Military Spouse Network
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Sometimes the best part about Halloween for kids and their parents is getting to build their own costume from scratch. Not only can making a homemade Halloween costume be fun and save a little money, you can avoid going to a big-box Halloween store with costumes that don’t always fit or include everything you want.
Homemade military costumes a great way to show off your crafty side and support the military community at the same time. But the task can be a little daunting if you’re not sure where to start. You can really custom-make any type of military costume you want, starting with these crafty must-haves.
Members of the military community often struggle to get a true sense of home while they are constantly moving.
One way to improve your attitude is to create crafts and art that represent the different places you have lived so you’ll always remember where you’ve been and be able to take them with you.
Check out these great crafts and ideas to help you channel your memories of past homes into great visual and mental reminders.
Anyone familiar with the military lifestyle knows that moving is an unavoidable aspect. Maintaining meaningful long-term employment for military spouses through several moves is a crushing stressor for military families.
Our recent interview with Everett Lopez revealed some of the difficulties associated with being a man in the predominately female community of military spouses. See More
Everett Lopez is an exception within the exception.
He’s a male military spouse, whose ranks account for just 7 percent of all military spouses. Beyond that, he’s a male military spouse with a private sector career, an even rarer combination.
While he’s proud of his wife and of his role, his 11-year journey as a military spouse has been marked at times by stereotypes, insufficient support and isolation.
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One of the most difficult parts of being a military spouse is understanding and getting through all of the bureaucracy that comes with being part of a government agency. Understanding the Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) is one of the most basic and important parts of handling family finances, especially during a deployment.
The Leave and Earnings Statement is essentially a military paycheck. For many of the branches the LES statement can be accessed through MyPay. Once you’ve set up an account and learned how to log in, you’ll be given access to the LES. Even though the forms for those in the Marine Corps may look slightly different, the information is generally the same and abbreviations are similar across different styles.
Click on the image below to check out this interactive graphic that will get you familiar with the different sections and abbreviations on a typical LES statement.
One of the most anxiety-ridden times for a military family is right before homecoming. There is often a high level of uncertainty about how the service member responded to the difficulties of deployment.
We asked readers about the stress of homecoming and collected some great ideas for how to ease it and make sure things go off without a hitch for you and your family. See More
Imagine taking on all the responsibilities of a military spouse while struggling to get even a few hours of rest a night. Unfortunately, the additional stress makes insomnia a common problem among military spouses during deployment.
Because the sleeplessness experienced by military spouses during deployment can be caused by a number of different things, there are several ways to combat it depending on why you think you’re losing sleep. Check out these tips to help you get a good night’s sleep during deployment and wake up ready to tackle even the busiest day.
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Nearly a U.S. dozen companies have pledged to add 15,000 jobs for military spouses and veterans over the next two years.
First Lady Michelle Obama recently made the announcement as her “Joining Forces” program neared its one-year anniversary. The initiative aims to spread awareness and support military families by focusing on education, employment and wellness.
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College graduates aren’t the only ones nervous about building résumés and interviewing for jobs. Military and civilian stay at home parents removed from the workforce for years can struggle to return to a changed landscape.
But confidence and careful preparation can help ease the transition.
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