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You Will Never Know, Unless You Are a Military Spouse

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Happy to have this guest post by Hannah. Please email me at Julie@soldierswifecrazylife.com and let me know if you would like to write a guest post for Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life too.

You Will Never Know, Unless You Are a Military Spouse

You will never know how it feels sending the person you love the most, the person you built your life with, off to a war zone. 

You will never know the heart wrenching fears that run through our mind. 

You will never know the deep breath we take when your child asks, “Mommy, What if daddy doesn’t come home?”. 

You will never know the courage it takes to explain to your children what daddy is doing, and why it makes him a REAL hero. 

You will never know the longing we have for our spouse. Longing for their touch, and simply just their presence. 

You will never know the heartbreak of holding your crying child who misses their other parent.

You will never know what it’s like going a year without holding your spouse’s hand, giving them a kiss, or just being able to look into their eyes. 

You will never know the feeling of uncomfortable quietness while waiting for the phone call to assure you that your spouse is okay. 

You will never know how it feels hoping and praying you don’t get “that” knock on the door. All while knowing the reality of the situation- it COULD happen. 

You will never know the dreadful feeling in our stomach the night before they deploy. 

You will never know how differently we look at other couples, only reminiscing on our own memories with our deployed spouse. 

You will never know the thought of honesty that crosses our mind when someone asks us how we are doing today. 

You will never know the heartbreaking sympathy we have for our Gold Star Families. 

You will never know the warm feeling that runs through our heart, when we read or hear “God Bless America” 

You will never know how much we value time spent with our spouse. 

You will never know how hard it was to be strong. 

You will never know the ache behind our smile. 

You will never know how hard it is for us to ask for help.

You will never know how easy it is to love someone who is thousands of miles away, across the ocean. 

You will never know how you’re brought closer in your marriage than you ever were before. 

There’s something about being a military spouse that makes us all special. The hurt, the pain, and the sacrifice that we also go through. Being a military spouse is not for the weak. We are forced to reach down and find our inner strength. Not only does that make us incredibly brave, but it also makes us a little bit of a badass. 

Often times I hear people say, “I don’t know how you do it.” Or “I could never do it.” Often times I find myself sitting there, wishing I had a friend to call. A friend who actually understood what I was going through. It then hit me that none of my civilian friends would understand the struggles I go through as a military spouse. It’s not a conversation that is carried on when brought up.

Because when you are not a military spouse, there are things that you will never quite understand. Things that bond us, military spouses, together. A connection that is instantly made. A deeper feeling of understanding that no one else will ever know unless you are a military spouse. 

My name is Hannah, wife of a soldier, sweary mom of 2, running off coffee and chaos, living in Louisiana!

The Best Advice I Can Give To a Military Spouse

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Happy to have this guest post by Megan on her best advice for a military spouse. Please email me at Julie@soldierswifecrazylife.com and let me know if you would like to write a guest post for Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life too.

The best advice I can give a new military spouse is to brace yourself. Being a military spouse is hard work. It does not matter what branch, what rank, if you’re full-time, guard, or reserve. Military life is a big adjustment and you cannot prepare yourself for it.

I married my husband 5 years ago. He is in the Army National Guard and we were part-time. He had a civilian job, went to drill one weekend a month, and training two weeks a year. Or that’s what I was told.

After we were married things changed very quickly. Suddenly, he was putting on a uniform every day and going to work at the armory. There were schools he went to that lasted a month or more. There were classes he would travel to go to.

For Hurricane duty, he would pack a bag at a moment’s notice, leave and I didn’t know when he would be back. Annual training went from two weeks to three and then to four weeks. Before I knew it, he was gone all the time.

One year, from January to August he was only home for 10 weeks. Now I am in our first deployment and that really shocked me to the core. Even though I was used to him not being home, deployment created several new issues I had not planned on having to struggle with. It is hard being the only adult making decisions and trying to roll through whatever Murphy’s Law is throwing at you.

The Best Advice I Can Give To a Military Spouse

So, the advice I give to spouses I talk with is to:

  • Breathe…..take it one day at a time.
  • If you can’t take it day by day, that’s ok. Take it hour by hour, minute by minute. You do whatever you need to do to survive that day.
  • Every day will get a little easier and so will the next and the next. Before long you will be a professional conquering Murphy’s Law and navigating through the military world.
  • Find your tribe, lean on other spouses. Other spouses are your best resource for information and support. They might not be in the same boat, but they are in the same storm.
  • Most importantly…..take care of you!! If you are not taking care of yourself, you cannot take care of anyone else.

Best of luck to all new military spouses. I hope you enjoy this life as much as I do.

My name is Megan Davis. I have a full-time paying job and volunteer jobs that I love. I currently work as a Personnel Supervisor at Westaff where I match people in my community looking for jobs with companies looking for workers. I volunteer as the Family Readiness Group Leader for the 2-108 CAV Squadron in Shreveport. I work with Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN) mentoring other National Guard Spouses. Following these passions, I was recognized as the 2020-2021 Louisiana National Guard Spouse of the Year. I love helping people, specifically military spouses. One of my main goals is to make sure military spouses know they are not alone when trying to navigate through the military world. I want to help give them the courage to speak out and help build a support system for them so they can make it through all the crazy things the military life throws at us. I am also a student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe for my bachelor’s degree in risk management. Graduating from ULM has been my biggest goal for years and I am proud to say I am almost there.

Ideas to Improve Military Spouse Employment and Finding Those Remote Opportunities

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Happy to have this guest post by Linda on working from home and employment. Please email me at Julie@soldierswifecrazylife.com and let me know if you would like to write a guest post for Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life too.

35% of Military Spouses are saying that they are NOT employed but NEED OR WANT employment. 

According to the BSF/IVMF Survey # Respondents, Military Spouse Employment remains the reigning TOP ISSUE for Military Families! Link to Survey: https://bluestarfam.org/survey/

Reason’s why it is the TOP ISSUE –  It creates financial stress when with each PCS move a spouse loses her job and is forced into unemployment or under-employment status taking a low paying position at the new location. Add to that the stress from COVID 19 with the impact of school closures, daycare closures, the cost of childcare and access to quality, affordable childcare in general, and an unpredictable daily work schedule of their service member, and you have the perfect recipe for Military Spouses and Service Members to choose their FAMILY over Service when it comes time to re-enlist.  

What Needs to Be Done –  Companies that hire military spouses and offer remote work opportunities along with flexible schedules and opportunities for advancement, need access to the Military Spouses and need to be able to share those opportunities in the community. Community businesses around military installations need to reconsider their stance on hiring or choosing not to hire military spouses because of the amount of time we may or may not be at a duty station. In the civilian sector, employees are typically not staying in a position longer than 5 years.  

At the Command level, reasonable accommodation for service members that need to manage home or family obligations should be encouraged. Explore ways to expand military childcare capacity or expand the MCCYN Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood fee assistance program and make it easier for those “underground” childcare providers to gain the quality rating necessary to be on the installation provider list.

Encourage partnerships with organizations that have DOD agreements to complement the services being offered through ACS, MWR, the Education Center, and SFL TAP by inviting them to Newcomer Briefings and allowing them to provide the information for additional employment opportunity support.  If the spouses do not know about it, they can not access it. 

This also is THE #1 Issue Impacting your Service Member Retention! 

To address the Military Spouse Employment Issue, there has been an explosion of grassroots Non-Profit Organizations in the last 10 years, STARTED by Military Spouses or Veterans that aim to alleviate military spouse Un and Under-Employment 

Who are they? This is by no means a complete list but is a list of the Organizations that are vetted, and I have personal experience with: 

  • Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network – National and Local Installation locations
  • USO Pathfinder Transition and Military Spouse Programs 
  • Blue Star Families 
  • IVMF Institute for Veterans and Military Families – O2O Onward to Opportunity with Syracuse University 
  • Vets2Industry 
  • MSEP Military Spouse Employment Partnership 
  • Vet Jobs 
  • VirtForce 
  • Veterati 
  • MOAA Military Officers Association of America 

What do they do? These organizations tackle Military Spouse and Veteran Employment and have something slightly different to offer that sets them apart from each other. However, they all work together closely and share a passion for their mission. 

I wish I had known about them 10 years ago as I struggled my way through my own career journey. I only learned about them 2 years ago, and only because the little reserve installation we were near actually had a PPP representative, and she shared these with me! 

The above resources have connections to company partners that are Military Spouse and Veteran friendly employers who have a commitment to hiring Military Spouses and Veterans. Some of them have the same partners, but many of them have their own unique relationships with different companies and if you know what all of them are doing, you are only going to increase your chances of finding the perfect job or personal growth opportunity for your family’s situation! All of them have Vetted Opportunities and are often remote and some are CONUS and OCONUS friendly.  

Working From Home Life 

Almost everyone I speak to, says, “I would love to work at home, you are so lucky! That is what I want to do.” With COVID 19 in 2020, many people found out very quickly some of the challenges of working from home as their spouses, and children joined them at home, and they got to have ALL that EXTRA together time.  

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I will ever go back into an office again in my lifetime. However, with that said, it isn’t for everyone.  

Things to consider: 

  1. Are you self-disciplined? 
  2. Are you an extremely social person? 
  3. Do you have a dedicated office or workspace, or could you create one? 
  4. Is the position a W2 position or an Independent Contractor (1099) position? **This one has tax implications. 1099 Independent Contractors do not have taxes taken out and should be paying taxes quarterly. You may want to get a CPA.**) 

There are companies out there that are committed to hiring military spouses, and some were created by military spouses to be able to offer REMOTE, Portable employment with ROOM for Advancement, flexible schedules, and a network of other military spouses, that just get it! 

Be Active On LinkedIn

Get your free LinkedIn Premium account https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/programs/veterans/milspouses

Connect with the networks I mentioned above and follow them. Start Networking and attending events and learn about the companies that are committed to hiring military spouses. Do some self-reflection and narrow down what career path you are on and find your dream job! 

Linda Bailey has been a Military Spouse for 16+ years, with 3 grown children, and 3 fur babies. She is an Empty Nester preparing for life after the military in a few years. She has somehow managed to stay employed throughout her husband’s career, but she WILL say that it has not been easy. Her new mission in life is to help other military spouses have a better career path than her own. She has just spent 30 Days posting on Linked In and sharing resources for Military Spouses and discovered some great opportunities that did not exist during her search for employment over the years. Please check her out on LinkedIN and Facebook.

What You Need to Know About Being Stationed in Germany

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So happy to have Malori from Warrior Life Wellness to tell us all about what it is like to be stationed in Germany! She has some great advice for anyone who will be pcsing to Germany anytime soon. Please let me know if you would like to guest post about where you are stationed!

stationed in Germany

Our OCONUS PCS

Moving to Germany is something that happens to “other military families.”  Just like I never thought I would marry a soldier, I never thought we’d get stationed overseas – even though it was a dream of mine to live in Europe.  Well, as you probably have guessed by now, I did marry a soldier and we did get stationed overseas! I knew we were in for the adventure of a lifetime, but I did not have proper expectations of what that entirely meant.

When my husband Mark received orders for Germany in 2017, he was deployed to east Africa.  I was back at Ft. Bragg, in my senior year of nursing school, so to say we had a lot on our plates is an understatement!  As it would happen, my husband had to report to Germany before I was done with school. So he did the geo-bachelor life for about three months.

stationed in Germany

This meant I had the pleasure of handling our first OCONUS PCS alone….while finishing nursing school.  (OCONUS = outside the continental United States) I don’t suggest these circumstances, but I did gain a certain sense of accomplishment from completing the move (and school) without anything major going wrong.  My parents came for my graduation and to help with the last-minute PCS tasks, like overseeing the movers. If you are ever in a solo PCS situation, especially overseas, get your family or close friends to help! It makes a world of difference.

Five days after graduation, I was on the Patriot Express to Ramstein, Germany; final destination, USAG Wiesbaden.  It was wonderful to simply live with my husband again after almost a year apart! But on top of that, we had a new country to explore together.  I definitely had my rose-colored glasses on, though. While having a positive attitude about any PCS is important, it’s equally important to have realistic expectations.  As my husband likes to preach: “expectation management.” This is not about being negative or complaining, but simply having a balanced outlook for your transition. It helps lessen that feeling of overwhelm.

Expectation Management

The first thing I did not expect was being so jet-lagged.  I had flown to Europe once before, when I was 20, and I don’t remember feeling particularly jet-lagged. But 12 years later? I felt like I got run over by a bus every day for at least two weeks! Even with sleeping 10-12 hours a night at first, I couldn’t conjure up my normal energy.  So my first piece of advice, for anyone moving overseas, is to give yourself plenty of time to adjust and sleep. It really does take several weeks to get over jet lag!

Another thing I did not expect was experiencing culture shock.  I again drew on my former European experience. I had spent 5 weeks in Austria for a summer music program, and I remember feeling like I fit in so well.  However, visiting Europe, even for an extended trip, is much different than coming here to live. (Austria is also very different culturally from Germany, despite both being German-speaking countries.)  I also assumed that since Germany is a first-world, western country, surely culture shock would not exist!  I even have experience with German culture, from doing Bavarian folk dancing and taking over four years of German language courses.

stationed in Germany

But my pride got the best of me and I struggled big time with adjusting.  Even if you live on post, like we are mandated to do, you have to get used to the driving rules, shopping on the economy, cultural nuances like shops being closed on Sundays, and most of all, the language.  There are also specific rules tied to being here with the military, like how to use VAT forms, what you cannot have sent to your APO box, getting your home-based business approved, and more. Expect that you will have a significant adjustment period to the culture. Because culture shock threw me for such a loop, I made a YouTube video about it! https://youtu.be/mqFEQIv4IjA You are not alone in your feelings.

Something else I have a bad habit of doing for any PCS is to believe that I can jump into a routine right away.  In our last PCS I was forced to do that, as I started pre-nursing courses almost immediately after arriving at Ft. Bragg. Other things like learning the best places and times to shop, learning the lay of the land, and finding your tribe take time.  Yet I always have this underlying belief that “this time” I’ll be more efficient. But with an OCONUS move, you have all the normal PCS adjustments to make, plus the foreign country aspect. With myself, I also had the added stress of studying for the NCLEX (RN nursing board exam), which I had to take in London, England.

stationed in Germany

So with an overseas move, I’d say to give yourself at least six months to feel fully “adjusted,” if not one year. Don’t beat yourself up when you feel homesick or are totally frustrated.  Normally OCONUS assignments are three years, so you will have at least two years during which you’ll feel pretty comfortable!

What helps with the transition overseas?

What makes a positive difference when moving to a foreign country is receiving your household goods.  (It IS possible for government housing to feel like home!) It also helps to meet your neighbors and to make at least one close friend with whom you can commiserate and go through this unique experience together.

stationed in Germany

Finally, get out and travel, travel, TRAVEL! The biggest mistake I made last year was isolating myself. I’m a combination introvert/extrovert, and after nursing school my extrovert was burnt out. I craved quiet time.  But after awhile, it got too quiet and anxiety set in. A great pick-me-up is finding a new place to visit during each month’s 4-day weekend! Make a list of your dream travel list, and then strategically plan your year according to the training holiday schedule.  It might take several trips to get the hang of European travel planning, but tons of traveling is something you will NOT regret!

Since a blog post can only be so long, I’ll leave my advice and tips at that. However, if you want more support in your OCONUS PCS and adjustment period, come find me on YouTube!  http://www.youtube.com/c/MaloriMayor14 I have a growing library of videos about how to PCS to Germany, as well as what life is like here.  I love helping other milspouses in their move to another country. It’s a monumental task, but you will be forever grateful for it.  Embrace the journey!


Bio: Malori Mayor is a registered nurse, classically-trained violinist, blogger and YouTuber, and most importantly, wife to Mark for almost 5 years.  Deployments, PTSD, and TBI may have rocked their world in past years, but they weathered through the hard times together and are currently enjoying an overseas assignment at USAG Wiesbaden, Germany.  Malori has been casually blogging for over 10 years on various personal blogs, but last year decided to create her business and new website, Warrior Life Wellness. On it she shares her take on health, wellness, and life in Germany.  She also creates YouTube videos about PCSing overseas and life in Germany for other milspouses who are walking the same path. She believes that rigorous organization is key to a smooth OCONUS PCS, so she recently opened an Etsy shop, where milspouses can purchase printable Overseas PCS Binder pages for creating their own organizational binder.  Connect with Malori on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook! 

Blog: https://www.warriorlifewellness.com
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/c/MaloriMayor14
Instagram link: http://instagram.com/warriorlifewellness
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/warriorlifewellness
Etsy shop: http://bit.ly/pcsbinder

PCSing This Summer? These Relocation Tips Will Help!

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Happy to have a guest post from Charlene Wilde about dealing with relocation! If you would like to guest post on Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life, please visit my Duty Station Guest Post page or make sure to send me an email for more details! 

PCSing This Summer? These Relocation Tips Will Help!

Dealing with relocation this summer? These tips can help.

As many military spouses know, the summer doesn’t just mean that kids are out of school and beaches are open for business. At this time of year permanent changes of station become more frequent and dealing with the challenges that come with relocation is a reality for many military spouses and their families.

With so much on your plate as a military spouse, the last thing you want to worry about is adjusting after a move. As someone who has moved every two years for the past 15 years (with and without children!), here are some tips and best practices to make the transition smoother.

Effectively manage your budget:

Relocation provides the perfect opportunity to assess, and possibly reset, your financial posture. At the core of this is updating your budget. If you have experienced a PCS in the past, learn from what has and hasn’t worked in managing your finances. For example, if you’re moving to a base abroad you will most likely need to purchase a car when you get there. If you move to a city with readily available and reliable public transportation, it might be time to part ways with your car and pocket some additional cash for savings.

In terms of preparing for the move financially, you may be eligible for military advance pay as support. If you use this option, the military service member would be paid an advance of basic pay not exceeding three months to cover non-reimbursable moving expenses. It’s important to remember that this is a loan that you will have to pay back and not simply free money.

Next, consider how much of your budget needs to be allotted to housing in your new city. While you will get a basic housing allowance, be sure to do your own research and determine the cost of living in the area and understand the market. Will you want to rent, or would it be more financially advantageous to buy? This is just one of the important questions you and your spouse need to discuss.

You may also not have the luxury of being able to view a new home or apartment in person. If that is the case, be sure to find a local realtor with knowledge of the military community. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people out there who may not have your best interest in mind or who lack an understanding of the needs of a military family. Use trusted, military-spouse-focused social media pages (like this one) and resources in the area to get advice from those who have gone through the process.

Tap into the military spouse community:

Remember, you are never alone in this journey! As briefly mentioned above, it is extremely important to use the contacts and resources around you to help aid in this transition. While it may seem overwhelming to meet new people, the military spouse community is extremely supportive. Be proactive and consider joining the various spouse groups on base as a way to introduce yourself in-person to a new community and meet like-minded individuals. For example, Family Readiness Groups are command-sponsored groups that allow you to learn more about the new unit and area.

We live in a world that seems to get more digital by the day, so don’t discount the value of making connections online. Spouse groups on Facebook or elsewhere can be great sources of support and vital information to help with your move. Especially as we approach the summer months when many families PCS, there will be a lot of newcomers who may share the same concerns as you.

Keep the lines of communication open:

Whether it is just you and your spouse, or you’re juggling moving the whole family cross- country, it is essential to communicate openly and honestly with the whole family about the changes that are going to take open place. While talking finances may not be the most glamorous topic, there are also other things to consider when you PCS.

If you have children, make sure to talk about the process early and often. This transition can be tough on the entire family, especially as your children switch schools and have to make new friends. Involve them at an age-appropriate level in planning your move. Sit down as a family and highlight what there is to do and see in your new home in order to build excitement. Plan your budget accordingly so that you can enjoy small trips and entertainment once you are settled in order to learn about your new home.

Preparation can make the stress of a tough move much easier on both you and your military spouse. If you stay organized and open to the support and resources provided, you can tackle a permanent change of station this summer with ease.

Charlene Wilde is a veteran and military spouse. She is the Assistant Secretary of AAFMAA, our nation’s longest standing military financial services non-profit and a contributor to Spouselink, a site that informs and connects Military Spouses.

What You Need To Know About Being Stationed At Los Angeles Air Force Base

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What You Need To Know About Being Stationed At Los Angeles Air Force Base

Happy to have this guest post by Amanda on being stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base in California. Please visit my Duty station guest post page for blog posts on other locations or more information about how you can write a guest post about where you have been stationed.

What You Need To Know About Being Stationed At Los Angeles Air Force Base

Los Angeles Air Force Base is located in El Segundo minutes away from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). It is a small base surrounded by hundreds of contractors ranging from small subcontractors you have never heard of to towering buildings with the large contractors that are known for working with the government.

The Air Force Base is unlike most Air Force Bases since it does not have a runway. The mission is focused on Space. Most people who work on the base work on satellites; everything from typical weather satellites to more exciting satellite missions are here.

The Base

The Base mainly consists of office buildings. If you are a dependent you will also notice there is a small Base Exchange, Commissary, Gas Station and Medical Clinic. The main hub of the base consists of 3 large buildings with a track around it used for running the infamous Physical Fitness Test. Besides that there is a gym and lots of parking lots and a few other smaller buildings but I don’t know what they are used for.

What You Need To Know About Being Stationed At Los Angeles Air Force Base

Weather

Typically, it is 75 and sunny almost every day of the year. September and October are the hottest months, some days it creeps up in the high 80s and when you don’t have A/C it is pretty hot.

Places to Live

Base housing is located in San Pedro on Fort Macarthur (known as Fort Mac by most everyone). It is approximately a 45 minute drive from the base to the housing depending on traffic. And since we are in LA at rush hour the time can increase dramatically. Fort Mac also has a medical clinic so if you end up there you don’t have to drive to El Segundo for medical appointments. The base housing is nice as it overlooks the ocean (sometimes) and if you get lucky you can score a 4 bedroom home. As with most houses in the South Bay of LA there isn’t any air conditioning and most days of the year that isn’t a problem.

If you decide to live off base and in the local community, you have a range of options on where to live. You will have limited square footage and likely only 3 bedrooms, but cutting out some of the commute is sometimes a life saver.

Based on your life stage will probably be the main consideration on where you will end up. In Marina Del Ray there are plenty of apartment buildings with great city life (located North of the Base). You can also opt to live in El Segundo as there is a nice gated community close to the base, but it is pretty expensive. Holly Glen is a favorite spot to live, reasonable home prices, great schools and neighborhood. You also have Manhattan and Hermosa Beach. These are beautiful places to live, but they are also expensive. Redondo Beach and Torrance offer a middle of the road option close to the beach, but often less expensive.

What You Need To Know About Being Stationed At Los Angeles Air Force Base

Things to Do

It is LA. There are tons of things to do. Ranging from Disneyland, Griffith Park, Hollywood, multiple Sport Arenas and more. LA is a vacation destination and you get to live here for at least a few years. And yes there will be crowds in summer, but the off season makes living through the tourist season worth it.

Here is a list of 31 Days of Travel within the LA area.

One of the hidden gems we discovered after moving here was the Hollywood Bowl. An outdoor concert arena that hosts concerts, plays and orchestras performances. The atmosphere is great and outside food and drinks are allowed.

Also you have the beach. It doesn’t matter if you live North or South of the base the beach is there. Parking is often metered, but free parking is sometimes an option if you know where to look.

Overall LA AFB is in a great location. It is expensive, but BAH is still pretty high and as long as you realize you will have a small home and that it might take work to find the right place for you. When people hear LA AFB they might think it is in the middle of Los Angeles, but it is actually located in a great beach community that is a great hidden gem. And if you have ever wanted to live close to the beach it has that too.

What You Need To Know About Being Stationed At Los Angeles Air Force BaseAmanda is a military veteran who served in the Air Force for six years as a Civil Engineer including a deployment to Afghanistan. She traded in her combat boots for a diaper bag to stay home with her two boys and follow her husband’s military career. Which currently has them stationed in Southern California, living the dream and making frequent trips to Disneyland. Her blog Airman to Mom incorporates stories from her past military life and how she views life through her unique life experiences of both a veteran and military spouse. You can check out more about Amanda on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Networking as an Entrepreneur in the Military Community

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Networking as an Entrepreneur in the Military Community

Networking as an Entrepreneur in the Military Community

By Jenny Hale, The Military Social Media Guru at jennyhale.com

As a military spouse or veteran entrepreneur, owning a business can offer a sense of independence, freedom, and personal self-accomplishment.

However, the key to success is making sales, providing value to the community you are serving, and marketing your business successfully. While some MilCommunity entrepreneurs have mastered this, others may not have (yet!).

For example, have you ever done any of the following online?

  1. Built a Facebook page and invited all your personal family and friends to “like” it?
  2. Started a Twitter account and scheduled out your tweets weeks in advance…and then just let it run because you have 1,000 other tasks to worry about?
  3. Created a LinkedIn page and connected with everyone you ever knew from high school and college?

If so, you’re missing the point of modern social media usage and the benefits it has for your military-focused business.

The key to modern marketing success as an entrepreneur is networking and building relationships. Below are three ways to network within the military community as an entrepreneur in order to find business success.

1. Use Community Groups

There are so many communities online based on your veteran status, marriage affiliation, service branch, duty station, industry, and more. Tap into these communities on Facebook. Facebook groups are a great way to meet other people interested in what you do for a living, as well as find future clients and customers. If you are a U.S. military spouse or veteran entrepreneur, you can join this group for marketing and social media support.

Twitter lists and Pinterest group boards are just a couple other examples of online groups that you can become involved in as an entrepreneur. These platforms allow you to connect and share content from others who enjoy the same passions you do.

There is also more to networking than just being online. The military community has the ability to find like-minded clients and audiences through spouse groups, children’s programs, and adult-excursions on installations.

There are also many civilian groups available, including MeetUp, local Chamber of Commerce organizations, local business groups, and regional/city entrepreneur events.

The more connected a military community entrepreneur is with their surrounding community, the higher the referral and customer base will become.

2. Use LinkedIn (Correctly!)

LinkedIn is such a powerful tool for those who write career-focused content and want to connect with like-minded professionals. LinkedIn is the networking powerhouse for all things career and business.

However, LinkedIn needs to be used as a way to expand your network, unlike Facebook. The goal of Facebook is to add your friends and family, post, “like” a few things you found amusing, and move on.

LinkedIn is completely different. It is an entirely professional platform to discuss a variety of topics that can include marketing, lead generation, entrepreneurship, careers, job skills, job searching, and more. For me, 50 to 75 percent of my leads and blog views come from LinkedIn. I have connected with a targeted military audience, stayed engaged in both the entrepreneurship and full-time career communities, reached out to everyone I have met, and worked to provide value to others.

As a result, LinkedIn has done wonders for me, but if you’re using it to gain connections, promote yourself, ignore inbox introductions, complain about your job, or start political debates, you’re on the wrong platform and doing nothing to help your brand on the site. Using LinkedIn can be a powerful boost in your business if you use it properly and are in the right niche.

3. Be Social

Social media for business is not about inviting your family and friends to like your content. In most cases, these individuals are NOT your target audience or ideal client. If you want to be successful on social media, you cannot just schedule your blog articles and walk away, post a link on your Facebook page, or add hashtags to an Instagram post and expect a successful venture.

Social media is about being social. This means engaging with your followers, asking questions, generating participation, and sharing content that encourages networking. If you’re using social media to just promote yourself and your business, you’re doing it wrong!

Running a business can be tough and marketing it can be even tougher. It can also be a giant time sucker if you are marketing to your community the wrong way and not reaching the right people. Instead, re-evaluate your marketing goals. Is the way you are currently marketing your business right for your audience? If your content is more about you than your target customer, focus on more relationship-building and networking strategies.

Jenny HaleJenny Hale is a marketing and social media consultant, coach, and teacher for military spouse and veteran business owners. Nicknamed “The Military Social Media Guru,” she uses her background working with military non-profits, corporate companies, the Army, and as an entrepreneur to help others struggling to meet their business dreams. With the goal of bridging the gap between the military community’s marketing efforts to civilians and vice versa, Jenny works to make an entrepreneur’s vision come to life. You can follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

 

 

 

Learning to LOVE Belgium

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Happy to have this guest post by Christina on Living in Belgium. Please visit my Duty station guest post page for posts on other locations or more information about how you can write a guest post about where you have been stationed.

Living in Belgium

Learning to LOVE Belgium

Living in Belgium

It’s no secret that any PCS can be an adjustment. I mean you pick up your whole life every couple of years and head off to somewhere new. New friends, new job, new house…basically a whole new life. I was pretty prepared for military life since as a teenager I moved MANY times and then I joined the military before I even graduated high school. At least I thought I was prepared for this life.

I wasn’t prepared for our PCS to Belgium, no matter how much I tried to ensure that I was. I did not have a love at first sight relationship with our new home. I mean, how can I have a love at first sight feeling when the closest Starbucks is an hour away! It took me about a year to get to the point where I felt comfortable here and started to really enjoy our life here.  Once I got to the point that I accepted and adapted to the Belgian customs and lifestyle I started to love it here. It was no longer about “I can’t believe they don’t have rest areas with bathrooms” or “why do I have to insert a coin to use a shopping cart”. Instead, I allowed things that aren’t typically the “American way” to become my new normal. I accepted and started to enjoy the new way of life.

So a little more about the base. Where we are being a GSU base (geographically separated unit), it’s a small community of Air Force members and their dependents. There is no base housing which means we are given BHA (Basic Housing Allowance) and are able to select a house from the approved list. When we arrived, we were taken around by the Belgian Liaison Officer to see about 11 homes. Once we decided which house we wanted to live in, the Belgian Liaison Officer did the paperwork and we moved in a couple of weeks later. There are quite a few villages surrounding the base so we are integrated into them. This allows us to not only experience the true Belgian way of life but also make friends with locals as opposed to only being surrounded by Americans. One of my dearest friends is the Belgian daycare provider that my youngest daughter went to for a few months before starting school. While we are all spread throughout the different villages, the base does a great job in ensuring we don’t isolate ourselves too. There are monthly lady’s night dinners along with monthly reoccurring events on base. One of my favorites is wings day! The small community can be a great thing or a bad thing. It all depends on your mindset. I try to attend at least 1-2 events with people from base. Plus, we are only a few hours from bigger bases like Ramstein so we try to visit there once a quarter to ensure we get a little taste of “home”. I mean it is pretty much little America. Honestly, it’s great to be at a smaller base and having the community of support that we get.

Of course, one of the main benefits of living in Europe is the travel opportunities. I can be in multiple countries within an hour from my house. At one point, we were driving home from a trip and within 30 minutes we had been in 3 different countries. Shockingly, the Belgians do not like to drive places and often do not travel. When we talk about taking a day trip to a place that is a couple of hours away they give us this crazy look. While we often choose to drive (we have two kids under 5 years old), you can definitely catch a train to endless amounts of places.

Here are a few of the travel perks of living in Belgium:

Day Trips We Have Taken

Kinderdijk

This place is pretty amazing. You get to experience 19 windmills from the 18th Century. Since majority of Holland is under sea level, the windmills are vital at keeping the area from flooding. You are able to bike the area, walk or even catch the boat. It was a fun trip for the whole family.

Living in Belgium

Tongeren Antique Market

This is an outdoor (mostly) antique market where you can find anything and everything you could imagine. It’s open every Sunday from early morning until just after noon. They are there rain or shine and you can find some great pieces to add to your home. We of course went when it was cold and rainy but still enjoyed it!

Kuekenhauf Gardens

This place is beyond amazing. It’s a bucket list must and if you are living in Belgium then you will be the odd one out if you don’t check it out.  

 Living in Belgium

Amazing Christmas Markets

If you have never heard about the Christmas Markets in Europe, then you are missing out! Starting just after Thanksgiving, the markets run through the end of December. Each one has its own appeal and if you can brave the cold then visiting each one is a great way to celebrate the season. One of my favorite Christmas Markets is Valkenburg, Holland. Not only is the Christmas Market in a cave but they also have the Magic Sand display. This display is beyond words and is done out of sand. Each year they change the theme too so you get to see new and just as impressive sculptures each year. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen!

Castles

Europe is flood with castles! I can never put into words these massive and beautiful architecture. Of course the girls always have to be princesses if visiting one because you know they live in one (yeah right! LOL).

American History

Many people do not realize the American History that was made over here in Europe. Between the beaches of D-Day to the World War II American Cemetery in Margraten. Not many people get an opportunity to experience these things and the fact that you can do this all while LIVING here is pretty amazing.

Traveling Home to the U.S.

Living in Belgium

Since Ramstein isn’t a far drive, we can catch Space A flights back to the States. Depending on the season, it can be really busy. However, when my grandmother passed and we were not prepared (meaning we hadn’t saved for a trip home) we were able to save THOUSANDS of dollars by catching a Space A flight. It took us two days to get onto a flight and we had a drive once we landed in the States but it’s totally worth the money saved if you are able to have some flexibility in your travel dates.  I’m pretty sure my kids think that flying in the back of a military cargo plane is totally normal.

Traveling is great and all but the area where you live is what’s most important to me. Especially when you have children…you base all of your decisions on what school the kids attend, is there room for their toys, the bedrooms good enough, is there a park nearby, etc. Belgium does not disappoint in this area at all. There are weekly markets in each village where you can get fresh produce right from the farm, fresh flowers and even clothing. While the area we live speaks mostly Dutch & Flemish, as long as you approach the situation correctly then they have no problems speaking what English they do know to you. My rule of thumb is to initially apologize and tell them I do not speak Dutch. Once they see that I am apologetic they will speak English if they know it. Fuel is a little outrageous but we do get gas rations at a cheaper price. Our rations are low but the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) dictates that and won’t be changing any time soon. We take trips and have two vehicles yet we only pay the European fuel price a few times in two years. Another thing to consider is that as a spouse, you are not allowed to work under the SOFA. There are a few civilian jobs available on the base but with so many spouses and minimal positions, it’s unlikely you will have a job while here.

However, there are some great benefits to living in Belgium…

Daycare costs are much lower than in the United States. We put our youngest daughter into an at home daycare twice a week with a Dutch provider and she not only was amazing but the hourly rate was much lower than the States. It’s based off of pay but the provider is supplemented by the government for the remaining amount. No worries though, because you only pay daycare (if you use it) up until your kid starts school at age 2 ½! Let me just say, the Dutch school that my kids attend is AMAZING! Our kids speak fluent Dutch and have learned so much along with achieved great social skills.

You will see animals and farms EVERYWHERE! There is not a day that goes by that I am not stuck behind a tractor when taking my kids to school or just running to the store.

Which leads me to the best part….THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS! I have seriously gained ten pounds living here because I can’t refuse the bakery, seafood and THE FRIES! (By the way, Belgians are very proud about their fries and will inform you that fries are NOT French! LOL) They use mayo for their fries here which was already a thing for me so I was golden. Mussels are a Belgian must and of course the waffles with Nutella are heaven.

Living in Belgium

Ultimately, each duty station is what you make of it. That has always been my belief but I noticed that when we first got here I wasn’t trying to make the best of it. It’s important to understand that living OCONUS is an adventure. Your three or four-year tour will pass quicker than you think and the year that I spent adapting is a year of missing out on some great stuff. It will take time to adjust because you are in a different country where they speak a different language and do things differently. However, if you keep an open mind and understand this adjustment and are willing to adapt then you will be comfortable a lot quicker. Live in the moment and cherish the amazing memories you are making while you are here. You will be PCS’ing before you know it!

 

Heart & StripesChristina is currently living in Belgium with her husband and two children, ages 2 and 4. She has always loved writing and has found a home for it on her blog Heart & Stripes. She loves being a stay at home mom, volunteering on base, spending time with her family and upcycling furniture. She was raised in Florida so she heads to the beach and Disney as often as she can.