Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

Online Shopping Simplified: October 1 Marks First Day for Patron Access to Benefit

By

 

NEWS RELEASE

Defense Commissary Agency

Corporate Communications

1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800

Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105  DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105

FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248

www.commissaries.com

 

 

Release Number:         66-18                                                                                                                       

Date:                              September 27, 2018

Media Contact:             Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist

Tel.:                                (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773

E-mail:                           kevin.robinson@deca.mil

 

Online shopping simplified

Oct. 1 marks new day for patron access to benefit

By Jessica Rouse,

DeCA public affairs specialist

 

FORT LEE, Va. – The Defense Commissary Agency’s new customer portal, MyCommissary, launches Oct. 1, laying the foundation for more ways to shop and offering patrons access to their commissary’s biweekly sales flyer. In the future, customers will also be able to check their online shopping history, create shopping lists, read and submit product reviews and view product and pricing information.

“More and more of our patrons are accessing our website before they travel to their commissary,” said Hector Granado, DeCA marketing director. “With the launch of the MyCommissary portal, we are making their online shopping experience easier and more efficient.”

It’s easy to use. An initial sign-up is required the first time patrons access MyCommissary. During sign up, customers will enter their address, first and last name, date of birth and the last four digits of their social security number. It’s a one-time authentication – once customers sign up they will not need to do so again to navigate the portal’s different features.

“We know our patrons place a high value on keeping their information private,” Granado said. “They can rest assured that the information is only being collected to confirm their eligibility for the benefit.”

The portal will create no changes for patrons who currently use CLICK2GO, DeCA’s online ordering and pick up service, offered at Fort Lee, Virginia, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and Travis Air Force Base, California. Users only need to log into MyCommissary first to access the service or continue to log in directly from commissaries.com.

“One of the more notable changes will be the transition of the Commissary Rewards Card,” said Granado. “When patrons sign up for MyCommissary we encourage them to also update their rewards card to the new system.”

Patrons with active Commissary Rewards Cards should take note of the following information:

  • Beginning at 12 a.m. EST, Sept. 30, there will be a 24-hour outage for the current rewards card website. During that time, accessing the rewards card or clipping new coupons will not be available.
  • Any coupons already loaded to a card, but not redeemed, will be available for use until the expiration date.
  • Beginning Oct. 1, patrons can update their rewards card number within the MyCommissary portal using the number on the back of the card including the leading “4” and the following 10 digits.

For more questions about the rewards card, call 855-829-6219 (the phone number on the back of all rewards cards). For all other questions, use the Customer Comment Form.

-DeCA-

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking Outside the Box: Commissaries.com Offers Shopping Lists, Recipes

By

 

NEWS RELEASE

Defense Commissary Agency

Corporate Communications

1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800

Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105  DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105

FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248

www.commissaries.com

 

 

Release Number:         62-18                                                                                                                       

Date:                              September 13, 2018

Media Contact:             Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist

Tel.:                                (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773

E-mail:                           kevin.robinson@deca.mil

 

‘Thinking Outside the Box’

Commissaries.com offers shopping lists, recipes

for nutritious family meals

By Kathy Milley,

DeCA Corporate Communications

FORT LEE, Va. – Military families have very busy lives and juggling commitments can often come at the expense of family meals at home. Recipes and other resources found on commissaries.com ease the work involved to make those meals happen, which is good since September is National Family Meals Month.

“Research indicates that regular family meals lead to higher grades and self-esteem, healthier eating habits and weights, and less risky behavior in children, “ said Deborah Harris, the Defense Commissary Agency’s registered dietitian. “Adults eat healthier and consume fewer calories as well.”

To make it easier, DeCA has created dietitian-approved “Thinking Outside the Box” recipes and has prepared a complete dinner menu including weekly shopping lists for an entire month of family meals with links to the family-friendly, healthy recipes featured on commissaries.com. This venue offers quick and easy meal solutions featuring ingredients on sale at your commissary saving time and money.

“Designed with busy families in mind, there is a large assortment of easy-to-prepare, dietitian-approved meals, many of which are customizable for picky eaters, always one click away on commissaries.com,” Harris said. “We are continually adding new healthy recipes to ensure our military families stay healthy and save big.”

-DeCA-

 

 

Happy Birthday! Commissaries Honor Air Force’s 71 Years of Service

By

NEWS RELEASE

Defense Commissary Agency

Corporate Communications

1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800

Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105  DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105

FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248

www.commissaries.com

 

 

Release Number:         61-18                                                                                                                       

Date:                              September 13, 2018

Media Contact:             Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist

Tel.:                                (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773

E-mail:                           kevin.robinson@deca.mil

 

Happy birthday!

Commissaries honor Air Force’s 71 years of service

By Tamara Eastman,

DeCA historian

 

Note: To watch a video on DeCA’s YouTube page related to the Air Force, press the “Ctrl” key and click on the photo, or go to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzp1BZnv_jU.

 

For photos on DeCA’s Flickr page, go to

https://www.flickr.com/photos/commissary/sets/72157695208707830.

 

 

FORT LEE, Va. – On Sept.18, the U.S. Air Force will celebrate its 71st birthday. On that date in 1947, W. Stuart Symington, who had previously been the Assistant Secretary of War for Air, was sworn in as secretary for the newly created armed services branch, the U.S. Air Force.

      The Army Air Forces was disbanded upon the creation of the U.S. Air Force, and the Air Force inherited the previous branch’s facilities, including their commissaries.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) salutes the Air Force community on their service’s anniversary, which from the start has been served by commissaries worldwide.

Air Force commissaries were initially supplied by the Army Quartermaster Corps until the Air Force took over running them independently. Shelf-stocking and commodity-purchasing decisions were made at store level.

The Air Force commissaries proved to be most beneficial to military families deployed overseas with the occupying forces in Japan and Germany.

The commissary benefit has helped greatly with the recruitment and retention of the all-volunteer military which went into effect in 1973. In 1976, the formation of the Air Force Commissary Service (AFCOMS) centralized control for all Air Force commissaries, which numbered 181 at the time, under one service, headquartered at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.

As recently as the late 1980s, there was little standardization, no uniformity, no continuity of operations and no career path for commissary workers – civilian or military. DeCA was formed in October 1991, tasked with centralizing all of the service commissaries into one agency.

Today, DeCA provides the commissary benefit for all military services and provides patrons thousands of dollars in savings each year when compared to civilian supermarkets.

Since 1947 members of the United States Air Force have established a superb record of valor, sacrifice and honor and have served honorably during and after the Cold War, during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and are still serving proudly today.

-DeCA-

 

 

 

Food Safety Education

By

NEWS RELEASE

Defense Commissary Agency

Corporate Communications

1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800

Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105  DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105

FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248

www.commissaries.com

 

 

Release Number:         59-18                                                                                                                       

Date:                              August 30, 2018

Media Contact:             Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist

Tel.:                                (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773

E-mail:                           kevin.robinson@deca.mil

 

Food Safety Education

September highlights awareness of foodborne illnesses

By Kevin L. Robinson,

DeCA public affairs specialist

 

Note: To watch a video on DeCA’s YouTube page about tips to prevent foodborne illnesses, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueKEdQb8PbU.

 

FORT LEE, Va. – Keeping foodborne illnesses at bay is a constant job, one shared by retailers and consumers alike, Defense Commissary Agency officials say.

“Commissaries inspect the product pipeline, from the farm to the supplier to the store shelf,” said Col. Alisa R. Wilma, director of DeCA’s Public Health and Safety. “However, that responsibility doesn’t stop with our military veterinarians and store food safety specialists. Our patrons also have a responsibility to protect themselves from foodborne illnesses that could result from mishandling food.”

In observance of Food Safety Education Month in September, DeCA joins the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety Inspection Service, the Department of Health and Human Services and other organizations to help prevent foodborne illnesses by increasing awareness of improperly handling food items.

According to the CDC, each year an estimated one-in-six Americans get sick while 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses. The five most common illnesses are listeria, salmonella, E. coli, vibrio vulnificus and botulism.

“We preach the ‘Be Food Safe’ guidelines because they’re an easy tool for our patrons to use at home in reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses,” Wilma said. “You’d be surprised how many potential problems can be prevented just by washing your hands before, during and after handling food.”

The “Be Food Safe” message, developed by the CDC and the USDA, is simple: clean, separate, cook and chill. They are the basis for the following safe handling techniques:

 

Clean

        • Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat, poultry or seafood.
        • Wash utensils, cutting boards, dishes and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to prepare the next item.
        • Food contact surfaces can be sanitized with a freshly made solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.
        • Separate
  • Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.
  • If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
  • Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood.

 

  • Cook
  • Cook poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 F as measured with a food thermometer.

 

  • Chill
  • Chill food promptly and properly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours (or one hour if temperatures are above 90 F).“Preventing cross contamination is also very important,” she said. “That’s why patrons must keep different perishable foods separated, whether the groceries are in the shopping cart or in the car.”

 

  • A few more tips for handling food safely can be found at www.homefoodsafety.org:
  • Wilma said commissary patrons should always bring a cooler during a long trip to help prevent spoilage by maintaining proper temperatures of foods on the trip home.
  • Use hand sanitizer to wipe hands and the handle of the shopping cart.
  • Clean hands before sampling food. Either bring moist towelettes or carry a bottle of hand sanitizer to use before you taste.
  • If you use reusable grocery bags, wash them often.
  • Check food packages for holes, tears or openings. Frozen foods should be solid with no signs of thawing.
  • Check for a loose lid on jars whose seals seem tampered with or damaged. Report a defective cap to the store manager.
  • Avoid buying cans that are deeply dented, bulging, rusting or have a dent on either the top or side seam.
  • Use plastic bags to separate raw meat, poultry and seafood before placing them in your cart to avoid contaminating ready-to-eat foods like bread or produce.
  • When shopping, select perishable foods last before checkout and group them together.
  • Take groceries home immediately and store them right away. If on an extended trip, bring a cooler with chill packs for perishable foods. Perishable foods must be refrigerated within two hours and only one hour if it is over 90 F outside.
  • Keep perishable foods out of the hot trunk in summer and place in the air-conditioned car instead.

The DeCA website is a good resource for food safety. To find the latest food safety alerts and product recalls affecting military commissaries, visit the News Room on commissaries.com and select the box that says “Food Recall.”

For more on food safety awareness, go to the CDC website. Information on food handling techniques is also available at Eatright.org.

-DeCA-

 

 

 

A Compassionate Home Away From Home

By

**This is a guest post contributed by Chuck Baker. 

When veterans and active duty military personnel need help, it’s very common for other veterans and service people to step up to lend their collective hands. Providing assistance to their fellow brothers and sisters is ingrained in the hearts and minds of America’s military culture. And while it’s not totally out of the ordinary for non-military men and women to step in and supply aid and comfort, there are some of them who have gone to great lengths to do so. While Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher have long since departed this world, their legacy of help and assistance continues to provide dividends for thousands of veterans — and of additional importance — their families.

Zach and his wife Elizabeth did not serve in the military. They observed that injured military members had several methods of receiving medical attention from the government. But they also perceived that a very important adjacent need was not being met. When soldiers were being treated for wounds or illnesses at military hospitals or Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, it was often a hardship for their families to pay for travel expenses and high-quality temporary housing in order to visit their warriors. So the Fisher’s did something about it.

What I Love About Being a Stay-At-Home-Dad

In 1991 they opened the first Fisher House at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Today there are Fisher Houses all across the nation where families can say at no charge whatsoever in private guest suites that are professionally decorated and furnished. Such amenities as common kitchens, spacious dining rooms, computer access and more are also provided.

In Southern Nevada, a Fisher House is located on the grounds of the Veterans Affairs clinic, at Pecos Road and 215. The facility is so inviting, writers such as myself sometimes think we’d prefer to move into one of the spacious rooms rather than return to our homes!

Nevada’s Fisher House is under the care of Manager Cadie Franco. She said that among other qualifications, those who are able to stay at the facility include immediate family — parents, children, sisters, brothers — and even care givers. “Whoever their primary support person is.” While full blown meals are not traditionally available, the Southern Nevada location makes partial exceptions. “Because of our location there’s not a lot of services nearby. So we do try to keep basic food supplies on hand,” Franco said. Food is often donated, and groceries are purchased with donated funds. Community groups sometimes come in and prepare meals for residents. Groups include contingents from Nellis AFB, Shadow Hills Church, Wells Fargo bank and others.

*Chuck Baker is a free-lance writer specializing in veterans and military topics.

 

Budgeting: A Path, Not a Cage

By

*This is a guest post contributed by Catherine Hershey.

Budgeting, much like exercising, only works if you have a clear and realistic path to success. This includes pushing your comfort zone while keeping up some of the things you rely on to ensure you follow-through. It is not responsible to expect yourself to transform from being a spending junkie or a Starbucks addict to a minimalist budgeting angel of peace in one day. It is a process which must start right now, right where we are. It is easy to put things off to the non-existent future saying “after the house is remodeled, then I will be stingy” or “After all my maid of honor duties are over, then I will spend only on necessary things” or “I’m just really having a bad day, I need a shopping spree and a night out. After today I won’t spend money”. Celebrating milestones, making your home comfortable and inviting, or pouring your creative mind into hobbies and passions, are all things that are important and worthy of your hard earned money on. My husband and I both have hobbies and interests which require a bit of spending. Instead of cutting these things out in the interest of saving money, our hobbies serve to fuel our motivation for cutting back the unnecessary spending. In order to make room for the fun things, it is important to have a tight hold on the every day expenses. But taking control does not happen overnight. It requires a path that will lead you on a fulfilling life-changing journey, one step at a time.

STEP 1: TRACK EVERY DOLLAR

Before you can figure out exactly how much life costs you and how much money is wasted, you need a visual representation of all the incoming and outgoing money. In our house, we have a large white board in a visible (yet private) area on which we have listed our spending in categories: Bills, Grocery, Eating Out, Car, Cash, Other. You may also consider adding categories such as Entertainment, Household, Travel, etc. At the bottom of the column we have written the total amount spent, the total amount earned, and the Margin (or difference) between the two. Every Friday, I pull up our bank statement on the computer and write down each transaction in a notebook in the appropriate column, then and update the whiteboard with the totals. At the end of each month, we input the totals into an excel sheet which tracks our averages in each category as well as the total amount earned and spent for the year.
This may seem like unnecessary work considering the existence of banking apps such as Mint that can do this for you. But I find that physically writing each one down helps me to feel like I have more control and more understanding of our current situation. Furthermore, doing this once a week, rather than seeing it every day on my phone, helps me to not obsess and stress over it.

Once you have a clear idea of where the money is going, you can see where spending can be trimmed, which brings us to step two.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY OVERSPENDING AND PROBLEM SOLVE

It is time to examine each column and determine whether there is unnecessary spending going on. For instance, our grocery bill was high for several months in a row. So I decided to get better at cooking and meal planning. My goal was to have 30 good recipes that everyone liked so I wouldn’t have to repeat any and we wouldn’t get sick of them. At the beginning of our marriage, I knew how to make three things. Every week I would try a new recipe (from the internet, or one of the cookbooks I have). Some were terrible and some required a few tries to get right, but we eventually found some keepers and my list steadily grew. Now, I am able to sit down and put together a whole meal plan once a week (accounting for our lunches and the kids’ snacks) and our grocery spending has become more consistent and steady. More importantly, the practice of trying a new recipe every week has become a habit which is steadily making me a better cook and our mealtimes are becoming more diverse and enjoyable. Hint hint: the commissary is a great place to find new ingredients for those diverse, cultural recipes you want to try!

Moving on to the next category, our Eating Out spending was high for several months in a row because my husband was eating out for lunch most days during the week. With some experimentation and creative thinking we finally figured out what kind of lunch I could send to work with him that would be appropriate for the kind of job he was doing and how much time he had for lunch. This saves us on average $50/week.

I did however notice there were still many Starbucks transactions, adding up to about $60/month. This was partly because my husband left for work at 6am every morning and partly because there was a Starbucks near the playground where I frequently took the kids for play dates. We solved this problem by setting the coffee maker every night to turn on at 5:30am the next day, picking up a flavored coffee creamer, and buying a $30 cold brewer. This way we always have several varieties of coffee available to us and are able to take a mug or thermos full when we leave the house. Our Starbucks spending went down to about $10/month.

We believe that budgeting is about problem solving and will take time. It should be treated as a life changing journey with some give and take. Some months you will be right where you need to be, some months you will drop the ball. Those months shouldn’t be discouraging, but a chance to learn what you can do better next time.  You can’t learn to be a good cook in one day, but if you try something new every week you will soon have a months worth of good recipes which will keep you from getting bored and eating out.

STEP 3: SET GOALS

The fun thing about budgeting is there is no set amount that you should be spending in each category, that is totally determined by you. Combing through our lifestyle habits and finding where spending can be trimmed is an exercise that requires a lot of humility and self honesty.

But without something driving you to cut back the extra spending, you will continue bad habits and drown in guilt. This is why it is important to have long-term goals as well as monthly budget goals. Most of us have some sort of debt and this is a good motivator to cut back on spending. When you have figured out how much your spending can be cut down month to month, make big goals for putting that money towards paying off your debt and saving for your future. Because of the lifestyle changes I mentioned above, we were able to pay off our 6-year car loan in 3 years, and cut my student loans in half in 2 years. This kind of success is empowering! Once you achieve one of your goals it becomes easier to conceive the kind of future you want and draft the steps you need to take to get there.

Budgeting needs to be revised for the 21st century. The methods that our parents used are out of date and need some revamping. The envelopes full of money method is no longer effective, as most of our financial transactions are digital. It is time to embrace a journey of honest change rather than simply putting a cage around our money.

 

Holistic Treatments Part of VA Medical

By

**This is a guest post contributed by Chuck Baker. 

In the past I have briefly discussed holistic medicine, and efforts that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had been taking to include such treatments in its care of veterans. Since then, the VA has made some additional efforts to include non-traditional treatments. Sometimes, civilian firms help lead the way.

Valerie Heath once sold telephone equipment to the military coast to coast. She met with active duty soldiers, and veterans who worked for the military. “I heard their stories,” she said. “I realized many of them needed help.” She had begun learning about various techniques to help individuals with emotional problems, and became an expert in Reiki and other therapies. Over time she felt that veterans who have difficulty connecting with traditional medicine could benefit from a holistic approach. Five years ago she opened Heaven & Earth Oasis in Los Angeles to offer holistic services. And in order to help veterans, she decided to offer her services at no cost to them.

Veteran Holistic Treatment

Today she has a staff of 10 holistic healers and several other volunteers. She relies on non-veterans who pay for her services, and on donations and large public events such as golf tournaments and lunches. And she said that while the VA has begun to offer more and more of what her group does, it has a long way to go. Looking into the types of remedies offered, it seems that there are almost as many alternative treatments as there are veterans. For example, Heath offers Reiki, DNA Theta, water therapy, chiropractic therapy, massage, acupuncture and biofeedback, all practiced by certified and licensed professionals.

In Southern Nevada, a spokesperson for the VA said qualified veterans are often treated with auricular acupuncture, kinesiotherapy, osteopathic manipulative therapy and a wide variety of related services. His comments mirror what Heath reports about VA facilities in California. She said the VA has been offering similar treatments for veterans in the Golden State. And her organization helps to fill any void. “Thanks to our donors, U.S. servicemen and women are receiving at no charge, the most effective, professional holistic healing methods to help them recover, re-enter society and re-engage in productive work.”

According to the Army Times, National Guardsmen are a growing element of those who could benefit from holistic treatments. Guardsmen are quickly dropped from active duty once their deployments are over, and often leave the service with unfinished medical treatments. The quick out-processing means they are dropped in the lap of the VA with less than approved appropriate medical disability benefits. That’s where organizations like Heaven & Earth Oasis often come in, helping to fill a gap until Guardsmen can be officially signed with the VA. Heath explained that “I’ve worked with military and veterans groups for twenty years, and became aware that veterans need the most help to heal physically and emotionally,” she said. “For this reason, I was gripped by a determination to do something for them.”

*Chuck Baker is a free-lance writer specializing in veterans and military topics.

Origami? Isn’t that for Children?

By

**This is a guest post contributed by Mikaela Whitney. 

I’m a Para jumper, I don’t need to know arts and crafts

People don’t give origami enough credit. It literally saves lives in the military every single day. The usage of origami- paper folding can be found in parachutes, air bags, and tents. How does someone take a big item and store it efficiently? Origami. How can a parachute be folded to open properly? Origami. How do the transformers go from giant robots to cars? Origami. There’s so much more to origami than paper boats, cranes, and hats and almost any Military personnel can put it to use.

Robert J. Lang has been seen talking about space exploration and incorporating origami into science for years. Understanding how something large can be folded up and unfolded without compromising the structural makeup of something can lead to revolutionary science that’s based around thousand-year-old arts and crafts. In years past, origami has been able to inspire real-life examples of this practice, including space lenses for telescopes the size of football fields. There have been solar panels that open and close using this origami inspiration. NASA is also designing star shades to block unwanted light that could allow telescopes to see further in areas blocked by starlight.

I’m no Para jumper or engineer

So, you’re not jumping out of helicopters or designing revolutionary military equipment. Why should you learn origami? If you can think of something, an animal, a chair, a flower, you can probably find an origami instructional video on it. Maybe you’re being stationed in Japan. Knock them dead when you can not only fold a paper crane, but you can make an origami Yoda from Star Wars. On a train? Fold origami. On a plane? Fold origami. On a bus? Fold origami. You might travel all the time, it’s a great way to sharpen your skills and challenge your brain. If you’re good at geometry and general mathematics, you might even be able to design your own. You can even make origami tanks with standard printer paper. I mean who doesn’t like tanks? You could even make your favorite fighter jets, biplanes, and helicopters. There is a model for everyone. Even if you’re horrible at origami I can find even one model anyone can fold. Take a square paper and fold it off center diagonally so you have all four points pointing up. You just made the one-fold Stegosaurus.

I’m Retired Military or a Dependent/Spouse

Alright, so you’re no longer active, or you were never in the Military, that’s alright. There’s still plenty of reasons you should pick up this new skill. When I was in school I was horrible at geometry. Shapes and angles made my brain hurt. It was only until I viewed geometry from an origami standpoint that I was able to teach myself about right angles and symmetry. I was able to visualize the math in a 3D real-world representation of what was in front of me in the text book. School projects were always a breeze. “We need someone who can draw for this art project” is a sentence I heard a lot in school. I can’t draw, but I’ve done school projects in origami and got good marks for creativity and originality. Use it to make props for your science fair too. Did a science experiment about rats? Don’t lose him in the school cafeteria, make an origami rat for the display. It will be a one of the kind hit.

Maybe you’re out of school like me, your family or spouse is in the military and you pick up some paper while shopping on base and you think “well, what can I do with this?” With Standard printer paper or colored printer paper you can easily begin the exploration into the origami world. From a rectangle if you fold the bottom corner to the opposite edge at a 45-degree angle you should create a right triangle plus some extra paper. Trim the extra paper to reveal that if the triangle is unfolded you’ll have a square ready to fly—to be a crane. Another way is to line up two rectangle papers, one horizontal and one vertical. Line it up corner to corner. You should be able to see the square now. Draw a line where the extra paper is and cut it to reveal your square, or two if you do both papers.

I have recently used origami to make a one of a kind statement piece in my house using scrapbook paper, a piece of wood and a clock movement. There is some extraordinary modular origami out there you can use to make jewelry, household decorations and Christmas ornaments. You can even sell them to make money! If you made an origami modular ball shape with paper and put it over an LED bulb lamp, you now have a one of a kind lamp shade. If you buy some clear ornaments that open and you placed your favorite origami model inside, you just made one of a kind ornaments you could sell. Tiny origami in glass bottles on necklaces, you can sell it. Teach classes at a craft store and keep the profits.

Maybe you have small children who have been running around the house and you can’t get them to stay still. Make them an origami hat and paper sword so they can be pirates. Or teach them some origami too. Children love origami because there are a lot of models designed with them in mind. I once babysat a girl whose attention I held the whole time I was watching her, by showing her some origami. I made her flowers fish and paper claws. Children get so captivated by origami they start learning it to, you can learn with them as a bonding activity, or make them a boat or crane and watch their face light up in amazement. I have handed kids an origami box before and they were anything but impressed. Then I told them the box is magic. I unfolded a few flaps and the box became a rose. The expression they make when origami goes from a box, to a rose, back into a box is heartwarming. The model is even simple enough to teach a preteen. They will love to make them for their friends and share their new skills

Origami can be great for passing time, going into space, saving lives and making a couple extra dollars.  Try origami it doesn’t take a genius to get started—just put one-fold in front of the other.

Boosting Your Fitness Levels as a Veteran

By

by guest contributor Lucy Wyndham

The transition to civilian life can be challenging for vets, but one setback they don’t often expect but often have to face, is weight gain. According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity, vets gain between 2.2. And 2.9 pounds per year when they are discharged, which is double the amount gained by those on active duty.

Being aware of this tendency is vital in itself, since it can serve as motivation to not be just another statistic; to take the reins of your health and wellbeing by embracing a healthy lifestyle and diet. Of course, make sure to check out the many discounts on sporting and leisure activities which are available to vets, so you ensure you have fun while working on your fitness.

Increased Risks in Some Vets

For male and female vets, there are specific factors that can be considered risks for greater weight gain. These include having less educational qualifications, being overweight when discharge takes place, being in an active field within the military, and having experienced deployment with exposure to combat.

A Fitness Program for All Seasons

Although there are a wide variety of fitness options vets can choose from, the essential components of losing weight and keeping it off, include cardiovascular and strength training exercises. Interval training is also vital for those wishing to lose body fat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends training five days a week, enjoying 150 minutes of moderate intensity cardio training and at least two strength training  sessions a week.

Building muscle is an important way to increase your metabolic rate; at rest, a pound of muscle burns 250% more calories than a pound of fat. You don’t have to worry about building bulk; by lifting a moderate amount of weight, you should build enough muscle to give you a lean, fit look and keep obesity at bay.

Photo by Justyn Warner on Unsplash

Short but Intense

Interval training involves pushing yourself to peak intensity for a few seconds or minutes and cooling down with lower intensity activities, then repeating this cycle a set number of times. As noted by Time, “Working out in short, intense bursts can be just as good for your heart and muscles as longer endurance regimens.”

Interval training causes muscle cells to work more efficiently, and burns significantly more calories than a traditional cardio routine. One recent study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting revealed that two weeks of high-intensity intervals improves one’s aerobic capacity as much as six to eight weeks of endurance workouts.

A Workout that Fits Your Lifestyle

You are much more likely to stick to a workout if it ignites your passion. If you haven’t been in the gym for a while, approach fitness calmly, obtaining prior medical approval and the help of a qualified trainer.

If you are into military-inspired workout programs, inquire about the suitability of CrossFit or Warrior Dash, which will push your endurance.

Your workouts don’t need to be centered around a specific plan, of course; if nothing ignites your passion like working out in the great outdoors, a run or brisk walk for around an hour a day will do plenty to boost your heart health.

If you have always found working out to be a chore, choose from a plethora of activities that wield powerful benefits despite seeming like a party (think dance, Zumba, or mountain biking); being open-minded to new activities is an ideal way to discover new hobbies.

If you have been in combat or you are facing stress, anxiety, or depression, making time for holistic practises such as yoga or Tai Chi, is a must; these activities are currently used as complementary therapies for a host of stress-related conditions (including substance abuse), since they have been proven in numerous studies to lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.

Staying fit after leaving the military is vital; if ever you lack the motivation to hit the gym or put on your trainers and head out for a jog, remember that your physical and mental health and wellbeing are intricately linked. Exercising regularly will improve your mood, keep stress down, and build your self-confidence, while helping keep heart disease and cancer at bay.

 *this article was submitted by guest contributor Lucy Wyndham

Smooth Transition to Civilian Life Made Easier By ESGR

By

**This is a guest post contributed by Chuck Baker. 

In 1946 William Wyler directed a post-WWII film entitled “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Considered by most critics and film goers as one of the best movies ever produced, the Oscar winning story revolves around three servicemen returning home after the war. In one scene, actor Dana Andrews returns to the drugstore where he worked prior to the service. The manager asks Andrews if he gained any experience that could transfer to the drugstore. For example, was he a supervisor, did he work in the supply room, did he have purchasing skills? Andrews answers that all he did was pilot bombers over enemy territory. The manger shrugged and offered Andrews a job as a soda jerk, which he took. After all, employment was difficult to obtain after the war.

Today, real-life experiences like that are few and far between. Uniformed service members of the National Guard and Reserve have rights and responsibilities when they return from active duty, particularly when it comes to returning to their pre-deployment employment. And employers are also expected to adhere to laws that govern their actions. Mary T. Johnson is a Nevada based local chairperson of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR.) She oversees a large group of State-wide volunteers who help spread the word concerning smooth transitioning of Nevada residents who return to the workforce after serving the nation.

“We’re fortunate to have support from Nevada’s employers,” Johnson said. She explained that ESGR circulates information under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act that mandates obligations for employers to rehire National Guard and Reservists. But she points out that those returning are required to act quickly as well. Upon returning, they must notify companies of the date they plan to go back to work, and they should seek to resolve any pay and compensation issues. Other details that will vary from employer to employer, such as reviewing 401k or other pension plans, discussing retirement and life insurance benefits, updating personal data such as addresses and phone numbers, and determining if training or retraining of job skills is necessary.

Companies are nominated each year to receive awards for their help in transitioning servicemen and women back to work. There are three categories. “We give awards to large firms, small companies and public sector firms,” Johnson said. Work revolving around ESGR is accomplished by volunteers. Johnson, a resident of Southern Nevada, is a Navy Reservist who reports to the Fallon Naval Air Station. Her volunteer work is separate from her Reserve duties. She covers the entire State, but she is always seeking the services of new volunteers.

Find your local ESGR representative by visiting the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve website here.

*Chuck Baker is a free-lance writer specializing in veterans and military topics.