Military Style - Your Style

After looking at a number of military wife shirts, sweaters and other apparel / accessories at the local AAFES, I usually left a little disappointed. Then, I found a great online shop that offers tons of products and great military designs for each branch and relationship. So, no matter if your loved one is Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine, etc and your are a wife, girlfriend, dad, mom, aunt uncle ... this is the shop for you.

Visit the Military Section of CafePress now.
There, you will certainly find something you like.

Book Corner

Sometimes, a good book can help in many ways. It can be a helpful companion to a military spouse.

Visit this post again to view more books. Simply click on the Book Corner topic link on the left.

• Separated By Duty, United In Love
  
  Addressing head-on the challenges of long-distance relationships with frank, practical advice and anecdotes, Separated by Duty, United in Love is perfect for military couples. It includes the answers and resources they need to meet the greatest challenge any relationship can face. With understanding born from over 20 years' experience as a military wife, author Shellie Vandevoorde tackles the tough issues from dealing with the struggle of being a single parent to infidelity, real or imagined. As divorce rates rise in the armed forces (the divorce rate among officers in the US Army tripled from 2001 to 2004) Separated by Duty, United in Love provides a practical hands-on guide that can help couples in every branch of the service.
  
  
• Hope for the Home Front: Winning the Emotional and Spiritual Battles of a Military Wife
  
  Marshle Carter Waddell, the wife of a US Navy Seal for 21 years, explores the emotional and spiritual battlegrounds common in the experience of today's military wife. This book is designed to arm military wives with the power and protection of God's promises against depression, bitterness, destructive choices and desperation.
  
  
• Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives
  
  Faith Deployed speaks to relevant issues the miltary wife faces both in war and peace time. Fourteen other Christian military wives have contributed to this volume, hailing from all branches of service. With such a wide range of experiences (including active duty, reserves and National Guard), every military wife can relate to something in this book.
  

Benefits: Space-A Travel

One of the benefits, active duty, retirees and their families can take advantage of is Space -A travel.

Categories:
Travelers fall into one of six categories:

CATEGORY I -- Civ or Mil Dependent on Emergency Leave
CATEGORY II -- Environmental Morale Leave (EML)
CATEGORY III -- Active Duty on Ordinary Leave / House Hunting
CATEGORY IV -- (EML) Unaccompanied Dependents
CATEGORY V -- Permissive TDY or TAD / Student Travel / Overseas Command - Sponsored Dependents
CATEGORY VI -- Retired Military / Reserves

Deployments:

Unaccompanied dependents of deployed military members, including Reserve and Guard personnel are authorized to travel space-available unaccompanied. This authorization is only valid for the duration of the deployment period of the military member.

• CATEGORY III - for deployment orders of more than 365 consecutive days
• CATEGORY IV - deployment order is for at least 120 consecutive days
  
  
• Space-A travel is authorized to/from CONUS and OCONUS locations, between CONUS locations, and within/between OCONUS theaters. All travel will be on a noninterference (nonreimbursable) basis.
  
  
• Eligible dependents may sign-up for Space-A travel no earlier than 10 days prior to the military member’s deployment. In addition, dependents are eligible to commence travel effective on the first day of military member’s deployment. Space-A travel must be complete by the last day of the military member’s deployment.
  
  
• Eligible dependents must present to the air terminal personnel a verification letter signed by the member’s commander verifying the member’s deployment. The documentation must be in the dependents’ possession during travel. Furthermore, commanders or designated representatives should inform spouses and dependents of the following: “Space-A travel program is a privilege (not an entitlement). The military does not guarantee transportation to the final destination or return travel. The military is not responsible for providing lodging, ground transportation, meals or other incidental expenses incurred during Space-A travel if flights are delayed, diverted or canceled.”
  
  Space-A Request From with detailed information for dependents of deployed service members (PDF File).
  

Helpful Links:

• Dirk Pepperd's Space A Site
  The oldest and the message board choice of the "experts"
  Once registered, this site also provides you with very valuable, up-to-date information
  

• CONUS Space-A Locations
• OCONUS Europe Space-A Locations
• OCONUS Pacific Space-A Locations
  
• Phone Numbers of Space-A Facilities
• Space A FAQ
• Space A Travel Request / Sign Up Form - AMC Form 140

In-State Tuition News

For periods of enrollment that begin after July 1, 2009, members of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) on active duty for a period of more than 30 days and his or her spouse, or his or her dependent children will be eligible to receive in-state tuition at public colleges and universities in the state where they reside or are permanently stationed. Once a Service member or their family members are enrolled and paying in-state tuition, they will continue to pay the in-state tuition rate as long as they remain continuously enrolled at the institution even if the Service member is reassigned outside the state.

This change is included in section 135 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (H. R. 4137) (HEOA) which was signed into law on August 14, 2008 and amends and extends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). This requirement applies to all public institutions that receive funds under a program authorized by the HEA.

The Department of Education has worked with the institutions of higher education and is confident they are aware of the changes in the law and are fully implementing the policy. However, as we all know, there is always the chance that someone just doesn't get the word. If this happens, you should contact the financial aid or registrar's office at the institution. You can also contact the Veterans Affairs office at the institution. Even though you are active duty, these offices should be able to assist you.

In the rare cases where these steps don't resolve the situation, please contact the Department of Education’s Ombudsman's office (toll-free at 877 557-2575) or via the internet. The online Ombudsman Assistance Request Form can be found at the Office of the Ombudsman website. Both links access complaint information.

What is a MILITARY Wife?

They may look different and each is wonderfully unique, but this what they have in common. They have THIS IN COMMON!

Lots of moving---Moving. Moving. Moving far from home. Moving two cars, three kids and one dog----all riding with HER of course. Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house. Moving curtains that won't fit. Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours. Moving away from friends, moving toward new friends. Moving her most important luggage; her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting-
Waiting, waiting, waiting for housing; waiting for orders; waiting for deployment; waiting for reunion; waiting for phones calls; Waiting for the new curtains to arrive; waiting for him to come home for dinner----AGAIN!

They call her 'military dependent', but she knows better. She can balance a checkbook. Handle the yard work. Fix a noisy toilet.

She is intimately familiar with drywall, anchors, and toggle bolts. She can file the taxes, sell a house, buy a car, or set up a move, -- all with ONE Power of Attorney. She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her. Reinvents her career with every PCS; locates a house in the desert, the arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all 'home'. She MAKES them all home.

She is fiercely IN-dependent.
Military Wives are somewhat hasty. They leap into decorating, leadership, volunteering, career alternatives, churches and friendships. They don't have 15 years to get to know people.Their roots are short but flexible. They plant annuals for themselves and Perennials for those who come after them. Military Wives quickly learn to value each other. They connect over coffee, rely on the spouse-network and accept offers of friendship and favors and record addresses in pencil. Military Wives have a common bond.

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands, his commitment is unique. He doesn't have a job, he has a 'mission' he can't just decide to quit. He's on-call for his country 24/7 but for you, he's the most unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign:
TDY, PCS, MOS, FOB, ACU

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his. She is the long-distance link to keep them informed the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments----

She wants to wring his neck, dye his uniform pink, and refuse to move to Siberia...
But she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days, a travel brochure, a long hot bath, a pledge to the flag, and a wedding picture.

And she goes. She packs. She moves. She follows.
Why? What for? How come?

You may think it is because she has lost her mind. But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man...

Who puts God and Duty first. Who longs to deploy. Who salutes the flag.
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military husband, she will remain his Military wife.