainless steel.)  But I digress.

Caring for children of our wounded heroes

Sesame Workshop brought military families a wonderful resource when they launched the Talk, Listen, Connect DVD.  The DVD can be obtained at no charge to military families via Military OneSource and many installation family centers also carry the DVD.

Sesame Street also aired a special "When Parents are Deployed" and they re-broadcast it from time to time.

Soon, families of our wounded heroes will be able to obtain a new DVD designed to help veterans talk to their children.

It's Anticipatory Something

We've had several poignant posts recently about Anticipatory Grief.  It's a very real and serious topic.  It's also something I have succombed to myself for periods of time.

As a National Guard Wife, I spend a great deal of my waking hours somewhere else.  I know it's anticipatory in nature as well, but I haven't quite devised a perfect name.

So, for now, let's just call it "Sweating The Reality Every Stinking Second"  (STRESS)

So you want to be a nurse?

We have had a couple of profession posts up recently, which have garnered a lot of comments.  As someone that has worked in this field and has been an active duty, civilian, and a national guard spouse, well I am frothing at the bit to tell you the pros and cons of the medical field. 

I am an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and have been since 1993. 

I feel like I should give you a little background story about me and my choice in career, in order to paint a better picture for you.  Because I never had the goal of becoming an LPN.  I have seen many women and men think the nursing profession is a great idea, because of the "nursing shortage", "great money", and "opportunity".  Usually you meet these folks in nursing school, and they do not make it beyond the clinical work.  In some cases, these folks do become nurses, but are never very good at it. 

What's your BIZ?

Many military spouses own home-based businesses or small businesses in the local community.  Are your interests in cosmetics? Home decorating? Consignment? Kitchen fun? Kid's toys? Healthy products?  Whatever floats your boat, there is a corresponding industry just waiting for you to make your business out of their product/service!  Maybe you run a daycare from your home or do medical transcription?  There are so many ways to stay home and work.  But did you know that the government is looking out for your business?

What a Deal!

Imagine this - finding a career that let's you train from home, work from home and move without losing your job.

It's out there, waiting for you to seize it. This job allows you to take a self-paced training course, from the privacy of your own home. You can also apply for a special military spouse scholarship to help defer training costs. And speaking of training costs, tuition for military spouses can be paid on a payment plan, a no-interest payment plan! Forget having to fork over a lump-sum payment. The best part? Once your training is complete, you will be certified to work in a field that will never make you leave the house if you don't want to. No, that's probably not the best part - the best part is that this career moves with you. When the military decides it's time for you to move down the road -- or overseas -- no problem, you still have a job. And, you'll probably have a job with a very military-friendly employer.

Sound too good to be true? Last night, I was amazed to find out it's not, and many military spouses are just starting to learn the same thing. In just 29 minutes, you can learn all you need to know, by simply clicking the button below. We don't do gimmicks here at SpouseBUZZ, this is a real opportunity for any of you who are looking for a flexible, transportable career. A career that is a good fit with the military lifestyle.

For more information, click here.

Is it Possible for Military Spouses to Find a Transportable Career?

Military spouses looking for a career often face challenges that most of our civilian counterparts do not. We're always on the move. New town. New job market. New industries. A resume as long as I-95, with gaps in employment as wide as the Grand Canyon. Oh, and there's the whole low-man-on-the-totem-pole issue. By the time you've built up enough seniority to actually receive some nice bonuses/benefits, it's time to move and start all over again. Let's face it, finding and maintaining a career is neither fun nor easy for many military spouses.

But there are options - great options, and we need to be aware of them.

Jobs

Looking for employment? Click here to see if a career fair is coming to a town near you. These fairs are for spouses, veterans, retirees, Guard/reservists and transitioning service members.

You Don't Call This a JOB?

You can read this entire article in the March/April 2007 issue of Military Spouse magazine!

I've never planned having children well.  Actually, I never planned them at all.  I even argued vociferously with the doctor on Goodfellow Air Force Base when he diagnosed the cramping I was having (and I was absolutely convinced I had uterine cancer) as daughter #3.

"I think," I sniffed, "I would know if I were pregnant."

Working from Home

Andi's great post about finding your cheese reminded me about a post I had in draft format for a while.

When my husband joined the military, I left teaching and became a writer. Freelancing has given me the freedom to spend more time volunteering and pursuing other interests and now it gives me the flexibility to be my daughter's primary caretaker all day.

On bulletin boards, blog comments, and face-to-face chats, one of the concerns I hear over and over again from spouses is how to keep up a fulfilling career with an active duty spouse.

The frequent PCS moves, the lack of a geographically present parenting partner, and the learning curve each time you change markets or careers can all put a damper on the spouse's professional goals--but they do not have to.

Finding Your Cheese

Cheese? What in the world is Andi talking about?

Don't worry, it'll make sense soon. This is a lengthy post, but an important topic for milspouses who are looking for ways to make money while working from home, or who are thinking about starting their own business.

Military life is a great life, but for the ever-traveling milspouse, it presents some challenges with respect to working. Most of us find ourselves starting over multiple times throughout our careers. How many times have you been the "low man on the totem pole?" By the time you build a bit of seniority and begin to receive the perks of your seniority, it's time to move again. I once knew a milspouse who wasn't out of the "probationary" phase before it was time to move again. Punching a clock and working outside of the home is also a challenge for spouses who have to be mommy and daddy during deployment.

So, what's the solution? For some, the solution could be starting your own business.

And the News is So Good

What was the first lesson you learned as a military spouse?

Mine was "Hurry up and wait."  Hurry up and get to your next duty station.  Wait for housing.  Hurry up and get hubby's gear together for a last minute TDY or deployment.  Wait for the infinity + 1 changes in orders.  Hurry up and write your packet.  Wait while the board sits into an overtime that would make the Guinness people run for their files in an orgy of excitement about a new record.

But then we got the news - hubby made his promotion!  And with a line number that is more than respectable.  And I was so excited I surprised him with a Chocolate Stampede dessert at dinner.

Then I got worried.  A new rank?  Does this mean that now (cue Wicked Witch of the West laughter) I have to be a *gasp* grown up?

Military Spouse Career News

Spouse Career Center News this week:

How Organizations Can Help a Mother's Professional Life
A New Job Is a New Start
5 Myths of Holiday Job Searching
Learn to Sell Yourself
Three Keys to Transforming Stress

Military Spouse Career News

Are you looking for Military Spouse Career News this week?

Resume Critique Checklist
Ten Unconventional Jobs With Huge Paydays
Field Problem: Working From Home
MOAA Sponsors Career Boot Camp At Henderson Hall
Leading Into the 21st Century Major General Irene Trowell-Harris, RN, Ed.D.
Military Spouse Career Center

The Career-Seeking Milspouse

Despite attending three universities, going on four, and having a resume longer than a child's Christmas list, I've been one lucky milspouse with respect to employment. I've always found employment immediately upon moving to a new duty station, and I've somehow had the good fortune of working for civilians who appreciated the challenges of military life, were not afraid to invest in me only to turn around and lose me to a PCS, and who treated me with respect.

While we were stationed at Fort Benning, my husband left for a year-long unaccompanied tour in the Middle East. My employer, concerned that I wasn't eating properly, would drop food off at my house, take me to dinner, invite me to her home, well, you get the idea.

At my present job, my superiors could not have been more supportive when my husband deployed to Afghanistan. We were hosting a conference on the West Coast one month from his deployment. I needed to be there, but they insisted that I stay home and spend time with my husband. Of course, my husband prefers a normal existence just before deployment, and I was needed at the conference, so I defied the wishes of my bosses and went, but the fact that they were sensitive to the deployment countdown meant a lot to me. When my husband redeployed, the order was, "we better not see you around here for a while."

I haven't had one negative experience with respect to employment. However, I've heard enough horror stories to know that my experience is anything but typical. Many milspouses face significant career challenges.

Andrea Peck, military spouse and writer, is working on an upcoming story about military spouses and careers. She writes: