Military Life News

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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?

Why More Military Families Are Home Schooling

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Home schooling is becoming more and more popular these days. This is even more true in military families.

Why More Military Families Are Home Schooling

By home schooling you can create the type of school you want for your children.

As parents try to figure out what is best for their child, they are turning to home schooling in order to make things a little easier for their children. They know military life is stressful enough and want to make sure they can create a stable school experience as they are growing up.

I have met many home schooling families during my time as a military spouse and one thing is true for all of them.

Home schooling makes their military lives a little easier.

Whether that is because of all the moving or being able to plan a trip or vacation whenever they need to do so.

Everyone knows that military families move often. On average, military families move every 3 years. That means that some kids could end up attending 3 or 4 schools before they even get into junior high. It’s no wonder that some military families are thinking about home schooling instead.

By home schooling your child you can avoid having to have them be the “new kid” time after time. If you have to move in the middle of the school year, you don’t have to worry about that disrupting their education. Military family schedules need to be flexible so home schooling allows you to make school just as flexible.

When children have to move a lot, their grades can decline and have trouble catching up. Friendships can be more difficult and finding their new place can be difficult.  Whether you home school or not your children will have to find new friends, but not having to find new friends at school right away too can take some of the pressure off.

Being in a new school without friends can be quite difficult.

If you have ever moved schools before you know that there can be a big difference between what they teach and expect from the kids. Even if they are in the same grade. Another positive for home schooling is that your kids don’t have to experience any of that. You won’t have to struggle with a school in order to make sure your kids are on track. You will take care of all of that yourself.

If you want to take your kids to grandma’s house in October because that is when your spouse has a month of leave, you can do so and bring school with you. Taking off like that wouldn’t be possible when they are in a traditional school. This is a big plus to those who home school while in the military as they don’t have to worry if they want to take their kids out of school for an extended period of time. This also will allow you to take your kids home during a deployment and not have to worry about the local school system.

The great news about being a military family who is home schooling is that there is usually a lot of support for those who home school on base or even in your local community. There are a lot of other parents to connect with, make plans with and work together with to create a good community with your kids.

You will not be alone as a home schooling military family.

By home schooling you can create the type of school you want for your children. You can give them consistency and you don’t have to worry about having to move them in the middle of the school year. You can plan around your military member’s schedule and you can create a better home life for your children. Home schooling isn’t for everyone but choosing this option can be a big benefit to a lot of military families.

Do you home school your children? Why did you decide to home school them?

Military Commissary Food Stamps Use Drops

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The military community can utilize lots of wonderful programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is no different. It’s a food stamps program offering groceries to families in need, including any military families that are financially burdened.

It was reported that the commissaries saw a 6 percent drop of food stamps usage in 2015’s fiscal year!

Breaking it down per fiscal year from 2014 to 2015 in numbers, it went from $84.5 million to $79.5 million.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) shared more information in a SpouseBuzz report that evaluates the figures dating back to 2010. It shows increases in SNAP dollars used from 2010 to 2013, but then there has been a steady decline from 2013 on. SpouseBuzz indicates that a reduction in the food stamps benefit could be the culprit in the drop from 2013 to 2014. But, what is the reason for the continued decline?

It was also posed in the article that a number of factors could play a part of the food stamps decline and that the topic is open for discussion. The question I ask you is: what can we do about it?

My suggestion is that we could share the food stamps program to the military families around us. One of the factors mentioned is that perhaps, not a lot of new families knows about the food stamps benefit.

The United States Department of Agriculture even has a special military and veteran families webpage that evaluates the different food stamps programs. They also have a great quote on there that I wanted to share.

You served our country proudly and honorably, and we want to inform you that through our nutrition programs, you may be eligible for assistance to ensure you, your family and fellow veterans have the assistance to ensure you have nutritious meals.

So, check it out to see if it fits you or pass it along to other families in your community. Referring back to above, the SNAP food stamps program is what can be utilized at local commissaries. It’s easy to see if you qualify. All you need to do is follow the prompts on their Pre-Screening Eligibility Tool here.

Before you start the online tool, gather as many appropriate documents and information as you can like your earnings amount, rent/mortgage payments, outside expenses (daycare), applicable bills (utility, medial, etc.) and VA payments.

Keep in mind that the tool online isn’t an application and families must apply in person at a local SNAP office location. Each state operates a bit differently and with the tool, you might get directed to another page.

For example, I’m located in Virginia. When I said where I’m from, I get passed along to Virginia’s website. With that said, each state has their own application. Once you are pre-screened, find your state using this link to get started with the actual application process. There you can also find the nearest office to you to drop off all your appropriate paperwork within your state’s web page.

The SNAP page has another separate resource that finds local retailers that has the food stamps program. Using SNAP is easy and is operated the same way as a debit card. The card is used at authorized retailers. We know the commissary is one great retailer! One speculation of mine about why the commissary food stamps usage dropped is maybe military families are using different retailers.

Whatever the reason, we can’t forget about the SNAP food stamps program for military families. Together, we can pass along the resource and share with our military friends. We never know when a family is in need, so the best way to spread awareness is to talk about it.

Are you interested in SNAP? Has your family used the program before?

Pets May Help Military Kids Cope with Deployment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a Good Shopping Experience at Commissary

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Do you shop at the commissary? Do you sometimes find yourself frustrated over the experience? Shopping at the commissary doesn’t have to be so frustrating for you. These tips can help you get organized and make the shopping trip more enjoyable.

Here are 5 tips to help you have a more positive shopping experience at your commissary.

1. Organize your coupons.

Using coupons at the commissary will save you money but only if you bring them with you. So many times I don’t think about my coupons beforehand and end up leaving them at home. Come up with a plan, carry a small coupon envelope in your purse and always plan to bring it with you when you go. Figure out what coupons you will be using ahead of time and hand them to the cashier when you check out.

Related: Commissary Rewards Card Helps Military Families Save Money

If you can, match some of your coupons to what is on sale for the month. You will be able to save more money that way.

2. Have cash ready for tipping your baggers.

At the commissary you will need to have a tip handy for the baggers. That is the only money that they get paid. I try to make sure that I have a few dollars with me before I get there. Having the money already in your purse or wallet is nice because you don’t have to think about it when you go to pay.

However, you are able to get cash back if you need to. Just ask the cashier for 5 one dollar bills. That shouldn’t be a problem since a lot of people do the same thing and the cashiers are used to people asking for small bills.

3. Make a shopping list.

When shopping at the commissary you need to have a good shopping list. Plan your meals and write down what you need to get. Do an inventory of what you have at home so you don’t buy something you already have enough of.

By making a shopping list you will save yourself money because you won’t just be grabbing everything you see when you are in the commissary. You will have a list you can stick to.

If you want to be even more organized, write down what you need to buy based on where things are located in the commissary. That will help speed up your shopping trip.

4. Plan your shopping days.

Don’t go to the commissary on payday if you can avoid it. The commissary will always be crowded on payday. If you have to go that day, go there early in the morning to avoid most of the crowds.

If you plan your days and budget right you can avoid having to go on the one day everyone else is getting paid too. I remember being there on a payday when I was pregnant on a hot summer day, the line was all the way to the back of the store. Not something I ever wanted to repeat.

5. Plan for your kids.

If you have to take your kids with you to the commissary, make sure you plan for that. You don’t want them to get bored or make your shopping trip impossible. Think about what will help keep them entertained while you are there.

You can also have them help you with your shopping. Give them their own list to take around or ask them questions about the types of foods you are going to be buying. Keeping them busy will make for an easier trip. If your child is young enough and you can find one, a car cart can help keep them busy and excited about the shopping trip.

What do you do in order to have a positive experience at the commissary?

Should Commissary Privilege Go to All Veterans?

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

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

Should the Commissary Privilege Be Extended to All Veterans?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Should the Commissary Privilege Be Extended to All Veterans?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Start a Babysitting Co-op on Your Base

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Can’t afford the on-base child development center? Do you have a doctor’s appointment and don’t have anyone to watch your toddler? Want to go grocery shopping without the kids while your husband is TDY? Craving a date night with your spouse, but can’t find a babysitter?

How to Start a Babysitting Co-op on Your Base

Do you participate in a babysitting co-op?

Military families looking for affordable and flexible child care should consider joining a babysitting co-op.

What is a babysitting co-op?

A babysitting co-op is a group of parents who agree to exchange babysitting time and most operate on a point system. When you watch someone’s child, you earn points that you trade in when someone else watches your child. It’s an alternative to traditional child care and it’s free.

Babysitting co-op members can choose to watch other people’s children at their convenience. During the day, the child is dropped off at the sitter’s house. In the evening, typically the sitter comes to the children’s house.

When we were stationed in Monterey, Calif., there was a babysitting co-op for military families. But it was only for families who lived in government housing. Since we rented a house off-base we weren’t eligible to participate. But I was definitely interested in it and heard good things about it from my friends.

Let’s say you recently moved to your duty station and you’re wondering if there’s already a babysitting co-op, the easiest way to find out is through the local military spouses’ Facebook group. You can post the question there or search the files section to see if it’s already listed there.

For bases with a babysitting co-op, there is usually a separate closed Facebook group for its participants. For example, the one in Colorado Springs gives this information on its Facebook group,

A group where fellow military wives in the Colorado Springs Area ONLY! can come together to have a close group where we watch each others children, dogs, houses on a point system. To earn points-simply help another member out by watching their kids, dog, or house. If you try to join this group your profile MUST be open and information MUST be available to show that you live here.

But what if there isn’t an existing babysitting co-op? How do I start a babysitting co-op on my base? Here are 3 things you need to do to start a babysitting co-op at your military installation.

Establish Boundaries

Who can join this group? Will you limit the amount of members? Will you require an application for membership? What are the rules for joining or leaving the group?

Like I said before, there was a group at the base in Monterey. But it wasn’t open to everyone in the military. It was only for families who lived on base. Don’t be shy about establishing narrow boundaries for your babysitting co-op. You want the families involved to trust each other and have a good comfortable level.

Establish a Point System that Works for Your Group

There can be unstructured babysitting co-ops, but I think the system works better with guidelines and boundaries. That way every participant knows what is expected of him or her.

The next step in start a babysitting co-op is deciding how you will record and track babysitting points. Some groups use a spreadsheet on Google docs that every participant has access to. There’s an honor system used and members can update that document with their points. Other co-ops have cards that they hand out to parents after they babysit. They can later redeem these cards for babysitting. Search online for templates and printables before designing your own. It will save you a lot of time.

Have a Plan for Handling Disputes Among Members

A good way to avoid drama among the members of the babysitting co-op is to have a plan for resolving disputes. Every group will have parents who haven’t earned as much time as they have used. How will your group handled that? Members need to know how much notice they need to give when requesting child care. Is it 24 hours notice? Or 7 days? Other issues that may come up are bedtime, snacks, taking the children to a playground or park, television and discipline.

I think a babysitting co-op would be a great way to earn free babysitting as a military family. With initial planning and organization, the group can run effectively and efficiently for the parents and the children.

Have you participated in a babysitting co-op in the past? What’s been your experience?

6 Things Civilians Should Know About MilFams

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The military community encompasses a very small percent of the entire United States population. That includes everyone that has ever served and their family members too. As a result, the civilian population might not be as privy to military culture and they may have some misconceptions about military families.

If you happen to be a civilian strolling around this part of the Internet, welcome! I’m glad you came and hope you have a chance to learn a little more about the military community because there are a few misconceptions that I hope to straighten out. I’m hoping I can stomp out any of your misconceptions and shed some light to what the military community really is like.

Here are 6 things that the general population needs to know about military families.

We get along with practically everyone.

I’ve heard around that military members tend to discriminate, but I think it’s a pretty big misconception. The military puts together all kinds of people from all different kinds of backgrounds to be brothers and sisters in arms. Despite the conflicts and challenges that our service members endure, they are very loyal to each other and their community. I believe this loyalty extends to everyone in their communities, military or not.

We aren’t nuts.

Military families tend to be patriotic because of the pride we have for our service members. I consider my husband my hero and I’m sure I speak for thousands of other military spouses when I say that. But, sometimes, our patriotic nature might be taken out of proportion and become another misconception. Just because I’m so proud of all the sacrifices that all our military members endure doesn’t mean I’m pro-war, if you know what I mean!

We don’t always live on base or post.

It is safe to say that a lot of us live inside an installation or in on-base/post housing, due to convenience and sometimes cost of living, but it isn’t for everyone. The misconception is that ALL military families keep to themselves and live away from the civilian population. On the contrary, there are a lot of military families living in civilian neighborhoods with lots of spouses working in civilian communities too.

We value our community on and off base or post.

Another misconception is that we tend to be loyal just to the military installation or military community. It happens that we relate to other military families because of the circumstances that we face, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate the community around us. I live off-post with my husband and have embraced the town we live in and take part by shopping locally and engaging in the community.

We are SO thankful for everything.

The misconception of military families being rich, needy or demanding is something I see from some mainstream media outlets. There are stories out there that we benefit a great deal financially from the military and other discounts…uh, I don’t even know where to begin with that. First thing, that misconception is the one I hope civilians understand as wrong. Facts and figures have been misconstrued and calculated in unusual ways to make it seem like we are gaining a lot monetarily. We’re not.

I wish I could do more for every business, organization and whoever else that has extended a helping hand to my family. I hope that they know their charity is being appreciated very much!

We are like any other family.

In this last misconception, big or small, military families are exactly the same as civilian families by being completely unique and different from one another, but still in the same boat.

I am truly convinced if you lined all of us up in a room (sans service member because, let’s face it, the haircut might give it away), a layperson would not be able to pick out the military family from the civilian family. With that being said, we all come from the same planet, so please don’t be afraid of us. Military families really want to fit in!

Which misconceptions have you heard about military families? Have you heard  anything that was absolutely false?

Enter to Win with Our Summer Vacation Photo Contest

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Summer is almost over! Did you get a chance to go on a fun summer vacation? Did you spend time with family or take your kids to a fun place like Disney World? There are so many great places you could have gone this summer and I am sure you took a lot of photos while you were there.

Here at Military Shoppers we are going to have a Summer Vacation Photo Contest!

We want to see where you went and how you spent your summer. We want to see families having fun together. We want you to submit your favorite snapshots for our Summer Vacation Photo Contest.

With military families, taking a vacation together is a very special type of thing. Summer vacations can’t always happen because some summers, a family member is deployed, away at training or just unable to take that time off of work to go anywhere. Sometimes our service members have to skip the summer fun.

The summer vacations we have been able to go on throughout the years have been so special to us. Going to see new places, our family back home or just relaxing somewhere together. To be able to get away together from the everyday is so nice. We love having a lot of photos that we can look back on in the years to come. I also enjoy scrapbooking our adventures so I have a fun way to look back at the places we went.

Pictures are the best way to remember your memories.

If you didn’t go anywhere this summer but did have a fun day trip, use those photos too. Staycations can be just as fun and you get to spend the night in your own bed. Explore your own part of the world to learn more about where you live and what you have nearby.

Do you have any fun summer vacation photos that you want to use for our summer vacation photo contest?

Enter to Win with MilitaryShoppers' Summer Vacation Photo Contest

Do you have a favorite summer vacation photo? Enter your snapshot in MilitaryShoppers’ Summer Vacation Photo Contest today.

Here is everything you need to know about MilitaryShoppers’ Summer Vacation Photo Contest.

Summer Vacation Photo Contest submissions need to include:

  • Name of person submitting photo
  • Installation
  • Branch of service

Summer Vacation Photo Contest Rules:

  • Pictures must be received by August 31, 2015.
  • Winner will be selected at random.
  • Entrants must be registered with MilitaryShoppers.com and have checked the box in their profile saying “yes, I would like to receive emails of offers, savings and contests for the military community.”
  • Winner will be posted to MilitaryShoppers Facebook page, MilitaryShoppers blog and MilitaryShoppers.com.
  • One photo per entrant for the Summer Vacation Photo Contest.
  • Multiple entrants will not be accepted.
  • Photo must be submitted by entrant who possesses a valid military ID card (Active Duty, Veteran, Retiree, Reserve, Guard or family member of the aforementioned categories).
  • Entrant (not those within the photo) must be 18 years of age or older.
  • The Summer Vacation Photo Contest winner will be notified by e-mail.
  • No purchase necessary to win.

Enter to win MilitaryShoppers’ Summer Vacation Photo Contest today.

5 Simple Recipes for Your Summer Camping Trip

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My husband and I love to camp. The smell of wood burning, sound of birds chirping and the most exciting part, the taste of campfire food!

5 Simple Recipes for Your Summer Camping Trip

What do you like to cook when camping?

As soon as the weather warms up, we plan at least one trip out to the woods a year. It’s also a great way to explore the area around your duty station!

ReserveAmerica is a great site to find the local campsites in your area. Most (all of the campsites I’ve visited), use that website to place reservations of the actual campsites too (I’ve camped in New York, Texas and Virginia).

I grew up a city gal and the closest thing to camping I’ve ever experienced was a tent in my backyard. We even brought out an extension cord to watch TV, which is completely cheating!

Now, I’ve found that the great outdoors is a great way for my husband and I to disconnect and enjoy each other’s company, uninterrupted by technology. For the duration of our time in the woods, we cook and prepare meals on the open fire. We wrangle together our mess kit, which includes a couple of travel pots, pans, dinnerware and utensils–as well as our camping gear for a fun and delicious camping adventure.

At first, cooking real food might be a little intimidating. But, with the right preparation beforehand, it can be easy to throw together hot and tasty meals for your family. For example, combine all dry ingredients and spices per recipe in a Ziploc bag. Also, chop and mince all appropriate veggies (like onions) and place them in Ziploc bags as well.

5 Simple Recipes for Your Summer Camping Trip

Cooking food when camping might be a little intimidating. But, with the right preparation beforehand, it can be easy to throw together hot and tasty meals for your family.

Here are my 5 absolute favorite and simple campfire recipes.

You can’t go wrong with chili! It’s great by itself or you can pour it on top of a hot dog that’s heated by the fire.

Black Bean Chili

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb ground turkey (I use beef)
  • 3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, undrained
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended.

To adjust the heat, I use oven mitts to move the grill gate close to or away from the fire. That’s the easiest way for me to manipulate the temperature.  Or, you can scooch the pot away from the direct flame. It really depends on the type of grill your campsite provides. We typically bring another grill plate with handles, so it’s easy to lift the cooked food off the camp grill.

Grilling Potato Wedges

  • 3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch thick wedges
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of ancho or regular chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the dry ingredients. Then, brush the potatoes all over with olive oil and place over the hot side of the grill and cook until browned and crisp on both sides. Move the potatoes to the cooler side of the grill, cover and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes longer (test with a fork). Remove the potatoes from the grill to a large bowl and sprinkle with the spice mixture to taste and toss to coat.

BBQ Chicken Kabobs

  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 6 cups assorted cut-up vegetables (bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and zucchini)
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce

To prep at home, arrange chicken and vegetables alternately on 8 skewers. On the hot grill, place the kabobs to cook 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (170°F), turning after 8 minutes and brushing frequently with the 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce. Use the leftover barbecue sauce to serve.

Juicy Ranch Burgers

All you need is about a pound of ground beef and 1 or 2 packets of ranch seasoning mix (depending on your taste) to make this recipe. Before you leave, mix together the ranch seasoning and beef. Then, separate the beef into 4 patties and now it’s ready for the fire.

I also use onion soup mix as another flavor variety.

My favorite campfire recipe is PIZZA!

Yes, it’s pretty simple to make on the open fire. I grab a roll of refrigerated pizza dough (or you can make your own) and roll it out onto a cast iron grill or our removable camping grill (so it’s easy to take off the fire), but you put it directly on the grill rack if the dough is thick enough. Make sure the grill is hot before putting the dough on it though.

Pour on about ¼ cup of tomato sauce, as much mozzarella cheese you think is necessary and then your favorite pizza toppings. Cook until dough is done and cheese is melted through.

Don’t forget to include snacks to munch on while hiking. Piece together the perfect trail mix recipe or try out my favorite granola bar recipe too!

What’s your favorite food to make when camping? Share the recipe with MilitaryShoppers and you could win. One winner every month.