Kids
Many elementary school-aged girls spend their weekends enjoying dance and gymnastics. But those are activities that Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Emerald Len, 9, only wishes she could participate in. Emerald instead spends many weekends battling her several illnesses. "Sometimes kids look sick on the outside, but are perfectly healthy everywhere else," said
Military Resources
The military lifestyle offers multiple positive opportunities for families, but there can be a few hardships as well, particularly when it comes to finding work. A quarter of the 1.2 million military spouses are unemployed, a rate triple their civilian counterparts. It is not a lack of desire for employment
Military Life
Family members of all ages can swing by one of three different locations to pick up a free cookie, meet other family members and get a heartfelt "Thank You" from the MWR during the Military Family Appreciation 2011. "What we have planned is just a time and location to give a
Military Life
The Shelton family at JBLM embrace the changes that military life brings with a positive attitude. "As a spouse, mom, and military wife, I know how much we struggle with this lifestyle. One strategy we have devised as a family is to get excited about food. We embrace the moving
Education
Whether it is returning to college or just beginning down that track, enrolling in higher education while on active duty can be daunting. Here are ten tips for smoothly completing a degree. 1. Establish an obtainable goal. Be very concise but make it achievable, "I want to receive a bachelor's degree
Education
Whether it is returning to college or just beginning down that track, enrolling in higher education while on active duty can be daunting. Here are ten tips for smoothly completing a degree. 1. Establish an obtainable goal. Be very concise but make it achievable, "I want to receive a bachelor's degree
Kids
Military members have a unique challenge when it comes to child custody. The challenges that come with visitation, living arrangements and scheduling can be complicated for any civilian family. Factoring in deployments, training and the moves that many military members encounter makes the already complicated into extremely complex. All too
Explore
When Joint Base Lewis-McChord spouse Sharla McCutchen finally has a moment alone with her husband, SFC Dale McCutchen, currently deployed to Iraq, she makes use of every precious second. "Being apart for such a long period can leave a married couple, or any couple for that matter, a little disconnected.
Military Life
Capturing a memory on film to turn it into tomorrow's treasures has been the goal of photographers for decades. Digital cameras have made the process a bit easier. Instead of having to develop film, photographers can take and delete as many photographs as they wish. Many military spouses have taken
News Articles
Soldiers often know in advance whether they are going to reenlist and stay in the Army for another tour. However, there are many different factors to consider when thinking about reenlisting. Reenlistments are catered specifically to the individual, so not all Soldiers will receive the same reenlistment package. Thus, there are
Military Life
During one period in American history, it was unheard of for women to work outside of the home, and most married women were stay-at-home wives. Now, in modern times, being a stay-at-home wife without children is a rarity in civilian society, but still very common within military communities. The military lifestyle can
Focus
During one period in American history, it was unheard of for women to work outside of the home, and most married women were stay-at-home wives. Now, in modern times, being a stay-at-home wife without children is a rarity in civilian society, but still very common within military communities. The military lifestyle
Kids
Nobody knows a toddler better then a parent. Often times, parents will recognize a problem with their child's development long before anyone else would even notice. When it comes to toddler development, there is a wide window for diagnosis. Learning to crawl, walk and speak can come at different times
Military Life
Army formal balls are a part of military life that many women dream about. Many spouses refer to the ball as "grown up prom." Going to a ball can be such an exciting experience. Soldiers of all ranks attend the balls, normally unit specific, and each MOS has its own
Children
It is well known that children of servicemembers face numerous stressors that civilian children do not experience. The constant moving and adapting to new locations is definitely one of the stressors. However, experts agree that the biggest stressor by far, is deployments. When a parent is gone for long periods
Health
Joint Base Lewis McChord spouse Autumn Moses knows all too well what it is like to have a child suffering from Type One Diabetes. Three months after arriving at JBLM she noticed that her son, Parker, was showing symptoms of the disease. "Since it runs on my husband's side of the family
Operation Family Support
Many military spouses joke that emergencies wait until the servicemember is deployed. The washer explodes and floods the house, the car breaks down on carpool day or a serious health issue or injury occurs, none of which are serious enough to bring the spouse home. There are millions of different
Military Life
In today's economy with rising gas prices and grocery costs, saving money has become harder to do. Making a paycheck stretch the two weeks between pay periods can be a real challenge for some families. That is why websites such as "The Frugal Army Wife" have come to fruition. Site
Military Life
One percent of Americans are married to a member of the Armed Services. Being a military spouse to some is a thankless position and to others is the equivalent of a job. There are constant moves; struggles to make new friends; the navigation of the military health care system; understanding
Health
Having a straight, white smile is a feature many people are not born with, but takes multiple dentist visits to achieve. From teeth cleaning, pulling, and filling to cosmetics such as whitening, visiting the dentist can be painful and expensive. The Tricare Dental Program (TDP) tries to minimize both and makes
