A critical component of becoming an Eagle scout is map reading and orienteering. My son needed to go on a hike for at least one mile as one of the requirements to obtain the rank of First Class Scout. Since we lived about an hour outside of Washington DC, he decided he wanted to go […]

Military families don’t always have the option to travel home for the holidays. When they do, it can be a long and expensive trip. When relatives have unrealistic demands or expectations, it leaves military families frustrated. Some vow never to visit “home” for the holidays again!  If this sounds familiar, you may need to set […]

When you’re stationed overseas, the holidays are an amazing time to immerse yourself in your new culture. After all, embracing unique experiences is one of the highlights of moving as a military family. Our family spent the holidays in locations as diverse as Guam and Germany over the years, learning to equally appreciate a tropical […]

By Rachelle Chapman When did you start seeing storefront Christmas decorations this year? For me, September. America is in holiday mode for about a third of the year. Maybe that’s why fully one-third of us say we are burned out on the holidays before mid-December. Worse, another third of Americans claim they spend the holidays […]

Dear Military Spouse,I know you did not actually know what you were getting into when you started this life of military marriage. I know you simply loved your servicemember and wanted a life together, however that looked. But no one prepared you for this.  I know you didn’t expect to give up your career. To […]

Putting others’ needs before yours during the holidays can feel like the biggest gift of all. Here’s how military spouses Taylor Hupe, Katie Iden, and Sharon Sherlock give back to their community and beyond at the year’s end. Adopt-A-Family Hupe’s family participates in Adopt-A-Family and Angel Tree. They also support their local animal shelter. Adopt-A-Family, […]

Since Giving Tuesday Military’s inaugural kick-off in 2019, the challenge for the military community to commit one million random acts of kindness has grown into a sweeping movement and flourishing non-profit organization. Inspire Up, founded by Jessica Manfre, Maria Reed, Stacey Bilodeau, and Samantha Gomolka, is on a mission to change the world- one act […]

In honor of Veterans Day, WORX® is saluting the military with a BIG 25% military discount & giveaway exclusively on MilitaryBridge WORX® is going big in support of the military community this Veterans Day. WORX® has a history of military support with their military discount program. This Veterans Day, WORX® wanted to do something extra […]

“Mom, it hit my car! What if it dies?” Rachel screamed into the phone. “Rachel, are you ok? What happened?” I asked, trying to remain calm while emerging from a deep sleep. “A deer jumped on my car, it broke my headlight and windshield, then ran into the woods. Should I follow it to see […]

We landed at 0830 German Standard Time to rain pounding on the windows. Angels clothed in Army uniforms met us and escorted us to a warm van. After flying all night and being three months pregnant, I was exhausted, cranky, and nauseous.  Once we checked into our hotel, I felt feverish; I took my temperature. […]

I held the box close to my heart. “May I help you with that ma’am?” The very thought of letting it go seemed to break the very fabric of my existence. It was not just precious to me, it wasn’t air that I would breathe or water I would drink. It was my story, our […]

Military Spouse brings you the Day Seven of the Military Spouse Holly Jolly Holiday Giveaway. Today is sponsored by milspouse-owned business, Brave Crate! Website | Facebook | Instagram For military spouses, counting down to being reunited with their deployed service member can feel like a never endingjourney! That’s why each month Brave Crate sends a […]

Military Spouse brings you the Day Six of the Military Spouse Holly Jolly Holiday Giveaway. Today is sponsored by milspouse-owned business, The Seasoned Spouse! Website | Facebook | Instagram Lizann Lightfoot, “The Seasoned Spouse,” is a published author and encourager of every milspouse. Her blog and books offer support throughout your milspouse journey! This Marine […]

Years ago, when I decided to start a fashion brand to fight poverty, I needed a lot of support – and I got it. I reached out to an extensive network of people I’d met over the years, and while I did receive some raised eyebrows, skepticism was far outpaced by support, advice, and even […]

Military Spouse brings you the Day Five of the Military Spouse Holly Jolly Holiday Giveaway. Today is sponsored by milspouse-owned business, Nomades Collection! Website | Facebook | Instagram Our Story began 13 years ago with an idea jotted down on a napkin. That musing became the adventure of a lifetime: Nomadés. And what an amazing […]

Brought to you by Military Bridge THE MEANING OF VETERANS DAY: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. We would like to say a special “Thank You” from MilitaryBridge to all military members past, present, and future for your amazing […]

Military Spouse brings you the Day Four of the Military Spouse Holly Jolly Holiday Giveaway. Today is sponsored by milspouse-owned business, Mady on Main Street! Facebook | Instagram Your go-to for all things magical wrist happiness and more! Holly Jolly Gifts for You: First Prize: 1 Holiday-themed Watch Band & Matching Charm Grand Prize: One […]

Military Spouse brings you the Day Three of the Military Spouse Holly Jolly Holiday Giveaway. Today is sponsored by milspouse-owned business, Charliemadison Originals! Website | Facebook | Instagram Charliemadison Originals helps military families tell their unique stories through everyday jewelry that keeps you connected to your family and friends near and far and reassures you […]

Military Spouse brings you the Day One of the Military Spouse Holly Jolly Holiday Giveaway. Today is sponsored by milspouse-owned business, Mel & Mae! Website | Facebook | Instagram Military spouse and mom-owned graphic shirt and accessories company for adults and kids! Holly Jolly Gifts for You: First Prize: Merry Sweatshirt and Chenille Letter Patch […]

By Maya Yegorova  The arrival of the holidays is synonymous with shopping for gifts in packed malls, taking part in activities like caroling and sledding, and picking out the perfect tree. While in a perfect world, one would celebrate the holiday season in the company of loved ones, it’s understandable that the holidays can be […]

Deployments. The word trudges up a host of negative emotions. But one company works diligently to support and encourage military families on the homefront, making the experience a little bit easier and much less isolating. Counting Our Heroes Home brings joy and connection to families separated from service members through their subscription box for kids […]

With school back in full swing and technology more pervasive than we’d ever like, our teen and tween girls are deeply entrenched in the comparison battle and trying to figure out their identities. Am I pretty enough? What do I need to do to fit into her jean size? Am I buying the right clothes […]

Military families have a unique struggle in that they aren’t always able to “be there” for special events. Weddings, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas – anytime families regularly get together, military families often cannot join in the festivities. Another thing military families regularly miss? Funerals. My own mother died not too long ago. The challenges of military […]

Did you blink and miss the 2022 Military Family Caucus Summit? You are not alone. The annual Summit returned to its in-person format and took place on Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington on August 17th. BLUF (military speak for “bottom line up front”): DOD policies are not keeping up with the issues faced […]

I almost lost a gasket—my son hadn’t turned in a couple of assignments at school. But what made this situation more difficult was my husband’s job. Right now, I did the lion’s share of parenting at this stage, and it’s the cost of having a servant-hearted husband. However, my high standards and inflexibility with my […]

If you ask most spouses, they can recall their first “scary announcement moment.” Whether it was for a Short Tour in S. Korea, a six-month deployment in the Sandbox, orders to move to an undesired location, or even the first time separated and navigating Basic Training. Here are a few tips on the process of […]

“Mom! I need a costume tomorrow!”- every kid during deployment We’ve all been there. You’re making the night-time rounds, turning off all the lights, and you hear the panicked shout of a kid who needs a costume…tomorrow. I have found that my children have a keen awareness of just how tired I am and, at […]

There comes a point at every base where the “new place excitement” starts to wear off. You might not realize anything feels different, but the days feel slow yet busy. You don’t hate the base; you feel indifferent to it. So what do you do to break up the mid-station doldrums? Here are our best […]

It’s a Monday night in August. Tweens and teens are flocking to the field of RAF Lakenheath dressed from head to toe in red, yellow, green, or blue. Parents are screaming and cheering with painted faces and tutus. The RACE is on.  It’s not an acronym. “The RACE is in caps because it’s supposed to […]

We’ve often heard the benefits of getting outside. From improved mental health to increased immunity, there’s no question that spending time in nature should be a regular part of our daily lives. Yet when young children are thrown into the mix, heading outdoors can seem almost impossible. The truth is that it doesn’t have to […]

By Eric Eversole, President of Hiring Our Heroes and a Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Mark Steffe, President/CEO of First Command Financial Services, Inc.* It’s safe to say that no one dedicates their life to the military to become rich. Instead, the men and women of our armed services are dedicated […]

Partners in PROMISE seeks feedback from families and providers. After a military family takes a survey, they may just keep scrolling and forget all about it. But today their stories are what got me out of bed. I had to appear in court at 6 a.m. I needed to testify on behalf of Partners in […]

Military families remember their loved ones lost to suicide. If you’re in crisis, get a phone and dial 988. Then follow the prompts and press 1. On Dec. 8, 2021, I almost lost my combat veteran husband to a self-inflicted gun wound—words I never thought would be a part of our story. Immediately following, we […]

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 5% of jobs could be done remotely. Since 2020, work-from-home (WFH) and remote work options have increased in availability and acceptability, with an expected growth of 65% over the next five years. Remote work means working from anywhere other than an office. WFH can include working remotely, but also applies […]

What’s the dream you’ve always wanted to accomplish—the seemingly impossible, reach for the stars dream? Ever since I was old enough to form letters on a page, I’ve aspired to write a book. Unfortunately, getting a book deal with a traditional publisher is hard to come by unless you have tens of thousands of followers. […]

Have you ever had a bit of an identity crisis?  So many military spouses today are describing the grief and frustration they are feeling around building an identity separate from their active duty military member’s decision to serve. Even more so, spouses of service members who are preparing to transition out of military service are […]

You know that moment when you’re scrolling through social media and a video feels like it was tailor made for you? Well, meet Mallory. She’ll provide you with that experience every time! As a seasoned military wife with a marriage and family therapy background, Mallory excels at making military spouses feel seen, encouraged, and equipped. […]

PCS season is a blur of paperwork, passports, government travel cards, tears, frustration, excitement, and nerves. By the time you get to your new base, you can be either bright-eyed about the possibilities or exhausted from what it took to get there. Here are five ways to help you settle in after a PCS, in […]

Military life leads you to places you’ve never been, and you often change on the journey. One of the things that can change is the way you celebrate holidays. Whether your faith has shifted, you found a new tradition you love, or you will celebrate in a different culture for the first time, it can […]

Do you want to send handwritten letters to your military loved one? Maybe they are deployed or stationed far away, but you feel uninspired looking at blank journal paper and sad envelopes. What are you to do? Here are ten ways to add wonderment to the mail you send your military loved ones. Write with […]

Do you remember the summer of 1999? On June 27, in Dallas, TX, I was spastically jumping up and down in Artist Square at the Van’s Warped Tour. The music radiated into the air and, if I close my eyes, I am transported back to the sounds of loud guitar riffs and the machine gun […]

While the education system is hurting for quality substitute teachers, military spouses are presented with an opportunity to step into a sustainable and portable career field. Substitute teachers are on-call teachers who are contracted, usually through a third party, to stand in for full-time or part-time teachers.   While qualifications vary by state/school district, typically […]

“Tell me about your childhood…” Well, there’s a question that will make most of us sweat. For the first time, I was having an open and honest conversation with a psychiatrist about my own frustrations with “keeping it all together.” At 36-years-old, I felt like I had hit the proverbial wall. I was losing my […]

When it comes to the task of dreaming a book into print or learning the skill set to speak and teach, the gold standard for Christian communicators is the Speak Up Conference with Carol Kent. The Speak Up Conference is an annually held equipping event which meets in Grand Rapids, Michigan in July. Christian publishing […]

I have a story I seldom share. Many (many, many) years ago, I found myself sitting square in the middle of an Air Force recruiter’s office. Staring across the desk at a very stately gentleman, I contemplated the course of my life. At 19 years young, I wanted more than to merely get by in […]

It is that time of year…early to rise, buses to catch, and carpools to wait in. That’s right. The time has come for the “Back-to School” season to be in full swing. Parent are prepping backpacks, stuffing snacks in lunch boxes, and buying the eighteenth million package of pencils. Simultaneously, moms and dads are eagerly […]

Last year I participated in the Irreverent Warriors Silkies Hike in Virginia Beach. I was turned onto IW by a Navy friend that had participated in one in Tennessee a few months prior. I figured it would be a great way to get out of my normal rut of weekend events and maybe meet some new people. Then […]

It’s never wise, military spouses, to put all your eggs in one basket. That one basket represents your servicemember’s income. In the business world of finances, investors would immediately encourage the need to diversify investments. This phrase is the same equivalency as risking all one has on the success or failure of one thing. Thus, […]

As September approaches, the desire for Hygge, the Danish word for cozy, content, and comfortable, can feel like an itch you just can’t quite scratch. It’s hard to relax when the heat has you wondering if you’ll ever be comfortable when you are already soaked in sweat just thinking about being outside. But Hygge is […]

 “Powerful… Kander displays a level of vulnerability not often seen in political memoirs, offering a bracing portrait of untreated PTSD and an insightful psychological profile of political ambition. Readers will appreciate the candor of this harrowing tale.” Publishers Weekly  “Kander’s advice is urgent and relevant: ‘Either you deal with your trauma, or your trauma deals with you’… […]