August 29, 2024

With as many as 400,000 service members undergoing a permanent change of station (PCS) every year,1 relocation isn’t a novelty to military families. Even so, every spouse dreads the time when they need to pack up all their family’s belongings and move once more. As soon as your orders are…...

August 21, 2024

I vividly remember receiving my husband's email about our first permanent change of station (PCS) orders. As someone who loves researching, I immediately dove into gathering information about our new location, scouring Google, YouTube, and Facebook for insights. During this time, my husband was completing his advanced individual training, but…...

August 15, 2024

As a military spouse, receiving a fresh set of hard copy permanent change of station (PCS) orders immediately chains the gate and lowers the lap bar on my own personal roller coaster of emotions. Of course, I am nervous about the obvious things: Will I have affordable childcare and somewhere…...

August 7, 2024

Thousands of military families face the challenge of sacrificing their summer for another PCS season. While summer should be a fun and exciting time, service members often change duty stations between May and September. Instead of dedicating your entire summer to packing and unpacking, why not turn it into a…...

July 24, 2024

Being a military spouse has meant wearing many hats, including mother and student while navigating a life filled with both challenges and achievements. At 22, I embarked on this journey with my husband and our nine-month-old daughter as he started his Army training. During this time, I worked at an…...

July 16, 2024

Summer is a favorite time for many because of the long warm days and endless opportunities for fun. However, constantly thinking of new ideas to keep your toddler entertained can feel daunting and exhausting. If you're feeling pressured to make your children’s summer as memorable as possible with interactive and…...

July 3, 2024

I was blessed to grow up with two sets of wonderful grandparents. My sister and I spent every summer break traveling across the country with our Grandmama and Granddaddy, taking in National Parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Badlands and gaping at the memorials of Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore.…...

June 26, 2024

Summer should be a fun time, but for many military families, it brings extra stress about food. Research from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that getting enough healthy food is a huge problem for our troops. In fact, 24% of active…...

June 20, 2024

As the school year ends and summer break begins, military and civilian parents are under pressure due to rising food costs and having to provide additional meals and snacks for their children and teens. This is even tougher for military families, who often struggle with food insecurity, especially when kids…...

June 18, 2024

Another school year is coming to an end. For most Americans with children, that means entire months of lazier days, longer nights spent firing up the grill, and summer camps with friends. For many military families, however, the end of the school year ushers in something much more anxiety-inducing: summertime…...