The Dear MilFamily Podcast

Preparing for a deployment can be a hectic time. There are so many things to do and lists to check off. But what about those well meaning friends and family members? Sometimes it feels easier to swallow their blunt comments and hard questions about what your service member will be doing "over there." One military spouse says, you should prepare them for deployment too and explain how they can support you better. Becky Hoy believes that deployment is one of the best things that has ever...

One of the biggest sucks of military life lately is PCSing and specifically how military families' things are moved, stored, and delivered by contracted moving companies. One Army veteran and Military Spouse is helping to change the process and try to make it better for everyone. Megan is an army veteran after serving 4 years with a combat deployment, a military spouse of 13 years and mom to 3 wonderful children. She is a professional volunteer who jumps in to help wherever a hand in needed...

Ask any military family the most difficult part of any deployment or separation, and they're going to say reintegration. The actual time spent a part is not as difficult as trying to bring two (or more) lives back together after a significant amount of time living separately. How do we help this process? One word: communication. Samantha McKenzie graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Master's Degree in Communication Studies. She recently did her Directed...

Military spouses are some of the hardest working people I know, and it's time we pay more mind to how we are taking care of ourselves. Often we are the ones shouldering all of the responsibility at home (and more at work) and we're doing it with little to no support network. So here are some great suggestions of how to take care of our selves better. Bernadette Soler is a proud military spouse, 500-hr yoga teacher, yoga therapist-in-training, Certified Personal Trainer, Reiki Master...

Our military kids need positive role models and interactions with other adults. One organization is trying to bring athletes and military kids together in positive interactions to show milkids what they can aspire to one day. Operation Teammate creates positive experiences for military children who is separated from their service member parent because of deployment, trainings, or school. And they do all of this for free! I talked to Timothy Montjoy about the organization he started and how...

Yesterday was Veteran's Day, so I've got a great episode about a podcast just for Military veteran dads. Dads that served sometimes need to talk to other dads about how they're feeling and how they're adjusting to civilian life. Ben Killoy has created a new podcast this year just for this demographic. Because we need to take care of the dads that served our country and let them know they can transition and become a great veteran dad. Ben Killoy, is a U.S. Marine Veteran turned blogger,...

We hear all the time that voting is so important, but being a military family can add challenges to even the simplest of activities. I talk to two military spouse friends about where they vote, how they found, the challenges we are up against. And of course why it's important to vote! Susan Reynolds is one of the founding members of Tricare for Kids and has advocated for better healthcare for all connected to the military for years on capitol hill. She also started and co-hosted her own...

The area of spouse licensure has had an eventful year with all branches of service announcing that they will reimburse spouses for their licensure fees after PCS. A group of military spouses has been working in this area for many years and plan on making more strides too. For the past decade, Josie Beets has put her extensive expertise in comprehensive problem solving, strategic communications, and regulatory frameworks to transform the landscape of licensing for mobile military spouses....

One deployment can be hard enough, but what happens when your spouse deploys often? You definitely have to get used to things changing and Murphy being around all the time. In this episode, I talk to Noralee Jones of Mrs. Navy Mama about her experiences with her spouse's deployments. Noralee is a 30-something spouse of an active duty Navy officer, mother of 3 little ones and a self-proclaimed expert of getting things done. She is a photographer, foodie and lover of organizing, planners and...

You meet a service member. You fall in love. You move with them to their next duty station. You become a resident of their country? Is that what you think of when you think of a typical military love story. Sometimes becoming a resident is easy and sometimes it's not. I talk to one military spouse who had a relatively easy time for this episode. Gems Collins has 15 years' experience in Business Operations and Project Management for start-up organizations, in the UK and UAE. When she moved...

The military is not know for incorporating spirituality into its culture. But one veteran and military spouse is on a mission to help other veterans with PTSD and other ailments to find peace and healing with energy work. Jeanita Kennedy us of the Red Streak Clan born to the Towering House People, maternal grandparent is of the Salt People and paternal grandparent is of the Bitter Water. She was born into a long linage of medicine men and women, and the healing medicine runs deep in her...

Military marriage is hard! And you can have a positive attitude and mindset, but it still helps to get authentic and real about it. One military spouse is on a mission to have more honest conversations about marriage and other topics that affect those of us in military life. Pam Chavez is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and helps Military Spouses take back control of their life through mindset, connection, health and well-being. Showing women how to honor their personal goals despite...

There can be so many decisions that can go into using money for school. One veteran and military spouse, Dina, decided to use it in an unconventional way to help her family and do something that she enjoyed! And she's still using it now in her small business just not the way you think. Dina is a military spouse and a mom to two wild and free-spirited boys. She and her husband both come from military families and met while both were stationed in Japan. She found joy in planning trips. More...

It's Back to School time, and for military families it's an extra sensitive time of year. Those of us that are parents want our kids to have a great year, make new friends, being included and inclusive, and do their best. But this time of year can be even more stressful for those of us who have special needs children, ones who have an IEP or a 504 plan. In this episode, I spoke to a special needs parent turned educational advocate for all military children. Michelle Norman’s story began...

Books, books, books! It is my go to way to help my kids through any difficult situation. Child diagnosed with autism? Find a book. Starting school? Go get a book at the library. Moving because of your parent's job? Scour the interwebz looking for books for military kids. And there are so many great books out there just for military kids. In this episode, I speak to one half of a couple that decided to create a whole series devoted to the experiences that MilKids go through. Meet the...

Our tips and tricks from our semi-DITY move from this summer.

It's officially summer and that means vacation time! And there is a service that is available to all active duty, retiree, and military beneficiaries to help offset the costs. You really can see the world when you are a part of the military family. And whether you call it Space A (space available) or MilAir, it's still a great way to travel for little to nothing. I talked to the voice behind the blog Poppin' Smoke about her life traveling around the globe and how easy it is for military...

We already know that military spouses are resourceful. So not only is this week's episode a story about resourcefulness, but a little bit of hope for the future after military life. Sometimes the things you are working on in the moment, even when they feel insignificant, is you laying the foundation for what's to come later. This week I bring you the story of one military spouse who started her business as a side hustle, moved to full time online entrepreneur lifestyle, and then once her...

Care packages are a long held tradition in the military community. They can be personal, sad, funny, and very necessary for service members. One woman is trying to document the culture of military life and the military families that serve by showcasing photos of various care packages service members have gotten through out modern American history. We talked about all the ways families show their love and personalities through a care package. Odale Cress was a Russian/Spanish linguist in the...

Earning a degree as a veteran or military spouse doesn't have to be as difficult as it might seem. Lots of things have changed about the Post 9/11 GI Bill and because of these changes, you may want to use that benefit sooner than you think. I talk to Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado and get all the secrets of using the GI Bill to get the most benefit out of it. Ashley M. Gorbulja-Maldonado, 25, holds a Masters in Public Health from Northeast Ohio Medical University with an emphasis on military...