Military Life News

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Tricare Dental Contract Change

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More than 1.8 million beneficiaries will see a change in their dental coverage next year as the government has just awarded United Concordia Companies, Inc. Tricare’s dental contract.

MetLife has held the contract since they took it over from United Concordia in 2012. Now that the government has made the switch back, there is plenty of protest.

How the Tricare Dental Contract Change May Affect Your Dental Care

If you’re worried about scheduling your next cleaning, note that United Concordia doesn’t take over Tricare dental until February 1, 2017.

The contract award is for $11,010,000 to support the Tricare Dental Program by providing comprehensive dental care services around the world to eligible Tricare beneficiaries. There were 4 offers made, but ultimately the Department of Defense (DoD) went with United Concordia. The 5-year contract includes 1-year transition in contract with 5 12-month option periods and a 12-month phase out period. United Concordia already manages the Tricare Active Duty Dental Program (ADDP) for active duty service members.

United Concordia reports that surveys confirm that enrolled members and the government are both satisfied with their service.

Some beneficiaries however are skeptical of the change.

When the DoD awarded the Tricare Dental Program contract to MetLife in 2012, many were delighted to find dental coverage expanded in many categories. The annual maximum amount covered increased, the lifetime orthodontic coverage increased, there was an addition of accidental dental injury and pregnant women were allowed an extra cleaning.

Now there is worry that some of these additions won’t carry over.

If United Concordia does keep these category expansions going, the question then becomes how much will this cost? A company spokesperson said that they don’t have specifics on Tricare dental coverage yet as they are still working out details with the government. In turn, the DoD says it cannot comment until the protests have been settled. That leaves a lot of room for questions and wondering minds.

A few program details have been announced however. The annual maximum benefit will increase from $1,300 to $1,500 under the new contract. Sealants, which required a 20 percent cost share under MetLife’s management, will now be completely covered with no out-of-pocket costs at all.

Monthly premiums won’t be going away though. All beneficiaries who are currently required to pay a monthly premium will still incur that cost. Two free cleanings a year will continue to be the norm and pregnant women will be able to have a third cleaning.

How the Tricare Dental Contract Change May Affect Your Dental Care

Is your family enrolled in the Tricare Dental Program?

While these benefits are all great, some worry that they will have to find a new dental provider once the change in contract occurs. Each dental office can choose which provider they accept for dental coverage and they might not accept Tricare under United Concordia. It can be nerve-racking enough going to a dentist. Once you find one you like and trust, whether for yourself or your family, you want to stick with them. Facing the potential to have to search for a new dental office is cumbersome.

If you’re worried about scheduling your next cleaning, note that United Concordia doesn’t take over Tricare dental until February 1, 2017, so you have plenty of time to see your dental care provider.

If you or a family member are not enrolled in the Tricare Dental Program and would like to do so, you can sign up online.

The Tricare Dental Program is the world’s largest voluntary dental program. Those eligible for enrollment include: family members of active duty service members, family members of national guard/reserve members, and national guard/reserve members who are not on active duty or covered by Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP).

Coverage is available worldwide. It includes coverage for many dental procedures including:

  • exams
  • cleanings
  • fluorides
  • sealants
  • X-rays
  • fillings
  • root canals
  • gum surgery and tooth extractions
  • crowns
  • dentures
  • orthodontics and braces
  • scaling and root planning for diabetics
  • as well as an additional cleaning for pregnant women.

If you’re worried about how the Tricare Dental Program will change after the contact award, don’t delay in making a trip to your favorite dentist before next year.

How do you feel about United Concordia being awarded Tricare’s dental contract?

10 Reasons MilSpouses Don’t Ask for Help

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

10 Reasons Why Military Spouses Don’t Ask for Help

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

29 Ways to Tell Your Spouse You Love Them

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Love is in the air and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

29 Simple Ways to Tell Your Spouse You Love Them

What are your tips and tricks for keeping love alive in your military marriage?

As a military couple you know how special your time is together. You want to tell your spouse how much you love them.

Here are 29 simple ways to do so.

  1. Leave them a love note. Leave love notes around the house for them to find. Put some in their suitcase if they are about to go somewhere. They can find them and read them later on.
  2. Make their favorite meal. Everyone loves to eat a good meal. Cook up their favorite without telling them. They will love to see that you thought about them enough to plan their favorite meal.
  3. Send them an email. If your spouse is gone, show them love by sending them a quick email. Tell them what you love the most about them.
  4. Send them a text. Text messaging is also a great way to share how you feel.
  5. Write them a love letter. If you have more time, write them a love letter. Make the letter at least 3 pages and then either send it to them in the mail or leave the letter out for them to read when they are home.
  6. Do the dishes. Sometimes doing a chore your spouse normally does themselves can help show them love. This takes the stress off and they will be very happy you took the time to lessen their load.
  7. Tell them. Sometimes just stopping them in the hallway and saying, “I love you” can mean a lot. Especially if you both have been really busy lately.
  8. Buy them something cute. Does your spouse have her eye on some cute earrings? What about some new pens? Surprise your spouse with a small gift.
  9. Clean their car.This is a great way to show someone you care. Wash their car for them so the next time they go to drive somewhere the car feels nice and clean.
  10. Buy them a book. Does your spouse like to read? Buy them a new book. They will love that.
  11. Give them a framed photo. These always make the best gifts, especially if they are deployed or away from home.
  12. Pack a care package. If your spouse is deployed, send them a love-themed care package filled with goodies.
  13. Write “I love you” in the snow. If there is snow, write how much you love them in the snow, take a photo and send the picture to them if they are not at home right now.
  14. Take care of the children for the night. If your spouse is normally the one to handle bedtime, offer to take over. Having a break from the kids works wonders.
  15. Flowers. Always a good way to let someone know you love them.
  16. Chocolate. Who doesn’t like chocolate?
  17. Have lunch together. Plan to meet up with them during the workday. Have a nice lunch date. Lunchtime is a great way to spend some time together.
  18. Draw a picture. This can be a fun gift. Draw a picture of your life together.
  19. Do their laundry. Take this chore off of their plate. Do their laundry for them, fold it and put the clothes away.
  20. Give them a hug. Very simple but does the trick.
  21. Give them kisses. Random kisses are a great way to show love.
  22. Be there. Just be around, be open to talk, be there for them.
  23. Tell them what you love about them. Sometimes we get so busy with life. Spend some time telling your spouse what you love about them.
  24. Watch a movie together. Pick something out after the kids go to bed. If they are deployed make plans to watch the movie and talk about what you thought about it afterwards.
  25. Watch their favorite TV show with them. Sometimes showing love is sitting down and watching a television show we might not enjoy that our spouse does.
  26. Send photos. If they are deployed, send them photos on a regular basis.
  27. Send a homemade gift. Make something for your spouse. They will love the item knowing your hands made something for them.
  28. Find songs that remind you of them. We don’t make mixed tapes anymore but we can always send a playlist of songs that remind us of them.
  29. Plan a vacation. Pick a place you have both wanted to go and plan a trip. This is a great way to show love to each other.

Even the simplest of actions can go a long way when celebrating how much you love someone. Whether they are home or in a faraway place. Take the time to tell your spouse how much you love and care for them.

What are your tips and tricks for keeping love alive in your military marriage?

 

The Do’s and Don’ts of the Tricare Nurse Advice Line

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We should always take our health seriously, but sometimes we’re on the fence about what to do. For example, what if it’s been a week and you can’t beat that terrible cough. Do you need to go to the doctor?

When and How to Use the Tricare Nurse Advice Line

Is this fever too high? Should I take her to the doctor?

For those that need more guidance, Tricare beneficiaries have the opportunity to reach out to a health care professional no matter what time of day on any day of the week with the Tricare Nurse Advice Line. To reach the Nurse Advice Line, call 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273) and press option 1.

The team of registered nurses at the other end of the line are ready to help families with whatever health concerns you have and can lead you in the right direction for self-care or assist you in scheduling an appointment at the correct medical facility.

The Tricare Nurse Advice Line supports a majority of Tricare beneficiaries, including Alaska and Hawaii. Eligible Tricare beneficiaries include:

  • Tricare Prime
  • Tricare Prime Remote (TPR)
  • Tricare Prime Remote for Active Duty Family Members (TPRADFM)
  • Tricare Standard
  • Tricare Extra
  • Tricare Reserve Select (TRS)
  • Tricare Retired Reserve (TRR)
  • Tricare Young Adult (TYA)
  • Tricare For Life (TFL)

Please keep in mind that those enrolled in the US Family Health Plan can’t utilize the Nurse Advice Line. Also, if you’re on Tricare Overseas Program (TOP) traveling to the United States, you can call the Nurse Advice Line for medical advice, but if in-person care is recommended, you need to call your TOP Regional Call Center first.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to keep your information updated in DEERS. That will help the staff of the Nurse Advice Line to either, make sure you qualify, give you sound medical advice and to direct you to the proper care at your current location.

My suggestion above is a great example on how the Tricare Nurse Advice Line can help guide you to care for yourself appropriately. I don’t know what it is, but I routinely acquire a cough at the change of seasons. Typically, it goes away after a handful of days, but every once in a while it evolves to a sinus infection. Before making the effort to schedule an appointment with my PCM, I can call the Advice Line to discuss my symptoms with a nurse.

How else can the Tricare Nurse Advice Line help you?

The Tricare Nurse Advice Line is not only wonderful for you to get the guidance for any ailments that come your way, you can call it to discuss any questions regarding your children’s health too. Children seem to come up with all kinds of different issues that parents may not know how to handle, especially if it’s never came up before.

For example, your toddler has lice and you have no idea what to do. The Nurse Advice Line can pass along the tools needed to combat this new and acute annoyance. If there is anything else bugging your little ones, the Nurse Advice Line can assist you.

It’s requested that your child be present at the time of the call. That will allow the nurse to get the most accurate information. Also, you can request the nurse to check in on your child to make sure things are progressing positively.

When shouldn’t you use the Tricare Nurse Advice Line?

If it’s really something that needs immediate attention, call 911 or get yourself or your family member to the emergency room at your nearest medical facility. Most of the time, those situations can be gauged at the moment.

For example, you believe your child broke a bone. Don’t pick up the phone, take them to the ER as soon as possible. Since the Nurse Advice Line is 24/7, they could also encourage you to head to the emergency room ASAP, but don’t hesitate.

Have you used the Tricare Nurse Line in the past? What was your experience with it?

A Guide for Returning Items to the Commissary

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My husband and I had a major commissary run a couple weeks back where we stocked up on personal care items. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion and shaving items were among the big purchases. Because it was a slew of our most commonly purchased items, I didn’t think twice about holding onto the receipt.

I started using the shaving cream that I bought during that recent commissary raid and a couple days into it, the canister stopped dispensing the shaving cream. It was so unusual because I could feel the bottle was full, but somehow it wouldn’t pump out appropriately.

I thought I was out of luck because I tossed the receipt, then I remembered an amazing perk for commissary patrons. You don’t need a receipt for returning items.

That’s when I brought the bottle back to the commissary and explained my situation. Together with the customer service representative, I showed her how the bottle wouldn’t work and in the next second, we did an even trade and good news, the new bottle worked!

The commissary’s return policy is one of the best out there and I think it’s one that is underutilized too. Your local commissary is really there to be helpful. In addition, they are always working on enhancing the customer experience with programs like Click2Go and biannual case lot sales.

After my positive experience with returning an item at the commissary, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight the commissary’s return policy, so you’re not left questioning if you could return something or not.

Here’s your guide to returning items to the commissary:

You can return items without a receipt.

I already mentioned this amazing detail above. It’s so wonderful that I had to reiterate it here. I was thankful to be able to trade my defective shaving cream for another one. It was an even trade, so the transaction was simple and fast.

You’re able to get a full refund of the current cost of the item without your receipt via DeCA gift cards in increments of $25 or $50. If your total return costs less than $25, you’ll receive that in cash. Another way to get the credit from the return is just to apply it directly to a purchase, especially if the credit uses the whole refund amount.

The only goods that have a limitation are tobacco products and baby formula. Those items can be exchanged for another tobacco product or baby formula.

You can return items after trying it.

As I was waiting for the customer service representative, the woman in front of me was returning a cleaning item that she wasn’t happy with. She had her receipt, so she was able to get a full refund right then and there, even after using the product.

Be sure to pocket this refund policy because it’s typically one you don’t think about. I would think that after opening and using a product, that’s it. Luckily, that’s not the case.

Don’t feel like you have to keep something that didn’t work for your family.

You can return items to any commissary.

This is wonderful because the military moves us around so much that there might be a circumstance to return an item at a completely new location. I live in the Washington, D.C., area, so I have opportunity to visit more than one commissary depending on where I am (or my husband is) for the day. The same goes with how you receive credit back when you’re returning to another commissary too, especially if you don’t have your receipt.

What questions do you have about your commissary?

Can a Spouse Harm Her Service Member’s Career?

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As a military spouse and civilian, you may not feel like your actions can affect your husband’s career, but they can and do.

Racking up financial debt, breaking the law, having questionable habits and acting inappropriately can all strip your spouse of their security clearance and prevent them from promotion, moving to desirable duty stations and more.

Think that sounds far-fetched or embellished? Think again.

Each month the Defense Office of Hearings & Appeals (DOHA) releases the results of security clearance rejection hearings and appeals. Each case appealed is described in detail and many of the security clearance withdrawals are listed as due to the service member’s negligence with respect to the actions of their military spouse.

How can a military spouse cause a service member to lose security clearance?

When the government issues a security clearance they are giving that person access to classified information. While it is only granted to the individual, it is a process that includes the military spouse. Their information is included on background investigation paperwork and they can be interviewed. Their actions reflect the service member’s judgment.

Can a Military Spouse Harm Her Service Member's Career?

Can you cause your service member to lose his security clearance?

For example, one case in which a security clearance was denied was when a military spouse racked up $50,000 in consumer debt. The judge specifically said that allowing his wife to “manage all finances was an example of poor judgment, and not the level of responsibility expected of a clearance holder.”

It isn’t just poor financial management by a military spouse that can get a service member in trouble. Your career field and poor habits can also lead to a clearance being revoked.

Another case involved a military spouse working at a recreational marijuana store in Denver, where it is legal to use such substance. Federal law overrules state law in this case, however. Marijuana is still considered a controlled substance and knowing of intentional possession is illegal even if the person has no plan to use or sell it.

In the eyes of the federal government, your (the service member’s) ability to maintain a relationship of trust, understanding and integrity with your spouse is a reflection of your ability to do so with Uncle Sam.

If a service member’s security clearance is pulled it can change their career path. They could be taken off of their team and placed on administrative leave or simply moved to another position. This setback could also prevent them from getting orders to desirable duty stations or even from rising in rank.

If nothing else, it will at least land them in a counseling meeting with a superior which could be a written counseling. A written counseling can take away points from promotion or rank a service member further down in the line-up for promotion.

There are other actions that a military spouse could take that would harm their service member’s career. While it isn’t suppose to influence duty assignments or promotion, a military spouse’s actions in reality can hinder the service member from receiving ideal duty stations or moving up in rank because after all, superiors are human and will remember how a service member’s military spouse has acted, if it is poorly.

Constantly harassing the command to send home a service member from deployment or showing up at the installation with gossip and being a distraction can make a difference. A service member is required to follow the chain of command and if a military spouse talks to a higher ranking person about problems this could reflect poorly upon the service member.

Having an affair with another service member in your spouse’s unit, will make a difference as well. This also falls under the domain of integrity. If the family lives on an installation and the military spouse doesn’t follow the rules of housing, they may be removed from the living situation. Having base privileges revoked will also look poorly upon the service member.

Can a Military Spouse Harm Her Service Member's Career?

What do you think? Does a military spouse’s behavior on or off base affect her service member’s career?

On the flip side, being part of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) might help. If the commanding officer really feels like the military spouse has had a substantially positive impact on the morale of families they may want to keep the service member around and look more favorably upon them. The opposite could be true as well.

Doing nothing at all, not being part of command events for example, most likely will have no influence on your spouse’s career.

If you want to see your service member succeed, obey the law, manage your family’s finances sufficiently, keep your morals in check and help out where you can. The one consistency with the military is that everything and anything can change at any time. Go with the flow and be a positive role model to other military spouses.

What do you think? Does a military spouse’s behavior on or off base affect her service member’s career?

Calling Military Spouses ‘Simply Civilians’ Really Gets Under My Skin

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“Military spouses are just civilians.”

“Spouses are not military; they are civilians like everyone else.”

“Just because you are married to someone in the military doesn’t mean you are in the military, quit saying you are.”

Have you heard any of these phrases before?

I have.

I have even had to backtrack when someone assumed that I had served too because I said something about how “we” were in the military when talking about our experiences as a military family. That was frustrating.

I get it.

As military spouses we are not actually IN the military. I am not sure many military spouses think they are. However, life is different when you are married to someone in the military. Life is more complicated and just so different from life in a civilian family.

When my husband joined the military, everything changed. We had spent about 3 years as a married couple before he joined. When he signed up, everything was different. We were no longer a civilian family, we were a military one.

Having lived both types of lives, I see a huge difference. When people tell me they are similar, I just have to laugh. Life could be exactly the same for some military spouses, but that has not been my personal experience at all. Life changed when he enlisted.

Although military spouses are technically civilians and not in the military themselves, hearing that we are “simply civilians” can seem a bit shallow.

Hearing that can make you feel like you don’t matter or that what you have been though doesn’t matter. Hearing those words can cause military spouses to feel like they are not a part of the military when they really are.

The truth is, when you are married to a member of the military, you are not living a civilian lifestyle, you are living a military one. The military has a lot of say over your life. They tell you where you need to live, when your spouse will be home, if you will have to go months and months without seeing them, whether you can go on vacation, etc. Living a military life is very different from living a civilian one.

Before the military my husband worked a job where he left at about 7 a.m. and was home before 5 p.m. He could take time off without much issue. If he was sick, he didn’t have to go anywhere, he would just pick up the phone and call in. If we wanted to go somewhere, he didn’t have to get a special pass to go further then 250 miles. He didn’t have to get his leave approved only to have that taken away at the last minute. Life was simpler because although he had a boss and an employer, they didn’t have the same type of control over him that the military would.

We should stop saying that military spouses are “simply civilians” because it just doesn’t make any sense to do so. Yes, we know that military spouses didn’t sign up to serve in the military. We understand that but there is no reason to call us civilians. Doing so puts up a wall that doesn’t need to be there.

So what are military spouses? If we are not serving in the military but we are not quite civilians, what are we? Some sort of hybrid?

Half military, half civilian? I don’t like that description either.

I think we are military spouses and we should be called just that. Military spouses are the backbone of the military community. They are the ones that can support the military service member and help them through their career.

How do you feel when someone points out that military spouses are “simply civilians?”

Dear Santa, Military Spouses Really Want…

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This year, I’m having a very difficult time putting together my Christmas wish list and the same goes with my husband. We had the “what do you want for Christmas?” conversation as we were putting together our tree over the Thanksgiving weekend and couldn’t pinpoint anything specific to get one another.

What Military Spouses Really Want for Christmas

What do you want for Christmas?

In reality, we both already have what we truly want, especially for this holiday season. I get to see my family and spend it with my husband. I’m the happiest of campers!

That brought me to think about what us, military spouses, actually want for Christmas.

Sometimes, it’s not something that our families can buy for us. Instead, it’s a feeling, desire or something we can’t really grasp with our hands that we want for the holidays. It’s those certain things that military spouses value more than a new gift wrapped under the tree.

Military life presents circumstances that other families don’t get to endure. Despite some of the things that we may not actually get this holiday season, there is always a silver lining to our wishes that we have to remember.

Here is a short list of true desires that I feel like are on military spouses’ minds during the holiday season.

Dear Santa, this Christmas I really want…

…to locate that significant item lost from your last PCS.

We had a winter PCS to northern Virginia that took place in January 2014. My husband was coming back from an overseas assignment and spent some time in Texas before he had to report in early February 2014. When we were settling into our new home, I realized that the very first Christmas present my husband gave me when we were dating was missing. It’s a silver tennis bracelet that I adored.

I pretty much turned our new home inside out without avail. Ironically enough, my mom wrapped up a special present for me for Christmas 2014. She found that bracelet in my old bedroom as she was preparing for my holiday arrival.

Military spouses may not always find that trinket lost, so those memories become what we treasure. I was so happy it was found, but the moment that my husband gave me that gift is what I take with me.

…to spend the holidays with family from far away.

The holiday season brings joy to us and also inflated airline prices for travel! Military families have to pick and chose their battles as far as spending a great deal of time and possible money to see their extended family. Thank you supply and demand.

Despite the monetary challenge that military spouses face for travel, we have wonderful tools that help keep us connected for virtually no money. The Internet is amazing and we can practically see each other no matter where we are located. I was able to “be in the room” when my dad blew out his candles in September for his birthday.

…to have my service member home for the holidays.

Deployment rears its ugly head more times than we’d like, which can take away our loved one from us for Christmas. It stinks when it does. I don’t think I’ve ever met a military spouse that thought otherwise.

My husband was overseas for the 2014 holiday season and I’ll admit I might have complained about it more than once. But, military spouses really do have it nice with technology. When duty calls for our service member, there are ways military spouses can connect with them, similarly to our separated family members.

My father would tell me stories of him having to wait in the USO to use the phones there to call my mom when he was away. Also, he would have to wait for snail mail of Polaroids to keep track of my growth as a child.

Military spouses can use smartphones to email photos to their service member and vise versa. I was lucky to get to see my spouse on Christmas and New Year’s Day, while he was away.

What do you think military spouses really want for Christmas?

10 Changes We’d Love to See at the Commissary

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We love shopping at the commissary, but there are still a few things that each of us would like to see improved upon.

Here are the top 10 changes we would love to see the commissary make.

Extended Shopping Hours. Commissary business hours are not consistent across the board. Some are open 7 days a week while others are closed on Mondays for restocking. The small commissary on NSF Dahlgren is closed on Sundays and Mondays  and only open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the rest of the week, with an extra hour on Tuesdays.

Bigger bases have longer hours though. Little Creek commissary in Virginia Beach is open 7 days a week. They have early bird entry at 8:30 a.m. and regular hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (on Sundays they close at 7 p.m. though). We all like shopping at the commissary, but when you need a last-minute item, the commissary may already be closed.

Wider Aisles. If you go to the commissary early in the morning, you’re going to run into retirees and parents shopping with their young children. If you’ve ever tried to pass either of these customers down an aisle in the commissary, you know it’s a hard thing to do. Most aisles are too narrow. There ends up being a line of people waiting to go around someone that is looking at a product or attending to their children.

More Free Samples. Adults and children love free samples. Giving kids something to snack on makes shopping easier as they are busy with their treats. Consumers are more likely to purchase a product once they have tried it as well, which increases sales.

Continually Stocked Shelves. Due to shipping complications, some commissary shoppers overseas have had issues with product availability.  This past year, overseas commissaries were faced with food shortages that led to disappointment among those commissary patrons that rely heavily on the commissary for their groceries.

More Made in America Products. We have an International aisle, so why don’t we have an American aisle? It is really hard to find things made in America. You have to search labels for the country of origin. Some companies proudly advertise it on the front, which makes more of us inclined to purchase it. If, for example, you wanted to buy apple juice made with apples grown only in the United States you won’t be able to do that. They all contain apples from multiple countries.

Bigger Organic Selection. We are all trying to feed our families healthy meals by being better informed on product quality. More and more customers are purchasing organic items and the demand is increasing. Many markets offer large organic sections, having both an organic produce area and an entire aisle dedicated to organic products. You don’t see nearly as much of this in the commissaries.

Coffee Shop Inside the Commissary. It doesn’t have to be Starbucks necessarily, well maybe for some picky consumers it does. Some commissaries have a free cup of coffee station at the entrance, but that is just a tease.  Many military installations have contracts with Starbucks, Einstein Bagels, Dunkin Donuts and more for coffee shops in the food courts, but we’re talking about getting a deliciously brewed beverage right there in the commissary. It isn’t as far fetch either as lucky commissary patrons in California already have this perk.

More Fun Kid Friendly Shopping Carts. Some of the commissaries have spaceship shopping carts or other designs with pretend steering wheels for children to ride in while their parents shop. The problem is that there are only a few of these.

Once your child has spotted one they’ll ask to ride in one each time you venture to the commissary and finding one can be difficult.

Adding a few more to each commissary would be great. Many grocery stores also have child size shopping carts so they can have their own cart to push and feel like they are truly helping shop.

No More Plastic Bag. Plastic bags are already banned in multiple states. It’s time that the commissary joins the crusade to help the environment. Paper bags are a better option and reusable bags are also available for purchase the commissary.

Order Online and Curbside Pickup. There are grocery stores that already offer this perk. It would be great if the commissary did too. It would be especially helpful to people that find it hard to get inside to shop, particularly elderly, disabled and parents with babies and small children. There is a program being tested. Hopefully it is successful and becomes a commissary benefit.

What changes would you like to see at the commissary?

A Military Spouse’s Guide to Space-A

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Space-A is a great way for a military spouse to travel.

A Military Spouse's Guide to Space-A Travel

Pack your patience and flexibility when using Space-A to travel as a military spouse.

We used Space-A back in 2009 to get from Germany to California and back again. The whole thing was quite the experience which wasn’t always easy but I am glad that I had the chance to try flying this way. Traveling Space-A isn’t for the faint of heart and knowing how this type of travel works is very important for having a successful trip.

Space-A travel is when members of the military, retirees and their spouses can travel on aircraft under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Defense when there is room available for them to do so. There is no guarantee that you will get a flight and you need a lot of patience and flexibility if you are going to use this method to get to where you want to go.

For us it took about 3 days to get to California from Germany. We were lucky in that we got on the first flight we wanted to get on. However, after 4 hours and after we were seated on the flight, the plane broke down and everyone had to get off and start all over again. This is the type of thing that can happen which can get frustrating but you need to be prepared for delays when you travel using Space-A.

The first step in planning for your Space-A trip is figuring out where you are going to go.

Most Space-A flights leave from Air Force bases around the United States and overseas. You would want to see where you can fly and how often flights go out of that location. Some places might only have 1 or 2 flights a week so your chances of getting out of there would be slim. Sometimes it is best to drive to a better location to get a better chance of catching a flight.

You would then need to figure out what your Space-A ranking is. The Air Mobility Command has a list of what you would be classified as. As a military spouse traveling you would be classified as either:

  • Category III– If your spouse is deployed more than 365 consecutive days or if you are traveling with your active duty spouse.
  • Category IV– If your spouse is deployed for more than 30 consecutive days but less than 365 days.
  • Category V-If you are flying without your spouse and they are not deployed.
  • Category VI– Retired military and their spouses

The lower your category, the better your chances of catching a flight. For example Category III is a higher priority for seating than Category VI. Each flight has a limited number of seats. Sometimes the seats are more than a hundred, other times there are just 4 or 5 seats available. You will need to register at every location you plan to fly out of. Once you have, you still have to wait to see if you get on the flight and you will need to check in as “present” when you get there.

A Military Spouse's Guide to Space-A

Have you flown using Space-A? Where did you go? What was your experience with Space-A travel?

This is where patience and flexibility come into play when flying Space-A. If a flight only has a few seats and you are a lower category, unless a lot of people decide not to get on that flight, your name will probably never get called. You will need to have a plan for if this happens to you. If you don’t, you could get stuck somewhere and that can be really upsetting.

The best way to prepare for Space-A is to do your research.

Since I was flying to the United States from Germany, I figured out which locations in the U.S. could get me to California. Although they did have flights going all the way there from Germany, I knew that might not be possible. I figured out which of the U.S. bases did go there and was open to any of those locations. In the end we flew into Baltimore and then had to make our way to Andrews Air Force Base where we were able to get a flight to Travis Air Force Base in California.

With Space-A you also need to have all of the important travel documents with you for you and all of your children. These documents include:

  • Travel authorization
  • ID card
  • Unaccompanied dependent memorandum
  • Valid Passport
  • Birth Certificates and Social Security cards

Make sure you double-check everything as you will not be able to fly without the right paperwork.

If you do make a flight, you must be there in person to check-in. You must be ready to fly. If you are not, they will go to the next person on the list.

Keep in mind that with Space-A you could be doing a lot of waiting. Plan for a lot of waiting. Bring something for you and your kids to do. Make sure you have the means to stay in a hotel because if a flight gets canceled you might have to wait until the next day to try again.

In the end, you have to decide if Space-A travel is for you. It will not work for everyone. Sometimes buying a commercial airline ticket will be best.

You have to be flexible with Space-A, you have to plan ahead and you have to be willing to change your plans over and over again until you can get to your location.

Have you used Space-A travel? What tips do you have for using Space-A?