Military Lifestyle

Both of our children were born during a tour that was supposed to last four years, and we were only a mere three hours from our hometowns. That tour was cut short by a year when my husband was...

This post is sponsored by First Command Financial Services. Together with its subsidiaries, including First Command Financial Planning and First Command Bank, they coach our Nation’s military families in their pursuit of financial security. Since 1958, First Command's reputation has...

Do you have trouble socializing with friends? With everyone busy with work, family, hobbies, and just plain living, it can be a challenge to stay in touch with friends. Add in military life and its ever-revolving door of incoming and...

Vicenza, Italy has long been considered one of the Army’s most coveted duty stations. As soon as I realized I would be married to a U.S. service member, I started dreaming about getting stationed in Italy. Many people have...

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...

On December 6, 2018, my husband burst through our front door much earlier than I was expecting him. He had been on duty all night, and I had not seen or heard from him since the day before. He...

In honor of Mother's Day, we interviewed a military mom from each of the past eight decades. We enjoyed hearing what has changed and what has stayed the same. From fads to parenting techniques to timeless advice, moms have...

It was October of 2017. Our family had just PCSed back to my home state. My oldest son was four years old, and we had just enrolled him in preschool to prepare him for kindergarten. One afternoon and on...

“Where did you grow up?” It’s a simple question, with an obviously easy answer, right?  Unless you were or are a military child. Then it can go something like this: “Where’s home?”“Texas…now.”“Cool, what’s your hometown?”“I didn’t grow up in Texas.”“Well, then where...

Before my dad passed, he told me his mother had been what he called a “dollar-a-year-girl.” She worked for the United States government in World War II as a senior censorship clerk, intercepting cables and telegrams looking for codes. I...

We’ve all been there. That dreaded phone call. “Orders came in. Are you sitting down?” “Yes…” A prickly anticipation fills the air, like your foot falling asleep. You teeter between giddy excitement and a foreboding sense of dread, all wrapped up...

Military life can sometimes feel like a never-ending series of puddle jumps. Two years here, one year there—even less, sometimes. Making the effort to ingratiate oneself in a new community often feels pointless. And there’s no denying the barrage...