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What’s Wrong with Military Service as a Family Business?

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Government officials are worried that the military is not diversified enough. A recent report showed that the majority of service members are part of what they call the family business, meaning military service runs in the family.

A surprising 80 percent of recent troops “come from a family where at least one parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, sibling or cousin has also worn their nation’s uniform. More than 25% have a parent who has served,” according to a Pentagon report of 2012-2013 recruits.

Military service is a wonderful and proud tradition within many families.

What problem could the government possibly have with military service legacy?

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee subcommittee discussed this topic recently in length. They are worried that the pool of service members is not as diversified as it could be.

When America had the draft, the military was made up of a more diverse population. At the height of the Vietnam War there were 3.5 million troops. They came for all walks of life, had different religious beliefs, different levels of education, different ideals and different backgrounds.

Now the military has closer to 1.4 million service members. The number of men and women entering the military is shrinking and so is the diversity within it.

If the military continues to mainly be made up of those in the family business, the military will continue to shrink and so will its diversity, or so the government thinks.

The pool of potential recruits is dwindling, which is going to force the Pentagon to think outside the family on ways to recruit new troops.

Lt. Commander Nate Christensen is the spokesperson for the Chief of Naval Personnel. He said the reason behind their worry is

We believe that this limits both the talent pool from which the Navy draws, as well as the diversity of background in our force, and ultimately could lead to a civil-military divide.

The Navy has a long tradition of sailors in the family business as 82 percent of them come from families with other service members.

The Air Force has an even greater number of families with multiple service members.

Eighty-six percent of current airmen have close relatives that have served in the military. The Army and Marines also have large numbers, 79 percent and 77 percent, of those in the family business.

Why do so many people decide to follow in the military service footsteps of their family members?

People make choices based on the life they have led and the people they have grown up with. Service members are likely to influence their family members to either join or not to join the military. Many that do join the military also enter the same branch of service that their family members were in. Fifty-nine percent of Army recruits come from a family that has close relatives in the Army.

The traditional make-up of the military no longer stands however. What was once mostly middle- and working-class men is now diversified with women in many of the positions.

There has been a large influx of women entering the military in the last few years as well. With the military opening doors to careers in fields women were not eligible to go into previously, the trend is set to continue. The military overall is shrinking, but in the last decade, the number of women joining the military has increased.

The government can’t afford to simply count on those entering the family business to keep the military strong. They’re going to have to start thinking outside the norm and recruit fresh blood, so to speak.

There are so many opportunities available in this age that the younger generation is not enlisting at the rate of previous years. The Pentagon is going to have to find a new incentive to get talented people to join the military.

In doing so, however, I hope that they don’t diminish the pride service members feel in continuing a family tradition. The term “family business” is being turned into a negative, when in fact it is a wonderful thing. I come from a family with a long line of service members and I married a sailor. I don’t know if our son will grow up and join the military, but I will be proud to have him in the family business, if he decides to.

What do you think of the statement that “military is a family business?”

Is Common Core Good for Military Kids?

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Military families move a lot. A Permanent Change of Station (PCS) becomes a rite of passage for us and is an inevitable occurrence for military members. The statistics are out there. We move on average every 2 and a half years, which can add up to about 7 moves for a military child in grade school.

In the course of 5 years, I attended 4 different schools growing up as a military child in 2 different countries and 3 different locations.

I remember the struggle with figuring out where I belonged, especially with my mid-school year move. The things I worried about, however, were more like, “how do I fit in with everyone else?” instead of, “how is the school curriculum?”

I did realize I had either some catching up or lull time with learning. Who knows if that was actually the best for me?

Is Common Core Good for Military Kids?

Since military children attend many different schools in different states, will the national Common Core Standard benefit their education?

My last school was off-base in a civilian neighborhood, where I didn’t know any military kids. Luckily, I was able to finish out my grade school in one location from then on – with sacrifice though. My dad would get stationed elsewhere, but my mom and I stayed. That’s a long story for another day.

One of the main reasons for my father being a geographic bachelor or geo-bachelor was the fact I was thriving at school and my parents didn’t want to disrupt the process. By the time a big move came up, I was approaching high school and my father was at the end of his military career, so it made sense. My dad wanted to retire in Texas and we made the 2 years apart work.

Not every military family shares our story and moving occurs at so many different points for us all, which is why Common Core is interesting to military families with school-age children as well as military educators.

The Common Core Standard is an initiative created by multiple state education chiefs and governors. The adopters of Common Core recognized the importance of establishing a precedent for young learners to gain knowledge to help them with college and career.

In addition, there are several states already in agreement with the benefits of the program, which provides uniformity that could strongly benefit military children in particular. Common Core acts as a bridge to keep curriculum similar, so no matter where a military child moves, they would be at the same point in their educational journey.

So far, 42 states in addition to the District of Columbia have or will be incorporating Common Core standards in their schools. According to the Military Times,

DoDEA is in the process of transitioning to Common Core, which it calls ‘College and Career Ready Standards,’ over the next 5 years.

Despite praise from some military families, the Common Core standard is also met with controversy from vocal opponents. Several critics say that implementing Common Core doesn’t necessarily improve overall testing. A big drawback from Common Core is that states would get less control over the curriculum since it would be something they agree to incorporate. As a result, some states have edited their take on Common Core or even rescind their claim.

The big question military families have about Common Core is will this curriculum be good for my child.

I encourage you to take a deeper look at the Common Core website to form your own opinion. Of course, if you’ve seen it in action, I’m curious to hear your thoughts too.

Now it’s your turn: Do you think Common Core is beneficial to military kids? Why or why not?

Is the Military an Easy Target for Budget Cuts?

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Oh, budget cuts. We military families cringe when we hear that in association with the military. Why do we see these cuts happen and why do they have to hurt so much? Why is cutting Tricare, housing and other benefits the best way to handle the budget?

Is the Military an Easy Target for Budget Cuts?

The truth is, only 1 percent are serving and because of that, a lot of people don’t understand what we need.

I have been a military spouse for more than 10 years now and I have seen plenty of other ways to cut the budget instead of cutting where it hurts the most. That makes me wonder, why is the military an easy target for budget cuts?

One reader wrote this in a comment about proposed changes to the commissaries:

This is a reduction in benefits any way you look at it. Another pay cut. The military is an easy target since they aren’t allowed to be political.

Is this true? Is the military an easy target for cuts because the military is not allowed to be political? I think there is some truth to this but it isn’t the main reason.

The biggest reason is because few people in the government have a real connection to the military. You are more likely to make cuts to something you think that a small percentage of the population will actually be affected by.

Although military members themselves can not be political, others who are associated with the military and who care just as much can be. Spouses and those who have served in the past. Those with children serving or with parents who have served. They are people who can get political about the cuts.

Because of this, there has to be more to the cuts than just the fact that those who serve can’t be political.

When my husband joined the military, we didn’t know too many people who were also making that choice. Over the years that has changed as we have met more and more military families. However, when we go home we still feel like the minority when it comes to the military. This isn’t true for everyone of course. Others come from big military communities and have known the military life before they became a part of the service themselves.

The truth is, only 1 percent are serving and because of that, a lot of people don’t understand what we need. They don’t understand that when you sign up to fight for your country, you expect your family to be taken care of in return. That you shouldn’t have to worry that your health care will be cut, that services for your special needs kids will suddenly be taken away or that you have to worry that you will not make enough each month to support them.

If we could figure out a way to make sure everyone with the power to change this knows what military families need and what we don’t, things might change. If they could hear the voices of the military spouses and other family members, maybe they would find another way to make their cuts. If they could truly understand what the budget cuts do to the 1 percent serving in the military, maybe they would do something else.

This means that change needs to come from us, those that stand behind those serving in the military. We need to be aware of the changes that are being made and do what we can to stand up against them. This won’t always be easy and sometimes things will feel like we are not even making a difference, but the more people understand what military families need, the better chance we have for things to change.

Do you agree with that statement the “military is an easy target since they aren’t allowed to be political?” Why or why not?

How the Proposed Military Family Stability Act May Affect PCS Season

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The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee recently had a hearing on a bipartisan bill that was originally introduced to Congress in October. This bill is known as the Military Family Stability Act of 2015. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. introduced the bill with cosponsors Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.

The point of the Military Family Stability Act is to ease the burden of a PCS for military spouses and family members.

All of these senators along with high ranking military officials agree that legislation needs to be created to provide a framework to help military families have stability in their lives and that the Military Family Stability Act may help this.

How the Proposed Military Family Stability Act May Affect PCS Season

The Military Family Stability Act is intended to give military families flexibility when a PCS takes place.

As we all know, the one constant in military life is that anything can change at any time. Verbal orders for a PCS aren’t set in stone. You get excited, or not, about a move only to have it changed in a blink of the eye. When you finally get orders on paper families can feel a bit more confident that a move is coming up. Still, things happen and the active duty service member might not PCS at the scheduled time.

All of this instability can create an uneasy situation at home.

Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mark Milley, stated that having stability on the homefront is crucial to operational readiness and that the Military Family Stability Act could potentially help reach those goals. Specifically, he said,

If we want our soldiers to be ready to focus on his combat tasks and training; or when deployed, to focus on the enemy; then we owe that soldier to make sure that their family is being taken care of with good schools, good health care, that the spouse has a job.

The Military Family Stability Act is intended to give military families flexibility when a PCS takes place. It would allow them to leave their current location up to 6 months ahead of the service member’s report date to their new assignment or to stay behind up to 6 months after the service member relocates.

This Military Family Stability Act would allow families to continue to get the housing allowance at the current location with dependents while the service member would receive temporary unaccompanied housing or compensation at their current location. The Military Family Stability Act would particularly help families with working spouses or children in school.

Uprooting your life, especially when you’ve found a job you like or your children are in the middle of a school year can be frustrating. The Military Family Stability Act would allow families to continue in the current location to finish a job or school year. In turn, it would give spouses time to look for new employment and to scout out new schools.

There are some exemptions, but to be eligible for this:

  • The spouse must be employed or enrolled in a degree, certificate or license-granting program at the beginning of the covered relocation period.
  • The service member and spouse have one or more children in school.
  • The spouse or children are covered under the Exceptional Family Member Program.
  • The service member or spouse is caring for an immediate family member with a chronic or long-term illness.
  • The service member is undergoing a PCS as an individual augmentee or other deployment arrangement.

Army Secretary Patrick Murphy spoke up at the meeting stating that life has become harder for military families since 9/11. He argued that,

It’s the families that have borne the cost, and have been really stressed. We’re trying to do everything possible to make sure that they know that we are committed as an Army team and an Army family.

Everyone on the committee agrees that treating families with respect and taking care of their needs are big factors service members take into consideration when deciding to stay in the military. Hopefully, the Military Family Stability Act will be able to make that decision an easier one.

What do you think of the Military Family Stability Act?

What Military Families Need to Know About the Zika Virus

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The Zika virus has been in the news lately and hearing about this when you have a spouse or family member in Central America or another area where there seems to be an outbreak can be quite scary.

The best thing to do is to learn more about the virus, how dangerous the disease is and how at risk the military is when they are in areas of the world with people who are being infected with the disease. The more you understand, the better off that you will be.

What Military Families Need to Know About the Zika Virus

Are you concerned about the Zika virus?

What is the Zika virus?

This virus is a non-fatal form of dengue fever. In most cases the Zika virus is quite mild. The military does not expect this virus to pose a health risk to troops.

What are the symptoms of the Zika virus?

The symptoms include a mild fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. Some people will also experience headaches and muscle pain. Remember that the Zika virus is overall mild and people are rarely hospitalized when they are infected.

Microcephaly is the biggest issue with this disease. You have probably seen the photos of the babies with the very small heads. These babies had mothers who were infected with the Zika virus when they were pregnant. The virus has also been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome.

How can you get the Zika virus?

According to Health.mil, Zika is primarily spread to people through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. It can also be transmitted from a pregnant mother to her baby during pregnancy, though we do not know how often that transmission occurs. Once a person has been infected with the virus, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.

Which countries are most at risk?

Although there have been a few cases in the United States, this is not considered an outbreak. These countries are under a travel alert: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What is the CDC doing about the Zika virus?

The CDC is working to alert the public about the disease, provide state laboratories with good diagnostic tests and making sure they are reporting cases so they can keep their eye on what the diseases is doing and how far it is spreading. As of today, there is no vaccine.

What can military families do to protect themselves?

The best way to handle this is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. Avoid time outside if possible if you are in a location where there is a known outbreak, wear long-sleeved shirts, use netting when possible, use EPA-registered insect repellents, and sleep under a mosquito bed net.

Be extra careful if you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor about your personal risks of contacting this disease.

Whatever you do, try not to worry too much about the Zika virus. Do what you can to educate yourself about what the disease really is, how things can spread and what you can do to protect yourself and your family. Make good decisions about where to travel and feel free to ask questions if you are worried about something specific.

You can learn more about the Zika virus from these websites:

Your spouse who is deployed in Central America should have had a briefing about the Zika virus. See if they can fill you in on what they have been told to ease your worries. Know that the military is aware of the disease and is working hard to make sure that the troops overseas are protected from contracting it.

Are you concerned about the Zika virus?

10 Reasons MilSpouses Don’t Ask for Help

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Asking for help is never easy and for some reason we military spouses have trouble with doing so. Especially when we really need the help. We try to do everything ourselves and don’t think we should stop and ask anyone for anything.

10 Reasons Why Military Spouses Don’t Ask for Help

Why do you think that military spouses are reluctant to ask for help or seek counseling?

Here are 10 reasons why military spouses might not ask for help (even when they need it):

  1. We don’t want to bother anyone. As military spouses, we don’t want to have to bother anyone with our troubles. We might assume that we don’t have a right to do so. We might think that if we do the person we ask for help will think less of us.
  2. We think we got this. Military spouses try to stay strong. We think we can do everything ourselves. We don’t want to have to admit that we need extra help.
  3. We don’t know where to go for help. We might want help but we are unsure of where to go to get the help that we need. We are not sure who to call or who to contact in order to find that help.
  4. We think we have to pay for help. If you are not sure about what your options are, some military spouses might assume that you have to pay to go see a counselor. If you have Tricare, they will pay for some if not all of your counseling. You should check and see what is available and what you have access to. There are other free programs out there as well.
  5. We think our need is temporary so we just want to get through it. When military spouses are going through a difficult situation, it can be easy to think that the situation will go away soon. That they really don’t need to ask for help. The problem with this is that sometimes the issues don’t just go away and we really should be looking for someone to help us through them.
  6. We worry about others finding out. Military spouses worry that others will find out if they had to get help for what they are going through. They might fear that others will make fun of them or look down on them.
  7. We don’t want to come across as weak. We don’t want to come across as weak to our spouses as well as others in our community. We worry that if they find out we needed help, they would no longer think we are strong. We have this idea in our heads about how military spouses are supposed to act and we feel like seeking help would mean we have failed to live up to that.
  8. We don’t think we have time. Life is busy and scheduling a counseling appointment might not be easy to do. Some military spouses might want to go and get help but feel like they just have too much going on to add that appointment to their schedules.
  9. We are not sure it will help. Deep down we might be worried that asking for help won’t even do what we need it to do. That we will be wasting our time. 
  10. We think we will look bad to our spouse’s command. This is a fear that some military spouses might have. That they will look bad to their spouse’s command. That they will be known as that wife or that husband and that seeking help will cause harm to their service member’s career.

The truth is, there are a lot of ways for military spouses to find the help that they need. Programs like FOCUS which stands for Families OverComing Under Stress can help spouses find the help that they need to get through their difficult situations. FOCUS offers resiliency training to help children and adults process and grow from their stressful situations.

There are also options to meet with a chaplin, Military & Family Life Counseling (MFLC) Program or be seen by a professional counselor through Tricare or MilitaryOneSource.

During my last deployment, I ended up seeing a counselor because I couldn’t handle what I was having to deal with. Taking the steps to make this happen was difficult but I was able to get the help I needed and learn more about how to handle my feelings as I got through the deployment. I was very glad that I did seek the help even though it was hard to do so.

If you feel like you need extra help, don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. You will be glad that you did as you will be able to learn and grow as well as figuring out the tools you need to get through military life challenges.

Now it’s your turn: Why do you think that military spouses are reluctant to ask for help or seek counseling?

Wearing Unearned Military Medals Is Wrong No Matter What the Court Says

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When I saw the headline, I thought you’ve got to be kidding me. This can’t be correct. This seems blatantly wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. But the headline isn’t an error. Here’s the Associated Press’ headline:

Court: Wearing Unearned Military Medals Is Free Speech

And apparently (and most appalling to me) this court decision about wearing unearned military medals is in line with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from 2012.

Wearing Unearned Military Medals Is Wrong No Matter What the Court Says

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision allows anyone to wear a Purple Heart.

In January, a specially convened 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the First Amendment allows people to wear unearned military medals, according this Associated Press article.

This decision overturned the 2007 conviction of former Marine Elven Joe Swisher. Swisher was convicted of violating the Stolen Valor Act.

Don’t remember the Stolen Valor Act?

The Stolen Valor Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005. This law made it a federal misdemeanor to falsely represent oneself as having received any military decoration. You know, a decision that makes sense and honors our veterans.

Then in 2012 the U.S. Supreme Court deemed the act unconstitutional under First Amendment free speech protections in the case United States v. Alvarez. Alvarez falsely claimed he was a retired Marine who had received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Alvarez never served in the military so obviously he didn’t earn any military medals.

“Though few might find (Alvarez’s) statements anything but contemptible, his right to make those statements is protected by the Constitution’s guarantee of freedom of speech and expression,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. He wrote that the First Amendment

“protects the speech we detest as well as the speech we embrace.”

In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, Congress revised the Stolen Valor Act making it a crime to “financially profit by lying about military service.” President Barack Obama signed the revised Stolen Valor Act into law in 2013.

A Christian Science Monitor article explains the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision like this:

“…Swisher’s case overturns a prominent provision of the 2013 Act, legally allowing anyone to wear a Purple Heart.”

Anyone? Yup, anyone. You, me, that guy down the street, that woman in the parking lot. Anyone.

That idea is insulting.

But there’s more.

“The value of a military medal lies not in the materials of which it is comprised, but in its message,” 9th Circuit Judge Sandra Ikuta wrote in the majority opinion. “Wearing a medal without authorization, therefore, generally communicates the false message that the wearer is entitled to such recognition and gratitude…. Wearing a medal has no other purpose other than to communicate a message.”

Those last 3 words irritate me – “Communicate a message.”

Yes, a military medal does “communicate a message.” It communicates a personal sacrifice for our country. It communicates loyalty to the Armed Forces. A military medal communicates an action that went above and beyond the average actions of other soldiers, Marines, sailors or airmen.

Wearing military medals should be limited to those who earned them. Those soldiers, airmen, Marines and sailors are the ones who deserve to wear military medals.

Not Swisher.

This Idaho man was honorably discharged in 1957. Court documents showed that Swisher served in the military and that he didn’t receive any military medals.

Yet, he was photographed wearing a several military medals and awards, including the Silver Star, Navy and Marine Corps Ribbon, Purple Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a Bronze “V,” according to the Associated Press article.

When you wear unearned military medals, you are a liar.

And that’s the truth.

Now it’s your turn: What do you think of this decision? Should wearing unearned military medals be a protected right under the Freedom of Speech?

Why I’m Listening to Bergdahl on Serial

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Among military community members, I can’t think of another name that causes such a passionate discussion as the name Bowe Bergdahl.

Remember Bergdahl?

Army Sgt. Robert “Bowe” Bergdahl disappeared from his base in Afghanistan in June 2009. He was held in captivity by the Taliban for 5 years. He was released in May 2014 in a controversial exchange of 5 Taliban detainees.

I remember following the media coverage of Bergdahl’s release closely. I remember hearing the news reports that a POW was coming home. I remember reading that he wasn’t a POW, he was a traitor — a soldier who “walked off” his post in Afghanistan. Then he wasn’t facing charges… no, wait, he was facing charges. And then, frankly, I forgot about him.

Until Serial.

Serial is a podcast that I was late to the game to start listening to. When a friend told me about it, she said “wow, Michelle, CNN did a story about it. I thought everyone knew about Serial.” With her recommendation I subscribed and started listening during my daily 3-mile walks. I was hooked.

Here’s how Serial describes itself:

Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial tells one story—a true story—over the course of a season. Each season, we follow a plot and characters wherever they take us. We won’t know what happens at the end until we get there, not long before you get there with us. Each week we bring you the next chapter in the story, so it’s important to listen to the episodes in order.

In my opinion Serial goes deeper than any other news source and is told like a documentary. But instead of showing one person’s view of a news event, this podcast shows you the story from the perspectives of many people directly and indirectly related to that story.

When the creators of Serial announced that Bergdahl and his trial would be the focus on Season 2, I honestly hesitated.

Did I want to hear what Bergdahl had to say?

I started listening for one reason: I wanted to know why and how Bergdahl left his post in Afghanistan. Mainly how. How does a soldier leave the Mest-Malak combat outpost in Paktika Province? How is that even possible?

Many of my military friends won’t even consider listening. They’ve made up their minds about Bergdahl (he’s guilty of desertion) and they don’t want to know anything else about him. Plus the search for Bergdahl after he was captured by the Taliban put a lot of soldiers’ lives in danger.

But here are 3 reasons why you may want to consider listening to Serial Season 2.

Why I'm Listening to Bergdahl on the podcast Serial

Are you listening to the Serial podcast about Bowe Bergdahl?

This podcast is about more than Bergdahl.

When you listen to this podcast, you do hear from Bergdahl. But you also listen to an interview with a journalist who was held by the Taliban and how he was treated. This podcast offers a complex perspective of the ongoing war in this part of the world that looks beyond the surface of terrorism. It looks at our foreign policies. It looks at the sacrifices that soldiers make to “leave no man behind.”

This podcast is produced for the 99 percent.

When you listen to this podcast you listen to a story about the Army, its operations and its purpose in Afghanistan from a civilian for a civilian audience. There are a lot of things I don’t know or understand about the Army. But when I listen to this podcast, I hear Koenig explaining what seems like such basic military information and I think “wow, the general public really doesn’t know anything about the military.”

For example, Koenig interviews soldiers who served with Bergdahl and they will explain how awful their working conditions were on deployment. I hear her prod them with questions about their food, the toilets (or lack there of) and sleeping conditions. I think “obviously they were on a deployment in Afghanistan.” But unless you have a close family member serving in the Armed Forces, you wouldn’t know those details not shown in 30-second news segments. This podcast is produced for civilians – not the military.

This podcast shows you that the Bergdahl case is complex.

Emotionally many Americans are very frustrated with Bergdahl’s actions, but as the podcast points out, the general who investigated these same actions testified that jail time for Bergdahl would be “inappropriate” and said he did not find “any evidence to corroborate the reporting that Bergdahl was … sympathetic to the Taliban.”

After listening to 4 episodes of Serial, I’m not sure how I feel about Bergahl. Wait, I take that back. I know I feel about Bergdahl as a person. But how did I feel about him and his court-martial scheduled to begin in August 2016?

I’m not sure. So until I make up my mind, I’ll just keep listening to Serial. You should too.

Are you listening to the Serial podcast about Bowe Bergdahl? Why or why not?

Service Members Sue for Medical Malpractice?

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For the Ortiz family, a scheduled Cesarean section delivery at a military treatment facility was supposed to go smoothly. Somehow, medication that was properly documented as an allergy was given to Air Force Capt. Heather Ortiz and it resulted in an unexpected antihistamine dose to counteract the allergy. That deprived her daughter, Isabella of oxygen when her blood pressure went down to troubling levels.

Now, 6-year-old Isabella suffers from brain and nerve damage that is directly related to her birth. Isabella will have to endure special treatment for the rest of her life and her parents have valid concerns with all the financial responsibilities that will and have been coming their way. That’s why Isabella’s father filed a lawsuit against the Army hospital.

Unfortunately for the Ortiz family, there is a doctrine in place that keeps service members from suing the government for medical malpractice.

It’s called the Feres doctrine. According to the Cornell University Law School website, the Feres doctrine

prevents people who are injured as a result of military service from successfully suing the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

It was enacted in 1950 and since then the Feres doctrine has stopped countless military medical malpractice cases in its tracks.

Should Service Members Be Able to Sue for Medical Malpractice?

Do you think service member should be able to sue for medical malpractice?

The Ortiz family and supporters recently pushed their medical malpractice case to the Supreme Court. An Air Force Times article reported that the original petition was filed on October 13 and it currently has a 30-day extension from the initial December 18 deadline to respond.

Military medical malpractice has a long history since the Feres doctrine was formed and was actually the reason it was enacted in the first place. In recent years, the unfairness of the doctrine is becoming more evident. A similar case in 2011 was never heard by the Supreme Court after months of waiting. After what was supposed to be a routine appendectomy, left Staff Sgt. Dean Witt in a vegetative state. Medical malpractice was the culprit because the hospital utilized improper gear and gave him harsh treatment, according to his legal petition.

In my opinion, it doesn’t even make sense, especially for the Ortiz and Witt medical malpractice cases. That’s the tip of the iceberg because there are so many other medical malpractice cases out there that would benefit from reform.

The Ortiz family argues that the use of the Feres doctrine to military children is unfair because they have never worn a uniform. Their daughter wasn’t injured as a result of being in the military. Isabella is a military child, not a service member.

The medical malpractice problem for military families isn’t black and white.

In fact, I think the process is so convoluted, I welcome you to read further about the messiness from a piece in the Atlantic.

All in all, I believe a change is needed to protect our military families. If the Supreme Court hears the Ortiz medical malpractice case, it would be followed by many more cases.

What should we do? We could encourage Congress to step in.

Luckily, there are lots of advocates out there lobbying to reform or amend the doctrine like the American Legion, the National Organization for Women and a handful of members of Congress. With that said, we could all contact our congress members to show our support for military families that have endured medical malpractice.

Now it’s your turn: Do you think service members should be able to sue for medical malpractice?

How 2016 BAH Rates May Affect Your Family

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Every year military service members and their families wait to find out what is going to change with their BAH rates. BAH, which stands for Basic Allowance for Housing, is based on your ZIP code. This allowance is supposed to be put toward your housing costs.

How the 2016 BAH Rates May Affect Your Military Family

On average, BAH is only meant to cover 98 percent of housing costs instead of 100 percent.

If you live on post, you are not going to get BAH but you won’t have to pay rent either. If you live in privatized housing on base, you receive your housing allowance and pay it to the private housing manager each month.

If your BAH rates have gone up you will be making a little more each month. On average they have gone up $54 per month this year, nationwide. However, the amount that the BAH is supposed to cover is down 2 percent.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t find a place within the limits of your monthly allowance, but that on average, BAH is only meant to cover 98 percent of the costs now instead of the full 100 percent that the allowance used to cover.

If your rates have gone down, you don’t need to worry at first. They will not change until you move or when your service member gets a promotion. Then they will be adjusted based on your location and rank.

Now, if the rate that you are supposed to get paid when you change rank is lower than it was before the change, you will be grandfathered in to your old rate. This is good because no one will receive less than they are getting in the previous year unless they are making a change.

I always used to enjoy that first paycheck of the new year when our LES reflected our new BAH rates. We were lucky in that all our time in active duty Army, the rates always went up. This didn’t mean that we would run out to buy a bigger house or spend more on rent but having a little bit extra each month to put toward our bills was always nice.

When buying a house, we knew we wanted our mortgage to stay below our BAH. Luckily we can make that happen in our current location but that might not always be the case. You should keep in mind that off-base rent might be pretty close to your BAH since a lot of the landlords know the BAH rates and charge based on that amount.

If your BAH does go up, put the extra money in savings or use the money to help with your debt. You will be glad that you did.

In the case that your BAH is going down and being close to a move or a promotion, think about how much you will be getting after the change. You might find yourself frustrated because of the change. You might have assumed you would be making more money once you got promoted but sticking to a budget will be your best bet. Make housing choices based on the new amount and you won’t run into any financial problems.

If you are planning a move to a new duty station, check the rates for the next year. When trying to decide on where to live, you will need to know how much in BAH you are going to be getting. Ideally, you should have your BAH cover your housing, including utilities, but that isn’t always a possibility in all areas.

With proper planning, you don’t have to worry if your BAH fluctuates. You can adjust and figure out how to make the new rate work for you and your family.

Is your service member’s BAH increasing in 2016? Click here to find out so you can start planning for any future moves or changes to where you are living.