As military and military family members, we have a variety of resources available to help us that did not exist a generation ago. Prior generations relied on family, friends, churches, or other community support options to help them through deployments and other aspects of military living. Today, out of necessity, we have family support groups, a plethora of services on base, magazines, web forums, blogs, and a variety of web sites. One great resource I discovered that has proved invaluable to me is http://www.military.com. This site offers news, links to other sites, career information, pay information, etc. Do you want … Continue reading →

The holidays are over and this year was special for my family. After an 18 month deployment, my husband returned from Iraq a few days before Thanksgiving. He immediately reacquainted himself with our kids and indoor plumbing. In the first few days after he returned, our excitement overshadowed any negative emotions left over from the deployment. I thought that since he was safe, life would return to normal. I now realize how naive I was. Reuniting families after long separations is more complicated that a kiss on the cheek and “here’s your dinner, honey.” Once intimate marriages now feel awkward … Continue reading →

I received a spam letter today and while they just wanted to sell me another product that I don’t need, they did have some interesting points about our society. Decades ago, most people knew their neighbors. Not only did most neighbors know one another, they were friends. They were the kind of friends who were there to watch your kids if you had an appointment. If someone in a family was sick or a death occurred, those neighbors were there to deliver home-cooked meals and lend a hand in any way. Most of the time, they were there at the … Continue reading →

It is an honor being a member of the Families.com team. My goal is to provide articles that open doors into the lives of all military and family members—active duty, retired, reservists, families of service members, and the public that supports the military—giving insight and helpful information for everyone. I hope you will stop by and visit each day. Take a moment to share your thoughts, ideas, questions, wishes, information, and stories. Whether yours is a story of surviving deployment or a great recipe, others will benefit from your hard-earned wisdom. Invite your friends and relatives to join in with … Continue reading →