DoD Resumes MyCAA program with limitations

DoD will resume the MyCAA program. The Department of Defense has completed the program review and will be making the necessary adjustments to resume the MyCAA program beginning in October 2010.

Starting 8 a.m. (EDT) Monday October 25, 2010, Military OneSource career and education counselors will have a much more active role in supporting military spouses. In addition to understanding resources available via DoD's financial aid support, they will provide support and assistance to identify and gain access to other federal, state, and local programs. All military spouses of active duty service members will be eligible for career counseling and support.

New financial assistance guidelines. With a focus on the original intent of the program, the Defense Department's financial assistance program will:
• Be available to spouses of active duty service members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2
• Offer a maximum financial benefit of $4,000 with a fiscal year cap of $2,000. Waivers will be available for spouses pursuing licensure or certification up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000
• Require military spouses to finish their program of study within three years from the start date of the first course
• Be limited to associate degrees, certifications, and licensures

These new guidelines reflect a return to the original purpose of the program - to assist spouses of service members in achieving portable careers. These changes also align the program with responsible fiscal planning by the Defense Department to help sustain the program. Additional program details will be posted on the Military OneSource Web site when they become available. We encourage you to check the site often.

Spouses who currently have an active account will be allowed to request financial assistance until Thursday, October 21, 2010. Beginning September 1, 2010, spouses may request financial assistance for classes that have a start date up to January 15, 2011. To ensure adequate time to plan for courses, no career plans will be accepted after August 31, 2010. All currently approved financial assistance documents will be honored.

Additionally, the review revealed that National Guard and Reserve members must be on active duty for their spouses to receive the MyCAA benefit. Spouses may no longer use the MyCAA benefit when the service member is in an alert or demobilization period. The new eligibility rule takes effect immediately.

The program will be closed from Friday, October 22 to Monday, October 25, 2010, so that we may ensure the infrastructure is in place to implement the new program.

Military spouses are the backbone for military families, displaying strength of character to be admired by this nation. The Department of Defense remains committed to investing in military families, and appreciates the sacrifice of those who also serve.

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Family Day

For the last week or so, Daddy's Squadron has been out in the field doing training and they will be there for another week or so. Despite the fact that there is a lot of training to be done, they all took time out of their day to host "Family Day"!

Soldier's families were invited out to the field for a day of fun! We all loaded into buses and headed out to the field where we were all warmly welcomed by our Solider! There were so many fun things to do like get your face painted (camo style) and call for fire on the radio! There were Bradley's and Humvee's on display for us to climb in and explore. Lunch was served while we were out there and there was even a cake in the shape of a Stetson (the cowboy style hat worn by Calvary Soldiers).

The best part (other than seeing Daddy of course) was the Jr. Spur Ride! That's right, we got to earn our spurs just like our Soldier had to do!! There was a whole course set up for us, including some ropes to sneak underneath, a balance beam, a wall to climb up and over and a straight away where we could scream out our war cry! After that we got to throw water balloon grenades at a tank and squirt the enemy with a water gun!! After we completed the Spur Ride, we got a certificate inducting us into the Jr Order of the Spur AND our very own set of spurs!!

Like I've said before, for our family, time spent away from one another is very difficult. However, when units take the time, energy and resources necessary to have such an amazing day as this was, it goes a long way towards showing us, the families, that the Army really does value us! To all the Soldiers of the Squadron who helped make today a very special day, THANK YOU!!!!!

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USAA Conference - Day 2

Today marked our final day at USAA Headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. As most of our fans know USAA paid to bring Star Henderson and myself out to their corporate headquarters for an in-depth look at not only the USAA company but also some amazing new projects USAA is working on to help ease the lives of military soldiers and their families.

My last blog talked about the new Auto Circle (TM) and Home Circle (TM) programs that enable USAA members to buy, finance, and insure cars and homes online or even in the palm of your hand on the iPhone. Today's visit brought more talk of innovation and a giant step towards becoming more involved with the military spouse community.

The morning began with a light breakfast and a welcome from Kevin Bergner who is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Administrative Officer for USAA. Kevin talked about the importance of what USAA is trying to do for its 7.4 million members. He also talked about his pride in the company that was ranked the number one place to work in ITT by Corporate World Magazine. Mr. Bergner also explained the direction that USAA is heading into for the future and different ways they are working to extend their reach into the military community. It was a delightful presentation.

Afterwards we were shown a presentation of USAA's banking program, Money Manager. This program was created by USAA for its members that don't normally use software programs to manage their finances. Money Manager allows its users to create budgets and track spending quite efficiently. It also allows members to bring in accounts from other financial institutions and track all your accounts directly from usaa.com . I found this to be an exciting program that I am eager to try now that I know more about it.

Next USAA afforded us the chance to test-drive some of the USAA preferred vehicles. Before our test drive we were given an in-depth look into the USAA Emergency Response Unit. USAA has created an Emergency Response Vehicle and teams that are dispatched when communities are affected by natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. This giant USAA on wheels provides members with basic necessities we need after a disaster. You have access to computers, phones, bathroom, and even coloring books and goodies for our children. I am put at ease knowing that USAA is ready and prepared to be there for me in the event of a natural disaster - when we need them most!

Test-driving the USAA preferred vehicles was a lot of fun. I had the opportunity to test drive the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. It was a nice car and a pretty smooth ride. Star had the chance to test-drive the Ford Mustang. Some of the other cars that were available to test-drive were the Ford Edge, Mercedes Benz, and the Toyota Tacoma. This also afforded us a chance to see a bit more of San Antonio and the USAA company grounds.

After test-driving these great vehicles, we were treated to lunch and a presentation by Rhonda Crawford who is the Vice-President of Social Media for USAA. She discussed ways in which USAA is moving deeper into the digital world and building communities within it. She also discussed USAA's strategy as they move forward into social media. We learned how USAA is using Facebook and Twitter to better reach their members. Right now USAA has 91,000 fans on Facebook and 9800 followers on Twitter. This has proven to USAA what a valuable tool social media can be. USAA also advertises through the use of webinars that members can see on usaa.com and through good ole word of mouth USAA realizes that if they take care of their members we are more likely to tell others and share our positive experiences. USAA is also working to expand that reach with such programs as BratConnect.

BratConnect will be a facebook application that members can use to help military brats stay connected to others and share experiences. This program is still in its pilot stages. USAA is hoping to launch the program publicly in September 2010. This is just another example of the innovative work that USAA is pursuing to help better connect to its members and help us stay better connected and engaged.

The last order of business for the day was an intimate sit-down with those of us that were military spouses. USAA is extremely interested in finding a way that they can be more in tune to the needs of the military spouse and how they can better serve us. This forum gave us an opportunity to express our needs and what role we would like to see USAA have in helping to fulfill those needs. It also gave USAA a chance to better understand us and what we go through as a military spouse. I commend USAA for taking those steps to reach out to spouses and make a better connection with us.

Overall this has been an amazing experience. I have enjoyed getting this in-depth look into USAA. I leave here excited and motivated. I leave knowing that my finances are in expert hands. I realize now just how much USAA cares about its members and how hard they are working to simplify our lives and help us on that road to financial security. I know USAA is a company I can TRUST and I will never forget the experience. I leave being more excited than ever to be a USAA member!

Hooah.......

Household6 Janet

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Army Wife Talk Radio: Reserve Spouses' Army Wife Life

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AWTR Show 275: Week of July 26, 2010

This week on AWTR we're featuring two spouses whose husbands are competing in the Best Warrior Competition. It starts tonight! Resource of the Week is CarSchooling, and you'll hear The Money Minute, AWTR Music, Army Wife Life, and AWTR Post with the Most!

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USAA Conference - Day One

As most of our fans on Army Wife Network have found out from our Facebook page, USAA has been gracious enough to bring myself and Star Henderson to their corporate headquarters here in San Antonio, Texas. I want to show you all the unique ideas and cutting edge innovations that USAA is launching to help make the lives of military families a bit easier. I want to start off by thanking USAA for allowing us this rare opportunity into the inside workings of this amazing company. They have been exceptional hosts and have taken wonderful care of us.

Today was our first day venturing into the world of USAA. USAA stands for United Services Automobile Association. The company originated in 1922 and was created by a group of Army Officers who were unable to find insurance due to the fact that they were considered high-risk. They originally called themselves United States Army Automobile Association. They have since expanded to include all branches if service. USAA continues to work hard to support their mission of helping to facilitate financial security for its members by providing a wide range of outstanding financial products and services. They continue to be the choice provider for military families.

Our day began with a welcome from Wendi Strong who is the Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications for USAA. After this warm welcome we were invited to take a tour of the USAA facilities. This was an utterly amazing experience. USAA rests on a huge amount of land. It contains its own zip code and is comprised of 6 and a half million square feet. Inside the halls of their main building you will find a rich military history. There are galleries filled with military portraits and photographs throughout our history. There are artifacts and beautiful exhibits, such as the case showing one of each of the three military medals of honor. They are only other facility to have this honor besides the Department of Defense. The facility also contains 4 fitness centers, a corporate store, a fully operational television studio, and there is even a childcare center on the grounds for the children of their employees. It was truly fascinating to see how much is done to make sure USAA employees are happy and successful.

Another amazing thing about USAA is that this is the only place you will find an actual USAA banking facility. This is a huge question that has been brought up again and again by USAA members. Why don't we have "brick and mortar" banks? USAA has put a lot of thought into this. They have begun devising ways to make depositing checks and cash into our accounts easier. Some of you may have heard of their scanned check program. For USAA this was one way to resolve the issue of depositing checks but there was still the problem of what to do with cash deposits. Some of the ideas USAA is working on is using common community places such as grocery stores to enable us to walk in and make check or cash deposits into our USAA accounts. After speaking with the staff at USAA I have a better understanding of why they have not come out and created bank branches. Most of banks are moving away from "brick and mortar banks and everything is becoming more virtual. USAA us ahead of this power curve because they are already in the forefront of this technology and advancement. I had to admit that deposits is really the only reason I would even travel to a bank.

While on our tour we were allowed some insider access into USAA's Innovations Department. This is where a lot of high tech projects are being tested and experimented with, all to make our lives easier. We saw some pretty amazing gadgets and some exciting new projects, such as their on-going virtual work and pilot programs. It was quite an experience, I must say.

After our tour we were back in the conference room where we were the first to be exposed to USAA's new Auto Circle (TM) program. This is a brand new program designed by USAA to help make finding, financing, and insuring a car as easy as 1,2,3. The program is expected to launch August 4, 2010. The site is accessible via the Internet but there is also an application for the iPhone as well. That's right you will be able to find, finance, and insure a car right from the palm of your hand. USAA also assures us that an application compatible with the Android phones is coming shortly.

It is hard to believe when you first hear it but we got to see the program in action and it is nothing short of amazing! The buying process allows you to search vehicles based on makes, models, features and price. You can also see which vehicles are USAA preferred. This means that the vehicles meet a set of the most common standards requested by USAA members. USAA has also compiled a list of over 3400 USAA Preferred automobile dealerships. These dealerships have to meet a certain criteria from USAA to make this list and more are trying to get placed on that list everyday. USAA is also using Auto Circle to save its members thousands of dollars off of MSRP prices. We were allowed to play with both the website and USAA also had iPhones on hand so we could experiment with the application as well.

After this presentation we were treated to lunch while having a discussion about USAA innovations with Mick Simonelli. Mick is the Assistant Vice-President of Enterprise Innovations for USAA. We discussed some of the many ideas that USAA is working on and we were also able to suggest things that we as members would like to see.

After lunch we were introduced to the next phase of innovations being brought to USAA members, and that is Home Circle. Home Circle is also scheduled to be released August 4, 2010. Home Circle is very similar to Auto Circle except now we are dealing with Homes. There are many features of Home Circle that are being worked on and are scheduled to be added to the pilot program. Home Circle is expected to be fully completed by 2013. Right now the program allows you to find homes, finance homes, and insure homes. There are great features that allow you to compare property listings and even save those listings that are the most appealing to you. As with Auto Circle, Home Circle also has an iPhone application that allows you to search, finance, and insure homes. You can take pictures of homes using the application and you can also find potential homes with a GPS locator.

I was extremely interested in this project because I have yet to buy a home. For a lot of first timers buying a home cane seem very intimidating and scary but after seeing Home Circle in action, USAA has made the process extremely simple and they are with you every step of the way! Features that are expected to be added are things such as property management for those of us that are wanting to rent our properties and many other programs to help with the maintenance of a home. Home Circle also works hand in hand with USAA's Movers Advantage Program. There really is nothing that USAA has not thought of to make the experience of purchasing a home as simple and stress-reducing as possible.

After the Home Circle presentation we were introduced to the marketing campaign USAA will be launching to promote Auto Circle and Home Circle. These are extremely creative advertising campaigns that really show USAA's connection to the military. There will also be many USAA events coming to installations that will be extremely interactive and hands on to show people these new programs and just how simple they are to use.

We were also introduced to the new spokeswoman for USAA's Auto Circle program, Lauren Fix. Lauren Fix is a winning professional race car driver. She is also an award winning Automotive and Lifestyle Expert and has been featured on numerous print ads, web programs, television, and radio. She is author of the book "Lauren Fix's Guide to Loving Your Car". This is an incredible resource for military spouses who know just how quick the car decides to go bonkers after their soldier has left for deployment. In the book Lauren gives you expert advice on how to deal with your vehicle. Lauren was nice enough to give us a signed copy of her book. Lauren talked about why she was so adamant to speak out about USAA's new Auto Circle program. She describes it has a simple and efficient new way to buy a vehicle. Lauren is not a USAA member but realizes that USAA is doing incredible things to help our military community and she is more than willing to help promote that. She was incredible speaker and gave us lots of great tips.

We finished our day off by being provided dinner by USAA at a wonderful Mexican restaurant down by the famous River Walk here in San Antonio. Today was packed with an amazing amount of information but after today I am more excited than ever to be a member of USAA. They are proving, once again, their dedication to the military and their families and are working hard to provide us with top of the line services and products. I am very excited to walk into Day 2 of this incredible experience. Tomorrow we will be working with USAA on devising a format for an online community geared specifically for military spouses. This will help USAA better understand our needs and help strengthen their relationship with military spouses, especially in times of deployment. I look forward to hearing USAA's ideas and making suggestions of my own. It is a very exciting moment, to be able to provide USAA with our perspective and help this incredible company better serve us! Be sure to check back tomorrow for my blog on Day 2 of this USAA Conference.

Until Then.......

Household 6 Janet

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WIN! Around the Water Buffalo July 26 - August 13

Here’s how it works: on our Army Wife Talk Radio show each Monday night (for more info check out the PODCAST tab of the main site) during the Army Wife Life segment we’ll talk about a chosen topic. We will post the topic to our message boards (with reminders on our blog and FB page) for you to comment http://www.armywifenetwork.com/forum in our AROUND THE WATER BUFFALO section.

TO WIN all you need to do is TALK!! We’ll draw a name from those that reply. Every post on our boards for the topic counts as an entry so get talking for more changes to grab a prize!

The bi-weekly winner will be announced the following AWL segment - LIVE on the air. To claim your prize you must email us at info@armywifenetwork.com which means you're going to have to LISTEN to the show (LIVE or ARCHIVE) to see if you won!! Listeners/Viewers have 2 weeks to claim their prize - once we've announced the next AWL winner you must have already contacted us or you'll forfeit your prize!

GATHER AROUND THE WATER BUFFALO and WIN!!


Click here to visit the message boards and WIN!

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Time Away

What is the most challenging aspect of military life for your family? Sure there are lots of really great things and some more difficult aspects but is there something that stands out as especially challenging?

For our family, it is the amount of time that Daddy has to be away from home. He deployed for 14 months the day I turned one month old. Add R&R to the mix and that means in the first 14 months of my life, I saw my Daddy for 46 days. Although it wasn't easy, it also wasn't that difficult. When you're a baby, your mommy provides most of what you need. Sure, Daddy missed me but to be honest, in the first month of my life, he was so busy getting ready to deploy that we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time together anyway. In 28 short days, we didn't have the opportunity to form a close bond.

Fast forward to now. I am almost 3 and Daddy and I have had time to form a very close bond. We love to be together, play together and spend time with each other. It makes time away from each other very difficult on both of us. Since arriving at Fort Carson, Daddy has spent part of each month in the field, sometimes being gone for entire months at a time. This "high-op tempo" looks like it will continue for another year or so and when extensive amounts of training lead right into a deployment, it changes a 12 month deployment into 24 months of separation from your family. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that field time is drastically different than being deployed but they do have one thing in common: time away from family.

Has your family figured out how to manage time away from each other? Does the in and out of the field add extra pressure to your family? What are some of the things your family does to make time away from your Soldier a little easier?

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Army Wife Talk Radio: Pets with a purpose, Patriot PAWS

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AWTR Show 274: Week of July 19, 2010

This week on AWTR we’re featuring Lori Stevens of Patriot Paws. Resource of the Week: HotCouponWorld.com, The Relationship Minute, Real Life Warrior, and AWTR Book Club!

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Life is an adventure..Home is where the Army sends us Illesheim Germany

Hey y'all I am enjoying my new adventure in Illesheim Germany...I wake up each day in Awe of the fact that I am living in Germany it just amazes me I love my new home I traded in a huge 4 bedroom, 2 bath, living room, family room, dining room, huge kitchen with a 2 car garage for a second floor 4 bedroom, 2 bath stairwell apartment and I couldn't be happier lol...which is sorta funny because I love Montana the mountains, the air, the crystal clear lakes I loved my life there, my friends there...but being me I see an adventure in every new opportunity I am now fascinated with the old buildings, the rows of stairwell apt housing, the cobble stone paths, the super playground,the fact that the school is right across the road and I can watch the girls walk to school from the comfort of my living room, the built in closets that would make a shopaholic green with envy, my kitchen door that traps heat in the kitchen when the ovens on, the frosted glass door to the hallway that shuts off the sleeping area, the giant windows in the living room and dining room ohhh and the uber awesome giant tub in my bathroom that is heavenly...amazingly I haven't even ventured off post yet..I think that it's important for Army wives to be active at their posts be it working, voluntering or just making friends overall I think being active in your community makes your experience at your post more enjoyable...there is so many adventures out there just waiting for me..and for you too..

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Army Wife Talk Radio: Start Your Own Business

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Proudly sponsored by K12

AWTR Show 273: Week of July 12, 2010

This week on AWTR we’re featuring James Wilson of Wilson Law Group, LLC, attorney for business and professionals to talk about starting a business, buying a franchise, and special financing for Veterans. Resource of the Week: MSCCN.org, The Parenting Minute, AWTR Music, Army Wife Life, and AWTR Mess Hall!

Visit Army Wife Network and Loving A Soldier Blog

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Win Around The Water Buffalo July 12 - 26!

Here’s how it works: on our Army Wife Talk Radio show each Monday night (for more info check out the PODCAST tab of the main site) during the Army Wife Life segment we’ll talk about a chosen topic. We will post the topic to our message boards (with reminders on our blog and FB page) for you to comment http://www.armywifenetwork.com/forum in our AROUND THE WATER BUFFALO section.

TO WIN all you need to do is TALK!! We’ll draw a name from those that reply. Every post on our boards for the topic counts as an entry so get talking for more changes to grab a prize!

The bi-weekly winner will be announced the following AWL segment - LIVE on the air. To claim your prize you must email us at info@armywifenetwork.com which means you're going to have to LISTEN to the show (LIVE or ARCHIVE) to see if you won!! Listeners/Viewers have 2 weeks to claim their prize - once we've announced the next AWL winner you must have already contacted us or you'll forfeit your prize!

GATHER AROUND THE WATER BUFFALO and WIN!!


Click here to visit the message boards and WIN!

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Hidden Bonuses

Like most young girls, I dreamed of a fairy tale life with prince charming and our perfect suburban life. Never in all of my dreaming and planning did Prince charming wear ACU's, and I had never even seen the inside of a military base, let alone plan the castle in suburbia as government quarters! In those dreams, my prince came home every night and helped me tuck the kiddos into sleep in our immaculately clean home, and the kiddos were quite perfect in every way. Reality sure has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it though. Soon after our little princess Allana was born, September 11th came and planted a big dark cloud over our "perfect" life. You see, I did not marry into the military...and it was on that day that my Prince decided to become a military man. Scary at first, it was a decision that I fully supported. It has become the best decision we have ever made together.

I know that it is sometimes rough living life as an Army wife, but I also know that, for all of the struggles encountered, there are equally numbered bonuses. I won't go into the Commissary, Health care, PX, MWR, etc. A few months before my soldier left for the second time in as many years I began to dread what I lovingly referred to as the "dreaded D day". I couldn't help but think of all of the negatives of being "single" again... the quiet nights spent alone after the kiddos were in bed, the lonely dinners lacking adult conversation, the curious questions from loved ones and friends far removed from the military lifestyle- you know the ones; the ones who ask the common questions... "Aren't you afraid he'll cheat?", "Aren't you scared something will happen?", to which I always have a semi sarcastic reply. But, like the rest of my Army wife comrades, I think the thing I dreaded the most was saying goodbye again. Then, when our soldier was at NTC, my oldest daughter came to me with a genuine concern over saying goodbye again herself. She asked me why she always has to say goodbye to her daddy, and then stated how unfair it was that her cousins never have to live a day without their daddy. I was completely and utterly at a loss for words. I had never once looked at saying goodbye from my children's eyes. That's when it happened for me... I saw the bonus to deployment, if you can even believe it. Quickly I brought the laptop over to where we were talking and I brought up the photo album entitled "our life alone... without daddy in 2008-09". This album is a composite of all of the big memories of that year, saying goodbye, birthdays with daddy on skype, Christmas on skype again, R and R and finally the big homecoming. I am a sucker for those homecoming photos... I cry every time. The way those three little girls anticipated that airplane, Abbi climbing out of her stroller and under the ropes to reach her daddy in formation (although she was not even yet 2), the excited way they showed off their "welcome home" signs, and the tears of the most complete happiness and love that I have ever in my life been gifted with. With tears in both of our eyes, I was able to explain to Allana that the emotions that she will go through many times in her young life are some that many people never get to experience... most people will never get the opportunity to feel the sadness felt as their soldier leaves again, but nor will they ever have the opportunity to feel the unbelievable love and happiness as their hero walks off that plane or that bus. Believe me, I know there can be another horrifying outcome, but for right now, in this moment... that homecoming is our bonus, and it is what is getting us through the difficulties of having just said goodbye again.

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{ L O V E }

Hello ladies, hope you're all doing well. I've been trying to post something for a couple of weeks now and I can't seem to put my thoughts and feeling into words. I'm so drained lately, of energy and emotions. Tonight I feel put together enough to give it another shot. The house is settled, the kids are asleep and I'm not ready to go upstairs and crawl into my lonely bed. Nights seem to be my worst enemy. We've been keeping busy during the day and that's the only way I can think of to get me through this thing. I had no idea what it was going to be like having him leave with the knowledge of how long it's going to be before we can hold each other again. We've done months before, never more than a few at a time. And never with three kids. They ask for daddy a lot and still don't quite get it. I think they feel like he's going to be back any day now, just like all the other times. I stopped by the gas station the other day and got two drinks, one for me and one for my SIL. My oldest got a beaming smile on his face and asked if the other one was for daddy. I hated telling him no and once again reminding him that daddy isn't home. Our baby girl jumps at the sound of the front door opening and running to see of it's daddy. It kills me. My second child cries and cries whenever anything happens to him, even the smallest things. When I ask him what's wrong he often says "I miss daddy." It eats me up inside. I don't know how to make it better for them, I'm still trying to make it better for me too. I miss him so much already. Our house no longer feels like a home.

With all that said...{Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~Winston Churchill} As hard as this has been for me already, it really hasn't been all bad. Along with sadness, there's a whole mix of emotions that I've been feeling too. Pride is one I expected. As we all celebrated Independence Day this last weekend, I was overwhelmed by the feeling of pride. There are so many amazing people out there willing to serve their country and ask for very little in return. I'm amazed at the number of men and women who have sacrificed so much for us all. I'm amazed at my husband and how willing he has been to serve. I know that he feels joy and pride in his job and that is one of the most satisfying feelings that I feel as a wife. I truly am so proud of him and what he's been asked to do for his country.

Next there is joy. Yes, there is joy. Although I hate to see my kids miss their dad so much, I feel comfort in knowing that they love their daddy that much. I feel happiness when I think about not being alone in this journey. I have a pretty amazing support system here at home. My parents are amazing for always helping me and loving me no matter what craziness I bring over when I visit, my SIL is so good to keep me company and listen to my mini meltdowns, and my other SIL is amazing for understanding exactly what I'm going through because she's right there with me. The army wives? Oh my goodness are they amazing! I am so grateful for their strength and friendship, I have a feeling I'm going to be leaning on that strength a time or two before this is over...

Last and certainly not least, would be LOVE. This is the hardest one to write about and for all good reasons. I'm overwhelmed by love. The love I feel for my children (especially my children), my family and my fellow army wives is something that is hard to describe. That's the real reason my heart feels like it's going to burst into a million pieces. I never knew it could hold so much. But even stronger than the love I feel for them, it's the love I feel for my husband since he's left that has taken me for spin. I love and have loved my husband since the day we knew we were meant for each other. I don't know how but my heart seems to find more room in it's already full capacity to love him more everyday. My love seems to grow for him and my children more when I see hints of him in them. Those small little reminders of him that make me want to laugh and cry all at once. The anticipation between phone calls that builds and builds and only makes those moments so much sweeter for me. I often find myself wanting for his arms to wrap me up and hold me as they erase the emptiness that the loneliness brings. As hard as that loneliness is to bare, there is something so beautiful in missing someone that much. It's beautiful because it gets me through this day and into the next. It reminds me that even though we're apart, we're still very much together. Like in that brief moment of in-between sleep and awake, the moment I reach over to feel him next to me, it's really like he's almost there for me to touch. And as the awake sets in and my heart drops a little, I find a little bit of happiness in the moment. Happiness because for that split second he really was there with me, in my heart and mind, and that still counts. So on those days that I feel like I can't do this, those lonely nights with my crazy kids and the time between the phone calls...it's that love that carries me. If you're reading this Love, remember I love you more than life.

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Summer Camp: Military Style

Summer Camp: Military Style
© Tara Crooks

The summer sun is bearing down and we are definitely feeling the heat! At the Crooks’ house summer is full of front yard play complete with sprinklers and snow cones! This summer though, as I looked across my front lawn I saw the most peculiar sight - through the drops of water & sticky syrup all of the neighborhood children were playing “Army”. It made me laugh (in the civilian world no one would have understood their madness), and then I was inspired to find more ways to encourage their creative play. We have now set up summer camp “military style”. I gathered some of the fun resources that we are using during our adventures and I thought I’d share them with you.

Dress Right Dress
A true military adventure cannot begin without proper uniform and attire. Head out to your local surplus store or Clothing & Sales and pick up some military uniforms (Clothing & Sales even offers them in children’s sizes for very little cost), hats, and boots (we found that black rain boots work great).

Pitch the Camo Tent
Yes, that means drag out a bunch of your soldier’s camo netting, 550 cord, 100 mile an hour tape, and round up some tent stakes! We found that covering our regular tent in camo netting was a lot more stable than creating one from scratch.

Mess Hall
No camp would be complete with a bright orange Gatorade® container (my kids affectionately call this the “water buffalo”), and some MREs (Meals Ready to Eat).

Time for PT (Physical Training)
Military summer camp has no time for lazy! Set up an obstacle course. Play a game of ultimate frisbee or ultimate football. You could even take them for a run. Want more fun? Add in timing and give them a true PT “test”.

Build a Tank out of Cardboard Boxes
Here is a website with step by step instructions on how to build a tank out of cardboard boxes (Link to: http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6145964_build-tank-out-cardboard-boxes.html). You can go BIG or small, either way having the kids make their own toys is a blast!

Carwashes & Bake Sales (or even a lemonade stand)
Get them ready for those FRG (Family Readiness Group) fun(d)- raisers! Set up a car wash complete with signs and have them wash all the neighbors’ vehicles. Take them inside to cool off and bake up some summer treats and then let them do a mock bake sale outside and share their goodies.

Military Pomp & Circumstance
Finish off your summer camp by attending one of the numerous Change of Commands that take place during the summer, or you could even grab a 4th of July celebration at your installation.

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Fly Your Flag High - Here Are Some Etiquette Tips!

Respecting the Red, White, & Blue
© Tara Crooks

It is a time for patriotism. As a military spouse, I am thrilled to see pride in our country. Everywhere you turn you see bumper stickers, yellow ribbons, and flags. Our national symbol, an American flag, we fly them, but do we know how to properly take care of our flags? Do we know how and when to display them?

Believe it or not there are flag laws. The laws relating to the flag of the United States of America are found in detail in the United States Code. Title 4, Chapter 1 pertains to the flag; Title 18, Chapter 33, Section 700 regards criminal penalties for flag desecration; Title 36, Chapter 3 pertains to patriotic customs and observances. These laws were supplemented by Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations. These orders govern the proper use, display, care, and many other issues regarding the flag.

There are no penalties for improper use or display of the flag. The Flag Code is intended as a guide to be followed on a purely voluntary basis to insure proper respect for the flag. However, especially in times of showing patriotism one might want to know the code in order to not violate it in their display of their pride.

There is an extensive list of flag etiquette; however most does not apply to the average citizen’s every day use of the flag. Below you’ll find some reminders and tips to use for your flag presentation and recognition.

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.

It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.

The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.

The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on
• New Year’s Day
• Inauguration Day
• Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday
• Lincoln’s Birthday
• Washington’s Birthday
• Easter Sunday
• Mother’s Day
• Father’s Day
• Armed Forces Day
• Memorial Day
• Flag Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Constitution Day
• Columbus Day
• Navy Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day
• State Holidays

When displaying your flag from your car, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.

When a flag is hung in a window, place the blue union in the upper left, as viewed from the street.

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

Unfortunately, it is very common to find flag respect violations. Below are a few gentle reminders.

The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

Most flags sold nowadays are all-weather flags (refer to the packaging). These are permitted to fly during inclement weather, according to the Flag Code.

Care of your flag is also important. If the flag has been dirtied, you should clean it by hand with a mild soap solution and dry it well before returning it to use. If a flag is torn, it can be repaired, preferably by a professional or someone skilled in mending. If it is faded or tattered beyond repair, or dirty beyond cleaning, then it is time to replace the flag. The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

To see the complete flag code visit: http://uscode.house.gov/download/download.shtml

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