Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

5 Tips for Job Hunting When You’re Still in Uniform

By

As military spouses, the job hunt is just another box to check on our PCS checklist. We are constantly updating our resumes, networking with potential job leads and shaking hands at career fairs.

But what about our service members?  The military teaches today’s veterans to fight terrorism on foreign soil but writing a stellar cover letter isn’t a component of boot camp.

According to 2 recent studies focused on veterans and unemployment, eight in 10 veterans did not have a job when they left the military and nearly half of veterans stayed in their first post-separation position for 12 months or less (and two-thirds for 2 years or less). These startling statistics shine a spotlight on veteran unemployment and the challenges surrounding this issue. Add the fact that our military is currently facing significant troop reductions, we can all agree that solving the unemployment problem for veterans starts when they are still in uniform.

5 tips for Job Hunting and Networking When You’re Still in the Military

5 Tips for Job Hunting and Networking When You’re Still in Uniform

  1. Create a LinkedIn Profile. If you are in the military, you need a LinkedIn profile, even if you think you will serve for 20 years. This professional social media platform allows you to connect with former colleagues and potential employers. If you want a job, you need a LinkedIn account.
  2. Befriend Civilians. The longer you are in the military, the more insular the community becomes. Within 5 years, you know loads of Marines, soldiers and sailors, but you don’t know any police officers, facility managers or educators. Solve this problem by joining a professional organization, like Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is an easy way to practice your public speaking skills and connect with professionals in your community.  Volunteer to coach your kid’s soccer team or help with a local Boy Scouts troop. These extra-curricular activities will lead to potential jobs outside of the military.
  3. Send Christmas Cards. When you say “see you later” to every captain or sergeant who crossed your path, don’t forget about each other. Dedicate time to keep in touch with service members that you served with at all ranks. Know who you can count on for references when the time comes to write your civilian resume. Build your network within your military community now.
  4. Maintain Your Security Clearances and Certifications. In the military, there are certain boxes that you check for a particular job. It was a requirement for that job, but it won’t always be a requirement. If you speak a second language, take the test to be classified as bilingual. Raise your hand for collateral duties instead of being directed to take these roles within your command. Make sure your certifications and security clearances are up to date and current. Position yourself to be competitive both in and out of the military.
  5. Make a Plan B. The fact is that the Department of Defense is downsizing and every soldier, Marine, airman and sailor needs to have a Plan B. You need to plan to take your military job and convert it to a civilian job in the future. Obviously the majority of military jobs do not have a civilian equivalent, so invent one. The military offered opportunities for leadership, so management is a natural fit for you. The military taught you how to motivate others, so sales may be calling your name. Research specialized programs like Troops to Teachers and Veterans to Farmers while you’re still active duty so that you know your options when you separate from the service.

Spend time twice a year brainstorming ways you can take the knowledge and experience you gained in the military and apply it toward your second career: Your civilian career. The one where you won’t have daily PT, mandatory fun and stand-downs.

What tips do you have for service members preparing to start their civilian job search?

MilitaryShoppers Halloween Photo Contest Winner!

By

MilitaryShoppers congratulates Coast Guard wife Angela Osorio of Seattle for winning a $100 Toys R Us e-gift card through our Military Kid Photo Contest.

Winner Halloween Photo Contest

Angela’s photo of her children, Spiderman also known as Nicholas, 4 years old and Minnie Mouse also known as Isabella, 8 years old, was selected at random among the hundreds of entries of adorable children in costume emailed to MilitaryShoppers.

Congratulations to Angela Osorio!

You have more chances to win with MilitaryShoppers this month. Submit a photo for the monthly photo contest today. The winner of $50 prize will be selected on November 30.

Good luck!

Save Money with Discounted Thanksgiving Dinner Items This Month

By

Even though I haven’t completely recovered from my Halloween candy indulgence (I need to get those Snickers out of my house), I am mentally preparing for my family’s Thanksgiving food feast. Have you made your Thanksgiving dinner shopping list yet? How many people are you hosting this November? Are you having a potluck?

Preparing a Thanksgiving dinner is a cooking triathlon. The first event? Shopping for your family’s turkey and the mountain of ingredients for appetizers, side dishes and desserts. The second event is prep work. Thanksgiving-cooking gurus recommend making as much food as possible ahead of time. This sprint of cooking starts a week before the holiday and ends when you take that golden turkey out of the oven. Then the final event…clean-up duty.

Despite this complicated and at times overwhelming meal creation, Thanksgiving dinner remains my favorite holiday meal.

Last year, the American Farm Bureau Federation announced that the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc.) for 10 adults cost nearly $50 in groceries. I’m willing to bet that military families with the advantage of everyday low commissary prices combined with special discounts this month will purchase their Thanksgiving dinners for less than $50. What do you think? How much is your holiday food budget for Thanksgiving? How are you planning to save money while cooking enough food for a small Army? The answer is easy: Shop this month’s commissary specials.

If my favorite Thanksgiving dish– green bean casserole– is on your menu, be sure to stock up on Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. It’s on sale this month for only 67 cents per can. At that price, you can make green bean casserole for Thanksgiving AND Christmas.

Another pantry staple that you don’t want to run out of is Swanson chicken broth because a dry turkey is a terrible turkey. Keep that bird moist and tasty with plenty of chicken broth in the stuffing. I also put a sizeable amount in the bottom of the turkey roaster to keep it cooking evenly without drying out for hours.

Military families will also save money this month when they buy their Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls at their military commissary. This month, the convenient dinner rolls are on sale for $1.50 each. At that low price, you won’t mind when your husband invites 20 single sailors to Thanksgiving dinner at the last minute.

Prefer biscuits to crescent rolls? You’re in luck. Pillsbury biscuits are also on sale at your military commissary this month. The sale price is $1.28 each.

My mother is on the only person I know who makes her pie crust from scratch. For the rest of us with time and patience on our hands there is Pillsbury pie crust. It’s also on sale this month.

Want more convenient ways to save money at your commissary? Be sure to ask for a 2014 Thanksgiving Turkey Coupon Promotion booklet the next time you shop your military commissary. Quantities are limited.

Good luck to all those Thanksgiving dinner triathletes. May your turkey stay moist, may your leftovers be minimal and may your guests be kind enough to offer to wash your dishes.

Want to know the weekly manager’s specials? Sign up for MilitaryShoppers’ newsletter.

Early Detection Saves Lives

By

With deployments, PCSing, constant employment searches, financial instability, your kids’ homework and all of the chaos that comes with military life, it’s easy for you– the military spouse– to forget about your health.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and while we are bombarded with pink items available for purchase at our favorite stores, this month is the perfect reminder that women need to take time for our health needs. We must do our monthly breast self-exams. It’s non-negotiable. It’s a necessity for our health and wellness.

Early detection is the key to conquering breast cancer.

Early detection is a combination of 2 regular screenings. First, women are advised to do monthly breast self-exams. Every. Single. Month. Not once in a while. Not when they think about. Not the day before a doctor’s appointment. Every month. Secondly, women are advised to have a clinical exam every 3 years during their 20s and 30s. Starting in your 40s, women are recommend to have an annual mammogram. For women who have a 15 percent higher risk, Tricare covers mammograms beginning at age 30. These basic screenings– clinical exams and mammograms– are covered by Tricare.

Breast cancer research conducted at Johns Hopkins Medical center states that “40 percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important.” With early detection the survival rate for breast cancer is 98 percent. That statistic alone should make breast self-exams a priority in your life.

4 Ways to Remember to Do Monthly Breast Self-Exams

When was the last time you did your self-exam? More than 31 days ago?

Here are 4 ways to remind yourself to do a monthly breast self-exam:

  1. Create an account with Early Detection Plan. It takes 5 minutes to set up reminders for monthly breast self-exams and routine clinical check-ups. Besides the website, smartphone users can download the Early Detection Plan app for either iPhone or Android.
  2. Pick 1 day each month that’s your self-exam day. Make this date easy to remember.  Many women choose either the first day or last day of the month. Or you can choose the same date as your birthday. For example if your birthday is July 23, you simply make it a routine to do your self-exams in the shower on the 23rd of every month.
  3. Schedule a reminder. Do your breast self-exam today and then schedule a reminder on your electronic calendar. It will send you a text message alert every month. Have the reminder say that “40 percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump.”
  4. Choose an BSE accountability buddy. Ask a sister, aunt, mother or close friend to be your breast self-exam (BSE) accountability buddy. We have friends who kindly remind us to exercise or eat healthy. Breast self-exams are necessary for healthy lives for women.

Want more information about breast self-exams?

Visit Susan G. Komen’s website, American Cancer Society’s website or National Breast Cancer organization’s website. These websites, along with many others, explain in detail how to conduct monthly breast self-exams.

Food Insecurity a Reality for Many Military Families

By

Military Families Use Food Banks

Are you a military family who uses a local food bank?

I wasn’t surprised by the numbers. I wasn’t shocked by the headlines. I thought to myself “yeah, that seems about right.” Many military families, like many Americans, regularly face food insecurity so these military families, like many Americans regularly fill their pantries with nonperishable items from their local food banks. They may do it once. They do it between pay periods. They may do it every 6 months. The point is that military families use food banks.

This isn’t something new. My husband volunteered distributing food to military families at a southern California installation in 2003. But the news of American service members utilizing civilian food banks has recently grabbed the media’s attention.

It all started with Feeding America’s annual survey. In that report, it said that 620,000 households that seek food assistance from a Feeding America network agency each year include at least 1 member who is currently serving in the U.S. military. That person may be an active duty Marine or he may be an inactive reservist. The Feeding America study didn’t examine that type of specific data. But every media outlet ran with a headline saying “25 percent of military families are seeking food aid.”

The Department of Defense immediately questioned Feeding America’s survey methodology saying that “surveying households instead of individuals while comparing those numbers to military data creates an inaccurate picture.” The Pentagon spokesman also reminded Americans that the military offers the Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance for low-income families.

But few military families are using the Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance. Why? My guess is military families want to remain anonymous in their financial struggle. They don’t want their commander to find out they can’t afford to feed their 5 children. That’s why military spouses prefer to visit a food pantry at their local churches. In the majority of cases, spouses show their military ID and the food bank will give them food that day.

A short and incomplete search on Google showed food drives for hungry airmen, lines of Marine families waiting for free food, donation drop-off locations near Navy installations, partnerships between the USO and food banks and churches scrambling to fill the need for veterans, National Guard soldiers and Reservists families. I’m sure if you ask your FRO or the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, they will tell you that some, not all, military families are struggling financially to make ends meet.

If military families weren’t struggling, than why would there be a need for food banks located on overseas military installations?

Many military families, like many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. They aren’t saving for their dream house and they won’t buy a vacation home at their retirement. They are scraping by and local food banks ease their burden.

Do I think military families should use local food banks? Frankly it’s none of my business. But I do think that the Pentagon needs to hear the old adage: if one military family is relying on a local food bank, that’s one military family too many.

Did you donate food through DeCA’s Feds Feed Families program? How do you feel about military families using food banks?

Hey Uncle Sam, Stay Out of Service Members’ Bedrooms

By

cheatingservicemembers

Rumors are not evidence.

The Department of Defense is full of adulterers. From privates to generals, you can find service members, both enlisted and officers, who have committed adultery by cheating on their spouses. While it is commonly believed that if a service member is unfaithful to his/her wife, the Armed Forces will discharge him/her, military spouses can rattle off countless examples (many based on rumors) where the service member isn’t punished for cheating. A few of these examples reach national news headlines, as in the case of Gen. David Petraeus and Army Col. James H. Johnson III. But the majority of military adulterers never face repercussions from their chain of command and never face the public scrutiny.

If service members cheat on their spouses, but never get kicked out of the military isn’t this no-adultery rule pointless?

The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is a federal law, enacted by Congress, to govern legal discipline and court martials for the Armed Forces. The UCMJ is the guiding legal document for all service members. Articles 77 through 134 of the UCMJ outline the “punitive offenses” or crimes that service members can be prosecuted.

Here is a list of offenses that are listed in the UCMJ:

  • Captured or Abandoned Property (Article 103)
  • Absence Without Leave (Article 86)
  • Drunken or Reckless Driving (Article 111)
  • Dueling (Article 114)

Adultery is NOT listed as a punitive offense in the UCMJ.

That said let’s look at Article 134, the General Article within the UCMJ.

Though not specifically mentioned in this chapter, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the Armed Forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the Armed Forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, special or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion of that court.

–Article 134 of the UCMJ

It’s the typical catch-all paragraph that the government loves to have in any legal document.

Technically adultery is punishable by reprimand, dismissal and prison. But service members are rarely charged with adultery as a stand-alone offense. If they are charged with adultery, it’s usually tied to a list of offenses. That was the case for Air Force Lt. Kelly Flinn, the first female pilot of a B-52 bomber. She faced a court martial for adultery for an affair with a married civilian, lying about the affair by denying it to an investigator, fraternizing with an enlisted man in another brief affair and disobeying a direct order. In the end, Flinn was allowed to be discharged from the military instead of facing a court martial.

marriedcouple

If service members cheat on their spouses, but never get kicked out of the military isn’t this no-adultery rule pointless?

Adultery, as a military offense, is rarely prosecuted because of the necessity of 3 Elements of Proof, as outlined in the Manual for Courts-Martial. Here are those elements:

  1. That the accused wrongfully had sexual intercourse with a certain person;
  2. That, at the time, the accused or the other person was married to someone else; and
  3. That, under the circumstances, the conduct of the accused was to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces or was of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

This means that a court martial needs to have documented evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. Evidence normally requires photographs, a confession and eyewitness testimony. Rumors are not evidence. The 3 Elements of Proof also requires that the government show that the individual’s conduct had some direct negative impact on the military. It is nearly impossible and time-consuming to prove that a service member committed adultery.

militaryadultery

Technically adultery is punishable by reprimand, dismissal and prison.

Knowing that it is nearly impossible to punish a service member for adultery, I think DOD should stop including adultery as an offense. Let’s leave adultery where it belongs– in the bedroom– and work on the true issues of today’s military community.

What’s your opinion of including adultery in the UCMJ? Share it in the comments section below.

How to Stay Informed on Food Safety Alerts

By

Guide to Staying Informed on Food Safety Alerts and Product Recalls

Commissary shoppers should sign up for email alerts to stay informed on food recalls.

I learned the news from a recorded phone message. An East Coast grocery store chain was alerting me to the fact that the organic apple juice I purchased 2 weeks earlier was recalled by its manufacturing company. I was relieved to receive this informational food alert phone call.

But this instance of a food product recall led me to wonder about the rest of my family’s food purchased from our military commissary. How will I know if this food is recalled? And what should I do if I find a recalled item in my pantry or refrigerator?

Your Guide to Staying Informed on Food Safety Alerts and Product Recalls

  1. First of all, you need to understand how a food safety alert or product recall happens. The majority of food recalls are voluntarily initiated by manufacturers and distributors. For example, Kraft Foods Group issued a voluntarily recall of 7,691 cases of select varieties of regular Kraft American Singles Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product late last month. Strict federal regulation ensures that food manufacturing companies work diligently to actively recall any food with potential health risks.
  2. Next the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will evaluate the potential severity of the recall. They will make sure that all reasonable efforts to remove or correct the problem are being made. This is when the recall notice is posted on websites for consumers and stores are contacted to remove the item from their shelves. Whenever a commissary has a recalled or withdrawn product in its inventory, the product is immediately removed from store shelves. Typically there is a sign posted on the empty shelves alerting customers about the food recall.
  3. Then it is the customer’s responsibility to check their pantries for recalled food products.
  4. If a customer has a recalled item, they should return that item to the commissary or grocery store for a refund.

One thing to keep in mind is that food recalls are not unusual. In a 12-month period from July 2102 to July 2013, there was more than 600 food recalls in the United States and Canada. The most typical recalls are due to contamination (such as E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella) and misbranding (undeclared allergens such as peanut, tree nut, milk, egg, soy, shellfish). Finally a food recall doesn’t mean that people have gotten sick from a particular item. Most times, there aren’t any reported cases of hospitalization, but the manufacturing company is exercising caution.

Are you worried about food alerts and product recalls?

Consider subscribing to email alert service through the FDA. These emails keep shoppers informed on timely FDA news and information.

Guide to Staying Informed on Food Safety Alerts and Product Recalls

Are you worried about food alerts and product recalls?

For the latest food safety alerts and product recalls affecting products sold at military commissaries, visit the Food & Product Recalls page at the commissaries website.

Boost Your Child’s Immune System for Back to School

By

This week my oldest daughter started kindergarten. While she was cool as a cucumber about her first academic milestone, I was fretting over every detail in preparation for the first day of school. On Thursday, I reviewed her school supply checklist for the 16th time. On Friday, I scrutinized the nutritional value of her school’s lunch program. On Saturday, my daughter and I timed her walk to school, a whopping 6 blocks north of our house. On Sunday, I drilled into her the importance of washing her hands. On Monday morning, instead of enjoying this moment with her I had a panic attack over the fact that her immune system is going to be exposed to all kinds of germs and viruses… starting with the first day of school.

immune boosting breakfast

Did you know that school-age children average 5 to 6 colds a year? Parents must make a concentrated effort to boost their child’s immune system.

Want to know the easiest way to stay healthy this school year? Eat an immune-boosting breakfast.

What’s an immune-boosting breakfast? It starts with a glass of orange juice. One serving of Simply Orange Pulp Free with Calcium and Vitamin D provides 100 percent of my daughter’s daily recommended vitamin C. Vitamin C is a natural way to prevent colds and ear infections. Simply Orange juice tastes freshly squeezed and gets 2 thumbs-up from my daughter. That means less yelling “drink your orange juice” in the morning.

Win an iPad Mini through Kelloggs and Minute Maid

This immune-boosting breakfast is more than a glass of OJ. We need carbs and protein to keep her energy levels up from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. But as a work-from-home mother, I don’t have time to make a homemade breakfast and I know that anything sugary leads to a crash and burn during morning recess. So instead of spending my precious morning time whipping up a homemade breakfast, I do the next best thing. I serve my daughter fresh-from-the freezer Kellogg’s Eggo Homestyle waffles. With 190 calories and only 2 grams of sugar per serving, when these waffles pop up in our toaster my daughter knows it’s time to start her day. I swear she can hear that toaster better than her alarm clock.

I pair 2 round waffles with a convenient protein, like MorningStar Farms Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage Patties for a complete breakfast. With 3 grams of total fat per serving, these savory veggie patties contain 79 percent less fat than cooked pork sausage. This breakfast isn’t only good for my kindergartner. It’s a good way for me to start my day.

MorningStar Farms Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage Patties, Kellogg’s Eggo waffles and Simply Orange juice are all on sale this month at your military commissary. Besides boosting your immune system, these savings will also boost your money-saving happiness.

 

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Kellogg’s and Minute Maid.

Break the Habit of Lying to Your Doctor

By

Remember to take your Sundown Naturals vitamins daily.

Stop lying to your doctor. Add a daily multivitamin to your diet.

I always hate lying to my doctor. In my heart, I want tell her the truth. No, I don’t walk for the recommended 20 minutes three times a week. No, I don’t drink red wine; I drink beer. No, I don’t take a daily multivitamin.

After my annual exam, I feel shameful about the deception. Obviously she knows I’m lying, right? A WebMD survey found that 45 percent of patients lie to their doctors. I’m that 45 percent. The shame.

Wouldn’t it be nice if for once – just once – I could honestly answer that I take my multivitamins daily. Imagine how confidently I could answer her questions. How I wouldn’t have to avert my eyes when she looks at me. Best of all, I would enjoy the health benefits of taking a multivitamin.

But which multivitamin is the right one for me? I could ask my doctor for a recommendation … nah, I don’t want to admit to her that I lied and staring at the choices at the commissary is overwhelming.

Then I discovered the Sundown Naturals Gummy Match.

In less than 2 minutes and a mere 8 questions later, I found a gummy vitamin that was trustworthy and genuine. The perfect match for me is Sundown Naturals Vitamin C Gummies. This naturally orange flavor vitamin will give my immune system the boost it needs to fight off the constant attack of germs dragged home by my daughters from daycare. The Vitamin C is also essential to collagen formation that will slow down the aging of my skin, bones and joints. While I was reassured from this quiz that Sundown Naturals Vitamin C Gummies are the best choice for me, the deal was sealed when I received a $2 coupon in my inbox. I wasted no time redeeming that coupon at my military commissary.

Now that I have this great tasting gummy vitamin, how will I ever remember to take it? In the day-to-day grind of unloading the dishwasher, refereeing toy sharing and tackling the overflowing pile of dirty laundry, taking my vitamin is the last thing on my mind. Does this mean I can tell my doctor that I bought the vitamins, I just couldn’t remember to take them? Lame.

That was my excuse. No more. I downloaded the convenient Sundown V-Minder app. The app provides a digital tap-on-the-shoulder reminder to take my vitamins. Every. Single. Day. The Sundown V-Minder also lets me know when my supply is getting low and conveniently adds vitamins to my shopping list.

Sundown Naturals vitamins are gluten free, nondairy, vegetarian and lactose free. There are no artificial flavors and no words on the label that I can’t pronounce.

Are you curious about Sundown Naturals vitamins? Find a store near you.

Deep down you know that lying to your doctor isn’t a healthy habit. Consider adding a daily Sundown Naturals vitamin to your health routine. Your conscience will thank you.

 

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Sundown Naturals. 

Stop Committing Professional Networking Suicide

By

Dating is WAY easier than networking. Once you get married, you are no longer on the hunt for your spouse. You can relax. You are done. When it comes to professional networking, you are never done. Keeping your network alive and vibrant takes persistence and constant involvement, like a healthy marriage. It’s a tango of two people that’s a win-win for both parties.

In today’s professional world, people are either good at networking or terrible at networking. Military spouses who can negotiate the social tightrope of professional networking find themselves jumping from job to job like a trapeze artist. Others try and find that their network is nonexistent. Or worst yet, nonresponsive.networking

Networking is essential for military spouses in the job hunt. Essential. A nonexistent or nonresponsive network will kill your career faster than you can say “We’re moving in 6 months.”

Are you committing professional networking suicide?

[Read more…]