2010 Year in Review for the Military Community

What a wonderful year 2010 has been! As I compiled our list of Top 10 Articles for the past year (I do love crunching numbers!) I was reminded of the breadth of information we have on MilitaryAvenue.com. Resources, Roundtables, Support, helpful articles from military-focused companies like USAA, Recipes from Deborah, News from AFPS, blogs about everyday military-life, and so much more! I hope you have had the opportunity to enjoy everything we have to offer.

PCS Allowances and Entitlements Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH): is an allowance to offset the cost of housing when you do not receive government-provided housing. Your BAH depends upon your location, pay grade and whether you have dependents. BAH rates are set by surveying the cost of rental properties in each geographic location. The rates are established such that members in each pay grade, independent of location, pay approximately the same out-of-pocket expenses….

101 Ways to thank a Veteran Send a message of support on the “Thank the Troops Message Form” at OurMilitary.mil. Take a Veteran out to eat; whether it is a fast-food chain or a fine-dining establishment. Tell them why you are bringing them out to eat. Are you a knitter or crocheter? Make a scarf for the cold-winters ahead. Donate them at a local-VFW for a veteran in need or contact Operation Gratitude to see how to donate. …

Are You Getting Married for the Right Reasons? Myths of Marrying in the Military A Sailor getting fresh air on the deck of a ship says to his buddy, “I can’t wait to get back home. I wish I could get a place of my own in town, but I’ll be stuck living on this ship.” The other Sailor, unflatteringly regarded as a “sea lawyer,” responds, “Hey, why don’t you just marry another Sailor, and then you’ll get paid more money to live off base and always be stationed together?” …

The “Can Do” Seabees in Afghanistan – DoD Roundtable The Afghanistan surge approved by the President includes two additional Navy Seabee Construction Battalions as part of the 30,000 additional military personnel bound for that war zone. Rear Adm. Handley, Commander of the First Naval Construction Division provided some great background and answered the questions of the bloggers present at the DoD Bloggers Roundtable this morning. …

Special Considerations for Military Renters Active duty service-members face a big decision when they receive orders sending them to a new assignment: live in military housing, government-leased housing, or buy or rent a place in the nearby community. In some situations, that choice is made for you. If there are no vacancies on the installation, you may be forced to find your own housing. On the other hand, if there’s ample room on the installation, the local command may require you to live in military quarters. …

13 Tax Deductions You Can’t Ignore Before tackling your tax return, brush up on this baker’s dozen of deductions that could cut your tax bill. 1. Traditional IRA contributions. You have until April 15 to contribute up to $5,000 to a traditional IRA for 2009 and deduct it on your tax return. Here are some guidelines. If you weren’t covered by an employer’s retirement plan in 2009, you can deduct your contribution in full. …

MilitaryAvenue meets Bob Woodruff – Stand Up For Heroes War is not a pretty subject. Neither is fear, deployment, amputation, separation, PTSD. Others start wars, individuals receive the trauma. Others can turn off the horrors, by switching a TV channel, some try to change position in a wheelchair. Life. We take it or we value it.I sat face to face with Bob Woodruff, a man who was at the pinnacle of his career 5 years ago. He was offered the opportunity to talk about the war as he accepted the co-anchor position on ABC News. …

Increased Employment Opportunities for Military Spouses A new hiring authority became effective in September 2009 that gave agencies the option of hiring qualified military spouses without going through the competitive process. However, according to a recent Federal Times article, the federal government has been slow to adopt this new accelerated hiring authority targeted to military spouses. Additionally, we continue to hear that hiring managers as well as spouses are unaware of this authority. …

Care Package Ideas I really enjoyed a blog post from the DoD’s Family Matters blog and wanted to be sure to share it with you. These are some great ideas for a wife, daughter, sister, friend that is deployed but you can always take the thought and apply it to your loved-one. [Like I’m thinking if I sent my husband curtains and a comforter he would have been more ‘annoyed’ then appreciative… but maybe that’s just my hubs ;)] …

Tasty Tuesday Holiday Dinner Table: Prime Rib Preparations are under way… The tree has either been hauled out of the closet/basement/attic; or a new one has been purchase and is sitting in a bucket of water ready to handle the 15 tons of ornaments that your family has progressively added to each year. Even the kitchen towels have been traded out. No more jack-o-lanterns or fall leaves. Now snowmen and Santas are living in the drawer by the oven. Toasty… that just sounds wrong! …

It’s been a busy year for the military-community! We’ve been recognized, studied, educated, and appreciated. We may have felt a bit lonely, a little over-whelmed, perhaps felt out of our element … but we have prevailed! We have tasted adventure, enjoyed the sites and sounds of our community, made new friends and thrived! We are glad to be part of the military community and can’t wait to see what 2011 holds for us all!

Happy New Year!
– from MilitaryAvenue.combyLeanne KocsisonMonday, January 03, 2011Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:Popular Articles