Mission: Milspouse Podcast

In this week's episode, Lindsey Rauch gives advice to some of the new spouses that may be joining us about what to do after their Spouse has made the decision to join the Military. The post MMP #977: “So Your Spouse has Decided to Join The Military” first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

In this week's episode, Dr. Sharita Knobloch will be interviewing Brigadier General Michael Meese about the Survivor Benefit Plan, SBP Open Enrollment and what benefits it provides to service members and their spouses. The post MMP #976: SBP Open Enrollment first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

In this Minicast, Amie talks about the "never would I ever" experiences that we may come across in this military life and how we can work together to support one another through all the seasons of our lives when these moments pop up. The post MMP #975: Never Would I Ever – MilSpouse Edition first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee are New York Times bestselling co-authors who have written "The Long March Home", a gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope. Set in 1941, this is the tale of three best friends stationed in the Philippines at the beginning of the United State’s involvement in WWII… and the girl they left behind in Mobile, Alabama. The post MMP #974: “The Long March Home” first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

For those of us who have completed a PCS before, it can be difficult and sometimes traumatizing to find all new resources. In this week's Mini-Cast, Cheyenne will be sharing tips on how to find a new hairstylist after a PCS. The post MMP #973: Tips for Finding a Hairstylist after a PCS first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

In "Know What You Signed Up For", Megan helps military spouses see that we're right where we're supposed to be—chosen for this specific time and place. This is written as a love letter to her younger self and to military spouses like her and to create a resource for future generations of military spouses because for her to encourage them to find themselves amongst their roles as military spouses. The post MMP Show #972: “Know What You Signed Up For” first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

April is the month of the military child and honestly, we're all making things up as we go. In this Minicast, Sharita talks about her children's resilience. The thought of resilience can seem buzzworthy and not realistic, but it's about bouncing forward when facing adversity instead of bouncing back as we learn and grow. Sharita has 5 ways to foster this ability in our children. The post MMP Show #971: 5 Ways to Foster Resilience in Your Military Child first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

You never know who you will reach with your story and who it will resonate with. We have the unique ability to pass on our stories to younger military spouses to raise them up to continue to build a strong community. Don't forget to tell your story. That is what Natalie Walters continues to do with her book Blind Trust. The post MMP Show #970: Blind Trust first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

It's no surprise that being a military spouse is difficult. In this Minicast, Jade talks about the challenges that military spouses face during the first year of marriage. She talks through the challenges and her tips for getting through them. Here's to embracing the suck together! The post MMP Show #969: Reflecting Back on One Year of Marriage as a Milspouse first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

Mom2Mom Global is a worldwide network of volunteers who support breast/chest feeding families and advocates for military families. Their purpose is to provide consistent, high-quality peer support through local chapters and liaisons at U.S. military installations, to increase access to accredited lactation professionals for all military families, and to provide a channel to raise awareness and solutions for the concerns of military breastfeeding families. The post MMP Show #968: Mom2Mom Global first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

We all experience pain in this life. In this week’s Minicast, Lindsey opens up about her recent pain and how she has learned that there can be purpose to your pain. We cannot avoid pain, so why not use it? Life experiences can be painful and it can feel lonely at times. The post MMP Show #967: There Can Be Purpose to Your Pain first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

We've all been through bad experiences and it's easy to feel alone as you go through them. But to be there for someone else who is going through something you already went through can be powerful. Author Jessica Manfre has a goal of leaving this world a better place than when she came into it and that's where the book "Never Alone" came into play. The post MMP Show #966: Book, Never Alone— Jessica Manfre first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

Do you have a song that you can relate to? In this week's Minicast, Kathleen shares some songs from her favorite decade that relate to milspouse life. Her theme song is "I Can't Drive 55" with the first lyric being "One foot on the brake and one on the gas'. From someone who says she doesn't have wisdom to share, Kathleen has some great thoughts (and dare we say tips) on this milspouse life. The post MMP Show #965: I Can’t Drive 55 first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

The non-profit promotes overall wellness in someone's life and they look at the whole family - the veteran, the spouse, and the family as an overall unit. Hope for the Warriors empowers military spouses through education to change their life roles to better met the needs of their spouses with their Military Spouse & Caregiver Scholarship program. Check out if you are eligible for the scholarship here and apply before April 30, 2023. The post MMP Show #964: Hope For the Warriors first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

Have you found yourself receiving orders to a remote duty station or has the thought of living away from a military base crossed your mind? In today's Minicast, Sarah shares some tips she's applied when moving to a remote location to help make for a smooth transition. Integrating into new communities can feel isolating or unwelcoming, but once you get out and explore your new "home" it makes leaning into your community less intimidating. The post MMP Show #963 Tips to Thriving in a Remote Duty Station first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

The welfare of our families means the utmost importance to us. But have there been moments where you've been left feeling overwhelmed, like you have tried everything and have nowhere else to go? EFM has created a commonplace to support families of all branches and unite their voices. As an advocate, they tackle big problems, in efforts to change policy and laws both medical and programmatic. The post MMP #962: Exceptional Family Members first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

We all know what a staycation is and it's becoming more of the norm. Today in this Minicast, Chrissy talks about how to make the most of your staycation. She gives us five tips for how to best plan a staycation. Chrissy gives us questions to help understand everyone's expectations. The post MMP Show #961: Make the Most of Your Staycation first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

Time away from our soldiers can affect the storyline of our everyday lives during their absence. Their departure can set the stage for the onset of unique challenges. In Gretchen McLellan's recent books When Your Daddy's a Soldier, she provides children with the experience of seeing themselves in between the cover of a book. She depicts the real and raw emotions that can often times fill our homes as we prepare for the departure and arrival of our soldiers. The post MMP #960 Book: When Your Daddy’s A Soldier first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

Have you ever felt like your job, career, or even motherhood has become your identity? In this Minicast, Amanda shares with us the personal battle she has faced with Imposter Syndrome. She includes some helpful tips we could apply in any phase or season of life when we're struggling with identity. In the ever-changing life of a military spouse, may you be rested and rooted in your true identity. We are here to support, inspire, and empower you. To hear more about Amanda's tips to battle Imposter Syndrome, listen below. The post MMP Show #959: Tips to Battle Imposter Syndrome first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.

Many of us can recall the unique set of challenges that affect our daily lives from big moves, to deployments and homecomings, or even processing grief. The idea of being "prepared" can feel unattainable when life is encompassed by change and uncertainty. To help overcome these obstacles Sesame Workshop has created resources to prepare families and help them remain flexible in turbulent times. They have incorporated realistic and approachable models to help parents and children process "big feelings" together. The post MMP Show #958: Sesame Workshop first appeared on Mission: Milspouse.