Whether you are moving to a new country, an isolated posting, or your servicemember is deploying, I advise you to “grow where you are planted”.

Get involved, get busy. Or, as Tim Gunn says, “make it work”.

Reach out to other military spouses. Find deployment support groups, try the FRG, volunteer on post. Most posts have a community center where you will find postings for groups, classes, seminars and events.

Show our troops (and vets) some love on Valentine’s Day!

Veterans

To send Valentines to Veterans, you can locate a facility through the VA Home Page. This is a great project to do with kids! If you have a facility nearby, you can call and ask if you can deliver them in person. And I also found this site for sending Valentines to Canadian Veterans.

Stars and Stripes Valentines

The deadline for printed Valentines in Stars and Stripes is January 26; if you miss it, you can still get in the online Valentine’s section. I sent one a few years ago for the print version for DH and he loved it…

If you are National Guard, I’d love to hear about your Family Readiness Group.
While my husband was active duty, I ran one FRG long-distance (during his OCS–and we were spread out throughout the country) and was the co-leader for another (while his unit was deployed).
During the last year he has been in the National Guard. No one has contacted me about any sort of family group, although I received some general information about the National Guard family programs when DH first joined his unit. They seemed interested …

I have a great time participating in the Bloggy Giveaways, and the last few times, I’ve given a military book. Frankly, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of contest entrants who popped over to enter either for themselves, or for those they know who are in need of some moral support.
This time, I was trying to think of something that was military related but would have a broader audience.
So, here’s the prize–a military supporter pack:

I’ll make a $10 donation in your honor to the USO.
I’ll send you a …

A Reader Asks:
Hi, I saw your blog you posted a while ago about being an army wife. I was looking on google to find information on family day and graduation. My fiance is in Ft Benning right now at basic. When do you first get to see them? While you are sitting in the stands or before that? And then after they are dismissed on family day, how long do we get to spend with them. Also, do they get to spend the night with us, or do they have …

Veterans
To send Valentines to Veterans, you can locate a facility through the VA Home Page. This is a great project to do with kids! If you have a facility nearby, you can call and ask if you can deliver them in person.
Stars and Stripes Valentines
The deadline (late January) for printed Valentines in Stars and Stripes has passed, but you can still get in the online Valentine’s section. I sent one two years ago for the print version for DH and he loved it.
Care Packages
Here’s the care package I …

Apparently it is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. And here is one of the ways the Army is showing its appreciation:
Uppercasing ‘Families’ highlights support – Apr 24, 2007 – BY IMCOM-Europe Public Affairs

“The acting secretary of the Army and the chief of staff of the Army have emphasized that Army Families are a key component of our readiness,” noted Lieutenant General James L. Campbell in a recent message.
Army Families “shoulder a great burden of sacrifice, supporting their Soldier and often enduring long periods of separation from their loved ones,” …

I’m blogging on a new site for MilSpouses, courtesy of Military.com:

SpouseBuzz

So come on by, give us a buzz!

I hope the military is still lurking on my blog (thanks for that temporary spike in traffic, BTW), because I have something to say.
You need to reevaluate the Family Readiness Groups.
Ultimately, when you rely purely on volunteers, you are going to get uneven results–which is disheartening and unfair to those who not getting the good results.
True, spouses are theoretically adults (although we have a few show up who are 16-19). Still, supporting the spouse supports the mission AND improves retention rates. You want that guy to re-up? Convince his wife …

Tonight we had the Brigade Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony. Last thing I need is another certificate and pin, but I went to honor the other ladies in our Battery and Battalion.
Of course, hardly anyone in our Battalion showed up–just a handful of others who, like me, already have volunteer of the month and/or year awards from the Division, and just came to honor the others.
At least the ceremony was brief and I got a different pin this time. They gave us a heart pin…to add to the Battalion, Brigade, and Division …