Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

Two Commissaries in Germany Will Close Their Doors This Spring

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In a never-ending drive by the government to cut the military budget, the Pentagon has proposed to cut the commissary budget for 2017 by $221 million. How would this budget reduction impact the every day consumer?

Commissaries will be closing. Not all commissaries; no need to panic. Stateside commissaries are safe for now. Those in Europe, on the other hand, are on the chopping block.

The first 2 commissaries slated to close are in Germany; they are the commissaries at Sembach and Illesheim.

In 2015, Sembach sales were $3.8 million and Illesheim was only a mere $2.5 million. Both of these commissaries have been in operation since the 1960s. They are small stores, with only 4 checkout lanes each. This puts them at the bottom third of commissary sales. There are 240 commissaries and these two just aren’t holding up to standards others are setting.

Officials are quick to say that closing these 2 commissaries isn’t a big deal for customers since they are within a 30-minute drive of 2 larger commissaries from Sembach and a 35-minute drive to the next commissary from Illesheim. Shoppers from Sembach could make that commute if they wanted to shop at Vogelweh or Ramstein Air Base. Those at Illesheim would have to drive to Ansbach for their next closest commissary.

A 30- or 35-minute commute might not sound like much to government officials in Washington, D.C., but it can be significant for families living abroad.

The commissary’s slogan, “it’s worth the drive,” might just take on a whole new meaning. This holds especially true for single service members who are use to just popping into their local commissary often.

If you are using either of these 2 commissaries as your main source for purchasing groceries, note that Sembach closes April 29. Illesheim’s commissary will close on March 31.

One good thing at least, there are sure to be great sales as they try to move inventory off the shelves.

Don’t make a sigh of relief yet if you’re stationed in Germany, but not near these 2 commissaries. There are more commissaries slated to close. The Defense Commissary Agency plans to meet budget cuts by consolidating down to one commissary per military community. Grafenwoehr and Kaiserslautern will be the only exceptions to this.

That means commissaries in Stuttgart will be part of the plan to close stores in Europe in 2016. Those at Patch, Kelley Barracks, Robinson Barracks and Panzer Kaserne will all see their final days this year.

A new commissary on Panzer is being built to compensate for this. Construction hasn’t begun yet and these commissaries will remain open until the new one is ready so you still have time to shop at your favorite commissary before the doors close for good.

The saying “you can never go back” keeps playing in my mind as I write this. I lived in Germany for 5 years. I truly will never be able to go back to Robinson Barracks where my family shopped regularly when we were stationed in Stuttgart. It’s a 20- to 30-minute drive from Robinson Barracks to Panzer for those that live in the area.

There is always a constant worry about losing military benefits and talk of commissary closures are a norm. This is one instance that rumors are true.

Hopefully families and service members that shop regularly at these commissaries will be able to adjust their routine grocery shopping trip accordingly knowing ahead of time that their stores are closing.

Are you concerned more commissaries will close? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Tricare Dental Contract Change

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More than 1.8 million beneficiaries will see a change in their dental coverage next year as the government has just awarded United Concordia Companies, Inc. Tricare’s dental contract.

MetLife has held the contract since they took it over from United Concordia in 2012. Now that the government has made the switch back, there is plenty of protest.

How the Tricare Dental Contract Change May Affect Your Dental Care

If you’re worried about scheduling your next cleaning, note that United Concordia doesn’t take over Tricare dental until February 1, 2017.

The contract award is for $11,010,000 to support the Tricare Dental Program by providing comprehensive dental care services around the world to eligible Tricare beneficiaries. There were 4 offers made, but ultimately the Department of Defense (DoD) went with United Concordia. The 5-year contract includes 1-year transition in contract with 5 12-month option periods and a 12-month phase out period. United Concordia already manages the Tricare Active Duty Dental Program (ADDP) for active duty service members.

United Concordia reports that surveys confirm that enrolled members and the government are both satisfied with their service.

Some beneficiaries however are skeptical of the change.

When the DoD awarded the Tricare Dental Program contract to MetLife in 2012, many were delighted to find dental coverage expanded in many categories. The annual maximum amount covered increased, the lifetime orthodontic coverage increased, there was an addition of accidental dental injury and pregnant women were allowed an extra cleaning.

Now there is worry that some of these additions won’t carry over.

If United Concordia does keep these category expansions going, the question then becomes how much will this cost? A company spokesperson said that they don’t have specifics on Tricare dental coverage yet as they are still working out details with the government. In turn, the DoD says it cannot comment until the protests have been settled. That leaves a lot of room for questions and wondering minds.

A few program details have been announced however. The annual maximum benefit will increase from $1,300 to $1,500 under the new contract. Sealants, which required a 20 percent cost share under MetLife’s management, will now be completely covered with no out-of-pocket costs at all.

Monthly premiums won’t be going away though. All beneficiaries who are currently required to pay a monthly premium will still incur that cost. Two free cleanings a year will continue to be the norm and pregnant women will be able to have a third cleaning.

How the Tricare Dental Contract Change May Affect Your Dental Care

Is your family enrolled in the Tricare Dental Program?

While these benefits are all great, some worry that they will have to find a new dental provider once the change in contract occurs. Each dental office can choose which provider they accept for dental coverage and they might not accept Tricare under United Concordia. It can be nerve-racking enough going to a dentist. Once you find one you like and trust, whether for yourself or your family, you want to stick with them. Facing the potential to have to search for a new dental office is cumbersome.

If you’re worried about scheduling your next cleaning, note that United Concordia doesn’t take over Tricare dental until February 1, 2017, so you have plenty of time to see your dental care provider.

If you or a family member are not enrolled in the Tricare Dental Program and would like to do so, you can sign up online.

The Tricare Dental Program is the world’s largest voluntary dental program. Those eligible for enrollment include: family members of active duty service members, family members of national guard/reserve members, and national guard/reserve members who are not on active duty or covered by Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP).

Coverage is available worldwide. It includes coverage for many dental procedures including:

  • exams
  • cleanings
  • fluorides
  • sealants
  • X-rays
  • fillings
  • root canals
  • gum surgery and tooth extractions
  • crowns
  • dentures
  • orthodontics and braces
  • scaling and root planning for diabetics
  • as well as an additional cleaning for pregnant women.

If you’re worried about how the Tricare Dental Program will change after the contact award, don’t delay in making a trip to your favorite dentist before next year.

How do you feel about United Concordia being awarded Tricare’s dental contract?

Proposed Changes to the Commissaries in 2016

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For the last 40 years the commissaries have been put on the chopping block only to come out strong.

Last year the Senate and House debated privatizing the commissaries over the next several years to save money. They wanted to cut the $1.3 billion annual Department of Defense subsidy for the commissary system. Luckily, this proposal didn’t make it through.

Don’t relax too much thinking the commissaries will be safe now. This year the politicians are at it again.

The House and Senate have come together on a new plan for the FY 2016 Defense Authorization Act. This consists of:

  • reducing the FY 2016 commissaries budget cut from $322 million to $30 million;
  • they scrapped the idea of privatizing the system and are now requiring a DoD plan to make the commissary and exchange benefit “budget neutral” by the end of 2018;
  • authorized DoD to conduct pilot programs to evaluate ways to achieve commissary and exchange budget neutrality; and
  • specified that these must maintain high levels of customer satisfaction, provide high-quality products, and sustain the current level of savings for customers.

What does this mean for the average shopper at their local commissaries? The most notable change would be prices. Some patrons would notice their prices going up while a select few might find them going down.

How could this be?

What lawmakers are considering here is variable pricing. Currently, prices are set at commissaries across the board. Under this change, commissaries would see price changes based on location.

Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., a brigadier general in the Army Reserves chairs an Armed Services subcommittee that lead the hearings recently on overhauling the stores. He says commissaries could improve how they sell products and become more efficient if they utilized a variable pricing method. Following commercial grocery stores strategies, prices would be set by the market.

For example, prices at commercial grocery stores are higher in New York then they are in Alabama. Just reading this proposal, Fort Drum patrons will be balking at the idea, whereas those at Maxwell AFB may be more open to it since they would be the ones possibly seeing the lower prices.

Heck hopes this plan will help get commissaries to a break-even plan. He says that they currently lose money on every sale.

If that doesn’t do the job, the other plan proposed is to create a commissary brand, much like commercial grocery stores have. Selling items under a Defense Commissary Agency label was part of a consultant lead study that was presented to Congress last fall. This is likely to be the main topic of discussion on the Hill this year.

The worry here for most people is that the quality of the products might not be the same as the commercial brands that are currently being sold at commissaries. The study claims that the products would be at the same level and patrons would still save money over local grocery stores. To match that quality however, there would likely be an increase in prices.

If either of these proposals get enough lawmakers to support it, they could be added to the National Defense Authorization Act, which is a huge bill that shapes military policies and takes most of the year to work through.

Will commissaries see changes this year or are they safe, at least for another year?

Only time will tell, but if the last 40 years of failed proposals to cut the DoD subsidy have a standing basis then maybe things won’t change.

Once the presidency changes, initiatives might as well. Everything is a big “if” for the moment and commissary patrons will be watching closely to see if one of the greatest nonpay benefits for service members will see a big change.

What do you think of these proposals to make changes to the commissaries?

Pets May Help Military Kids Cope with Deployment

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A recent study by Tufts University shows that children who have a strong relationship with a pet cope better when dealing with the stress related to a parent’s deployment.

The study was designed to find out how animals help people physically and emotionally during stressful times as well as how to help people commit to fitness, reach educational goals, overcome physical disabilities and recover from psychological trauma.

Tufts Institute for Human-Animal Interaction (TIHAI) surveyed 600 children from both military and nonmilitary families. The kids were asked how they interact with animals, about their stress levels and their strategies for dealing with stress. The outcome of the study was that children with animals at home had more positive outcomes than those without, regardless to whether they had a parent on deployment or not.

The children that had animals at home were found to be more confident and had stronger relationships with both peers and family members. On multiple occasions, children reported that pets are what kept them company while a parent was on deployment or when they moved.

What researchers say is the most significant outcome of the study is that children who had a parent on deployment and also had a strong bond with an animal at home exhibited greater ability to cope with the stress of the situation than children that didn’t have pets.

“Strong attachments to pets may foster a more proactive attitude about handling stressful problems and could serve as a bridge to developing and maintaining peer relationships during stressful circumstances,” said Megan Mueller, a developmental psychologist and research assistant professor at Cummings School. She goes on to say,

Pets provide a nonjudgmental, emotionally supportive relationship, especially for kids who may be having difficulty in social situations or moving to a new social setting. The responsibility of caring for another living creature and understanding an animal’s needs also plays a role. There’s been some research showing that just stroking an animal reduces your blood pressure and heart rate.

Unfortunately, it isn’t possible for every child to have a pet however. There are many circumstances that can prevent families from being able to incorporate a pet into their lives. This could include allergies, illness, finances, housing rules, travel schedules and more.

If you fall into this group, you can still provide opportunities for your children to receive the benefit of animal interaction. Take a day trip to a local farm. It doesn’t have to be advertised as a petting farm. Many farms will allow families to meet their animals. Call ahead and see if you can arrange a time to visit when your child will be able to touch and possibly feed the animals. Let the owners know your spouse is on deployment and they might be even more inclined to have you over.

Horses have an amazing effect on children. If you can, take your children to a horse ranch while your spouse is on deployment. Check with your MWR; many Army garrisons for example have stables with equestrian services. Horses are great therapy animals.

The Tufts study showed that horses can reduce the level of stress in children that suffer from PTSD. Horses respond to children’s body language.

One of the symptoms of PTSD is being either hyper-aroused or under-aroused, and horses react to that –avoiding the jittery kids and ignoring those who are emotionally detached. In order to interact positively with their therapy horses, the children must learn to better regulate their own fight or flight response. By taking deep breaths and employing other techniques, they can lower their heart rate and relax their muscles.

You don’t necessarily need to sign up for equestrian-assisted therapy. Perhaps, plan a family day at a ranch, take an hour-long lesson or even enroll your child in equestrian camp. That would certainly be a great way to take their mind off deployment.

The interaction between children and animals is amazing and there are so many benefits to building this relationship. If your child is having problems coping with the stress of a deployment, consider adding a pet to your family or incorporating time with animals into your regular schedule.

Does your family have a pet? How does your pet help you or your children during a deployment?

10 Ways to Avoid the Flu This Winter

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Being sick is no fun at all, whether it’s a mild cold or the flu. It wasn’t until I was pregnant that I got the flu for the first time, and hopefully the last. Now that I know how awful it is, I never want to get it again.

10 Ways to Avoid Colds and the Flu This Winter

Did you get the flu vaccine this year?

Follow these 10 tips to avoid getting a cold or the flu this winter and let’s all stay healthy this year.

Stay Away from Sick People

The flu virus is spread through droplets made when someone with the flu coughs, sneezes or talks. The flu virus can also spread when people touch something that the flu virus is on and then touch their mouth, eyes or nose.

You may want to keep your distance from sick people for a few days. People that have the flu are contagious as early as one day before they exhibit symptoms and can continue to pass the flu virus along for up to 5 to 7 days after they’ve become sick. Children, severely ill people and those with weakened immune systems can actually infect others for longer periods.

Stay Home if You Are Sick

The flu is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs caused by the influenza virus. It causes countless hospital stays and deaths each year. The CDC recommends that if you do become sick to stay home an extra 24 hours after your fever has passed. The flu can be very dangerous for children and those with weak immune systems. Almost 20,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized from complications due to the flu, such as pneumonia.

Don’t let your stubbornness about staying home get someone else sick.

Wash Your Hands Often

Do you know how to properly wash your hands? Sounds like a silly question, but you’d be surprised how many people aren’t washing correctly. Cleaning your hands is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. You should wash your hands before, during and after you handle food. You should also wash them when you’ve been around someone who is ill. After you use the bathroom, helped a child use the bathroom or changed a diaper, you should always wash your hands. When you blow your nose, cough or sneeze you should also wash your hands.

To properly wash your hands simply run them under water and lather with soap. Make sure to get in between your fingers, under your nails and on the back of your hands. Do this for 20 seconds.

A fun way to get children to wash their hands for 20 seconds is to have them sing the happy birthday song twice.

Then rinse your hands with water and dry them. Turn off the faucet with a paper towel. If you aren’t able to wash your hands, then you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol.

Don’t Touch Your Eyes, Nose or Mouth

Do you have a nail-biting habit? Do you rub your eyes when you’re tired or put your finger to your mouth when you’re thinking? These seem like small things, but if you’ve touched something with the flu virus, you will regret it. You might not even notice that you do it, but it is an easy way for the flu virus to reach you.

Does your little one like to pick his nose? Now is a good time to have a talk about why you shouldn’t put your finger up there. Try to keep your hands away from these areas and you might avoid the flu this season.

Clean and Disinfect Commonly Touched Areas

The flu virus doesn’t last long on surfaces, less than 24 hours experts say. You can clean them with a mild soap. You don’t need to bleach everything. The medical community largely agrees that the flu virus is transferred mainly from human to human contact and not so much from surface contact.

It’s still a good idea to make sure commonly touched areas are cleaned often. Door knobs, telephones, elevator buttons, keyboards, remote controls, refrigerator doors and toilets are all commonly touched areas that should be cleaned regularly.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep deprivation has an adverse effect on immune function and chronic sleep loss can increase an individual’s vulnerability to infectious diseases according to the National Sleep Foundation. Most people don’t get the recommended amount of sleep. There are 9 age categories sited. School age children, age 6 to 13 years, should get 9 to 11 hours of sleep a day while teenagers, age 14 to 17, should get 8 to 10 hours. Adults should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Are you and your children getting enough sleep?

Keep Your Fluids Up

Keeping hydrated is very important. The recommendation is 8 glasses of water a day. This will keep the lining of your nose moist. The first line of defense against germs is the mucous membrane in the nose. This traps germs and keeps them from getting to your lungs. If you are dehydrated it will dry out. Doctors recommend spacing the 8 glasses of water out evenly throughout your day. Coffee and tea don’t count because the caffeine content is dehydrating.

Manage Stress

Stress directly influences your immune system. Have you noticed when you’re stressed that you’re more likely catch a cold? Stress weakens your immune system which makes it harder for your body to fight off infection. Make it a point in your life to let go of as much stress as you can so you can enjoy a healthy life.

Keep Active

Exercise increases your circulation and blood flow giving your immune system a chance to find a virus such as the flu before it spreads. Make sure to add regular exercise to your routine for better health.

Get the Flu Vaccine

This is a topic for debate. Doctors recommend anyone over the age of 6 months get a flu vaccine. Many people have personal beliefs about its safety, which is why I listed it last. Make your own decision.

 What are your tips for avoiding a winter cold or the flu this year?

Your New Duty Station Checklist

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Welcome to your new duty station. How many PCS moves does this make for your family? I’m in my 17th house now, so I’ve done my share of checking into new duty stations. If this is your first move or 20th, make sure you fully get to know your new military installation.

Once your boxes are unpacked, follow this checklist to get familiar with your new surroundings.

Your New Duty Station Checklist for Every PCS

After you unpack your last box after a PCS, what’s the next thing you do?

1. Talk to Your Sponsor

Each time you PCS, the service member is given a sponsor. This is a fellow service member that is already stationed at that location who is familiar with the area. Their job is to help make your PCS an easy one by helping you get settled in and get to know the area. Take advantage of this help and make contact with that person.

2. Find the Commissary

I love the commissary. You’ll spend a lot of time here so go ahead and find out where it is and what the hours of operation are.

Some commissaries are closed on Sundays and Mondays while others are open every day.

Make sure you plan your shopping trip accordingly. Stop by the commissary for a few minutes on a day you don’t need to do your big weekly shopping just to see what the selection is. Some commissaries are quite small and only offer a few things while others have a vast selection.

3. Find the ITT Office

The ITT office is a great resource. Each one offers different services which could include: travel and vacation packages, travel insurance, car rentals, flights, tours, concerts, national events and local tickets. Universal Studios, SeaWorld, DisneyLand and Walt Disney World packages are really popular. You can save a lot of money by purchasing tickets through the ITT office.

After a PCS, you might want to plan some family fun. Contact your ITT office to see what’s going on in your area.

4. Locate the MWR

The Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation Program offers an abundance of activities for families. After a busy PCS, you’re going to want to get out and have fun.

The U.S. Army MWR has 223 fitness centers, 192 child development centers, 137 swimming pools, 86 outdoor recreation centers, 79 bowling and family fun centers, 78 Army community service centers, 76 libraries, 66 auto skills centers, 48 golf courses, 54 arts & crafts centers and 12 riding stables.

There is surely something fun for your family to do to relax and get to know your new duty station.

5. Check Out the Base’s Fitness Center

Why pay a monthly fee to work out at the gym in town when you can go to the fitness center for free? Many locations have a mother and child area where you can work out and keep an eye on your little one.

If you’re self-conscious about working out in front of others or are intimidated by large crowds, go after 9 a.m. when most service members will be back to work and the gym will be quieter.

Don’t put it off. Dig to the bottom of that last PCS box and find your workout clothes.

6. Contact the CDC or Base School

Do you have children and need child care or to enroll them in school? Contact the Child Development Center to see if they have openings. If there is a wait list, it doesn’t actually go first-come first-served. There is a priority level index. You can get on the list however and enroll your child in another program in the meantime.

Contact the base school before you PCS, if you can, to find out what records you need to bring to register your children in the school.

7. Join a Spouse Group

There’s no better way to get to know a new installation and feel at home, than to make friends. No matter how many times you PCS, you will still want to get know other military spouses who know the area.

Having good friends can really make a difference in your experience living in a new place.

Contact your command ombudsman or spouse liaison. Join the enlisted or officer’s spouse club. Get online and look for base groups. Try Facebook or Meetup.com for example.

Each PCS is different. It can be a lonely road if you sit at home alone. Get out and get to know your new installation. Make friends and get involved. This could be your favorite duty station. It’s up to you to take advantage of all it offers.

After you unpack your last box after a PCS, what’s the next thing you do? What’s on your new duty station checklist?

5 Ways to Make Meal Planning More Fun, Less Overwhelming

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If you aren’t already meal planning, the thought alone can be daunting and overwhelming. It takes time and forethought to plan an entire week or even month worth of meals.

Give it a try and you’ll discover that meal planning can actually be fun and satisfying.

First however, understand what meal planning is. By planning ahead and choosing meals, you will be setting yourself and your family up to a healthy lifestyle. Many people mistakenly think meal planning is about following a diet. It is however, simply choosing which meals your family will eat ahead of time.

By having a set plan, you will be less likely to settle for junk food or fast food.

You will have the ingredients on hand and not have to rush to the commissary at the last minute. You’ll have the peace of mind that dinner is set and you won’t be stressing over what you’ll make last minute.

Start meal planning by setting a specific time to write out a week’s worth of meals.

On Sunday mornings, I flip through cookbooks and magazines as well as search recipes in my recipe apps on my phone. Once you’ve found a few recipes you want to try, look through your pantry to see if you already have some of the ingredients. Make a list of what you need to buy at the grocery store and set a time to go shopping.

When choosing meals make sure to look at your calendar to see how busy your week is. There may be some nights that you need quick meals and some when family members will be eating at different times so you will need a re-heatable dinner. Decide on a night where you have plenty of time to make a big family meal. Take into consideration the weather as well. If it’s going to be particularly cold, you may want soup one night. The same goes for balmy nights when your family may enjoy grilling.

Make sure to include family members in meal planning. If you have a picky eater, let them choose one meal or at least one portion of a meal so that you know they will be eating something. Run the weekly recipes by family members to see their reactions to the choices. You don’t want to spend time and money cooking something no one is likely to eat.

Plan for leftovers. You don’t necessarily have to include 7 days in your meal planning. If you’re having soup or casserole this week, there might be enough for leftovers. You can also make extra so that you have leftovers. Freeze them to make another week easier if you don’t want to eat them the next day.

While you’re at the commissary, see what’s on sale. Most people will advise sticking to your shopping list to save money, but if you find something you know your family will eat, go ahead and buy it. You can fit it into your plans. Make sure not to overbuy however. If your refrigerator is stuffed, items will be hidden and go bad. When you get home, go ahead and prep food. You can wash fruit, chop vegetables and make sauces to save time later in the week.

Does this all sound like a lot of work? Make meal planning more fun with these 5 tips.

Make meal planning more fun with these 5 tips.

Do you use a meal plan? What are your tips for making meal planning fun?

Designate a Theme for Each Day

It can be difficult to be creative with cooking so simplify the process by designating each weeknight as a different theme. Some popular themes include: Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Crockpot Wednesdays, Leftover Thursdays, Pizza Fridays, Sandwich Saturdays and Soup/Salad Sundays.

Make a Fun Menu Board to Display

Get excited about meal planning by presenting the weekly menu in a fun way. You can simply buy a chalkboard to hang on the pantry door or get creative and make your own. By having the weekly meals posted, you’ll know what’s next and so will your family.

Use a Meal Planning App or Website

You can simply use paper lists and a calendar or you can get creative and download a meal planning app for your computer or phone. Paprika is a great app to keep track of recipes, organize a meal calendar and make your grocery list but it isn’t free. I also use All the Cooks app to store and get recipes; it’s free.

Choosemyplate.gov is a great site to make sure the meals you’re choosing are healthy and cover all the food groups. You can search recipes and look up sample menus that fit proper nutrition by age, which is great for children.

Looking for more tried-and-true recipes? Browse the MilitaryShoppers’ Recipes Quick Search tool.

Get Your Family Involved

I already mentioned it, but it’s worth repeating. Why do all the work choosing meals? Get your family involved in meal planning. Ask them what they feel like having or challenge them to find a new recipe. Let your children help you with shopping as well as prepping meals.

Shape Up Meals with Colorful Ideas

This is particularly fun with kids. Set a night with all food in the same shape. Make meals colorful by designating a dish with everything the same color. You can work on the alphabet by nominating a night where all items begin with the same letter. This will get the whole family involved and having fun with it.

Meal planning doesn’t have to be difficult; it can be quite fun.

Do you use a meal plan? What are your tips for making meal planning fun?

How to Be Vigilant Without Being Fearful of a Terrorist Attack

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A recent New York Times and CBS News poll shows that Americans fear that a terrorist attack is eminent more so now than at any time since September 11, 2001. In a poll taken December 4-8, 2015, a staggering 79% of respondents said they fear that a terrorist attack will occur in the next few months.

It’s hard not to be fearful when you turn on the TV and see recent terrorist attacks such as those in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif. Change the channel and you’ll find experts saying the threat level is high and recommending citizens be vigilant in everyday outings.

How can the average American be vigilant without being fearful?

I had a friend recently tell me that she was sitting in the food court with her children when the thought occurred to her that a terrorist attack could happen. She immediately started looking for possible escape routes, just in case. She became so overwhelmed with fear that she rushed the kids out. There wasn’t a terrorist threat there; it was all in her head. The fear of terrorism has become crippling for some people and is disrupting their routines.

How to Be Vigilant Without Being Fearful of a Terrorist Attack

The No. 1 thing to do is to be aware of your surroundings.

As I sit here sipping on my coffee and writing, I am reminded of a recent bomb threat on Camp Lejeune. The caller said there was a bomb at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. That threat was later determined to be unsubstantiated, but if I were the fearful type, I might question my safety here now. I don’t, though. I feel safe in my environment.

I consider myself someone who is vigilant. It isn’t something on the forefront of my mind that makes me worry or panic. I simply notice exits when entering a building, I park in well lit areas, walk out with people, have my keys ready before I head to my car, keep my head up and aware of my surroundings, turn lights on at home at night and set the alarm. These aren’t things I do in fear of a terrorist attack; they were just everyday precautions my father instilled in me when I was younger.

The No. 1 thing to do is to be aware of your surroundings. Put your phone down and pay attention to what’s going on around you. A key phrase that is widely being said of late is “if you see something, say something.” A neighbor of those responsible for the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., said she questioned if she should call the authorities earlier in the year because of their suspicious behavior, but feared that she would be labeled a racist. If that neighbor had spoken up earlier, maybe the events of that tragic day could have been altered. We’ll never know though.

Fear is widely spreading throughout the United States. You can’t let it dictate your life though. Take some time out of your busy schedule and just think about what you would do in a terrorist attack. Having a plan of action ahead of time, just in case, could turn an awful situation into possibly a survivable one. Read about how to survive a terrorist attack and think about how you would handle the situation. Would you run, hide or attack? Those are the three options most experts will say you have when it comes to these situations.

If at all possible, run as fast as you can to get as far away from the situation as you can. If there is an active shooter, run in a zigzag motion. It is much harder to hit a moving target, especially when the direction of movement changes rapidly.

If you can’t run, hide. Try to hide behind something bullet-proof or something thick. If you’re in a small room, turn off the light, lock the door, if possible and push something heavy in front of the door. Sit quietly and silence your phone. Terrorists try to inflict as much damage as possible in a short amount of time. They look for easy targets and are more likely to move on than struggle to get the door open.

Your last resort in a terrorist attack may be to fight. If you’re in an open area with nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, you might be left with the option to fight or die. Try to arm yourself, if possible. Anything can be a weapon. One teacher in Alabama recently sent home letters recommending children bring a canned good to school to throw at an attacker. It sounds ridiculous, but it shows that anything can be a weapon.

Remember, the goal of a terrorist attack is to spread fear and disrupt daily life through panic and instability. Be vigilant, be aware of your surroundings, but live your life.

Are you fearful of another terrorist attack? How do you balance valid concerns with irrational fear?

Can a Spouse Harm Her Service Member’s Career?

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As a military spouse and civilian, you may not feel like your actions can affect your husband’s career, but they can and do.

Racking up financial debt, breaking the law, having questionable habits and acting inappropriately can all strip your spouse of their security clearance and prevent them from promotion, moving to desirable duty stations and more.

Think that sounds far-fetched or embellished? Think again.

Each month the Defense Office of Hearings & Appeals (DOHA) releases the results of security clearance rejection hearings and appeals. Each case appealed is described in detail and many of the security clearance withdrawals are listed as due to the service member’s negligence with respect to the actions of their military spouse.

How can a military spouse cause a service member to lose security clearance?

When the government issues a security clearance they are giving that person access to classified information. While it is only granted to the individual, it is a process that includes the military spouse. Their information is included on background investigation paperwork and they can be interviewed. Their actions reflect the service member’s judgment.

Can a Military Spouse Harm Her Service Member's Career?

Can you cause your service member to lose his security clearance?

For example, one case in which a security clearance was denied was when a military spouse racked up $50,000 in consumer debt. The judge specifically said that allowing his wife to “manage all finances was an example of poor judgment, and not the level of responsibility expected of a clearance holder.”

It isn’t just poor financial management by a military spouse that can get a service member in trouble. Your career field and poor habits can also lead to a clearance being revoked.

Another case involved a military spouse working at a recreational marijuana store in Denver, where it is legal to use such substance. Federal law overrules state law in this case, however. Marijuana is still considered a controlled substance and knowing of intentional possession is illegal even if the person has no plan to use or sell it.

In the eyes of the federal government, your (the service member’s) ability to maintain a relationship of trust, understanding and integrity with your spouse is a reflection of your ability to do so with Uncle Sam.

If a service member’s security clearance is pulled it can change their career path. They could be taken off of their team and placed on administrative leave or simply moved to another position. This setback could also prevent them from getting orders to desirable duty stations or even from rising in rank.

If nothing else, it will at least land them in a counseling meeting with a superior which could be a written counseling. A written counseling can take away points from promotion or rank a service member further down in the line-up for promotion.

There are other actions that a military spouse could take that would harm their service member’s career. While it isn’t suppose to influence duty assignments or promotion, a military spouse’s actions in reality can hinder the service member from receiving ideal duty stations or moving up in rank because after all, superiors are human and will remember how a service member’s military spouse has acted, if it is poorly.

Constantly harassing the command to send home a service member from deployment or showing up at the installation with gossip and being a distraction can make a difference. A service member is required to follow the chain of command and if a military spouse talks to a higher ranking person about problems this could reflect poorly upon the service member.

Having an affair with another service member in your spouse’s unit, will make a difference as well. This also falls under the domain of integrity. If the family lives on an installation and the military spouse doesn’t follow the rules of housing, they may be removed from the living situation. Having base privileges revoked will also look poorly upon the service member.

Can a Military Spouse Harm Her Service Member's Career?

What do you think? Does a military spouse’s behavior on or off base affect her service member’s career?

On the flip side, being part of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) might help. If the commanding officer really feels like the military spouse has had a substantially positive impact on the morale of families they may want to keep the service member around and look more favorably upon them. The opposite could be true as well.

Doing nothing at all, not being part of command events for example, most likely will have no influence on your spouse’s career.

If you want to see your service member succeed, obey the law, manage your family’s finances sufficiently, keep your morals in check and help out where you can. The one consistency with the military is that everything and anything can change at any time. Go with the flow and be a positive role model to other military spouses.

What do you think? Does a military spouse’s behavior on or off base affect her service member’s career?

Should Commissary Privilege Go to All Veterans?

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Shopping at the commissary is a great benefit of being part of the military community.

Not all veterans are authorized to shop at the commissary however.

Should the Commissary Privilege Be Extended to All Veterans?

The commissary will not allow anyone to shop there without proper ID.

There are certain qualifications that must be met to be granted access. It isn’t up to the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to decide who can shop there.

The Department of Defense Instruction 1330.17, DoD Commissary Program outlines all authorized patrons to include: active duty, Guard and Reserve members, military retirees, Medal of Honor recipients, 100 percent disabled veterans and their authorized family members.

The DoD exercises close scrutiny over patronage of military commissaries to ensure the continued effectiveness of military commissaries as an integral part of the military compensation package.

This privilege is also extended to USPHS Commissioned Corps, the NOAA Commissioned Corps and its predecessors, cadets and midshipmen of the Military Service academies and Wage Marine Personnel. There are certain categories of retired military that also are granted access.

These categories include: all military personnel that are on the official retired list, whether active or reserve, who retired with pay, were granted retirement pay for a physical disability or are entitled to retirement pay even if this pay is waived or pending due to the age requirement. Enlisted men and women that are transferred to the Fleet Reserve of the Navy or Marine Corps Reserve after 20 or more years of active service are also allowed to take advantage of the commissary privilege.

Another group that is also granted access to the commissary includes: officers and crew members of vessels, lighthouses keepers and depot keepers of the former Lighthouse Service that retired. This group includes retired civilian employees of the Coast Guard who were lighthouse keepers of the previously named Lighthouse Service and who retired as civilian employees of the Coast Guard as lighthouse keepers or who were on lightships or other vessels.

Retired wage Marines, including retired noncommissioned ships officers, and those who were on NOAA are also able to utilize commissary benefits. 100 percent disabled veterans who were honorably discharged that have a 100 percent service-connected disability or those that are 100 percent unemployable can use the commissary as well.

Families that are able to shop at the commissary include: dependent children and spouses, serving family members and unmarried former spouses. These benefits are also extended to DoD civilian employees and their families when stationed outside of the United States and outside of its territories. Official DoD organizations are able to purchase goods from the commissary as well.

Some service members will leave with a short time to maintain their commissary benefits. A member that is involuntarily separated from active duty can use the commissary for 2 years after the separation. This also includes members of Select Reserve of the Ready Reserve that are separated and granted access to the commissary for 2 years. Service members that receive sole survivor discharge can shop at the commissary for 2 years after service ends.

Should the Commissary Privilege Be Extended to All Veterans?

A commissary cashier checks groceries at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. (U.S. Air Force/Margo Wright)

Employees of DeCA can purchase goods at the commissary for immediate consumption, such as for lunch while at work. Other civilians that are allowed to shop at the commissary include DoD presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed officers and their families that live on a military installation that has a commissary. DoD civilian employees who are stationed TDY overseas can also use this benefit. Some military personnel of foreign nations can also use the commissary.

In overseas areas American National Red Cross and United Service Organizations (USO) can also take advantage of the commissary privilege. The Armed Services Young Men’s Christian Association can also shop at the commissary overseas. Emergency access may be granted to others overseas.

This is a very extensive list and a few more civilian personnel that can shop at the commissary can be found here under the DoD Instruction. Further information can also be found on this site.

Military service that does not continue through retirement are not allowed to use the commissary. This means even if you served in war and put your life on the line, you cannot use the commissary unless you stayed in until retirement.

In regard to disabled veterans, if the disability is less than 100 percent previous service members cannot shop at the commissary.  Those on delayed entry into the service cannot use the commissary either.

You can contact the Pass and ID office on a military installation to ask if your situation grants access to the commissary or not. The commissary will not allow anyone to shop there without proper ID that specifically states commissary benefits.

What do you think? Should shopping at the commissary be available to all veterans?