Coast Guard

Most people hear the word “retirement” and think of something that happens later in life. Generally, it is a time where one stops working and lives off of a company pension, retirement plan, or savings. It evokes images of...

It's that time of year again: beautiful formal gowns, perfectly manicured nails, and men in immaculate dress uniforms. Ball season only comes around once a year, and, for me, it is something I look forward to all year.  This year...

Since our arrival in Japan, the base installation has offered an Emergency Preparedness class almost every month focusing on NEO (noncombatant evacuation operations). I put off taking this class for over half a year, thinking this would never affect...

Here is a little known military life truth:  Making friends and keeping them is no easy task. We all know how it feels to be the "new" person, trying to make and establish connections while adjusting to life in...

Let me start off by saying, any spouse who supports his or her service member in any branch of service - I salute you (Wait, can I do that?)! If you are one of the lovely women or men who...

Let’s talk about rank. When I was a brand new baby mil spouse, I went to a class called Heart Link. It’s an Air Force new spouse orientation program; although, these days they encourage you to attend when you're new...

There's nothing like a job search to make me feel underqualified and undervalued. As a military spouse who has moved five times in the six years since getting married, I don't really have a career. I have hobbies, I...

Won any awards lately?  Any big promotions on the horizon?  Eh, me either girl, you’re in good company here.  It turns out we're not the only ones who struggle with feeling invisible, and with a moniker like the silent...

To the new military spouse: I see you. You are standing by the wall at a squadron function. You alternate between timid and brazen, depending on your personality. Your eyes flit over every person there. You stay close to your significant...

A few months ago, my 10-year-old daughter came home from school and said, “Mom, today at school, a girl told me to go back where I came from. She also told me that they are a certain type of...

We have all been there. It is after normal office hours and your child is not well. The fever that has been coming and going all day just won’t break, and he is complaining of a sore throat and...

  Many of us have experienced that moment; you're casually chatting with another military spouse, and she uses some crazy acronym you have never heard before. Rather than come across as totally clueless, you smile and nod. Little does she...