Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Acronym Crash Course…Know The Lingo!

The Government May Be Shutdown, But Your Local Commissary & Exchanges Are Open!

With the overnight announcement of the 2025 Government Shutdown, you may be trying to navigate what this time may look like for you. The Commissary and Exchanges don’t want to add more stress to this situation, so they are open and ready to serve you through this challenging time.We know that military life comes with plenty of challenges – but putting food on the table or picking up everyday essen...

BENEFITS

Finish Strong: Q4 Goal Setting

As a mom, military spouse, and veteran, I’ve learned that the last stretch of the year can feel like a mission in itself. Between school schedules, holiday planning, military events, and personal goals, Q4 (October through December) can either run you, or you can run it. The final three months of the year are make or break, not just for your to-do list, but for how you set the tone heading into Ja...

COMMUNITY

When Finding Childcare Feels Harder Than a PCS

One of the biggest challenges families face today—military or not—is childcare. For many parents, the cost of full-time care rivals a rent or mortgage payment. Add a second child to the bunch, and suddenly one parent staying home feels like the only financially reasonable option.Now, layer in military life: moving every few years, starting over on waitlists (sometimes months or even years long), a...

COMMUNITY

Mission Ready Resources: The Military Family's Toolkit

As military families, we are blessed to have a variety of FREE resources available to us throughout our military journey. We have pulled together some of the most common ones to have all in one place for you to save. Crisis Resources:Veterans Crisis LineDiscover More: veteranscrisisline.netCall: 988, then Press 1Text: 838255Emergency ServicesCall 911Visit your nearest emergency roomMilitary Resour...

RESOURCES

Military Life Doesn’t Come With a Manual, But It Does Come With Support

Military life is full of moments that shape us. Some are exciting, like arriving at a new duty station, welcoming a new family member, celebrating a promotion, or preparing for a new opportunity. Others can be more challenging, including deployments, financial stress, relationship changes, caregiving responsibilities, mental health struggles, or the transition from military to civilian life. No ma...

RESOURCES

Sunlight & Strategy: Activating Your Longer Days

Warmer weather also means longer days. More daylight is great for everyone. There’s more time to go to the local pool, play 9 or 18 holes, make a mud run, or whatever is your idea of fun or relaxation. If nothing else, you can simply sit outside and enjoy the sunlight on your face. I prefer to do so with a cold beer, but that’s just me. Longer days are also much better for going to theme parks. Ex...

RESOURCES

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – Learning the Lingo Series: Don’t Panic with the Paperwork!

Paperwork! So…Much…Paperwork! Throughout your military career (and beyond, honestly), you are going to encounter a LOT of DoD Forms and other types of paperwork in most military things…housing, medical, career, education, and so much more! It can get overwhelming to understand it all whether actual paper or virtual versions of it! We’ve got your six, so you can be prepared and ready to go when the...

CAREER & POST-CAREER

Chronicles of a Military Spouse: Care Packages

So, as a military spouse, you dread the word “deployment”. However, we do whatever we can to be supportive through that trying time. We acquire the Powers of Attorney that we need to make things happen while they are gone. We help in whatever way we can to get through the many pre-deployment checklists. We help pack our spouse up as best as we can before they come to take his things. The list goes...

COMMUNITY

Inside Guard Life: Welcoming New Soldiers to the Unit in the New Year

New year, same cold, same 0430 alarms, same “who thought it was a good idea to schedule a PT test in January” energy. Every new year brings a few new faces into the unit. Fresh boots, nervous smiles, and that wide-eyed look that says they’re still figuring out where the coffee is. The first drill of the year always hits different. Everyone’s shaking off the holidays, pretending to be ready for wha...

CAREER & POST-CAREER

Our Other Family Table: Thanksgiving with the Guard

When most people picture Thanksgiving, they imagine a table surrounded by relatives, food, and tradition. For National Guard families, there is often another table that feels just as important. It is the one inside the armory.Here, Soldiers, Airmen, spouses, and kids gather shoulder to shoulder. It is not about perfect dishes or Pinterest-worthy spreads. Instead, it is about the comfort of sitting...

COMMUNITY

The Government May Be Shutdown, But Your Local Commissary & Exchanges Are Open!

With the overnight announcement of the 2025 Government Shutdown, you may be trying to navigate what this time may look like for you. The Commissary and Exchanges don’t want to add more stress to this situation, so they are open and ready to serve you through this challenging time.We know that military life comes with plenty of challenges – but putting food on the table or picking up everyday essen...

BENEFITS

Finish Strong: Q4 Goal Setting

As a mom, military spouse, and veteran, I’ve learned that the last stretch of the year can feel like a mission in itself. Between school schedules, holiday planning, military events, and personal goals, Q4 (October through December) can either run you, or you can run it. The final three months of the year are make or break, not just for your to-do list, but for how you set the tone heading into Ja...

COMMUNITY

When Finding Childcare Feels Harder Than a PCS

One of the biggest challenges families face today—military or not—is childcare. For many parents, the cost of full-time care rivals a rent or mortgage payment. Add a second child to the bunch, and suddenly one parent staying home feels like the only financially reasonable option.Now, layer in military life: moving every few years, starting over on waitlists (sometimes months or even years long), a...

COMMUNITY

Mission Ready Resources: The Military Family's Toolkit

As military families, we are blessed to have a variety of FREE resources available to us throughout our military journey. We have pulled together some of the most common ones to have all in one place for you to save. Crisis Resources:Veterans Crisis LineDiscover More: veteranscrisisline.netCall: 988, then Press 1Text: 838255Emergency ServicesCall 911Visit your nearest emergency roomMilitary Resour...

RESOURCES

Military Life Doesn’t Come With a Manual, But It Does Come With Support

Military life is full of moments that shape us. Some are exciting, like arriving at a new duty station, welcoming a new family member, celebrating a promotion, or preparing for a new opportunity. Others can be more challenging, including deployments, financial stress, relationship changes, caregiving responsibilities, mental health struggles, or the transition from military to civilian life. No ma...

RESOURCES

Sunlight & Strategy: Activating Your Longer Days

Warmer weather also means longer days. More daylight is great for everyone. There’s more time to go to the local pool, play 9 or 18 holes, make a mud run, or whatever is your idea of fun or relaxation. If nothing else, you can simply sit outside and enjoy the sunlight on your face. I prefer to do so with a cold beer, but that’s just me. Longer days are also much better for going to theme parks. Ex...

RESOURCES

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – Learning the Lingo Series: Don’t Panic with the Paperwork!

Paperwork! So…Much…Paperwork! Throughout your military career (and beyond, honestly), you are going to encounter a LOT of DoD Forms and other types of paperwork in most military things…housing, medical, career, education, and so much more! It can get overwhelming to understand it all whether actual paper or virtual versions of it! We’ve got your six, so you can be prepared and ready to go when the...

CAREER & POST-CAREER

Chronicles of a Military Spouse: Care Packages

So, as a military spouse, you dread the word “deployment”. However, we do whatever we can to be supportive through that trying time. We acquire the Powers of Attorney that we need to make things happen while they are gone. We help in whatever way we can to get through the many pre-deployment checklists. We help pack our spouse up as best as we can before they come to take his things. The list goes...

COMMUNITY

Inside Guard Life: Welcoming New Soldiers to the Unit in the New Year

New year, same cold, same 0430 alarms, same “who thought it was a good idea to schedule a PT test in January” energy. Every new year brings a few new faces into the unit. Fresh boots, nervous smiles, and that wide-eyed look that says they’re still figuring out where the coffee is. The first drill of the year always hits different. Everyone’s shaking off the holidays, pretending to be ready for wha...

CAREER & POST-CAREER

Our Other Family Table: Thanksgiving with the Guard

When most people picture Thanksgiving, they imagine a table surrounded by relatives, food, and tradition. For National Guard families, there is often another table that feels just as important. It is the one inside the armory.Here, Soldiers, Airmen, spouses, and kids gather shoulder to shoulder. It is not about perfect dishes or Pinterest-worthy spreads. Instead, it is about the comfort of sitting...

COMMUNITY

The Government May Be Shutdown, But Your Local Commissary & Exchanges Are Open!

With the overnight announcement of the 2025 Government Shutdown, you may be trying to navigate what this time may look like for you. The Commissary and Exchanges don’t want to add more stress to this situation, so they are open and ready to serve you through this challenging time.We know that military life comes with plenty of challenges – but putting food on the table or picking up everyday essen...

BENEFITS

Finish Strong: Q4 Goal Setting

As a mom, military spouse, and veteran, I’ve learned that the last stretch of the year can feel like a mission in itself. Between school schedules, holiday planning, military events, and personal goals, Q4 (October through December) can either run you, or you can run it. The final three months of the year are make or break, not just for your to-do list, but for how you set the tone heading into Ja...

COMMUNITY

When Finding Childcare Feels Harder Than a PCS

One of the biggest challenges families face today—military or not—is childcare. For many parents, the cost of full-time care rivals a rent or mortgage payment. Add a second child to the bunch, and suddenly one parent staying home feels like the only financially reasonable option.Now, layer in military life: moving every few years, starting over on waitlists (sometimes months or even years long), a...

COMMUNITY