Friday night my hubby and I went on a double date to the Wolf Trap to watch Rain-A Tribute to the Beatles. This was the beginning of our non-touristy adventures in DC. We were more than pleasantly surprised with our visit. The Wolf Trap is definitely a must for every family.

We were shocked at how close it was to us. We thought it would take way longer to get there. Instead we found out it was just a short drive into Virginia. We arrived early to discover arriving early is a must for…

Consider an interview as both a collaborative and interactive tool to assess the likely hood of entering into a business relationship.

Prior to the Interview

Research Company and their mission

Consider a mock interview to get feedback on:

~ Presentation

~ Body Language/Mannerisms

~ Level of Confidence Portrayed

**Create talking paper showcasing occupational…

Most military personnel are familiar with the tax policies that effect our lives. We know through experience that when we deploy base pay and many other pays are non-taxable. Well did you know that currently if you are wounded in combat and receive SCAADL (Special Compensation for Assistance of Activities of Daily Living) you will be paying taxes on that income? This is income that you will only receive if you have wounds from combat. So I ask are we taxing our wounded warriors for their…

     A story was published in the Air Force Times (18 and 04 June) concerning a pilot that argued in a letter to his commander as to why pilots should be permitted to wear flight suits at any time.  Inevitably, the commander without haste, was prompted to extend a new memorandum outlining the new rules concerning wear of the flight suit to those days where Airmen are conducting…

With General Allen, Commander of forces in Afghanistan

When I was asking Stacy to tell her story, she concentrated more on Mark, her son.  Isn't that what a mama does?  But there is more to the story than Mark unselfishly and bravely…

This period of watching our youngest finish high school and soon fly off to make us empty nesters continues to bring new revelations. Just the other day I was forced to accept that my role as PTA volunteer is ending.

I was helping at the Senior Class Picnic and it struck me that it could be the last time I’d be helping at a school function. At the same time, I was also thinking about how much better I could have made the picnic if I’d been in charge. From mobilizing work crews, to…

- Women are naturally tougher than you. Don’t sweat it. Proof? One word: Childbirth.

- There is a reason why the Exchange only has “Proud Military Wife” stickers and keychains. Real men don’t use stickers or keychains. Yes, that must be it.

-  As long as you know who really wears the ACUs in the family, you’ll be fine.

-  Female service members are quite used to the quality of dining afforded by MREs. When you marry a woman, you probably have ‘cooked’ a meal or…

Pathways for Students and Recent Graduates

Introduction

The Internship Program replaces the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) and Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP). This Program is designed to provide high school to graduate level students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions with opportunities while still…

     In popular media, military spouses are often portrayed only as participants in the ‘homecoming dance’, where service members are greeted at the airport by adoring throngs and tearful embraces from loved ones. Flags are waived, of course, and cameras are certainly running. Variations on this scene have a servicemember appearing at his or her child’s school, and surprising them after a long deployment. Men and women in uniform have appeared from behind Santa’s curtain at the mall to…

237 years old and you’ve never looked better! From the finest fighting men and women in the world, to the finest equipment, to the strongest families – our Army keeps getting better with age. Can I get a big “Hooah!”

When I was thinking about writing this last night, I was all set to take Army spouse Amy Bushatz to task for her recent post on SpouseBuzz and included in the recent Military.com Army Insider. She was complaining that the Army doesn’t make its birthday cool – like our…

Summer is here and we all know what that means in the DC area.......The tourists are here!!!!

We home school our now 2nd and 5th grade daughters and I am always looking for new adventures for us. Recently I began searching for some non-touristy things to do this summer in the hope of avoiding the tour groups visiting our Nation's Capitol. Tour groups are on a tight schedule and they like to give you as much bang for your buck as possible. When I quickly realized this, a light bulb…

Every couple of weeks, I hope to be profiling our wounded warriors' caregivers.  To kick start it, I am going to tell the story of my family.

Derek was injured on July 23, 2011.  He was on patrol when another soldier was injured.  His group was called in to secure the landing zone.  They found themselves…

I am so glad to have been selected as one of the first bloggers for DC Military

Living. I hope to reach out to as many folks as I can and engage some followers

over the coming months. This article ran in last weeks Comprint publications on the bases in the DC area. Wanted to blog it so we have a starting point. The main topic that I hope to write about is how can

military families save here and there, cut some costs.  Everybody loves a great

deal - whether it's to get a…

My youngest daughter has virtually checked out of the Swan hotel - despite the fact that her clothes are here, she still has to go through high school graduation and doesn't start college until mid-August. She drops in long enough to get messages, change outfits, or ask for money. Sound familiar?

This is a new experience for us. Our older two moved and attended new schools during their senior years. They didn't have a chance to develop the close attachments our youngest has these past…

10-POINT VETERAN’S "DERIVED REFERENCE" ELIGIBILITY

Ten points are added to the PASSING examination score or FINAL rating of spouses, widows, widowers, or mothers of veterans as described below. This type of preference is usually referred to as "derived preference" because it is based on service of a veteran who is not able to use the preference.

Both a mother and a spouse (including widow or widower)…

     Three years ago last month, the bride and I PCS’d to the Washington D.C. area with her assignment to the Pentagon, from Charleston, AFB, SC.  Mind you, between the both of us, we have been to over 30 countries and 42 states, so our view of the world is a bit different than most, in that we have driven in the smallest to the largest cities in the world.  Yes, we have driven thorugh the D.C./Baltimore region on our way North or South and didn't really notice the peculiarities of D.C. and…

The Army recently extended its smartcard pilot for Army spouses and retirees through Sept. 2012 after a very positive response to the Oct. 2011 to March 2012 pilot.

The Army is evaluating smartcard identity authentication as an alternative to username/password login to websites-- such as Army OneSource, Army Family Readiness Group, milConnect, TRICARE Online and Army Knowledge Online (AKO).

If you are an Army spouse or retiree living near Ft. Belvoir, VA; Ft. Bragg, NC; and Ft.…