Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Military Life

Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride Guest Post

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Renee from 1-800-PACK-RAT has provided a guest post for my blog on the Wounded Warrior’s Soldier Ride.  Renee was not only raised in the military, but also served herself.  Thank you Renee for this post 🙂

I hope to be able to attend the Soldier Ride in Nashville tomorrow.  One of my friend’s husband’s will be riding in it.  I will blog about that next week.

Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride

Most anyone would find a 3 to 5 day cycling event challenging.  Now imagine if you were making that ride in spite of a physical injury.  But that is just what happens across the nation, as injured service members participate in the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride.  The Soldier Ride provides a supportive environment in which injured service members of all abilities can train for and participate in an adaptive cycling event.  The Soldier Ride not only gives wounded warriors a chance to regain confidence and physical and mental strength, but it draws public support and awareness for the brave men and women who have been injured serving our country and the challenges they now face in their daily lives.

The Wounded Warrior Project is a national non-profit and non-partisan group whose mission is to honor and empower our injured service members.  As many of those service members return stateside and try to readjust to life back home, the Wounded Warrior Project provides support to help them heal and become stronger both physically and mentally.  The organization’s purpose is to raise public awareness and support for the needs of injured service men and women, provide a foundation to help those men and women support each other and provide unique services and programs for those individuals.  The Soldier Ride is one of those unique initiatives and an opportunity for wounded warriors, volunteers and supporters from all walks of life to come together to honor the men and women who selflessly serve our country.

Since 2007, 1-800-PACK-RAT has been proud to be a continued supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project and the Soldier Rides.  PACK-RAT provides storage support and transportation during those Soldier Rides.  “We have been honored to help military personnel store and move their belongings between deployments and after their tours have ended.  It is fitting that we would help our treasured veterans move their equipment between the Wounded Warriors’ Soldier Rides,” explains CEO, Bob Poirier.

To see a listing of national tour rides, donate or learn more about the Solider Ride, visit http://sr.woundedwarriorproject.org.  To get involved and learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org, call Natalia Rankine-Galloway at (212) 629-8881, or email nrg@woundedwarriorproject.org.

1-800-PACK-RAT is a moving and portable storage company that has proudly helped families with their military moving and storage needs between deployments, when they PCS and when they retire and separate from the military.

Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride

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Jim Beam and Kid Rock Donate $100,000 to Operation Homefront

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Whenever I hear about celebrities helping or supporting the military, I get really happy.

Jim Beam has a partnership with Kid Rock and together they donated $100,000 to Operation Homefront at his concert in Chicago on Sunday night.

Operation Homefront

Beam Global Spirits & Wine President and CEO Matt Shattock, with the help of Kid Rock, presents Jim Beam’s $100,000 donation to Operation Homefront President and CEO Jim Knotts backstage at Kid Rock’s concert in Chicago on Saturday, July 31.  Since forming a partnership in 2008 with Operation Homefront, provider of emergency financial aid and critical assistance to U.S. troops, their families, and wounded veterans, Jim Beam has donated more than $2 million in cash and in-kind contributions to the organization. (AP/Peter Barreras)

Have you heard of Operation Homefront before?

ABOUT OPERATION HOMEFRONT

  • Operation Homefront is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, the families they leave behind during deployments, and wounded warriors when they return home.
    • Operation Homefront has provided critical assistance to more than 45,000 military families in need.
    • Operation Homefront currently has 30 chapters serving 37 states with approximately 4,500 volunteers nationwide.
  • Jim Beam’s financial support helps Operation Homefront provide aid to families struggling with both emergencies and everyday life. Initiatives include:
    • Emergency Aid (Food; baby care items; vehicle donation and repair)
    • Computer Program (Helps children/spouses connect with loved ones)
    • Financial Assistance Program (For illness, homelessness and death)
    • Furniture Program (Household and baby furniture; appliances)
    • Moving Assistance (Physical labor for families following a deployment)
    • Social Outreach (Adopt-a-family, Thanksgiving/holiday baskets, back-to-school supplies)

 

JIM BEAM’S PARTNERSHIP WITH OPERATION HOMEFRONT

2008

  • Jim Beam formed an association with Operation Homefront in 2008 and donated more than $250,000 through corporate donations, local market events and distributor/retailer support.

2009

  • On Memorial Day, Jim Beam released an “Operation Homefront” special edition bottle to honor America’s troops and their families.
  • Last summer, Jim Beam “toasted the troops” at airports nationwide, expanding the program to give travelers at 69 airports across the country the opportunity to support our troops. Travelers who stopped by an HMSHost-operated airport bar or restaurant had the opportunity to create their own “Salute to the Troops” by writing a message on a branded postcard provided at participating locations. Operation Homefront delivered these letters to our troops at the completion of the promotion on July 4.
  • Along with Kid Rock, Jim Beam presented a $177,044 check to OHF following his Las Vegas concert at the conclusion of his tour. Operation Homefront received a fifty cent donation from every ticket sold during the 25-city Rock N’ Rebels Tour sponsored by Red Stag. In addition to the per-ticket donation, Kid Rock and Red Stag by Jim Beam™ honored individual military heroes and supporters during the tour.
  • In August, the Deerfield HQ supported the Illinois Chapter’s Back to School Backpack Drive, directly benefiting more than 500 local military families at Great Lakes.
  • In December, National Accounts supported their Holiday Meals programming by donating 500 meals to military families in need at Ft. Hood, Texas.

2010

 

  • Jim Beam and OHF launched “Salute Soldiers with the Spirit of America,” a contest designed to honor America’s military heroes with legendary experiences. Launched at the Super Bowl, consumers submitted nominations for service members who are 21 years of age or older for a chance to win VIP, legendary experiences such as special treatment and exclusive access to a famous horserace in Kentucky, a southside Chicago baseball game, Kid Rock concert and the final two days of a major golf championship at Pebble Beach.
  • Jim Beam also launched a text program: Americans can show their support by simply texting the word SALUTE to 90999 to add $5 to their phone bills as a donation to Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization providing emergency and morale assistance to troops, to the families they leave behind while they serve, and to wounded warriors when they return home. They can also share their own virtual toasts (or personal messages) on the Jim Beam Facebook fan page.

 

 

 

Thank you so much Jim Beam and Kid Rock for supporting the military 🙂

And at the end of it all…Homecoming!

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One thing I try to keep in mind is that at the end of the deployment, we get to experience something wonderful…homecoming.

Military Homecoming

After all the long nights, computer conversations, emotional breakdowns, tears and lonely nights…it is finally over.  You wake up with a smile on your face thinking, “Is today really the day?” And it is. You get ready as soon as you can only to have hours to sit and wait for the final phone call. And finally, you get it.

Someone on the other end of the line tells you those magical words, “Your soldier will be arriving at the gym at 2pm.” And now you have a time. You can countdown in hours! Before you know it you are at the gym with your kids with all the other wives and children waiting for everything to start. It seems like forever as you sit there with a smile on your face. You can’t help it. This is such a happy day!

Finally someone important tells you it is almost time and to take your seat. The gym gets quiet, you see smoke and hear music and see the first of the boots march in. “Where is he? My husband is tall I should be able to spot him, ” you ask as you search the crowd of uniforms for your husband. And there he is, so serious. You know how excited HE is but he can’t smile about it, at least not yet. All the men are finally in the gym and you can’t stand it.

Someone important says a few words, maybe a prayer and then you hear those words…the words you have waited a full year to hear, “soldiers you are released”

The room goes nuts. The men in uniform start to smile and laugh and the women run to them. Children shouting “daddy daddy,” and you find him, and you hug him and you kiss him. Finally, the deployment is over. He is done with the deployment. The deployment stress is gone and he is in your arms again. All around you are daddy’s meeting babies, wives kissing husbands, and the room is filled with joy.

Other than my wedding day and the births of my children, there is nothing more wonderful than homecoming day.  So after he does deploy I will remember that after some time, that day will come again. And we will have another homecoming day.

When You Have To Fill The Role Of Mom And Dad

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When You Have To Fill The Role Of Mom And Dad

One reality of being a military wife is that for periods of time I have to be both mom and dad.  I have to do it all.  And that can be really really hard.  I have had to make a lot of decisions that other couples might make together.  And then I get to tell daddy after the fact.

This is because of schedules and what he has been doing while overseas. While I could talk with him it was hard to ask him about what I should do when it came to the kids. It was easier to just figure it all out for myself. I was the one with the kids on a day to day basis and he wasn’t. Kids change so much when they are little that when a military member is overseas for a longer length of time they really do not know their own children anymore.

I had to make the decision to get my son tested for his speech delay.  I had to make the decision to supplement with formula.  I had to be the one to potty train my son all by myself.  If your husband is in the military, you know exactly what I mean.  It can be very difficult having to make these decisions by yourself, not having your other half there to evaluate and help you decide.  Even when you can ask them, they might not know what to tell you because they are not there to see the whole picture.
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We are the sole disciplinarian for months at a time.  We decide when dinnertime is, when bedtime is and when playtime is.   Then they come home…

Now, what?  All of a sudden you no longer have to be both mom and dad.  You no longer are the only parent in the house.  But sometimes that can be a really hard transition.  And then once you do get it all worked out, they have to leave again.

This can be a frustrating part of living the military life. It takes a lot of patience from both of you to figure out the best way for Dad to find his way back into the family. Some children will react differently than others and it is important to remember this. Some kids will get used to the other parent right away and others won’t. Many tears will be shed over it and you might even find yourself thinking that it was easier in some ways when they were not there. Then you stop yourself and realize that no, it was much harder and if you can get through this transition your whole family will be better for it.

I imagine life will be like this for us until the day comes that my husband is not longer in the Army.  It’s just something we have to work at and struggle with.

What are your tips for the parent coming back into the family after being away for a time? What has worked in your family?

Want a free Guide for the First 30 Days of a Deployment???

A Military Wife

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A Military Wife

 

 

A Military Wife

 

Lots of moving…
Moving…
Moving……

Moving far from home…
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog…all riding with HER of course….
Moving sofas to basements because they won’t go in THIS house;
Moving curtains that won’t fit;
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.
Often waiting…
Waiting…
Waiting…
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner…AGAIN!
They call her ‘Military Dependent’, but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.
She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet…
She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move…
…..all with ONE Power of Attorney.
She welcomes neighbors that don’t welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS;
Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all ‘home’.
She MAKES them all home.
Military Wives are somewhat hasty…
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don’t have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.
Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil…
Military Wives have a common bond:

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn’t have a ‘JOB’
He has a ‘MISSION’ that he can’t just decide to quit…
He’s on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he’s the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
ABU
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed;
the glue that holds them together.
A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.
Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband,
She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.
–Author Unknown

Space-A Part 3 The Return Trip

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my experience flying Space-AI have posted about my Space-A trip that I took last summer.  Space-A part 1 and Space-A part 2.  But I haven’t posted about the return trip.  Since it is almost summer again I figured I better post it before I forget too much 🙂

 

After spending a wonderful summer in California it was time to head back to Germany.  Instead of trying to get a flight out of Travis AFB which is about 8 hours from where I was, I took a commercial flight to Charleston, SC to meet up with my friend who was heading back to Germany too.  I had a hotel booked in the city so when we got to the airport we just had to get the van to the hotel.  I was so tired once we got in that I was glad my plan was to meet my friend the next day.

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The next morning I woke up and called a van to take us to the Air Force base.  He picked us up and dropped us off right in front of the Pax Terminal where you catch your flights.  Inside the terminal they do have a kids room with toys, cribs and tvs.  That was nice.  We chilled there for a few hours and then decided to get something to eat.

 

I decided to walk the boys to Burger King.  Well it was about a 10 minute walk and we get there and it was closed.  Keep in mind it was the end of August in Charleston so it was very hot and humid but also suppose to rain.  Also keep in mind that you must have all your bags with you at all times.  Not fun to walk anywhere!

 

We went back to the Pax terminal and just decided we would get stuff from the vending machines until my friend got there.  Well the problem with that is that it only took $1.00 bills and I had a bunch of $5s and no one would give me change.  It was so frustrating.  I asked the guy at the counter if there was any place to get change and he told me the bowling ally.

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So we got all our stuff and headed there.  Another 10-15 minute walk.  We get to the bowling ally just in time for it to start pouring down rain.   They had a little food place in there so I decided to feed us and just relax.  After we ate we bowled a little bit.  I think we spent about 3 hours there just killing time.

 

We made it back to the terminal at about 6ish and I was hoping my friend would be there soon.  Well by 9 she still hadn’t showed.  I was getting worried.  I couldn’t get ahold of her at all.  I didn’t know if I should go for a hotel or wait there.  The boys were getting crazy and I had a major “why did I decide to do this crazy thing?”meltdown.

 

At about 10pm my friend finally made it.  She had been in a minor car accident and that was why she was later than she had planned.  It was so stressful for both of us that we decided to skip the first flight out they had the next day.  That was probably our mistake but it was what we decided to do at the time.

 

We ended up having to stay the night in the terminal which was ok for the boys but I hardly slept at all.  The next day we were able to get a hotel on post which was really a house.  It was very nice.  We all got to shower and rest a little bit.

 

Well what ended up happening was the flight we were trying to get out on kept getting cancelled and changed to the next day.  It was suppose to leave on a Thursday and we finally left on the next Tuesday.  This was so hard and why I would never do Space-A again with small kids.  Just the waiting and wondering, having to find a hotel, not knowing if we were really going to fly each day.  We would call each morning only to find out that the flight had been moved again.  Thank goodness we were together.  I don’t know what I would have done if I was without another adult.

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We finally flew into Spangdahlem, Germany 6 days after I had arrived in Charleston.  That was when it got even more frustrating for us.  I will talk about that in the next post.

Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

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How To Receive Your Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

I was contacted by  The United States Department of Veterans Affairs to post the steps to take to receive the Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits.

When a military member uses their GI Bill benefits they can go back to school and it will allow them to find a job post-military life or will allow them to do more with their military career. There are a lot of benefits to going back to school and it is great that the GI bill is there to help those that have served their country get ahead. Some do not take advantage of these benefits but it is important to look into if you have them. They can be a way to get to where you want to go in your career. You can use them to get your AA or BA or even just go to technical school or complete a month long program in order to gain a skill that can help you find a new type of job.

1. Check your eligibility online at www.gibill.va.gov

2. Submit your application VA Form 22-1990 or 22-1990E.

3. After you have enrolled in school, check with your School Certifying Official (SCO) to confirm that your VA enrollment certification has been sent to the VA on your behalf.  This form certifies your actual enrollment period and triggers your payment. *Here’s a little hint: the school’s designated SCO will be found in the Financial Aid Department, Admissions and Records Department, or Registrar’s Office.)

4. And last but not least, enjoy the education benefits you earned!

And here is the main website:

http://www.gibill.va.gov

You can also send the text GIBill to 99702.

Make sure to double check on the website what you need to do. Sometimes things change or will be a little different and you always want to be aware of your military benefits so you can use them.