Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

What Do You Think of the Guardian Dress Uniforms?

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When the Space Force, a division of the U.S. Air Force, was formed, there were a few jokes. Then the naming of the protectors to be Guardians led to some Guardians of the Galaxy jokes, but let’s be honest, with how awesome those movies and stories are, would it be so bad to have some Guardians in space?

The U.S. Space Force was established on December 20, 2019 to include Space in the national security measures. While the discussion began under President Ronald Regan to create a military service specifically for space, it did not stand up in decades later.

The Space Force has announced the development of a new dress service uniform. The service dress uniform was first unveiled as a prototype in September of 2021, and it was then brought to focus groups and roadshows. One hundred Guardians were part of the fit test in the development stage. The organization completed its final service dress uniform fit after the initial fitting at Peterson Space Force Base.

A uniform design company measures Guardians for proper uniform fit in the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., March 29, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)

Space Force spokesperson Col. Catie Hague said the uniform has meaning behind its design. “The deep blue color was chosen from the Space Force seal. The dark color represents the vastness of outer space,” she said. “The buttons have the globe, delta, orbit and stars that are part of both the U.S. Space Force flag and the seal.”

The next step for the uniforms is now the wear test. The wear test includes Guardians wearing the uniform three times a week to provide their feedback on the wearability, flexibility and comfort of the design and uniform. It is in the plans for the uniform to hit the force on late 2025.

“We are excited by Guardians’ input into their future uniform,” Catherine Lovelady, the head of the service’s Office of Change Management Team. “We are passionate about ensuring our members continue to have a voice in shaping a unique Space Force uniform.”

While some people have remarked that the uniform looks like it belongs on the set of Battlestar Galactica, others have remarked that it looks like something Captain Kirk work on Star Trek. What do you think? The dress uniforms can be viewed here on the Air Force Times article here. The dress uniform is unisex, meant to be worn by both males and females.

Semper Supra! (Always above, the US Space Force motto).

Tricare Telemedicine for Overseas Personnel

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The COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of medicine. While initially, non-emergency medical offices closed. Eventually, a shift to telehealth visits occurred. Medicare has announced that it will cover telehealth visits through 2023 with a plan for discussion on coverage before that time. TRICARE, also a federal health insurance, will continue to cover telemedicine visits. This includes overseas personnel!

Moving overseas is a big disruption in personal life but also in medical care. It shifts many members from service out in town to services in a military hospital or clinic, which can be a big change for many. Telemedicine visits provide flexibility for some to continue their current treatment, and perhaps even with the same medical group they were seeing in the past, depending on a few key factors.

Telemedicine coverage by country will depend on the country where the military personnel is stationed. TRICARE will cover telemedicine visits as long as the country allows telemedicine care; a TRICARE-authorized provider provides the care, and the provider follows all health and telemedicine rules.

Finding a telemedicine provider while living overseas is not always easy. To find a TRICARE provider that can provide care to those members insured by TRICARE Prime Overseas and TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas, look on the resource provider search page here. Select the region an, country, and TRICARE location and click search. Make sure to select “Telemedicine” as the specialty provider.

In addition, make sure that the medical concern is a TRICARE-covered service by searching here.

TRICARE does cover some telehealth mental health services. As said above, this is limited to certain diagnoses and treatments with the recent proposed DEA changes. Any care will need to be with a TRICARE network provider. Active-duty members must have a referral from their primary care provider. Dependents and retirees do not need a referral from the primary care provider. Overseas questions about telehealth mental services care can be reviewed at www.tricare-overseas.com

Telehealth services provide flexibility for the patient to continue to care no matter where they are, all dependent on state and federal laws. It is a great service that many patients have utilized and preferred during the pandemic, and the federal government has said they will continue to adapt guidelines to continue to provide this capability. Have you used telemedicine visits in the last three years? Will you continue?

Spoil Mom with a Mother’s Day Brunch At Home

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Mother’s Day is right around the corner. There will soon be ads galore for Mother’s Day meals or celebrations at local restaurants and stores. While the ads are touting the “deal” that they are offering, the reality is that many restaurants actually upcharge on Mother’s Day. Avoid the extra cost but still spoil mom this Mother’s Day with brunch at home.

Décor

One budget-friendly way to add décor is to make it your own, or reuse what you have. Easter-colored items with their pastel colors will add a beautiful accent to the table – add the easter colored grass to a cleaned-out beach bucket and add a sign around the bucket or in it that says “Mom, we love you buckets and buckets!” or “Buckets of Love For You Mom!” You can also reuse Valentine’s Day decorations using the hearts and heart garland around Mom’s chair – even better, make hearts with sweet messages on it! You can use the made hearts as placemats, place cards, and menu lists. Anything that is homemade is a hit with moms – and if you do it with handprints – even better!

Don’t Forget A Card!

Make handprint hearts or handprint cards. Use a handprint and add a cut cupcake wrapper to the bottom of the handprint with the words “you are the sweetest mom” as a card. Or cut out handprints for ladybugs or butterfly wings for cards. There are so many awesome ways to give something sweet to mom that also memorializes the small handprints as the kids grow. Don’t forget about your pets – pet paw print card ideas are all over Pinterest.

Drinks

No special menu is complete without a signature drink. Consider these mocktails so the whole family can enjoy them!

Grapefruit Mocktail

Make grapefruit and honey syrup by mixing equal parts juice and honey in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let thicken.

To a drink shaker filled with ice, add 3 TBL grapefruit-honey syrup and 1 1/2 cups of grapefruit juice. Shake well, pour into your desired glass, and add fresh rosemary sprigs to the cup to dress up the drink.

If your family is not a fan of grapefruit or sweets, consider making some blackberry lemonade.

Blackberry Lemonade

The first step is to make a blackberry-lemon syrup – stir together 2 cups of cold water with 4-6 tsp of sugar with the juice of one lemon.

To a pitcher, add ice and lemonade.

Muddle 10 blackberries, and once they are coarse, add 2-4 sage leaves to muddle together. Add this combination to the lemonade with thinly sliced lemons into the lemonade. Mix together, and voila!

Meal

Fruit Salad

Make this with any fresh and seasonal fruit that is available to you. You can leave the chopped fruit alone or add on a honey-lemon dressing.  One favorite topping in our house is adding some shredded coconut – it adds a variety in texture.

Eggs Benedict

This is the ultimate luxurious meal. It takes a lot of effort and planning. If you need some shortcuts, consider getting a Hollandaise sauce packet and precut Canadian Ham and English Muffins or toast. If you have all these items, all you need to do is poach the eggs.

The easiest way to poach the eggs is to heat about 2 inches of water in a 10-inch skillet, and add a bit of vinegar or lemon juice. Crack an egg into a custard cup or small bowl. Once the water is at a simmer, not a boil, slowly add the eggs. Each egg will take about 3-5 minutes to cook. Gently remove the eggs and place them on the warmed English muffin and ham. Top with the hollandaise sauce, and enjoy!

Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

If poached eggs aren’t your thing, try a Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole. Casseroles are great because you can prep them the night before, put them in the fridge overnight, and they are ready to go in the oven the next morning. You can make it with whatever your preference is – chorizo, or turkey sausage or no meat at all and all veggies. Use your favorite cheese. The base of hashbrowns will take on any flavors you add.

Thaw shredded hash browns and place them in the bottom of a 9×12 greased baking dish.  Mix in 1-2 cups of your choice of shredded cheese, one diced red bell pepper, one diced green bell pepper, and ¼ cup finely diced onion to the hashbrowns. In a bowl, mix 1 cup of milk of choice with eight eggs – or swap for egg whites. To the eggs, add ½ tsp salt, ¼ – ½ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp Italian Seasoning and mix. Once the egg-spice mixture is combined, pour it onto the hashbrown-pepper-onion-cheese combo. If you want to add meat, add the cooked meat to the hashbrown base.

Once you are ready to make it, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake uncovered to 55-60 minutes, until totally cooked through.

Relax

Don’t make Mom clean up after the meal – make a plan for who will do what. Younger children can bring the dishes to the kitchen, and older kids can wash dishes and put items away.

Moms generally don’t need or want gifts, but they do want time together where they don’t have to plan or cook or stress- this provides that for moms.

Mother’s Day from Afar

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If your mom is away from home serving or working this year, this one is for you. You can still celebrate the awesome way Mom completes the family puzzle by preparing a kind surprise for Mom in a way of a “care package” to enjoy whenever and wherever she is.

Key Notes:

If your Mom is in a country that has restrictions on what can be mailed into the country, make sure to know what they are before including that item in your box. Customs will remove the item from the box and leave a note if they randomly inspect that box.

Always Handmade

Mothers love a handmade touch. Whether it is a card made from the heart or a kitted scarf, having something made with your love, care, and design. If she is gone for various holidays, consider making a garland with tissue paper or felt for the specific holiday they will be missing. Being gone for holidays important to the family can be difficult, so having a sweet reminder from home can make it an easier time apart.

Care Package

Whether Mom will be near or far on Mother’s Day, a care package is a sweet way to show love to Mom. Start with the packaging itself.

If you are sending a box, decorate the inside flaps of the box – stickers, box flaps, photos or hand-drawn pictures are amazing touches.

What you include in the box will really depend on what Mom likes, so pick and choose items best for your mom:

– succulent – this will only work for a care package or bag given to mom who is nearby, do not try to mail plants

– hand lotion

– candle – again, don’t try to mail candles very far due to their potential melting in the box

– bath bombs or bath salts – Moms don’t often take time for themselves, but this will give them time to take a long, luxurious bath

– shower steamer – if Mom isn’t a bath person, a shower steamer still provides a lavish experience

– notebook – a great way to manage stress is writing it all out – no matter where Mom is, giving her a nice notebook to journal, draw, or write out to-do lists in will be useful

– coffee or tea – If mom drinks one of these, get a fancier version so Mom can have a nice cuppa at home or wherever she is

– nice honey – if Mom is a tea drinker, get a local honey to enjoy – bonus it will combat if there are any allergies

– sweet treat – chocolate or a favorite treat for mom is always a nice gesture

– sleeping mask – this is key if mom is somewhere where she works shift work or traveling often, get a soft one to really pamper Mom

The key is to make the gift for your Mom, and add in what she likes and enjoys so that even if she is working or gone, she knows and is reminded that she is loved.

Legislator Aims at Eliminating the Pay Gap between Enlisted and Civilians

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Pay disparity between the miltary versus civilian population is a real concern. Military members and their families must move wherever the military sends them; this includes areas that have a high cost of living but the pay changes very little.

Base pay is just that – the base pay that military members earn. This pay is based on rank and years of military service. It can also increase with the annual increase to fight inflation. A representative in the U.S. House is pushing to change the base pay. Representative Mike Garcia recently gave a speech in the House advocating that base pay would increase to a minimum of $31,200, making it an average $15/hour for a 40-hour work week.

Representative Garcia said, “the gap between pay for our troops and their civilian counterparts is at an all-time high. All the while, China has closed the gap against the US in several domains. We need some wins under our belt when it comes to national security and readiness. And the men and women in fancy suits in this chamber and in the chamber just 600 feet north of here, need to do the right thing for those military wearing uniforms. Not in five years or even in one year, but this year.” The speech can be watched on YouTube here.

Do military members work a 40-hour work week? While on deployment, military members can be on call 24/7 – this would mean that pay would not equate to $15/hour. However, military deployment schedules have dropped drastically with the announcement of the end of the War on Terrorism.

Pay for military members does change with Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) with each move. Each year, The Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) reviews the rental market around the military bases within the United States. The data is gathered on apartments, townhouses, and single-family homes to determine the cost. The median rent and average utilities are utilized to calculate the BAH. BAH is meant to cover 95% the median cost in a military housing area. This calculation is typically done once a year, although it was done twice in 2022 leading to a temporary increase in BAH. If BAH decreases in an area after the service member moves there, the BAH is protected to remain that amount. If the BAH increases, the BAH will still increase for the military member. However, this BAH protection does not continue with a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), reduction in pay grade or change in dependent status.  

Is this increase enough? An E1 in the DOD is typically an 18-year-old individual. These individuals would be potentially working minimum wage jobs, or maybe skilled jobs with higher pay. Raising the base pay to at least the average minimum wage may provide more incentive. However, in certain areas where minimum wage is $20 or higher, there may not be incentive to join the military in the enlisted ranks.

Either way, the military is a force that is always on call, often working more than the 40-hour work week, and appreciation through actual changes and means would be appreciated.

National Military Family Association Introduces Operation Purple Summer Challenge

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The National Military Family Association, NMFA, has run Operation Purple Camp as a program specifically for military children since 2004. In 2020, Operation Purple went virtual, with the return of in-person camps in 2022. In 2023, NMFA has introduced Operation Purple Summer Challenge.

Like the Operation Purple Camp at home, Operation Purple Summer Challenge can be completed by military families that are actively moving across the country, world, or just down the street. The program is a self-paced experience connecting military kids wherever they are. Throughout the summer, weekly challenges are announced.  Every Wednesday, a “Global Gathering” online occurs so the children can share what they have done throughout the week so far.

Every military-connected kid registered will get a spot for Operation Purple Summer Challenge. There are three age groups – Explorers are Pre-K through Grade 2, Adventurers for Grade 3-8, and Family for those of all ages. The only needed items are a device to connect to the internet for the global gathering and to access the weekly activity emails, and writing tools and paper.

Registration is open now! Register by clicking here. Military kids that applied to in person camps can also apply to to Operation Purple Summer Challenge.  The program runs from June 7, 2023 to July 26, 2023 with an end-of-summer meet up on August 23, 2023.

The eight week of challenges have been announced:

Week 1: Rep Your Branch

Week 2: Around the World

Week 3: Air, Land, and Sea

Week 4: Pajamarama

Week 5: Holiday Party

Week 6: Storyville

Week 7: Into the Future

Week 8: Transformers

This is the answer to Operation Purple Camp at Home that was held for two years. These camps were week-long camps with daily activities, divided by ages. This was a great way for kids to connect in with kids their ages, and enjoy a camp while they were moving or just to enjoy a “vacation” at home. While it is not known if the Operation Purple Summer Challenge will continue in following years, it is certainly a hope that it continues to provide flexible opportunities for military kids. And the family addition to this program provides families an opportunity to plug and enjoy the challenge together.

Whether you are moving or not, this program is a great program for military kids and families alike. Will you be participating this year?

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service Makes It Earth Day Year-Round with Sustainability Initiatives

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DALLAS – The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is committed to setting the standard for sustainability beyond just Earth Day. With multiple sustainability initiatives, the Exchange directly improves the quality of life in the military communities it serves.

“The Exchange is committed to providing a sustainable working and living environment for Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families.” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “The Exchange’s sustainability goals directly improve the quality of life in our military communities, ensuring a clean and safe future wherever Warfighters serve.”

The Exchange’s in-store and real estate sustainability initiatives include:

  • Recycling more than 7,000 tons of plastic, aluminum and cardboard annually.
  • Collaborating with Department of Defense to implement and maintain electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on CONUS installations, assisting with the conversion of federal fleet vehicles to EVs before 2030.
  • Replacing 455,000 fluorescent lamps in more than 160,000 fixtures with efficient tubular LEDs or TLEDs at 610 CONUS facilities. This effort yielded a 56% reduction in consumption daily, more than 50 million kilowatt-hours annually and more than $2.4 million in cost savings annually.
  • Installing efficient low-flow faucets in food courts during renovations and new construction, resulting in 30% in water savings annually.
  • Designing and building stores to globally accepted standards such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards.
  • Offering shoppers a 5-cent-per-bag credit for using reusable shopping bags, each of which can replace up to 250 single-use plastic bags throughout its lifespan.
  • Reusing apparel hangers to minimize waste.

The Exchange partners with suppliers to offer more environmentally friendly products at PXs, BXs and ShopMyExchange.com, including:

  • Sustainable apparel that includes recycled materials or uses less water in production from brands including Levi’s, Columbia, The North Face, Damsel Swim, O’Neill and Quiksilver.
  • Eco-friendly, cruelty-free cosmetics and skincare products, including vegan and biodegradable options, from brands such as Almay, bareMinerals, Bravo Sierra, EcoTools and Farmacy.
  • High-efficiency Energy Star products, which include 50% of all major appliances, 100% of televisions and 93% of computers.
  • Energy-efficient LED lamps, bulbs and smart lighting.
  • Laundry detergents for use with high-efficiency washing machines.
  • Eco-friendly and biodegradable cleaning supplies from brands such as 9 Elements, Lysol, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, Seventh Generation and Symtek.

The Exchange’s global logistics operation, which includes nine distribution centers worldwide and the 13th-largest private retail fleet in the U.S, is also committed to reducing its environmental impact. Logistics sustainability efforts include:

  • Recycling 280 gallons of oil, 1,100 tires and 300 batteries annually.
  • Using self-inflating tire systems on trucks to increase miles per gallon.
  • Installing trailer skirts and aluminum wheels to improve aerodynamics and reduce weight.
  • Replacing aging trucks with new model units fitted with fuel-saving features such as automatic transmissions, adaptive cruise control and optimized idle.

These efforts not only reduce the Exchange’s environmental impact, but also save money and resources which are reinvested into military communities. In the last 10 years, more than $3.5 billion in earnings have been provided for critical military quality of life programs, aided directly by the Exchange’s ongoing sustainability efforts.

Social media-friendly version: The Exchange makes every day Earth Day with sustainability initiatives, setting the standard for exceptional environmental stewardship wherever service members go. Read more: https://wp.me/p9Q7PG-2nS

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Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 54th-largest retailer in the United States. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In the last 10 years, your Exchange benefit has provided $3.4 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize the service, valor and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families in conjunction with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at http://www.shopmyexchange.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ExchangePAO.

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CADET Act Aims to Afford Dignity, Equality and Training

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Lawmakers approved changing the Defense Department’s service academies policies regarding cadets having children. The Defense Department’s service academies include the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. All cadets and midshipmen receive taxable pay at the rate of 35% of an O1, and receive free room and board, with the exception of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

The CADET Act was introduced in 2021 by Senators Ted Cruz and Kirsten Gillibrand. CADET stands for Candidates Afforded Dignity, Equality, and Training. The bill asked for the DOD to ensure that the cadets and midshipmen in the service academies who become pregnant during their time at the school are provided with options to take leave from the military service academy for up to one year, fully released from the military service academies and any related obligations or enlist in active-duty service. It further added that males who became parents would not be required to give up parental rights and must not acquire any benefits or leave considerations having to do with having a child.

While the CADET Act was not signed into a bill, the wording and idea behind the act were added to the National Defense Authorization Act. This includes not forcing students who quit after the start of their third year to become parents also to have to pay back the military service academy.

The new policy allows a cadet to grant temporary guardianship of her child to another person while they complete their studies at school.  The policy does not change that cadets and midshipmen cannot get married while at the academy. Furthermore, people with children are still not allowed to apply to the academies.

While the NDAA was signed in 2021, the Defense Department was given one year from signing to enact the act.

Military Appreciation Month: What is done to honor those who serve? Is it enough?

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May is Military Appreciation Month. Many companies offer special deals to the military and their families to celebrate the month. The marketing of these deals promotes how ‘military friendly’ the companies are. While considerate and sometimes helpful, it is also a PR move. It is a chance to pull in military families to use the discount, attract military supporters favoring companies that give back, and showcase corporate patriotism. But is a military discount enough?

Several military members and their spouses shared that while they appreciate the discount, they would prefer that the discounts are offered year-round versus only on a promotional basis. The promotional basis feels like a strict public relations move and not demonstrating the steadfast support of military members and their families around the globe. The National Parks, for instance, offer a free family pass to military and veterans for year-round access to National Parks. And home improvement stores Home Depot and Lowes offer a year-round discount.

One Marine Corps spouse stated, “We are too dependent on discounts as a form of appreciation, especially when it’s a marketing tactic to get our business. Show your appreciation by supporting nonprofits that support us in the community, host a dinner for deployed families, and match donations to local resources.” The unfortunate reality is that corporate discounts and other benefits are increasingly necessary to make ends meet, but should they be?

When military retirement has decreased from 2.5% to 2% of base pay per year of service and retiree healthcare is increasingly outsourced to understaffed private networks, military retirement is not as stand-alone as it once was; is a military discount enough to make up for that? In all fairness, retirement benefits do not apply to all active-duty military. Per the Army’s statistics, the average service length is typically 2-6 years.

In 2022, the total number of those serving on active duty, reserve, and guard was around 1.18 million. Of those on active duty, the Army had 482,416, the Navy 343,223, and the Air Force (Space Force included) had 328,888. The Marine Corps had 179,378 on active duty. Per the Council of Foreign Relations, this is less than 1 percent of the population of the United States. Per the Census Bureau, the number of veterans continued to decline; in 1980, veterans made up 18% of the population, while by 2018, only 7% of the population, which continues to decline.

This decrease in number corresponds to fewer representatives fighting for those who serve. Reflecting the community, it serves, only 17% of the legislators in the 117th Congress in 2021 were military veterans, whereas, in 1973, 81% of the Senate and 75% of the House had served in the military. The draft of World War II can explain this high percentage. Even in the late 1990s, this dropped to 37% in the Senate and 27% in the House 30 years after the end of the draft.

With such a low number of those serving, and those in Congress, a place of power to change the military culture, a similarly low percentage, what can be expected for thanks of military service?

The Right Now Benefits

For those serving for a few years, the benefits include the GI Bill, the military commissary, and healthcare benefits.  

The GI Bill is the most significant benefit. This benefit allows service members to utilize the GI Bill to pay for a four-year college. If they do not want to or cannot use it for themselves, they can gift it to their spouse or children. This is a financial benefit, especially as the cost of attending a 4-year university soars.

The military commissary is the grocery store on post specifically there to support those who serve. The commissary, supported by congressional funds, provided the most affordable way to shop. The Government Accountability Office has reviewed the commissaries appropriated funding and the business model for the commissary. Over the last ten years, the appropriation funding has dropped several hundred thousand dollars translating to less savings for shoppers as the commissary moves to a self-sustaining business model. For reference, all other grocery stores are self-sufficient, and the commissary is considered part of military pay for now.

One of the many things said during recruiting is that all healthcare will be free for the service member and any family members. While TRICARE Prime does offer free healthcare, is it accessible healthcare? Military Treatment Facilities, or MTFs, were established to care for military members and their families. Over the last decade, available services have dropped in several locations requiring that military families are seen off-post civilian facilities. The civilian medical community is already overwhelmed in many areas, and adding thousands more family members to the system has led to a backlog. The backlog means that family members cannot receive healthcare in a timely manner. That promised healthcare is no longer there. Many medical groups have dropped TRICARE as an accepted insurance due to the low payouts that TRICARE provides. Groups dropping military families also go for the dental coverage of United Concordia. While there was a brief period when MetLife provided dental coverage and did provide more coverage than United Concordia, it changed back several years ago. Like medical providers, many dental providers no longer take United Concordia due to the low payout. TRICARE has started requiring generic medications for all patients, servicemembers, and dependents as a cost savings measure. For medications like Synthroid, a medication for those with low thyroid hormone, the change to generic can negatively affect their health. Generic medications have the same ingredients as brand-name, but sometimes their additives differ enough, over 20% in some cases, to lead to absorption changes – thus affecting their health and wellbeing.

While military discounts are appreciated, does it compensate for the loss in benefits? Many new recruits may not know any better, and perhaps any medical or dental care is better than none. For those seasoned military families who have been in since 9/11, they have seen a real change in provisions – and a drastic one. A discount on Disney tickets is not the same as receiving timely visits with a new provider in a new town.

Service members and families alike would give up discounts if it meant that legislation with real changes passed. If childcare was made more accessible and jobs for military spouses were a true priority, this would be genuine appreciation. The world of the military is no longer a one-income world – it is not sustainable. Inflation skyrockets, and the pay is not enough for many families to get by. However, remaining a two-income family comes with the family’s sacrifice when military members take unaccompanied orders so the spouse can remain on the job.

One military family with 10+ years of service stated, “I’d just like our benefits to be left alone. That would be true appreciation.”

Army Rebrand: Is This The Right Way To Go?

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The slogans of the US Army have changed throughout the history of the service branch. In World War I, the “I Want YOU for the US Army” poster with Uncle Sam was plastered all over towns and recruiting stations. In the 1980s and 1990s, the phrase “Be All You Can Be” was synonymous with the U.S. Army. The early 2000s saw the “Army of One” slogan and “Army Strong.” Most recently, it was “Warriors Wanted.”  As in the circle of fashion with the return of bell bottoms in the 2000s, the return of the Army slogan “Be All You Can Be” is here.

Maj. General Alex Fink told a major news outlet that “We are reinventing ‘Be All You Can Be’ for Generation Z.” Per the Army release, she said further, “Serving our nation is a calling, and one that is fundamentally hopeful. We want a new generation of Americans to see the Army as a pathway to the lives and careers they want to achieve.”

The move to revamp the old slogan came after multiyear research was conducted. The Army star remains, but with the box removed to “reflect the limitless possibilities in the Army.” The change in logo and slogan is a full change in their recruiting brand. They have changed the font and color palate along with motion graphics and a change in photography.

Maj. Gen. Alex Fink, Chief of Army Enterprise Marketing, said within the release that “We know youth seek purpose, passion, community, and connection, but we also know many don’t recognize the Army’s ability to deliver on those needs. We need a brand that effectively communicates the possibilities of Army service.”

To appeal to Generation Z, two films made for recruitment are narrated by Emmy and Critics’ Choice Award-nominated actor Jonathan Majors, star of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” The films focus on the history of the Army and the options for serving in the Army. The films will be shown during the 2023 NCAA March Madness tournament and be paired with print ads, streaming video, and ads on social media.

Is this the right way to go?

On the one hand, the adults of this age grew up with Mister Rogers’s Neighborhood and loved when Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood was both a reminiscence of this and added a new element. Will that be the same for the reinvention of the Army slogan? These adults cannot join the Army as the oldest you can be to enlist in active duty in the Army is 35, but perhaps they will be understanding and sympathetic to their children joining. Will it be appealing to Generation Z? That remains to be seen. The goal of the Army is that the slogan will lead the recruits to look within themselves to determine what their personal goals are and if the Army can bring them there.