A Step Toward ID Protection

Military family member ID Cards will soon undergo some changes.  The coming changes are a step in the right direction. 

Expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act

FMLA expanded for military families

On January 28, the president signed into law a large defense funding authorization package that contains the first expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in 15 years.

The new FMLA provisions aim to provide FMLA job protections to the families of U.S. soldiers who have been injured in the service or who are on active duty. Congress has been considering measures to expand FMLA for military families over the past year as part of a host of recommendations from the president's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors.

Military Tax Season

As I stated last year, I personally don't find tax season a fun time of year like some people do, but alas the taxes must still be done.

Below you will find several resources to help you in filing your 2007 taxes.

I'm Living WHERE?

Today airforcewife is not a happy camper.  Not.  At.  All.

And there is a very good reason for it.  It has to do with our privatized housing.

Driver License Dilemmas

I have no idea what the official line is - but the need to find out when I am supposed to transfer my driver's license just jumped out and bit me this week!  I lost my driver's license!

I need WHAT to talk about my parents care?

It appears my recent experience at the dentist, you know, being in the upside down chair wearing my crab claw bib when the Doc rhetorically asked, "you do know we don't accept United Concordia anymore, don't you?"  ... got some of us thinking on a tangent or two.

Here's some quick thoughts for those of us who have managed to get the kinder up and out, and now find that we're managing a different sort of situation -- that of our parents and specifically the medical care hoops that you jump through to support them.

I don't plan on this being a diatribe that sucks the microchips off the Cray that TypePad uses to support SpouseBUZZ bloggers ... so this is just a first shot dealing with the documentation that my wife and I have, that makes supporting our parents work a bit smoother (definitely not all inclusive or even completely refined -- but a start).

Scenes from a Chapel

On Sunday I took my children to CCD (when I was growing up it was Catechism, then for my eldest daughter it was called PRE - but in reality it is what is commonly known as "Sunday School").  The room they use (on our local army base) is the same room the Protestant children use for their Sunday School classes, the same room where Alcoholics Anonymous meets, next door to the room the Wiccans use twice a week for their meetings, and three doors down from the room where the Sikh Guru Granth Sahib rests under a canopy inside a closet and is taken out for meetings.

After CCD, we walked past the Muslim worship area, with it's framed poster of Mecca on the correct wall, it's rugs artfully arranged on the floor, and a beautifully done portrait of the profession of faith.  Right next door to that we passed the Jewish worship area, with it's mezuzah on the door and a door connecting it to the special kitchen with it's dishes and area set up to prepare kosher food.

Re: Re: The Meaningless Power of Attorney

Here at SpouseBUZZ, we've had some spirited discussion over the past couple of days regarding Powers of Attorney. I think it's fair to say that the majority of those who have written about the POA, and those who have commented, have had negative experiences. Having said that, I read a great comment left by usmcwife on Homefront Six's post.

While I agree that in many cases the POA is not alot of help, they are good to have. After reading the other posts it seems that a new spouse or someone on their 1st deployment would not feel it necessary to get one which would be a big mistake. If they need to get into housing or sign any other military paperwork they will need one. As far as how much trouble they can cause, I know the USMC gives the Marines paperwork advising them if they are having marital problems or have any trust issues that they should not sign over the POA anyways. Just like with anything else in the military, nothing ever goes perfectly.

Re: The Meaningless Power of Attorney

Andi's post about the Meaningless Power of Attorney has some bearing in my life as well. Before MacGyver deployed, I had a checklist of all of the things I wanted/needed while he was gone:

- will
- family care plan (in case I was incapacitated while he was deployed)
- PowerS of Attorney

The Meaningless Power of Attorney

While my husband was deployed to Afghanistan, I decided, with his blessing, to get involved in a real estate transaction. I selected a reputable lender, mentioned that my husband was deployed and that I would be using my Power of Attorney. No problem, they're used all the time.

Paperwork was filled out, the loan was approved and an interest rate was locked in. I wanted a quick closing due to rising interest rates. I was told this wouldn't be a problem, but that I would need a "Specific" Power of Attorney which would reference the exact nature of the transaction. The Specific POA would need to be signed by my husband, notarized and sealed. Without speaking to my husband, I didn't foresee a problem, but I was wrong.