Army

Do Military Wives Feel Threatened by Female Service Members?

09/21/2018 By Kimber Green

I recently read an open letter from a military spouse. In this open letter this military wife unleashes all of her emotions about how she feels about women who serve in the military, how she thinks female service members feel about military wives and how these two group treat each other.

She clearly feels threatened by female service members and blames men for making her feel that way.

Do Military Wives Feel Threatened by Female Service Members?

I do not feel threatened by female service members. I’m impressed by them.

That’s what her letter comes down to or that’s what I’ve taken away from the read.

Initially I didn’t want to read the entire article, which is not like me at all. The executive editor pleaded with the readers in her foreword to read all the way to the end though, so I did.

The beginning mostly sounds like the whiny rant of a young military spouse.

That’s why I didn’t want to read further, but I did and I thought about what she said.

I Don’t Feel Threatened by Anyone

I certainly don’t feel threatened by anyone. Why would I?

Apparently, there are military wives that do or this letter wouldn’t have been written. I have been part of military life my entire life. Both of my parents were in the Army and my husband is in the Navy.

My husband does not serve on a ship. He serves in a small community that’s different from fleet Navy. There are a small number of female service members in this field. I do not feel threatened by them.

I’m impressed by them. Being a service member is a really tough job. It’s especially hard for a female. I think it’s amazing that these women are physically able to do the things that are required by this job.

I Feel Like Fighting on Behalf of Female Service Members

It takes an emotionally strong woman to be in a male-dominated field.

I hear what some of the men say about the female service members.

They don’t think they belong in the military.

They think they aren’t good enough.

And no matter how hard they work they won’t cut it in their minds.

Unlike the author of that open letter who wants to soak up every bit of that kind of conversation, I feel like fighting on behalf of the female service member.

The Relationship Between Military Wives and Female Service Members Is Complicated

I mentioned this open letter to a few military wives that have husbands serving on ships. They completely agreed with the author of that letter.

They relayed tales of male service members being kicked off ships for sleeping with female service members, of people cheating on their spouses while at sea and how female service members are a distraction to the mission.

They feel threatened by their presence.

Likewise, female service members taunt military wives for being overweight, lazy and unambitious.

They feel that military wives use their spouses’ rank to get their way.

They feel that military wives make up things to get them off ships.

It’s a pretty rough relationship between military wives and female service members.

Some of these situations are based off real events, but not all military wives fit this description and not all female service members act this way.

I’ve heard of these stereotypes but have never faced these situations, nor did I know it was such a big problem. I’m sure there are plenty more military wives and female service members that have experience with this.

Are you a military wife who feels threatened by the female service members that your husband works with? Are you a female service member who isn’t respected by your co-workers’ spouses? Share your story in the comments section.

Will Your On-Base Home Be Tested for Lead?

09/10/2018 By Meg Flanagan

Lead poisoning is a widespread and growing problem at Army bases, according to investigative reporting from Reuters.

Unfortunately, no one has a clear picture of the extent of lead poisoning in military children because the Army often failed to report test results to state authorities.

Will Your On-Base Home Be Tested for Lead?

According to a 2017 memo from The Villages on Benning, 2,274 out of 4,001 on-base homes contained lead-based paint at Fort Benning.

Between 2011 and 2016, the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas processed over 1,000 blood tests for lead in young children that showed elevated results. Brooke Army Medical Center reported testing approximately 200 children per year in that 5-year span.

This blood test is a simple finger-prick blood draw and costs approximately $10. Many, if not most, U.S. children go untested for lead every year. It is unclear how many military-connected children do or do not get tested for lead poisoning annually.

Texas, like most states, requires that all elevated testing results be reported to the state authorities. However, Brooke did not report their findings in many cases. Neither did Fort Benning, Ga.

This lack of reporting kept state and federal authorities in the dark about the growing issues surrounding lead poisoning in military children.

Military Response to Investigation

After Reuters investigative reporting uncovered the Army’s lead-based problems, the Army drafted a plan to test 40,000 possibly lead-contaminated homes on military bases nationwide. Homes with young children – an at-risk population – would have the highest priority for immediate testing. Approximately 100,000 children live in military housing.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are going above and beyond current requirements to ensure the safety of our soldiers and their families who work and live on all of our installations,” Army spokesperson Colonel Kathleen Turner said in a statement. “We are currently evaluating all options to address these concerns.”

Homes built before 1978 would be tested for lead contamination in the soil, water, paint and other likely areas in the residence.

However, these far-reaching plans to rectify a potentially dangerous situation are not approved for action as of August 28.

Aging Military Family Housing Linked as Possible Source

Military family housing began to change hands from Defense Department management to private management in the 1990s. At the time, on-base homes were often old and in a state of disrepair. Contractors were brought in by the private companies to renovate, and often rebuild, on-base communities.

However, as recently as 2005, the Army admitted that even these homes weren’t up to their own standards. Their report indicated that as many as 75% of its 90,000 homes on military bases nationwide were falling into disrepair.

“As homes deteriorate, the risk of children’s being exposed to hazardous materials…would increase,” the military report noted.

In 2016, a DoD Investigator General report found privatized military family housing to be vulnerable to poor maintenance and management. This left military families at risk for exposure to dangerous materials in run-down homes.

Lead-based paint and other materials are primarily evident in homes built before 1978. Homes that were built using such products are considered safe, so long as they are properly maintained.

The issue arises when those lead-based paints and other materials begin to decay, disintegrate, peel and breakdown. Peeling lead-based paint releases contaminated dust into the air. It can also be easily handled or ingested by curious young children.

According to a 2017 memo from The Villages on Benning, the company managing Fort Benning housing, 2,274 out of 4,001 on-base homes contained lead-based paint.

Effects of Lead Poisoning

Children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning. Peeling paint or other materials are easy for small children to touch or eat out of curiosity.

Symptoms range from immediate to long-term and involve multiple bodily systems.

Children might experience:

Abdominal pain
Irritability
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Vomiting
Constipation
Fatigue or sluggishness
Pica or eating non-food items compulsively
Seizures
Developmental delays
Learning differences

Women who are pregnant can expose their unborn children to lead unknowingly. Infants with lead poisoning are more likely to be born prematurely, have a lower birth weight and to experience slower growth rates compared to typically developing peers.

Adults are not immune to the effects of lead poisoning. While the symptoms are different from infants and children, lead poisoning is no less serious for adults.

Adults with lead poisoning might experience:

Abdominal pain
Headaches
High blood pressure
Muscle and joint aches
Mood disorders
Memory problems
Low sperm count in men
Miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth in women

If you believe that you or your family may have been exposed to lead-based paint or materials in military housing, it’s important that you get tested as soon as possible.

Contact your medical care team, your housing management company and relevant military authorities. The Army issued an updated guidance for military families living on Army posts. You can read it by clicking here.

Do I Want My Daughters to Join the Army? It’s Complicated

08/27/2018 By Michelle Volkmann

by Eric Gardner, Guest Contributor

Our lives as military spouses are filled with countless decisions. As a fourth-generation veteran I understand I have a tendency to overthink certain areas of life.

One of them being – will my children wear the uniform in the future?

Now I’ve still got a bit before anything happens. My oldest is gracing the halls of middle school this year. However, I know full well how fast time can pass and before I know it my beautiful little girls will be empowered, driven young women.

Will I want my daughters to join the military of the future? To be honest the verdict is still out.

Now before this gets taken out of context, let me explain. There are some terrific life lessons that can be gained through military service.

The first one that comes to mind is making friends quickly. All military brats and active duty service members have that quality which has been honed through countless PCSes. A social grace that allows them to blend into any group and find connections that might be lost in other civilian professions.

Another lesson of military service is you learn the importance of family. Our families are the only constant we often have. Regardless of where the military takes you, your family being by your side can make your military installation feel like home.

And last but not least is developing a unique empathy that few outside the service can match. It’s one thing to see the sights of a host nation or port of call. It’s another to make friends with the locals and see the world from their point of view.

Do I Want My Daughters to Join the Army? It's Complicated

As I plot and plan for the future there is one thing I know I have no control over – my daughter’s decision to join the Army.

I sincerely hope that my wife and I are good stewards of the impression the Army makes on our girls. Not that everything is easy. Far from it, we want to ensure that our kids see that military life is passionate, full of adventure and challenging. The later part being what makes the journey worthwhile.

Now before you think I’ve got my dad blinders on, let me say just a little about the methodology to this train of thought. The one thing that I can’t stop is time. Whether it’s after high school or college or somewhere in-between my kiddos are going to have to take their own steps out into society. Their unique signature on the world will only be limited or enhanced by their experiences and imagination.

When I graduated from college to join the Army, there was a tremendous amount of uncertainty. I considered myself lucky in that while my peers felt a similar apprehension about the unknown at their new jobs, they had suffered additional stress of finding their place of employment in their field of study. My classmates weren’t exactly sure how long their positions would be available at their new offices.

I, on the other hand, had a guaranteed eight years of job security.

I think we can all agree that everything has tradeoffs. I know for a fact that my parents — my mother specifically — didn’t enjoy my time at Ranger School. So many things could have gone wrong, from a simple failed exercise to a catastrophic accident. I’m fairly certain my guaranteed employment wasn’t at the top of either of my parents’ thoughts during the years of airborne operations at Fort Bragg.

As I began to excel as a soldier, I could see the joy my successes brought to them. Some of their excitement was a validation that their sacrifices during my childhood allowed me to positively stand out and that my future held so many possibilities.

The military isn’t forever. Even if you do 30 years there are still many chapters of our lives to write. As a starting point, the Army alone has 150 career paths. Finding a passion with so many choices is a high probability.

Even it’s only for a few years, there is so much to gain from military service.

Promotions can be expected. Equality is something everyone believes in. You get paid vacation from day one. You and your family have access to health care and you have the opportunity to see the world.

Now there will always be disadvantages and they do carry a lot of weight. There are the long hours, often hazardous duty accompanying most career fields, the stressors placed on the family, and the nomadic lifestyle is oftentimes hard to adjust to.

Yet as I plot and plan for the future there is one thing I know I will have no control over – my daughter’s decision.

To say the military isn’t for everyone is putting it mildly. A 1% sampling of the population volunteering to serve has so many demands placed on it that you need to want to be there. As with all paths of life there will be highs and lows, however the added element of extreme risk can produce some very hard days.

This is why the jury is still out. My wife and I won’t promote or discourage the military lifestyle. Our girls have a brief glimpse of what service life is like from being Army brats.

As a former brat and veteran, I know how little I understood going in. Yet that was OK because I wanted to be there. It’s not necessary that I need my children to do this.

I want them to be vested in their passions.

I want them to excel in whatever profession they choose.

And above all else I want them to be excited about their future.

While I’ve said it’s their decision I have to admit, having them be part of five consecutive generations of military members would make me smile. However, wanting them to thrive in a career they are passionate about is what would make me most proud.

Do you want your children to follow in your footsteps and join the Army? Why or why not?

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.

Serving in the Army Is My Family’s Calling

05/18/2018 By Michelle Volkmann

by Eric Gardner, Guest Contributor

The term family business has a menagerie of feelings and definitions depending upon who you ask. I prefer the term “calling” instead of “business,” since it casts a truer light upon my unique family past.

In the broad categories which define roles associated in our military culture I’ve held many of them.

Service member.

Military spouse.

Army brat.

I’ve worn these roles with pride. With more than 40 years of life vested in this unique and sometimes challenging community, I can say unequivocally I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Service is a very dear ideal in my family. While I can trace my roots back to the American Revolution, I have had a constant family member in active service through WWI, WWII, Japan’s Occupation, the Cold War, and the Global War on Terror. My wife is also a third generation military member.

This family calling has given us a shared outlook and understanding on what is truly important in life.

Serving in the Army Is My Family's Calling

Did you follow your father and join the Army?

Even with such a rich family history of military service my parents never forced a career in the Army upon me. Growing up in the ’80s I was a huge fan of the “G.I. Joe” cartoon and shows like “The A-Team” and “MacGyver.” While other children my age saw these larger than life personas as too fantastic to be true, I knew the exact opposite.

As a child I could say that I’d met the proverbial steely eyes, barrel chested freedom fighter on several occasions. In “G.I. Joe,” Duke, Lady Jay and Roadblock would display the moral courage to take a stand against something they felt was wrong. I could see the same exhibition of character by walking into my father’s office on any given day and witness the towering soldiers doing the exact same thing.

This introduction into my family calling was accented more when units would hold their organizational days. These family-oriented events always showcased the tools of the trade to loved ones so they could get a better understanding of what their service member did.

Imagine seeing every Hollywood prop in real life and understanding that the soldier standing in front of you was just as awesome as any character that was on the big screen; it clearly made a lasting impression.

Before my elementary school years were over I understood how camouflage worked, possessed a loose understanding of how many different weapon systems our service men and women were tasked to employ and a firm respect for the work that each of them did.

I never viewed my unique exposure to the Army as manipulation to join its ranks. Instead this insider information allowed me to make the best decision I could about my future.

I have wonderful memories of wearing face paint, dressed in my pint-sized fatigues and patrolling our military quarters with my sister in tow on a mission to find a lost G.I. Joe somewhere in the hedge. A smile always comes to mind when I think back to having my father introduce me to the challenges of obstacle courses and learned how stations like the gut buster and the weaver vexed the men and women under his command. Whether it was climbing on Humvees and tanks or checking out the static displays of the utility and attack helicopters, I saw the world of the military as a constant adventure.

On the flip side there were times when the military lifestyle was negative. The moves, training and deployments, and constantly reinventing yourself are challenges we can all relate to. However, with each of these, one thing made it all possible; family. My mother and father always put us first — within reason of course.

Even in the tough times we understood that friends and homes may change but our family would always be there.

When I went off to college my future world was a blank canvas to explore. Even with an endless array of life options, the most fulfilling was in my R.O.T.C. program which lead to my commissioning in the Army as an infantry officer. The same branch my great grandfather was in during WWI and my father was during his 30-year career. I never viewed the unique exposure to the Army as some sort of manipulation to join. Instead it allowed me to make the best decision I could about my future.

My parents never forced a career in the Army upon me.

My tour of duty as a service member with the Army lasted eight and a half years. As I transitioned to the role of spouse my love for the military way of life didn’t change. With my own children now seeing the nonstop adventure this lifestyle holds they can make their own decisions when they enter the workforce to see if the military is right for them.

Regardless of their choice they will know that within their family were men and women who were willing to risk everything to ensure they would be afforded the same chance at a wonderful future they had been given.

I can trace my roots back to the American Revolution, I have had a constant family member in active service through WWI, WWII, Japan’s Occupation, the Cold War, and the Global War on Terror. My wife is also a third generation military member.

Did you follow your parent and join the Army or other branch of service? Tell us your family of military service story in the comments section.

When Your Marriage and His Military Duty Collide

09/01/2017 By Veronica Jorden

His phone buzzes and I check the clock. It’s 2:13 a.m. on Saturday and I know what’s about to happen.

Someone in his company needs him.

It could be any of a litany of issues ranging from an injury to a Red Cross message to a mandatory urinalysis.

Without fail, he shakes off any remaining dregs of sleep and shuffles down the stairs. The faint glow of the kitchen light filters up through the dark and I hear him flip on the coffee pot.

It means he’ll work another day on just a couple of hours of sleep.

It means tomorrow he’ll either be on post dealing with the aftermath or sleeping, trying to recover.

It means I’ll spend another Saturday, hanging out by myself.

Does My Spouse Loves the Military More Than Me?

Service members take an oath to serve and protect our country. Can they also be committed to their marriages?

It’s hard, sometimes, not to be resentful. It’s not like he plans for these things to happen. Call it fate, Murphy’s law or just bad luck, when the Army calls, he answers, regardless of what we have planned.

Though I grew up in a military family, and learned from an early age that duty and service were the cornerstones of being a military family, as a young military spouse, I struggled not to feel like I was competing for his attention.

Why did it feel like he was always the one volunteering (or being volun-told) to do things?

Why was his unit, the one to deploy?

Why was it our phone that always rang in the middle of the night?

Why couldn’t he just say “no?”

In many ways, it felt like the Army was the other woman. All she had to do was ring him up and he went running to do her bidding. No matter what time of day. No matter what I might have needed him for.

I was left to care for our 3 kids, manage our house and work full-time. I was tired, cranky, and truth be told, a little lonely.

His dedication and obligation to the Army almost cost us our marriage.

In those dark days, I was convinced we would never make it. It took almost a year of hard work and counseling for us to find our way back. It took a willingness for me to accept his role as a service member and a similar willingness on his part to make sure that I didn’t feel neglected or taken for granted.

Our relationship had suffered, not because I was being selfish, and not because he was dedicated. It suffered because we had failed to consider each other in our daily struggles.

We both got so wrapped up in surviving our days that we forgot to be the support the other one needed.

When relationships get hard, it’s easy to internalize, build a wall, and just get by, focusing on what you have to do. For him, that meant being a good soldier. For me, it meant being a good mom. And those 2 things, left to battle it out, would never have organically reconciled.

Service became an excuse to not do the hard work that staying in a healthy, strong and committed relationship takes.

And it does take work – from both parties.

While service members take an oath to serve and protect, marriage also is an oath of commitment.

If the last 19 years have taught me anything, it’s that there will be times when I am asked to do more of the work, but it in no way means that he is free from his obligation to me or our relationship.

I have learned to balance my needs and wants with a fair amount of patience and understanding. But he has also learned that just because I don’t demand his attention, it doesn’t mean I don’t need and want it.

There is a conscious awareness that is required for a military marriage to work. It starts with honest and open communication about needs and wants. It continues with a willingness to compromise and sacrifice for each other. And it ends with a stronger connection, built out of a better understanding of each other, and a genuine desire to build a life together, no matter where you end up, and no matter how often duty calls.

Do you ever feel like your service member loves the military more than you?

Expect to See More Cuts to MWR Programs

10/07/2016 By Meg Flanagan

Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) is a huge part of military family life. MWR programs in different branches provide much needed support and services to service members and their families.

MWR typically provides staffing and funding for libraries, pools, arts and crafts centers, woodworking shops and auto hobby centers. Other support programs include sports and recreation programs for adults and children. This could include team sports and physical fitness centers on many bases. MWR also funds on-base child development centers (CDC), youth center, teen center and other youth programs.

There will be a $105 million cut in the Army MWR budget in FY 2017.

This is in addition to a separate 23% workforce reduction over 2 years in Army Community Service Centers. These cuts could result in the closure of some facilities and programs. In addition, the budget cuts could result in hours being reduced or fees increased. Army soldiers and their families are the most impacted by these cuts. The cuts took effect on October 1.

The garrison commander will determine how cuts are applied at each base. This means that services and resources impacted will be varied by location. Army families should expect to feel the effects in calendar year 2017.

Army officials, including Lt. Gen Kenneth R. Dahl of Army Installation Command Management, have committed to maintaining CDC funding.

Many Army posts have already been readjusting services and programs for the last 5 years. Some bases have been working to offset costs through investing in programs. The investments ensured that the programs were either profitable or breaking even. Those that did not meet this benchmark were removed or totally revamped.

Outdoor recreation, arts and crafts, and auto skill shops are most likely to be affected by these cuts. Fitness centers could also see reduced hours and staffing.

Volunteers may be able to staff some programs. However, the program structure would need to allow volunteer support. This would allow some services to continue operating, even with the budget cuts.

The cuts should not affect remote or isolated duty stations where comparable services are not available off-base.

Four Army posts should expect to see impacts from the MWR cuts in the near future.

Is your military base impacted by MWR program cuts?

Fort Carson, Colorado:

The 4th Infantry Division will continue to provide staffing coverage for gyms and fitness centers. There will be slight, $1 or less, increase in fees for some programs. The Friday Night Date and Caring Saturday programs are also slated to be reduced. MWR funds both programs. Programs that are costly or have low turn-out are also on the chopping block.

Fort Huachuca, Arizona:

MWR is cutting $500,000. Ammo sales and weapon rentals will stop at the Sportsman’s Center. Skeet and trap shooting, plus Saturday Range 3, will still be available for people who bring their own weapons. There is no word about additional cuts.

Fort Jackson, South Carolina:

This base will see significant cuts in MWR programs and services. One fitness center will completely close. The other 3 centers will be open for 90 hours weekly. The library will be open 5 days instead of 7. One pool will close. MWR funded recreation trips are going to be completely cut. The auto hobby center will be open 4 days instead of 5.

Fort Sill, Oklahoma:

Fort Sill is facing a 25% cut in taxpayer funding. The library’s hours will be reduced. There will also be new fees for the pools, outdoor recreation and special events or programs.

Will other military branches be impacted by MWR cuts?

The budget cuts will also impact joint service bases where Army MWR has the lead. This includes bases that previously had both or all branches providing MWR programs, but switched to have these services provided only by the Army.

The Navy has also made cuts to its MWR programs. Many bases have closed art and craft centers, wood shops and auto centers. There are no additional changes predicted or anticipated this year.

The Marine Corps has not scheduled any cuts to its MWR programs this year. However, the service will continue to look at services and programs.

The Air Force has not released information about potential MWR service cuts.

While these services do not plan to cut services at this time, MWR programs could be changed or removed in the future.

What do you think about the cuts to MWR programs at military bases?

Army Families Burdened by Backlogged Child Care

11/20/2015 By Kimber Green

Many Army families are facing huge debt from child care that they were expecting to be covered by the Army’s child care fee subsidy program.

Have you been affected by the Army’s child care fee subsidy program backlog?

The Army fee assistance (AFA) is meant to cover the higher cost of off-post child care for eligible families. This program was designed to assist families when on-post child care is not available or when a family is too far away from the military daycare center. The coverage includes full-time or part-time care, before- or after-school care, respite care, as well as weekend and evening duty care. The AFA has not been doing this lately and families are struggling to pay for child care.

A Fort Jackson Family Child Care provider plays with a 17-month-old boy. Source: Army.mil

The backlog started when the Army switched from the program being run by Child Care Aware, which continues to run the program for the Air Force, Navy and Marines successfully, to the General Services Administration (GSA). The reason for the transfer of services has not been made transparent at this time.

The information on how poorly GSA has managed the program however is clear.

The problem started as soon as GSA took over program management. GSA went from managing a case load of 200 families to a significant increase by 9,000 Army families. They weren’t prepared for the substantial change and failed to put into place a plan to carry the new load. So far each plan they have tried to gain control of the program has failed and the backlog continues to grow exponentially. Processing has become so slow that as of the end of July they are behind in paying 9,100 invoices.

Army families that depend on the subsidy have waited months to receive reimbursement or are still waiting.

There are many that report falling into debt so much that they have had to file bankruptcy or had a civilian spouse quit their job or stop going to school since they can’t afford child care. A huge frustration to the majority is the lack of communication.

Staff at GSA have admitted that they have deleted voice messages and purposefully not responded to emails because they didn’t have the “luxury” of time to devote to them as the backlog of other tasks is so high. This simply outrages many struggling military families searching for information.

GSA said that they have been tackling the long list of email queries and that the number of emails not receiving a reply has gone down from 4,000 to 621 since the end of July. That isn’t much comfort to the more than 600 people left in the dark and in debt.

GSA said its goal is to pay off all invoices by the end of this year by hiring more staff. Getting fingerprints and having background checks completed as well as being unable to find enough qualified candidates to apply for the positions has delayed the acquisition of more processors. As the days on the calendar quickly tick by, few people believe they will obtain this goal. GSA is meeting with Army officials to discuss the matter and if and how the program may be transferred to another management company.

In the meantime, Army families around the country will be waiting anxiously to find out if they will be receiving financial relief anytime soon.

The holidays are quickly approaching and this hardship that many families are enduring could put a damper on travel and gift giving. Hopefully, a solution will come soon and the season will be bright for all.

Have you been affected by the Army’s child care fee subsidy program backlog? What has your experience been like?

New Army Uniforms Hit the Shelves This Month

07/17/2015 By Rachel Tringali Marston

The Army officially launched the brand-new Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniforms on July 1.

Are you looking forward to phasing into the OCP uniforms?

Select Military Clothing Sales stores currently have the new uniforms, including Fort Bragg, Fort Benning, Fort Hood, Fort Carson and a handful of other Army installations.

Since the new pattern has been on the shelves of the select clothing sales stores, soldiers have been purchasing the new uniform in record numbers. Military.com reports that stores received $1.4 million in the first day of sales!

Full distribution should roll out in the next 6 months. Military Times includes the different phases in their story on the subject here.

It’s projected by November all stores will have the Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms. Gear and accessories won’t be available till the current inventory is depleted, so keep an eye out for that announcement.

New soldiers entering the Army will be issued OCP uniforms starting January 1, 2016, and current soldiers can gradually transition into the OCP uniform. The Army plans to finish the transition period by October 1, 2019, so it will take about 4 years to get the whole force into Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms.

An important note: commanders cannot force soldiers to wear a full Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform until the transition is completed, so mismatched uniforms are allowed.

What does mismatched uniforms mean?

Soldiers can wear their sand-colored shirts and belts with the OCP instead of the tan shirt and belt that the uniform requires. In addition, the sand-colored boots can be worn till tan boots are purchased. It doesn’t work the other way around, so you can use the new shirts, belts and boots with ACUs. Detailed chart of the appropriate look of each uniform is outlined here.

The aspect that several soldiers are looking forward to in the new change is the modifications in design. All the updates are said to be a result of soldier feedback, which is awesome to hear. My husband is tired of all the velcro in his ACUs and the new OCP uniform has less velcro!

Additional modifications are:

The upper sleeve pocket has a zipper and it will be longer by one inch.
The collar folds down easily.
Double fabric reinforcing the elbow and knee area.
Two pen pocket sleeves instead of three.
Drawstring at the waistband is removed.
Cargo and lower leg pocket only has a button close, which means hook-and-loop closures go away.

Good news for those that have been issued Mutli-Cams for deployment, the unit patches are said to be the exact same, so you can use those if need be.

Although Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform items are actually more expensive in the initial cost, it’s said to save the Army and soldier money over time.

Something that is still being discussed is having different variants of the OCP pattern in both desert or woodland colors.

Are you looking forward to phasing into the new Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms? Want to know more detailed information about the Army’s uniform change? Click here.

Carter Says Women in Combat Could Be More Vulnerable to Sexual Predators

05/27/2015 By Kimber Green

Nothing gets a woman more determined than to tell her she can’t do something, especially when she has already set her mind to it.

Defense Secretary Carter Says Women in Ground Combat Positions More Vulnerable to Sexual Assault

Whether ground combat positions are available to women or not in the future, the door to discussion is open.

The U.S. military has maintained that women cannot hold ground combat positions and for some women that just makes them want it that much more. This has driven so many women to fight for the chance to prove they can, that they measure up and have what it takes to do the job.

In 2013, for the first time women were able to enter into roles that were previously only held by men. Just as doors have opened to women in new areas throughout the military though, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has made a few comments that might set that back. “Allowing women to serve in ground combat positions could make them more vulnerable to sexual predators,” Carter remarked to Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets at Georgetown University.

Obviously, as we get women into more unaccustomed positions, maybe dangerous isolated positions, maybe positions where they are fewer in relation to the number of men, it opens up opportunities for predators.

He then spun it and said there could be a positive effect of bringing more women into areas that have only been open to men.

“I can’t help but believe for many people; they’ll learn better how to conduct themselves, how to interact across gender lines and so forth. And that will contribute to prevention and eventually eradication of sexual assaults,” he added.

Social media exploded with comments in all directions replying to Carter’s statements.

Carl Woog, a spokesman for Carter, quickly came to his defense saying Carter opened the door to 20,000 new jobs for women in the military since taking office and that he is committed to ending sexual assault within the ranks.

How do you feel about Carter’s statements?

Some people on social media have honed in on “allowing” women to have these positions as anti-feminist. Others have fixated on “make them more vulnerable,” as if women were completely defenseless. I particularly liked one comment:

“How about we bar predators from combat roles instead of women doing their jobs?”

If Carter really wants to open military positions to women, are these comments helping or hurting that goal? Many people are mad and in this digital age, they aren’t afraid to sound-off about it.

This uproar could actually be a good thing though. It has people talking about sexual assault in the military. While some are afraid jobs will be closed off to women because of the potential risk of predators, I’m more inclined toward opening those doors. I want to see women fill those roles and lead our great country. I want them to succeed.

Whether ground combat positions are available to women or not in the future, the door to discussion is open. It is apparent at least with these few comments Defense Secretary Carter has a spotlight now shining on him. Will more jobs become available or will they be closed off to women because of him? Hopefully, the military will see changes for the good, no matter what those changes may be.

What do you think about Carter’s comments?

My Husband, My Soldier, My Hero

03/23/2015 By Rachel Tringali Marston

Before my husband, I already had a huge appreciation for our men and women in uniform because of my dad, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. He was the first important man in my life and is undeniably my first hero. After growing up with an Air Force presence, I was honestly nervous to start a relationship with a military man. I had an idea of what would lie ahead and I was scared.

Our service members are amazing and I have the utmost respect in everything that they do. I didn’t know if I, myself, could handle the lifestyle as a military spouse.

Then, I was sent a direct online message.

My husband messaged me on an online dating site and that how our relationship started. We may have not met in a glamorous or unique circumstance, but it’s our story and I’m proud of everything that our relationship has endured from that point on. Thank you, Internet for bringing my husband to my life.

He signed on to the dating website while he was deployed and I was looking to experience a new way to meet men. We talked about anything and everything for months before we were able to meet in person and the rest is history.

Despite being in high-stress environments and situations that I’m not going to even try to comprehend, he was wonderful to me and made the distance work. The military did have a big influence with how we maintained our relationship, but he turned me around on my thoughts about a long-term future with a service member.

He made it easy for me to seal the deal and say yes to a lifelong adventure with him.

Before orders took him overseas, we put together a quick courthouse ceremony in my hometown. I had a childhood friend of mine follow us around the state capital area to take pictures of us. My then-fiance was wearing his ACUs and it was honestly one of the first times I have ever seen him in his uniform in person. When we were dating, it would always be during the off-duty hours, so he would be in his civies.

As we were walking around town, complete strangers were walking up to us and thanking my husband for his service. They recognized him in his uniform and went out of their way to make sure he knew that there were people either thinking of him or supporting him. It made me appreciate the little things that weren’t so upfront before because I never saw him in his uniform. That piece of clothing symbolizes so much more than just my husband, but everyone else that wears it.

When we were walking around town that special day, it made me realize the choice my husband made to serve our country as one that not only myself admired, but people that never even met him. It was a humbling experience and ultimately became the first moment I truly felt like an Army spouse.

We all have different experiences that contribute to the greatness of our military community.