Gold Star family members applaud during a concert held in the honor at Six Flags America in Mitchellville, Md., July 24, 2010. The concert was part of Families United Weekend of Remembrance, a weekend dedicated to bringing Gold Star families together to recognize the sacrifice of their fallen servicemembers. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Benjamin Harris
Heather Forsgren Weaver, a colleague of mine at American Forces Press Service, is a regular contributor to Family Matters. Heather’s been heavily involved in this blog from the start. She edits, helps write and posts content on a daily basis.
In this blog, Heather writes about Gold Star families and how Marines honored them during last weekend’s Families United Weekend of Remembrance.
Honoring Gold Star Families
by Heather Forsgren Weaver
July 28, 2010
Since World War I, families of servicemembers have been hanging flags in their windows with stars on them to show their support. The flags contain a blue star for each family member currently serving in a conflict. If a family member dies as a result of a conflict, the blue star becomes a gold star and the family becomes a “Gold Star Family.”
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with AFPS, American Forces Press Service, Gold Star Families, U.S. Marine Corps.
By heather.forsgrenweaver
– July 28, 2010
Lori J. Danby is the president and founder of the Tri Counties Blue Star Moms in Northern California. Her son, Marine Corps Cpl. Brian Danby served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In this blog, Lori shares Brian’s story of joining the Marines, how his deployment to Iraq prodded her to found the local chapter of Blue Star Moms and what she learned from both of his wartime deployments.
A Blue Star Mom Offers Tips for Deployments
by Lori J. Danby
July 27, 2010
My son, Brian C. Danby, decided to join the military after Sept. 11, 2001. My father is a Vietnam veteran who served 20 years in the Army. My husband’s father served in the Marines in Korea. Brian’s family history and the “sword” are the reasons he chose the Marines. Brian joined Sept. 12, 2005, and got out on Sept. 11, 2009 (and, yes, he planned those dates specifically). He made corporal and is still in an inactive status.
When I learned of Brian’s first pending deployment to Iraq scheduled for January 2007, I was inspired to start our local chapter of Blue Star Moms, the Tri Counties Blue Star Moms. I knew there had to be other moms facing some of the same anxieties that I had. I searched the Internet looking for a support group. I came upon the Blue Star Mothers of America Inc. What impressed me most is that it is an organization for moms with children who are serving and or have served in all branches of the armed forces. Since we are in a small town, Yuba City, Calif., I knew it was best to include all branches.
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with Deployment Issues.
By heather.forsgrenweaver
– July 27, 2010
Heather Forsgren Weaver, a colleague of mine at American Forces Press Service, is a regular contributor to Family Matters. Heather’s been heavily involved in this blog from the start. She edits, helps write and posts content on a daily basis.
In this blog, Heather writes about the messages of Dr. Jill Biden and top military leaders to the Military Child Education Coalition’s 12 annual conference in suburban Maryland.
Dr. Biden, Leaders Focus on Education Needs of Military Kids
by Heather Forsgren Weaver
July 26, 2010
Even before Sept. 11, 2001, and the resulting military conflicts, the departments of Defense and Education began meeting annually to discuss the needs of military children. Now with about 2 million children having experienced a parent’s deployment and 600,000 Army children and countless others from the other services currently separated from a deployed parent, this year’s conference held in nearby Maryland last week brought out some heavy hitters.
Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, headlined the last day of the conference.
Dr. Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama frequently visit military installations. During these visits they often hear about the important role schools play in their children’s lives and the challenge of changing schools due to relocations, Dr. Biden told the conference.
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with AFPS, American Forces Press Service, Dr. Jill Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama, Military Education, National Guard.
By heather.forsgrenweaver
– July 26, 2010
Heather Forsgren Weaver, a colleague of mine at American Forces Press Service, is a regular contributor to Family Matters. Heather’s been heavily involved in this blog from the start. She edits, helps write and posts content on a daily basis.
In this blog, Heather writes about a teleconference sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury on how what happens during a deployment impacts what happens after.
The Deployment Comes Before Reintegration
by Heather Forsgren Weaver
July 23, 2010
I had the opportunity yesterday to listen to a teleconference sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury about life after deployment, reintegrating with your family and life outside a war zone.
What I learned is that you can’t talk about life after deployment if you don’t talk about life during deployment.
Being deployed in a war zone teaches you to “enjoy the simple things,” said the presenters, each of whom had served in Iraq.
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with AFPS, American Forces Press Service, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Deployment Issues.
By heather.forsgrenweaver
– July 23, 2010
The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury is hosting an important webinar for military families TODAY (Thursday, July 22) at 1 p.m. on “Adjusting to Life at Home After Deployment.”
Many servicemembers look forward to life after deployment, often being back home among family and friends but sometimes, adjusting back to “normal” life again can bring countless challenges.
Successful reintegration is essential to the overall health and well-being of servicemembers and their families. The webinar will feature personal accounts of deployment to Afghanistan and adjusting to life at home.
To register for this event, or for more information e-mail DCoE at DCoE.MonthlyWebinar@tma.osd.mil.
Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, military families.
By heather.forsgrenweaver
– July 22, 2010
By Elaine Wilson
July 21, 2010
elaine.wilson@dma.mil
I wanted to share the latest news on the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, commonly known as MyCAA and a hot topic for our military spouses.
I learned yesterday that the popular spouse employment program will resume Oct. 25, but with some significant changes, including a reduction in financial aid and a change in the population of eligible spouses from all military spouses to spouses of junior servicemembers.
Clifford Stanley, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, described these changes yesterday in an interview at the Pentagon. The changes, he said, are designed to bring the program back to its original intent: equip spouses of junior servicemembers for portable careers, such as in real estate or health care.
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with AFPS, American Forces Press Service, Elaine Wilson, Military OneSource, Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts, MyCAA.
By elaine.wilson
– July 21, 2010
By Elaine Wilson
elaine.wilson@dma.mil
July 19, 2010
Over the past year, I’ve spoken with many military families about the challenges they face, and a common issue is education for children from Guard and reserve families.
These children attend off-base schools with teachers and administrators who may or may not understand the unique issues and concerns so common to military families.
In a classroom of 20-plus children, the teacher may even be unaware that a child has a parent deployed for a year and, as a result, is unable to address some very specific needs.
I read a great blog post on the Defense Centers of Excellence website that addresses this topic and shares tips that military parents can use to help schools understand the unique stressors military families face.
The blog, “Frontline Psych With Doc Bender: Military Children and School” is written by Dr. James Bender, who recently returned from Iraq after a year there as a brigade psychologist.
More than 90 percent of military children attend non-Defense Department schools, Dr. Bender wrote, citing department officials.
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with AFPS, American Forces Press Service, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Deployment Issues, Elaine Wilson, military families, National Guard.
By elaine.wilson
– July 20, 2010
By Elaine Wilson
July 19, 2010
elaine.wilson@dma.mil
After nearly a decade at war, deployments have become a way of life for America’s military families. Many families have had to adjust and adapt to one, two, and sometimes even more deployments.
Army spouse and mother Rebekah Sanderlin has dealt with more than a half-dozen deployments during her husband’s career. She shared her lessons-learned and tips for coping with separations with Lee McMahon, who wrote “Army Spouse Shares Deployment Tips” for the American Forces Press Service.
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with AFPS, American Forces Press Service, Deployment, Elaine Wilson, military families.
By elaine.wilson
– July 19, 2010
By Elaine Wilson, AFPS
July 16, 2010
elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been trying to psych myself up for yet another move. My job is moving from the D.C. area to Fort Meade, Md., and I plan to go along for the ride. But after less than two years in the D.C. area, I was hesitant to broach the topic of a move to my kids, who had settled in and made close friends.
It seems like just yesterday that we journeyed here from Texas. I was pregnant at the time and my older two were 5 and 6. They were upset as we pulled away from San Antonio after spending most of their lives there. But after the initial tears, it was a three-day adventure across country, filled with music, movies and, unfortunately for me, quite a few “Are we there yets?” But we made it, and they adjusted with much greater ease than even my husband and I did.
I didn’t expect to be back in this position again so soon, but here I was, breaking the news.
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with AFPS, American Forces Press Service, Elaine Wilson, Military OneSource.
By elaine.wilson
– July 16, 2010
Lisa Daniel is a writer and editor for the Defense Department’s American Forces Press Service. I invited her to write a guest blog for Family Matters to highlight the “Me and a Friend” program that’s benefiting military children.
Izeyah Escobar, 8, left, and Giselle "Gi Gi" Martinez, 7, root on the Washington Nationals against the San Francisco Giants in Washington, D.C., July 11, 2010. The two are at the game as part of the "Me and a Friend" program, a partnership between the Defense Department and USO. The program sponsors tickets to sporting events and other activities for military children to make new friends in spite of frequent relocations and moves. DoD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
Me and a Friend
by Lisa Daniel
July 15, 2010
I had the pleasure on the Fourth of July to attend a Washington Nationals baseball game in the nation’s capital that provided the launching pad for a new USO program honoring children of servicemembers.
The kids may not have picked up on the symbolism, but the Independence Day setting while watching the national pastime was the perfect venue to kick off the “Me and a Friend” program.
Like most military kids I’ve met, those at the Nationals game were humble about the attention on them, and seemed unaware of their role in the nation’s military success.
Kelsie Vick was one such example. Kelsie, who turned 18 last week, has moved 10 times for her father, Army Master Sgt. John Vick, to fulfill his soldier duties. Kelsie, a volunteer photographer with the USO, takes the military lifestyle in stride. “I liked it,” she said.
Kelsie’s reaction, to not offer even a hint of complaint about the demands the military lifestyle places on children, is common among military kids.
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Posted in Family Matters.
Tagged with AFPS, American Forces Press Service, Me & A Friend, USO.
By heather.forsgrenweaver
– July 15, 2010
