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Origami? Isn’t that for Children?

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**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.

Trump Releases Transgender Troop Policy

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President Donald Trump recently released his policy directive regarding the continuing service of transgender troops in the U.S. military.

Under recommendations from Secretary of Defense James Mattis, the Trump administration has ruled that transgender individuals are generally disqualified from military service except under certain circumstances.

Transgender Troops Are Out Under New Policy

Mattis outlined the new policy recommendations in a February 22 memo. Transgender individuals are disqualified from military service unless they have not been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Troops must also be willing to serve in their biological gender. Changing gender identity is no longer allowed under most circumstances.

Troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria or with a history of this diagnosis are generally barred from military service. However, they may serve if they have been deemed stable for 36 consecutive months in their biological gender prior to joining the military.

Transgender troops may also remain in uniform if they were diagnosed after joining, but remain in their biological gender and maintain deployability status in that gender.

If a service member was diagnosed between the Obama administration’s policy change in July 2016 and the adoption of this new policy, they may continue to serve and receive medical treatment for their diagnosis. This small subset of transgender troops may continue to serve in their preferred gender.

Trump Releases Transgender Troop Policy

The reaction to Trump’s policy on transgender troops is split along party lines.

Mattis based his changes on a new transgender policy study conducted by Department of Defense officials and military leaders. This study generally contradicts the findings of a 2016 Rand Corporation study. The earlier study indicated that there would be minimal impact on military readiness and morale caused by the service of transgender troops in their preferred gender identity. The new study found that allowing troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria to serve or join the military would be detrimental to military readiness and morale.

“(T)he Department concludes that accommodating gender transition could impair unit readiness; undermine unit cohesion, as well as good order and discipline, by blurring the clear lines that demarcate male and female standards and policies where they exist; and lead to disproportionate costs,” the DoD report reads in part.

Transgender Policy Changes Were Rapidly Reversed

Under the former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, transgender individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria were allowed to transition to their preferred gender identity. This policy was implemented in stages. As of July 1, 2016, currently serving transgender troops were allowed to openly serve without fear of discharge based on their gender identity. The final policy change of allowing transgender individuals to join the military in their preferred gender was set to roll out on July 1, 2017.

However, after a series of tweets from Trump in July 2017 and with coordinating action from Mattis, this policy was halted for a 6-month review process. This review led to the creation of the current administration’s policy on the military service of transgender troops.

Based on the Rand study, between 1,300 and 7,000 transgender troops are currently serving in the U.S. military. Per the new policy, only those troops willing to serve in their biological gender and who have not been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, except under specific circumstances, will no longer be allowed to serve or join.

Trump’s Ban Faces Legal Battles and Mixed Public Reaction

Trump’s ban on transgender individuals serving in the Armed Forces is already facing legal pushback. The Human Rights Campaign and Washington State are moving ahead with their federal lawsuit against the ban. They are joined by legal challenges in California. These legal battles continue earlier challenges that lifted the block on transgender individuals enlisting earlier in 2018. Based on these legal battles, Pentagon spokesperson Army Maj. David Eastburn noted that these policy changes would have little impact immediately.

Reaction to the change in policy has been generally split along party lines.

The Family Research Council, a conservative think tank, praised Trump’s decision in a series of tweets.

Congressman Ted Lieu wrote, in an opinion piece for Fortune magazine, that he believed these policy changes to be “stupid” and “unconstitutional.” Lieu is a veteran.

Troops and their families impacted by this decision are disturbed by these policy changes.

“The Trump administration’s continued insistence on targeting our families for discrimination is appalling, reckless and unpatriotic,” said Ashley Broadway-Mack, president of the American Military Partners Association and spouse of an active duty Army officer.

What do you think of Trump’s policy on transgender service members?

Commissaries and Exchanges Start Linking Promotions, Sales

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DeCA and AAFES are working together to maximize their reach by linking their promotions and sales during April.

One hundred qualified patrons will win $300 in free groceries from their on-base commissaries. Altogether $30,000 in gift cards will be given away to commissary and exchange patrons during these promotions.

Joint Promotions Benefit AAFES, DeCA Patrons

This decision to link promotions between the commissaries and exchanges, including online exchange sites, follows an earlier move that allows Military Star Card members to use this card in either location. Prior to this, patrons could not use their Military Star Card at the commissary.

In order to enter the Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes, patrons must make 2 purchases each at the exchange and commissary between April 1 and April 30. This contest is open to Military Star Card users worldwide. Shoppers can make qualifying purchases at Army and Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard exchanges; ShopMyExchange.com; MyNavyExchange.com; ShopCGX.com; exchange concessionaires and the commissary.

This promotion makes the connection between quality nutrition and scholastic success for military children.

“Nutrition is foundational to military children’s educational success, and $300 in free groceries from your local commissary would certainly help build on that foundation,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, exchange senior enlisted advisor, in a press release. “We are honored to partner with the commissary to recognize the contributions of military kids worldwide with this sweepstakes.”

The Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes is being held in conjunction with the Month of the Military Child. This annual event held during April honors the sacrifices of military children.

Military exchanges support military children year round through their You Made the Grade program. Military children receive a coupon booklet in exchange for an overall “B” average on their report card.

AAFES and DeCA Support the Month of the Military Child

In further support of the Month of the Military Child, there are additional events and promotions at both exchanges and commissaries on military bases around the world.

A coloring contest will be held at participating commissaries throughout the month of April. Patrons can inquire at their local commissary for more information about this contest.

There are also several ongoing sweepstakes beyond Fill Your Fridge. Exchange patrons can enter for these sweepstakes by logging into their ShopMyExchange account. Prizes include toys, backpacks and exchange gift cards.

Additionally, military children 18 years old and younger, can earn a free snack at select military exchange food courts. On April 18, military children should wear purple to their military exchange food court to qualify for a free treat. This could include side item, fountain beverage or dessert.

More Cross Promotions in the Future

Working together, DeCA and AAFES have the potential to increase the benefit to their customers. Through the Military Star Card connected Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes, patrons have the chance to win nutritional food. The additional sweepstakes for toys, backpacks, and gift cards offers patrons an additional way to show support for military children this month. Military children can also earn rewards for good grades year round!

AAFES and DeCA’s new cross-promotions show support for military children. In addition, expanding options for patrons to use Military Star cards at both locations increases the shopping options on base.

Exchange and commissary patrons should anticipate further collaborative promotions and sales.

What do you think of the collaboration between the commissaries (DeCA) and the exchanges (AAFES) for the Month of the Military Child?

What Happens When My Wife Goes TDY

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by Eric Gardner, guest contributor

As families sit around the dinner table it’s a wonderful time to catch up on the day’s events or reminisce about the past.

One of the favorite topics at my house is all the “fun” things my daughters and I do when my wife is away on TDY orders, deployments or training.

While I’m never completely sold out by my girls; it’s really only because some of those unique nuances of anarchy when Mom’s gone are a normal way of life for us.

We’re always swimming in the deep end of life watching for that next crazy wave to head our way.

In the unpredictable world of the military lifestyle our families are kept constantly on their toes. Our modern nomadic spirit keeps us in some phase of pre/post deployment bedlam, or we find our days intermingled with various stages of the training cycle.

To say our family dynamic is kept in a volatile state of constant flux wouldn’t do it justice.

When compared to the length of a career, these short sprints of time help to sort out the new roles everyone will have to take on. Everyone rows in our family. If we all work together it will make the challenges pass that much faster.

However, each of us understands that it’s a real adjustment for the entire family whenever they are missing one of their members. Doubly so when a service member is away.

What Happens When My Wife Goes TDY

The fun activities act as a distraction to the one resounding fact; Mom isn’t with us.

As a stay-at-home dad I get my fair share of jokes leveled in my direction. They are usually tied to Stan Dragoti’s classic film “Mr. Mom.” To be honest I don’t mind the comparison to Michael Keaton’s character because there are so many moments I can relate to.

Perhaps not so blatant a comparison as vanquishing the family vacuum; I’m pretty proficient.

Or sword fighting the popcorn maker; well maybe that one.

However, when those TDY trips would come up we enjoyed the neighborhood poker games and the lumberjack persona was a very in style look.

It’s not that the life of the military spouse is all fun and games. The adaptations we make to support our service members are more in keeping with trying to ensure the train is still moving forward even if that means only one wheel is on the ground at any given time.

Oftentimes pizza or fast food become the “splurge” to help ease the stress of separation. When my girls were younger the island of dishes in the sink would typically consist of every plate, glass and utensil we owned before I would devote energy to get the kitchen back to normal. Bedtimes would get extended, storytime would last forever, and our supply of ice cream would vanish soon after it was brought home from the commissary. An outing to Chuck E. Cheese and later Dave and Busters were entertaining and helped pass the time.

But all these “fun” things only acted as a distraction to the one resounding fact; Mom couldn’t be there.

Schedules, routines, patterns are things that help us survive the mayhem that is the military lifestyle. But like Jack in Mr. Mom, we will always be bombarded with new challenges, yet I really strive to emulate his attitude of perseverance to the daily insanity that was all around him.

Whether it’s the unique approach to stitching up torn clothing with a stapler, wearing a plaid shirt with striped pants — a favorite of my youngest when Mom’s gone — or rocking out to Taylor Swift with the volume so loud the neighbors 5 houses away can hear it.

All of these crazy moments are for one reason – to try to fill the void, we feel when our service member isn’t home with us.

As you can imagine when we’re all back at the dinner table once more, our “fun” may look a little different but we enjoy it so much more because we’re finally all together again.

Eric Gardner was raised in a military family and lived around the world. Following in his father’s footsteps, he joined the U.S. Army as an Infantry Officer. Since the end of his wartime service he has shifted gears and is now a stay-at-home father. In his role as an active duty Army spouse, he has become an author. As the creator of the XIII Legion Series he has enjoyed great success, and enjoys meeting other entrepreneurial spouses as well as fellow authors. You can see more from Eric Gardner at his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thirteenthlegion.series, and http://www.facebook.com/XIIILGN or follow him via Twitter @13thLegion.

Is a ‘Deploy or Get Out’ Rule Fair for Our Service Members?

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Secretary of Defense James Mattis instituted a new retention rule for troops. Now service members must be deployable or in his words, “get out.”

Mattis feels that too many are carrying the load for all, with about 11% of all current troops on active duty, in the Reserves or in the National Guard classified as non-deployable. That amounts to 235,000 individuals out of the 2.1 million total troop force.

The thought behind this new rule is for the good of the military family. Mattis, rightly, remarks that “we may enlist soldiers, but we reenlist families.”

Is a 'Deploy or Get Out' Rule Fair for Our Service Members?

We expect our teachers to stay up to date with the best classroom practices. We expect our lawyers to know about new laws. We expect our service members to be ready and willing to deploy.

High Tempo Missions

Mattis is right: too many of the same service members have been deployed over and over again for the last 17 years. I’ve seen more friends and neighbors pull almost back-to-back deployments than I care to count.

This high operational tempo leads to burnout for troops and families. It’s hard to stay motivated with a “go team” mentality when your group is always doing the grunt work. Even when often deployed troops are home, it can be hard to settle into family life. Disconnecting from the mission and rejoining a different pace of life can be a struggle.

Military spouses and children feel the burn too. Too many families have almost become single parent homes due to the frequent absence of one parent. Military spouses of deployed troops feel constantly on edge, just waiting for that knock. The mental load is heavy and all too real.

It’s only right to equally spread the burden among all service members. Part of doing your job means being able to fulfill all portions of that position. Military troops must be ready to deploy in support of the mission. It’s simply not fair to rely on the same people over and over again.

Deployable, Not Deployed

At this juncture, I feel it’s important to note one key phrase in Mattis’ rule. He states that troops who have been non-deployable for 12 or more months must separate. He does not expressly state that all troops must actively deploy within the same time frame.

This is an important difference.

Not all positions require the same tempo of deployments. Each military job is very specific about the requirements needed and the potential operational tempo. An infantryman is likely to face a different deployment schedule and mission than a doctor or a pilot or a mechanic.

What Mattis is asking for is simply that troops remain at the ready. I think that this is reasonable. We expect our teachers to stay up to date with the best classroom practices. We expect our lawyers to know about new laws.

Military troops should put their checks in their deployment boxes.

This means maintaining an acceptable level of physical fitness, ensuring that medical and dental exams are complete and continuing to develop in their assigned billet. None of this seems out of order.

For troops that are non-deployable due to their own lack of follow-through, like missing vaccinations or poor PT scores, they should be asked to leave. Part of the job is being mission ready and they were unable to meet that requirement. It shows a lack of commitment.

Of course, this assumes that these services are readily available both physically and in actuality. Appointments for medical and dental care are often hard to come by. Individuals should need to show their good faith efforts to complete their duty before being asked to leave.

Not Considerate Enough

There are exceptions for troops who are injured in the line of duty or in the field. Mattis has given assurances that troops who meet this requirement will be given alternate assignments and retained. This is only fair. It shows a willingness to support those who have suffered a workplace injury. This caveat helps to reenlist families.

What doesn’t help to reenlist families is the lack of guidance regarding pregnancy and the postpartum period. Female service members are likely to be non-deployable for at least 40 weeks when you account for pregnancy alone. If we consider the time needed to recover from childbirth, that puts most women over the 52-week mark.

Is Mattis suggesting that women, who have recently given birth, be asked to leave the military?

This doesn’t seem right and certainly doesn’t support military families. Studies vary, but several have found that full recovery postpartum takes longer than the typical maternity leave of 12 weeks. Asking a new mom to leave her place of employment due to childbirth seems cruel and unusual.

There needs to be additional guidance regarding pregnancy and childbirth. Reasonable and medically sound timelines for a return to full duty should be implemented and explained.

Family Friendly Rule

While this rule is still in its infancy, the intention is good. Spreading the workload by ensuring a highly deployable force is fair. It removes an undue burden from troops who have faced repeat deployments as a result of others in non-deployment status. It also forces troops to take their deployment status seriously.

Some specifics need to be clarified and it is really too soon to say just how this rule will actually impact deployments. But on its face, it seems like a good way to clean up the Armed Forces and ensure that we are ready to face today’s challenges.

What do you think of the new “deploy or get out” rule?

Military Discounts for Your Child’s Birthday Party

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Have you started planning your child’s birthday party? Hosting a birthday party can be expensive, as I’m sure you’ve already discovered. Military discounts are so helpful when buying party supplies or booking a birthday party location.

Here is a list of military discounts to help you make your child’s next birthday party not only memorable, but also affordable.

Party Supply Stores

If you plan on decorating for the birthday party, you’ll want to stock up on supplies. There are many retailers to consider purchasing your supplies from. Try a local party supply store to help out a small business if you can. Ask them if they offer a military discount. Many small businesses like to give back to the military community.

If that isn’t an option, try a national chain such as Party City. They offer a 10% military discount on all items bought in store. If you see something on their website but it isn’t available in store, they can order it for you and have it sent to your house without paying for shipping.

If you are shopping for birthday party supplies online, try Shindigz. They have a 20% discount for military families. They also offer free shipping for purchases over $49.

Whole Sale Party Supplies has a 10% military discount and they provide free shipping with purchases of $39 or more.

Craft Stores

Perhaps you are a “Pinterest parent” and are planning on making the birthday party decorations. That can add up quickly, not only with your time but also with your budget.

I attempted to be a Pinterest mom for my son’s birthday last year just 2 weeks after having our daughter. It was probably a crazy idea to do so much at that point but I’m glad I did. I’m also glad that so many of the craft stores offer military discounts to make it more affordable to be creative.

Michaels has a 15% military discount that you can combine with their coupons. There is almost always a 40% off one regular priced item coupon and if not, they accept competitors’ coupons.

AC Moore also has a military discount. Their discount is also 15%. I shop here often as their prices tend to be lower and you can combine the military discount with other coupons and also gain points toward rewards certificates. You will find plenty of birthday party supplies and craft items at AC Moore.

Jo-Ann is another place you can try if you don’t find what you’re looking for at the other two places. They tend to have higher prices and offer a 10% military discount but if you want fabric, Jo-Ann is the place to go.

Birthday Party Locations

Making birthday party decorations or even buying them to host a party might not be your idea of a fun birthday party. In that case, try having your child’s birthday party at a fun location.

Chuck E. Cheese is always a popular option. They have military discount packages such as the Alpha package and Beta package. These include pizza, drinks and tokens. The best part of having your child’s birthday party here is that you don’t have to entertain kids and you don’t have to clean up.

Other locations that you might want to consider include: the zoo or aquarium, a gym or sports complex, a bounce house or trampoline world or perhaps a fun zone or sky zone. All of these in the D.C. area that I contacted offer military discounts so some in your city may offer a discount for your child’s birthday party as well.

Theme Parks

A popular birthday party idea is to take a few close friends to a theme park. Pretty much all of them offer a military discount. Great Wolf Lodge for example offers up to a 30% discount and is an extremely popular place for young children to have fun.

Busch Gardens, which is also connected to Sea World and Water Country USA, offers free entry and discounted packages to military families. By going on your free pass day, paying for birthday party guests will be more affordable.

Check with your ITT office for discounted tickets to other theme parks such as Six Flags. If you want to think a little outside the box, Medieval Times is something completely different. They have special packages that are available at MWR/ITT offices as well.

There are so many great places that offer military discounts that you can use for your child’s next birthday party. All you have to do is ask.

What are your favorite military discounts for your child’s birthday party? Tell us in the comments section.

Turn Your Passion for a Healthy Lifestyle into a Portable Career

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the California University of Pennsylvania. All opinions are 100% mine.

Military spouses desire portable careers with flexible work schedules. These men and women, many of whom are veterans themselves, understand that the careers they picked when they were 22 years old may not be compatible with the military lifestyle.

But just because their first choice for a career isn’t going to work doesn’t mean they want to give up on having a career completely.

Many military spouses have a passion for healthy living. They exercise 5 days a week at their on-post fitness center. They search the commissary for affordable healthy meal options for their families.

Let’s be frank: military spouses and veterans tend be gym rats.

Why not take your passion for eating healthy and exercising and turn it into a portable career?

Military spouses and service members can earn a bachelor’s degree in health and wellness or a master’s degree in exercise science through a 100% online program at the military-friendly California University of Pennsylvania. This affordable option, thanks to the university’s military tuition program, offers a pathway to new professional opportunities for military spouses.

The master’s degree program includes professional certification and can be completed in 12 to 18 months.

The California University of Pennsylvania Office of Military and Veterans Affairs offers comprehensive support for veterans, eligible dependents, service members of the National Guard and Reserve, and active duty service members.

Here are 3 reasons why military spouses and service members should consider earning an exercise science degree with the California University of Pennsylvania.

You can earn your bachelor’s degree from your house anywhere around the world. Cal U offers virtual classes that are 100% online. Online classes are a great option for military spouses and veterans.

With online classes you can complete your coursework uninterrupted while moving from one military base to another. You don’t have to worry about enrolling in a new university and hoping your credits transfer.

As long as you have a high-speed Internet connection and a modern computer, you have the flexibility to take online class anytime and anywhere. You can schedule your college classes around the demands of your daily life.

Online classes are a benefit for service members who want to earn a college degree while they are still on active duty. I know several sailors who earned a wellness and fitness degree and work as personal trainers on their nights and weekends. With this degree, they earn extra income doing a job they love during their free time.

Also, a degree in exercise science may be the first step in owning your own fitness center when you transition out of military service.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for athletic trainers was $41,600 in 2010, and demand in the field is expected to grow by 30% through 2020.

Earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree from Cal U is an affordable option for service members and their spouses. The Cal U Global Online programs provide discounted tuition costs for active duty members and veterans of all military branches, as well as their spouses and eligible dependents.

Their Military Tuition Discount Program is a reason to consider enrolling at Cal U.

The average student in the Class of 2016 has $37,172 in student loan debt. My husband and I carried a lot of student loan debt into our marriage. It wasn’t easy, but we finally paid off our student loans after 5 years.

Nobody wants to have student loan debt. While Cal U’s military tuition discount program doesn’t mean that you will attend college for free, it does mean that you don’t have to graduate with the burden of hefty student loan debt. By enrolling as online student, you won’t pay fees for on-campus services you don’t use.

The staff at Cal U are also ready and willing to help veterans understand how to maximize their military education benefits including the GI Bill.

Did you take a semester of college prior to enlisting? No problem. The Cal U staff will help you transfer those credits to your new program.

Pro-tip: Cal U is a MyCAA eligible university. Military spouses should check to see if they qualify for MyCAA when enrolling at Cal U.

Cal U is the leader in the study of exercise science. Cal U was the first college to launch a 100% online master’s degree program in exercise science. This curriculum was designed for online students to help them achieve their education goals. This online program allows students to interact fully with professors and classmates and form a network of professional peers.

The university partners with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) for the latest industry-focused program in fitness, health and exercise science. Plus, its students earn industry recognized certification through NASM through the program.

Join forces with Cal U and earn your degree in wellness, fitness or exercise science today. Click here to learn more about the California University of Pennsylvania.

How POTUS’ Food Stamp Plan Will Impact Military Families

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When you consider that the United States is one of the world’s wealthiest counties, it is disheartening to hear that 1 in 6 Americans don’t have enough food to eat. Many of those struggling with hunger are children and many are part of military families.

POTUS' Food Stamp Plan Will Impact Military Families

Do you use food stamps or have you in the past?

In a 2015 report, an estimated $80 million dollars’ worth of food was purchased in military commissaries using the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). This number doesn’t include military families who use other programs like Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) or who don’t shop at the commissary.

So proposed changes to the SNAP program will have a profound impact on military families.

As part of the 2019 budget request, the Trump administration has proposed a dramatic change to the food stamp program. The proposed change includes a reduction in “cash” benefits by half for anyone receiving $90 or more per month. Instead, SNAP cash benefits will be supplemented with a “Blue Apron-type” box filled with shelf-stable foods like canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, cereals, pasta, butter and beans. These boxes, called “America’s Harvest Boxes,” will supposedly save over $129 million dollars over the course of the next 10 years.

The fact that there are military families in need of assistance is an issue for another day, but let’s discuss these food boxes.

It’s an Interesting Idea

There is a part of me that thinks that these boxes could work. I mean, buying in bulk almost always drives down the cost. If the government is using its buying power to get great pricing on products, then I can see the merit. Especially, if that buying power is being used to buy all of the things that are often out of reach, like fresh fruits and vegetables, or gluten-free or organic items.

Except, that these boxes won’t include those items.

Staples like peanut butter, pasta, even canned fruits and vegetables aren’t inherently bad, but the best nutrients and the healthiest of diets, don’t often include many things out of a can.

What about those families who have a child allergic to peanut butter? Or who need gluten-free pasta? Or who need their food to be kosher? What if a family buys from a food bank program or farming cooperative and can actually stretch their SNAP funds further than the box provides?

The argument can be made that beggars can’t be choosers, but the families on SNAP and WIC aren’t exactly beggars. They are often young families or those impacted by loss of employment.

Shouldn’t families be allowed to select the food they know their family will eat?

Should they be forced to eat what the government says they should?

I find this incredibly ironic, considering how adamant this same administration has been in dismantling the school lunch program put in place by the previous administration that was designed to get kids to eat a government mandated balanced meal.

What About Distribution?

If you read through the proposed box system, you’ll notice the distribution of these boxes has been left to the states to figure out. They can “distribute these boxes through existing infrastructure, partnerships, and/or directly to residences through commercial and/or retail delivery services.”

Really?

Current food stamp infrastructure most often includes direct deposit of money to a SNAP food card, which can be used like a debit card to pay for groceries. Kind of hard to “distribute” boxes in that same way. And I find it hard to believe that door-to-door delivery is a) efficient and b) actually going to save money.

Instead, it will likely require recipients to travel to a distribution center. Taking hours away from the work day and potentially adding the cost of transportation to an already tight federal budget.

Better Options

Call me an optimist, but I think if we really wanted to conquer hunger, there are better ways to do it. Some states have started edible food forests to help produce food for needy families. Some cities are seeing a growth in urban farming, cutting down on distribution time and costs, and there are plenty of non-profit farms working to add fresh fruits and vegetables to the diets of our poorest Americans.

I’d much rather see our government working to support these ideas instead of boxing up cans of corn and jars of peanut butter.

For our military families, this is yet another reason why we have to keep our commissaries open. How many more military families will find themselves simply unable to buy the things they need if the savings offered on base are taken away?

Do you use food stamps or have you in the past? What do you think of the proposed changes to food stamps?

Do Military Retirees Qualify for Free TSA PreCheck?

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Have you heard of TSA PreCheck? This is a program that the Transportation Security Administration offers for a fee to allow expedited security clearance at airports around the country. Any U.S. citizen can apply for it and pay $85 for a 5-year program membership.

When applying for the TSA PreCheck program, applicants pay the $85 fee, fill out an application online and then have to travel to an enrollment center for an interview, background check and finger printing. It takes a lot of time to do all that, especially if you don’t live near one of their enrollment centers. TSA PreCheck can be worth the hassle if you fly often and want to avoid standing in long security lines.

All active duty service members are granted TSA PreCheck and don’t have to go through that process. In fact, all they need to do is enter their DoD ID number in the known traveler number (KTN) field and their boarding pass will have the TSA Pre✓® mark on it.

Retirees do not have this same benefit though.

Why are active duty service members granted TSA PreCheck but retirees are not?

Their fingerprints are already on file and background checks have been made for many. If a service member flies using their DoD ID number in March for example and then retires a month later, they lose their TSA PreCheck membership but nothing has happened to make the person less credible. Shouldn’t they be grandfathered in?

Does TSA consider a service member trustworthy while on active duty but not once they retire?

What could have changed that makes TSA no longer offer them the same free membership?

Of course TSA PreCheck is a privilege, not a right, but it’s hard to understand why TSA chooses to take away the benefit when the member retires.

Money is a reason that comes to mind. That $85 membership fee is only supposed to cover background checks and administrative costs though. The background checks are contracted out however. There are no discounts available for retirees or for anyone at all.

If TSA isn’t willing to give military retirees free membership, shouldn’t they consider providing a discount?

I’m not the first person to question this.

In 2016 Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey urged TSA to lower the membership fee for all veterans if they weren’t willing to exempt them from it. TSA started the PreCheck program in October 2011. All of this time has gone by and still there is no answer.

Some veterans groups are asking TSA to “do the right thing.” These groups include: Wounded Warriors Family Support, the American Legion, Marine Corps League, Non Commissioned Officers Association, Retired Military Officers Association and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Hopefully together they will be able to influence TSA into providing some sort of exemption for retirees.

It seems like a lot of fuss over something small, but if you travel a lot being able to go past the long security lines can be extremely helpful. There are over 5 million members in this program and that says something about its usefulness.

It works too. In February 2018 93% of members said that they waited less than 5 minutes to get through security at the airport. That’s a lot of time and frustration saved.

Have you paid for TSA PreCheck? Why did you do it? Was it worth the money?

17 Greenhouses and Garden Centers That Offer Military Discounts

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The first day of spring is March 20, and that means it’s time to get your gardening on!

There is nothing quite like the feel of warm soil on your hands. Add some quality seeds, some sun, a little water, and in just a few short months you have the freshest produce or most beautiful flowers you can imagine. And nothing quite beats the feeling you get when you can go out into your own backyard and fill a vase or basket with something you’ve grown.

Even if you have a small space, as long as you have a sunny spot, you can grow something. You can even grow fruit trees! Last year, we made the big investment and built a large raised bed garden. We planted all kinds of things: tomatoes, peppers, three different types of squash. Then there was eggplant, strawberries, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, carrots and tomatillos. We had cucumbers for days and we don’t have time for me to list all of the herbs, just know that there were 6 types of basil.

To say that we may have gone overboard in our first year is probably an understatement. But it’s almost time to start planting again, and while we have pared down our harvest list, what hasn’t changed is our love of a good bargain.

Seeds aren’t expensive, per say, but when you add in all of the other things you need like potting soil, plant food, insecticide, watering cans, soaker hoses and plant supports, it can really start to add up. Knowing where you can snag a military discount is a gardener’s secret weapon.

Home Depot & Lowe’s

Both of these home and garden stores offer a 10% discount to all active duty military and veterans. You need to register in order to receive the discount, but it’s easy, and it’s a solid 10% off on everything you buy. And depending on the sale, it is often on top of sale prices.

I love Home Depot and Lowe’s for things like soil (watch for the sales!), seed starters, and materials for building trellises or vining frames. We even bought the cinder blocks we used to build our raised beds there, at a discount of course! They also offer a variety of easy to grow plants already started for you. Their selection of plants is a little limited, but you can start a pretty decent garden from what they have to offer.

Meadow Farms

Do you live in Maryland, Virginia or West Virginia? Meadow Farms has an amazing array of plants, including fruit trees, vegetables and herbs. If you’re not up for sprouting from seed, they are a great place to “stock” your garden and Meadow Farms offers a military discount.

I scoured the net to find other garden centers that offer discounts. Here’s what I found:

Live in New York?

Check out the daily discount offered by Hewitts.

Stationed in Ohio?

Get 10% off every Wednesday at Pettiti.

Snag 10% off waterscape plants and materials from Hoffmans.

Boyerts offers 10% off any one item every Wednesday.

Have PCS orders to southern California?

Get 10% off every Wednesday at Armstrong Garden Centers.

Live in the middle of the United States?

Orshlen offers 5% off every Tuesday.

Stationed in northern Maryland?

Homestead Gardens offers 10% off every Thursday.

Live in Oregon?

Wilco Farm Stores offers 10% off every day.

For military families stationed in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee:

You can save 10% at Marvin’s every day.

At participating Southern States Cooperative locations, you can get a 10% discount every Tuesday.

Need grow lights?

Want to do a little hydroponic gardening? HTGSupply offers a 10% military discount for veterans. You need to register for a veteran account with HTGSupply to receive the discount.

Live in Arizona?

Summer Winds Nursery offers a 10% discount on any one item every day.

Do you have a large yard?

John Deere offers a military discount for all current and former service members.

Live in Washington?

Jason’s Greenhouse offers a 10% discount.

Logee’s offers a 10% military discount.

Are you thinking about planting a garden this spring? Check out this article, “How to Plant a Victorious Deployment Garden.”