Would you want your child to serve?

On Veteran's Day I received a sweet note from a friend - she thanked me (back in the day I was in the Army) and my husband for serving, as well as a handful of her other military (or former military) friends.  My friend mentioned that she would be very proud if any of her sons (she has 3) ever joined the military.

Two of the other recipients of this note from my friend did a "reply all" and I was surprised at their reaction to my friend mentioning her sons ever possibly joining the military.

Awwwwwwwww

Can't find it on YouTube, so no way to embed it, but trust me, you'll love it. Click here to see what "it" is.

Military Family Month

To all military family members - thank you for all that you do, all that you are, all that you give and all that you sacrifice! 

"It's Home"

LAW explains so well why the shooting at Fort Hood shocks us to the core:

All of us in the milspouse world know at least one person who has been there, is going there, or is there now. It hurts. Being on post is supposed to be safe, it's home, it's where they understand our language, where we can read the uniform and know who that is. It's the known, no matter where we end up in the world, Post/Base, is the same. There's the PX, there's the Commissary, there's HQ, there's the unit, the orderly room, the theatre where you stand for the national anthem, the flagpole where you face when retreat is sounded. Whether it's AFSOUTH, or Belvoir, Bragg or Quantico, it's home. It's not supposed to be dangerous; it's not supposed to be scary.

A Hero Milspouse

I learned something from a fellow Army wife that made me smile.  Sgt. Kimberly Munley, the off-duty police who stopped the shooter at Fort Hood the other day, is not only a hero...she's a milspouse!

What Say You?

SpouseBUZZ has talked with First Lady Maria Shriver's office re some military family issues, and we're thrilled to learn of Maria's strong admiration for, and commitment to, military families. Today we received a message from Maria to pass along to you:

As the First Lady of California, I have had remarkable opportunities to meet with military families across the state.  From Travis Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, I have been amazed by the strength and spirit of military families.  I believe that military families serve, too, and your sacrifice and service is truly deserving of our respect and admiration. 

Through my experience speaking with military families and learning about their inspirational stories I realized that they had more to teach me than I could share with them.  So I invite you to join me in a special project, 10 Tips for Military Families by Military Families, and share your advice as a military spouse, parent and family member.  What is one piece of advice you would like to share with other military families?  Your thoughts will go a long way to help military families who can benefit from your experiences.  My goal is to share these tips with military families through my website and other opportunities that may arise.

Please, email and share your advice by October 30th.  You are welcome to leave your comments and remain anonymous.  

Thank you, Maria Shriver, California’s First Lady

Maria will be posting these tips on her website soon. Email your advice to Maria by clicking here, but also feel free to leave your tips here in the comment section. 

If you were asked to offer one piece of advice to a new military spouse (or family), what would it be? Mine is: Keep a healthy sense of humor, even when things look bleak. Laughter will take you a long way, especially when it comes to military life.... Right, airforcewife?

Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood

A free meal at Applebee's. 

If you know of other Veteran's Day freebies or discounts, feel free to add them in the comment section.

2009 Military Holiday Mailing Deadlines

Dates and information available after the jump.

When Last We Saw Our Intrepid Reporter...

And of course I mean the lovely and talented Andi:

who is currently at the AUSA Exposition and Meeting and will be attempting to liveblog the panels.

T.G.I.October!

I, for one, am so glad September is FINALLY over! 

Women on Submarines?

This weekend, redlegmeg and I were talking about how different the roles of the various services are from one another. Although military spouses from every branch share many of the same challenges and joys of military life, even within our community there is so much diversity. One thing that redlegmeg mentioned is that she couldn't imagine what it must be like to be a submariner's wife. We've had a few attend our SpouseBUZZ LIVE events and they've mentioned the lack of communication aboard a submarine.  

A timely conversation considering the announcement that the Navy is considering staffing submarines with female sailors. 

“This is something the CNO and I have been working on since I came into office. We are moving out aggressively on this.  I believe women should have every opportunity to serve at sea, and that includes aboard submarines.”

Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, September 24, 2009

CinCHouse has a poll running on this issue. As of right now, 68% of respondents think it's a bad idea to integrate women aboard submarines. At the U.S. Naval Institute blog, there's a lively discussion going on. I'm not sure how many submariner wives we have reading SpouseBUZZ, but I'd be interested in reading your thoughts.

"Stop and watch the ants..."

Instead of the old saying, "Stop and smell the roses."

Why ants?  How does this relate to being part of the military world?

'Think Like A Spy'

Do you take measures to protect your identity and personal information?

A gift from the past

Recently I received a large envelope in the mail from my aunt.  Curiosity filled my eager mind so I tore it open to find a wonderful treasure.

Child Care

Finding the 'perfect' child care situation can occasionally prove to be difficult, but there are many resources available to assist you.

The Tattoo-Off: Spouses Strut Their Stuff

Thanks to those of you who sent in photos of your tattoos and explained what they represented. Your stories are very interesting. I got the inspiration for this post from SGT Danger, click here for background. 

Behold, the tattoos......

Connecting With People Who "Get It"

If you're not a member of military.com, you should be. Over ten million people are! Registration is free and there are numerous benefits. You can find friends, make friends, find job postings and get career advice, find information on duty stations, receive special discounts and much, much more. This is probably a good time to remind you that you can sign up to receive the Family and Spouse Newsletter, a great newsletter which compiles the best news and items of interest to military spouses families twice monthly, and sends it straight to your inbox.

Military.com has revamped their community offerings to include fresh, creative ways to connect with even more people who understand the unique military experience. Below is more information on what you can expect from an enhanced community now, and in the coming weeks and months.

The new Military.com service member community provides an opportunity to interact in an environment where everyone shares and understands the military lifestyle.  This is what makes the Military.com community a unique and special tool for staying in touch with your military friends and colleagues.  You won’t find the “what pop-star do I look like personality test”, but you will be able to reach out to your military connections for job networking, getting help during a PCS, or just venting to a community that understands the context of your situation. 

Additionally, we’re rolling out search features that are unique to the Military community.  So far we’ve added MOS, Rank, Age and Email to people search options.  In September we’ll be adding Installation, Civilian Job and Schools.  This fall we’ll be adding the ability to search on past and present military units. 

Many users have noticed that a lot of member information that used to be publicly available is now only viewable by members you indicate as friends.  We’ve done this to make sure our community is secure and OPSEC compliant.  At Military.com you can be sure that nothing you or anyone else posts on your profile can be accessed by anyone you haven’t cleared personally. 

Whoops

Something that was not on my deployment checklist, but should have been...

Put the EZ Pass on hold - that commute won't be happening for a while.

On the bright side, Air Force Guy shouldn't ever have a problem with low funds again.

Servicemember Questions Sought

Is your servicemember is deployed to a CENTCOM area of responsibility?  The White House is offering an opportunity for those troops to pose questions and receive feedback.

Reminders

Those of you participating in the SpouseBUZZ Challenge need to get your pictures in for the August SpouseBUZZ Challenge. You can get the details here.

I've received several photos for our tattoo-off. Keep them coming. We'll post them soon.

SpouseBUZZ LIVE makes our final stop at Camp Pendleton on September 26. It's a free event and everyone walks away with an incredible gift bag full of information and giveaways. At this event, the first 500 attendees will receive a skin care kit worth $400 and military spouses will have a chance to win a diamond pendant courtesy of USAA. Not bad, huh?

A preview of SpouseBUZZ LIVE can be found here. You can click here to register for the event.

SpouseBUZZ LIVE is open to all military spouses, girlfriends and yes, you can bring your spouse to the event. We always have a several husbands in attendance and some of them have even taken the microphone. 

The End of an Era - Changing My Venn Diagram

Yesterday my 6 year old son told me something that nearly made my heart stop.

"Mom," he said.  "I think I want a normal haircut now."

This and That

Mocha Wifey hosts a vlog series on PCS moves. Brave girl!

Also found at Mocha Wifey's site, Dr. Oz is looking for military spouses who have lost a great deal of weight during a husband's deployment. Click here for details.

Got an iPhone? Got USAA? Your life just got easier. And check out the new MemberShop. If you don't have Paycheck Chronicles bookmarked, you're missing out on tons of advice and freebies. Who doesn't want a free Chick-fil-A?

I love, love, love my four-legged babies. And I love soldiers, too. This is awesome.

Troop-supporting band Smile Empty Soul has a new album, which can be purchased at the PX I'm told, and they are offering a free download on iTunes for all military members. Warning: Explicit. 

Smile Empty Soul would like to offer this free download as a way of thanking the proud men and women who serve our great country.  We appreciate your bravery, your commitment to our freedom and we keep you in our thoughts for a safe return home. 
 
This free download includes an acoustic performance of This Is War recorded exclusively for the military.  Additionally, we’ve included the new single Don’t Ever Leave from our brand new album Consciousness.  
 
We hope you enjoy our music as much as we respect the hard work you do for our great country.
 
God Bless You All,
Smile Empty Soul

And speaking of bands and appearances and free stuff, here's a chance for you and your family to be featured in a Queensryche music video, Home Again. This song is from their album, American Solider. 

You Show Me Yours and I'll Show You Mine

SGT Danger stopped by to say that he might do a Part II to his soldier tattoo post. Then, reader Basinah asked if they're showing theirs, should we show ours? I think that's a great idea. I'm tattoo-less but for the more brave milspouses out there, are you interested in showing us your tattoos and telling us what they represent?

If so, email your photos by clicking here, and don't forget to explain what they represent. If we get enough responses, I might challenge SGT Danger and his soldiers to a tattoo-off. The Great American Soldiers vs. Spouses Tattoo Challenge.

Please note that by emailing your photos, you agree to have them posted on SpouseBUZZ.

Q & A Invitation

You can Ask The Chairman.  Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wants to hear from you.

Feedback Requested on Social Media/Networks

Here is a chance for everyone to have input (and possibly an impact) on policy.

DoD Seeks Your Input On Internet Policy

This and That

Free chocolate! Always a good thing......

Remember RedLegMeg's post about her dishonest moving company? Well, be sure to fill this survey out when you move. It'll help all of us.

The American Legion is conducting a Town Hall meeting at Ft. Knox, Kentucky for military families on August 23, complete with a parade. They want to hear about issues affecting military families and how they can help. 

Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now!

Having already established that my life is like "If You Give a Moose a Muffin," a new book has been added into the mix at our house.

Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now!

Trust me, I'm not trying to get rid of my husband and I really would like to keep him home with us for a bit.  But if the last two deployments he went on busted the schedule by having him leave earlier than anticipated (and quite suddenly in the case of the first deployment), this one has tried to make up for that by continually setting his date to leave back.  This means several things...

And the Geardo Saga Continues

Air Force Guy missed 5.11 Day.  It was a big blow, but luckily the guy at the store selling 5.11 gear put everything he needed (ahem, it should be "needed", if you know what I mean) on back-order. 

This, of course, meant that we spent the last four days going into the 5.11 store every day for AFG to run in excitedly and ask, "Is it here yet?  Is it here yet?"  Today his things finally came in.  And we're at the point where the amount of gear in this house has surpassed critical mass. 

On a trip to the commissary...

Even though we live on post, I rarely venture into the commissary.  And I was going to say that I didn't know why, but today pretty much summed it up.  I do not carry cash.  Pretty much ever.  The baggers deserve/expect/require tips.  Our debit cards will only function as credit cards at our commissary, which means no cash back option.  I feel like a total milspouse failure as I try to figure out how to best (and least embarassingly) get the bagger to move on to the next aisle for someone who isn't breaking the rules.  But today this deer in headlights moment in my life was tempered by something pretty awesome I think I would have been unlikely to find in a civilian grocery store. 

At the end of an aisle I saw some bags and boxes of Red, White & You USO Sweethearts.  I just love that they are offering these.  I am not sure how they are going to hold up on a journey to Iraq, but I intend to find out.  The Necco site is selling the little boxes by the case so if you have more than a few months left on a deployment or send stuff for teams, etc that seems like a great idea. 

I included an image after the jump of the ad I found that is super cute and also printable and ready to mail out to deployed servicemembers. 

Navy Wife Beth Wilson "Makes History"

Interested in seeing the other side of a mission? Navy Wife Beth Wilson did. Read all about it.

Breaths of Fresh Air

SpouseBUZZ is pleased to announce that we're adding four new authors to the current line-up. We're very excited about getting some fresh perspectives on military life here at SpouseBUZZ. As of now, we're ready to announce two of the new authors.

Marine Wife is, well, a Marine Wife. She's also been blogging for a long time at her own site. Many of us had the privilege of meeting her at SpouseBUZZ LIVE Ft. Bragg. 

Penny is an Army Wife and came to our first SpouseBUZZ LIVE event, which was held in Killeen, Texas almost three years ago. She must have had a good time, because she and her husband attended SpouseBUZZ LIVE San Antonio! Penny also has her own blog. 

Marine Wife and Penny, welcome aboard. We're really looking forward to reading your stories.

On an unrelated note, yes we took a hiatus from the SpouseBUZZ Challenge due to travel and SpouseBUZZ event, but get ready - it's about to start up again....

Bubba's Belly Run

An Army Wife Honors Her Fallen Husband.

Brian "Bubba" Bunting and his wife Nicki started their race towards a big family on their honeymoon, and wanted to keep on steadily gaining ground. Bubba’s deployment put a halt on their plans.

Bubba’s race to grow his family continues after he was tragically killed while serving in Afghanistan-just 4 days after returning from spending 2 weeks at home with his family for R&R. Neither he nor Nicki knew at the time he was killed that they had succeeded in attempts to expand their family over his short break from deployment. Nicki found out she was pregnant just days after the news came of Bubba’s death. Their son, Connor, would have a sibling after all.

Bubba’s Run is a 5K run in honor and memory of Captain Brian "Bubba" Bunting’s race to grow his family and for the benefit of his children’s education.

The race will be held the weekend of Nicki and Bubba’s wedding anniversary, when his original race began. 

Bubba's Run will take place in Maryland on September 27. Click here for more information about the run, and to see how you can help.

Looks like a great event:

All proceeds generated from this race will be used to support Bubba’s children’s education, The Fisher House™, American Widow Project, and Flat Daddies.

5K Run/Maternity Walk & Fun Run
Bullis School – Potomac, Maryland

Join Us As We Celebrate Our 1st Annual 5k Run/Maternity Walk & Fun Run.

You Might Be a Military Family If...

Everyone in the family has their own personal Camelbak...

Pre-Deployment and the State of my Rear End

A few weeks ago Butterfly Wife posted on her blog a question - should she change her blog name to Does This Army Make My Butt Look Big?

What a timely question (and I nearly died laughing reading the newly proposed title!).  Just the last few weeks I've been wondering something close to that myself - Does this pre-deployment make my butt look big?  I'm pretty sure the answer is yes.

For the record, I'm not blaming anyone, any entity, or anything outside of my own self for the state of my rear (and arms, and legs, etc ad infinitum).  I know darn well that I made the choice to eat that, not do that exercise, and so on.  However, I also figured out last go-round that pre-deployment certainly makes it a lot easier to throw caution to the winds!

In a nutshell, knowing that the love of your life is going to be gone for a year (or more) and with the beginnings of anticipatory grief making themselves heard, who can say no to just one more trip to Baskin Robbins when the husband says he'd like to go just one more time?  Of course, it won't be the last time, but I pretend not to realize that...

Now That's Can't Be Normal!

A few weeks ago my husband brought home a piece of paper he received after his records were reviewed when he transferred into a new detachment.

The piece of paper said (paraphrased):  Your qualification on the Uzi has been revoked because you have failed to requalify within the required amount of time.

After several hours of having seen that paper and not noticed anything unusual about it, I realized that the fact that we had that paper in our house and didn't see anything unusual about it was probably *not normal.*

On the other hand, it is OUR normal.  Just like moving every few years, decorating our house like  Middle Eastern Applebee's, and eating copious amounts of delicious Afghan food.  It's very odd to my family and quite a few of my friends from "before", but it is our normal.

In fact, I realized that a lot of the things that are "our normal" are so, well, normal for us that I never even notice they might be off until a socially awkward situation develops (see also:  ruck - humping; misuse of).  Since I'm all about preventative measures to avoid embarrassing situations (like it ever works for me), I'd like to hear things you've discovered about the military that don't always translate to the outside world.

What's your normal?

CNN Wants You

In July, CNN plans to feature military families, with a focus on the troop build-up in Afghanistan. It's a great opportunity to show the world how strong, resilient and proud our military families truly are. Our friend, Mike Kelley at USAA is assisting in this effort. More information below:

In July, CNN would like to focus more on what is happening with the families who are at home while their loved ones are still in, or deployed to, Afghanistan. The focus is on this region as more troops start deploying there. They want to hear from a diverse range of people about how they are coping with a family member’s deployment, what challenges they’re facing, and how they may be overcoming these challenges. This could range from multiple deployments, job loss, PCS moves, etc. Ideally the families would be located in Atlanta, Florida, New York City or Washington, D.C. Atlanta is preferred given logistics. 

If you're interested in being interviewed, click here to send an email to Mike. Let us know if you're selected. We'll be sure to tune-in.

A little bit of history

On Sunday we had an open house because we are desperately trying to sell our house before we PCS later this month.  We had to be out of the house so a bunch of strangers could walk through our house and invade my personal space (yes, I have issues with this, but I know it must be done).

We decided to drive 3 hours away to take our kids to Antietam National Battlefield.  There are two pieces of history that have become important in our home regarding Antietam.

Is That...?

The microwave repairman just left my house.  He wasn't much less perplexed when he left than when he walked in (and he has to return next Tuesday to install the proper piece, too). 

The poor man had no idea what he was getting into when he took this appointment call.  He was obviously quite disconcerted to walk into my entryway, glance into the dining room, and see a giant poster of Saddam Hussein on the wall.

Memorial Day Discounts

Many thanks to the companies that continue to support our Military and Military Families in various ways.  Including discounts.

Available discount details after the jump.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Many military installations and communities are holding events and offering discounts today - just for you.  Be sure to check your local area information links and websites for details.

Today is all about YOU!  My fellow milspouses, I wish you an outstanding day.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

I Am MilSpouse, Hear Me Roar! (*sputter*)

Two days ago, on  the way to prepare dinner, I somehow managed to slip and fall down the stairs at my house.  Because I tend to do most things in a big way, the result was that I somehow managed to smash my tailbone into every step on the way down, only stopping because I ended it by crashing into the wall. 

Very typical.

And it hurt.  A lot.  My pride most of all.  Anyway, I had things to do (like feed a roiling horde of hungry children) so when after a short break to regain my breath (and my dignity), I hitched into the kitchen to make something to eat.  As any milspouse will tell you whenever something happens - life goes on.

Luckily, yesterday morning I felt a little stiff, but otherwise fine.  Life goes on, right?  I had a bathroom that needed the wallpaper scraped off, so I set to work.

Big mistake.  Big, giant, BAD mistake.

A Call for Your Stories: "Making the Most of It"

One of the things I love most about SpouseBUZZ is the collective effort of our authors and readers to support each other, and to search for the silver lining in the clouds that sometimes engulf military life. Sure, we bitch and moan on occasion, who doesn't?  But that's not the real story. The real story is that you always seem to find a way to pick yourselves up by the bootstraps and carry on. Not just carry on, but thrive. And it's that "can do" attitude that I think best defines most milspouses.

Over the past two years, we've heard some truly heart-wrenching stories from many of you, both on the blog and at our LIVE events, and they're almost always followed by a lesson in grit, determination and character. I've found so much inspiration here, and if our email is any indication, so have countless other milspouses, and we thank you for that.

This is why I was thrilled to receive an email yesterday from Kyat Sukel asking if I would post a call for stories from our readers for a series she's working on for Bursting With Pride. 

What's the Problem?

The problem is that I can't quite identify the problem. 

And like so many problems, it starts with my children...

My Explanation

This weekend I was very blessed - not only did I get to attend the Milblog Conference in DC, but I got to sit on one of the panels.  And with Lily Burana, no less!  Let me tell you, she is every bit as funny, charming, and down to earth in person as you would guess.  Love.  Her.

But I've been thinking about one question from the conference ever since - mulling it over in my mind and dissecting my own answer.  I've been trying to really define what I was trying to express in a way that someone who is not a member of the military can understand without feeling as though the answer itself was an attack (I'm pretty sure that the military folks there "got it").

The question, paraphrased, was this: (see live blog here) I hear that the MSM has failed the military community.  Why do you think that is the case?    I hear there are all kinds of communities that feel the media has failed them. 

Chasing Sunset

Recently I had to fly to the east coast for a conference. I find, the older I get, the more I dislike flying. My husband, the helicopter pilot, thinks I'm being silly and irrational. And I am. Intellectually, I completely understand that I am more likely to die driving down the freeway than I am flying. But most of our fears are irrational, aren't they?

What makes it even better - and sillier - is that I am more scared of flying over the ocean (I live on an island so flying anywhere involves flying over the ocean) than I am of flying over the land. Maybe it's not the crashing that scares me but the drowning? Which is also silly and irrational for two reasons:

The LAST Straw

I can so sympathize with Andi's post!

Some days just stink.  And have you ever noticed that when all Heck breaks loose, it is usually some silly little thing that sets it off?

Sometimes it seems like we can weather the apocalypse, only to completely fall apart (momentarily, of course) when you open a box of Mac and Cheese without the packet of neon cheese powder in it.

Milspouses at the 2009 MilBlog Conference

Speaking of Lily Burana, next weekend in Washington, DC, military bloggers from all corners will gather for the annual MilBlog Conference. I believe this annual event is the largest gathering of military bloggers in the world. There is no spouse/family panel this year, but milspouses will be front and center. Our own airforcewife, Lily Burana and Rebekah Sanderlin (remember this), are panelists. In addition to the spouses who will be speaking, there will be a host of military spouse bloggers (and non-bloggers) attending, so come on out and join in on the fun.

Click here to learn more about the conference, and to register. There are about 20 seats left.

"More Fair"

This is a post about when the Army tries to make things "more fair."  Sigh.

George Burns Had It Right

I was shopping for a card a few years ago and saw a great one emblazoned with a quote by George Burns on it:

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.

Of course, this quote is the preface to yet another story involving my mother-in-law.

When I'm 64

I have decided I can't wait until my kids are in their twenties so I can ask them what it was like to grow up in our family.