Week in Review: June 12 – 18, 2011 (Military News) #MilitaryMon

Popular Military Family Articles for the week of June 12 – 18 on

MilitaryAvenue.com
How Did I Miss this Great Information Resource?: The USAA Educational Foundation: What do you know about the USAA Educational Foundation? I have been a USAA member for over 40 years and have to admit that I knew little about this non profit resource provider! They are totally separate from USAA since USAA donated a one time gift to establish the foundation and have completely separate missions, leadership and absolutely no ties for products or services, etc. With an opportunity to talk to Barbara Gentry, the President and Steve Finley, the Director of the USAA Educational Foundation, I thought I could tell others about another resource for your challenging military lifestyle!…

Keeping your kids active this summer: Are your kids already complaining about having nothing to do this summer? Keeping them busy during the summer may be especially challenging if you’re a working parent or if someone in your family is deployed, preparing for deployment, or readjusting to family life after deployment …

“No Shame in Seeking Help” – Real Warriors Campaign DoD Blogger Roundtable: Staff Sgt Meg Krause had her act together! Joining the Army in 2001 she served as a medical technician at Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany and then found herself in Iraq. It was according to her a “life changing experience for me”. Something she did not expect! Leaving active duty in 2006 to attend college at Penn State she stayed part of the military with duty in the Army Reserve. Then the problems came: alcohol abuse, tardiness, poor class attendance, attitude changes, bad decisions and more! …

The Heritage and History of Normandy in the Minds of Our Youth: My dad and father in law are both World War II veterans and are in their late 80s as are most veterans of that war. We share with them and have known their stories but what of those who were killed during the war? Their heritage was left on the beaches of Normandy, at Bastogne, Iowa Jima, over Ploesti, at Midway and other famous WW II battles sites. How do we keep their stories alive? Our children, grandchildren have interacted with those who lived and returned to become our leaders, teachers, steel workers, miners, industry giants and even movie actors. …
Let’s Celebrate!: It started back in March of 2007 with a blog about a long car ride. “Our Letters to You” has evolved into a journey about parenthood, veteran issues, deployment, Department of Defense stories, household tips & tricks, real life struggles, an occasional soap-box moment, and most importantly thoughts from the heart. If you have been with us through the years, Thank you! You are the reason we love doing what we do. If you are new to this military family blog, “Our Letters to You”, Welcome! I am so excited to have you. Get ready though… we have big plans for our 1,000 post; probably sometime in July! …

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. * Listen to their stories with interest. If they are a war-veteran they have seen things you will never see. Listen and Learn. …

Active Kids are Happy Kids – Summer Fun!: Summer Vacation is in full swing. It is a time of year I look forward to; time to spend with my kids; time to laugh and play. But with idle hands and minds comes “Mom, I’m bored”, “Mom, he hit me”, “MOMMMMMMM!” Then you will find Mom locked up in the bathroom, singing the “la la la la la, I can’t-HEAR-you” song, wondering when school starts again.  I love Summer Vacation, and to keep up this high-maintenance love-relationship we stay fairly busy, in a fun relaxed way.  …

A mom, a minivan and a road well travelled: Just a mom in a minivan

Making my way to Michigan
Boys in the back, watching, playing, sleeping
Me in the front, music on the stereo, jamming
106 miles behind us. 142 miles to go.
You know that feeling when summer camp is coming to an end?
You will soon get to hug your mom again? …

Planning is Key for Peak-season Moves: Each summer, about 225,000 Defense Department and U.S. Coast Guard household good shipments are slated for movement, creating a phenomenon in the transportation industry aptly called the “peak moving season.” Officials from the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s personal property directorate, responsible for the DOD’s household goods moving program, want service members to know a successful move during this peak time is possible with proper planning. …
Why is a Military Discount Valuable for a Marketing Strategy: Occasionally I revert back to my military experiences when planning events for the family. I receive some friendly harassment from family members who are used to it and also those still adapting to the “colonel” in their lives. But my planning is part of the strategy of getting the most of life; following my principles and God; and taking time to care for those who I protect and love. So my strategy sets the tone for my planning.  What is strategy? …