By Terri Barnes
Published: March 27, 2012
Living in a civilian community during deployment, Army wife Benita Koeman said she felt like a citizen of Who-ville, wanting desperately to be heard by an oblivious outside world.
In “Horton Hears a Who,” by Dr. Seuss, the Whos are finally heard when they band together to make noise and shout, “We are here!”
The story was part of Benita’s inspiration to create “Operation We Are Here: Encouraging the Military Home Front,” an extensive online clearinghouse of support and information for military families and the civilian communities who support them.
By Terri Barnes
Published: March 19, 2012
A soon-to-be military bride sent me a question about living overseas without command sponsorship. Here is a compilation of our email discussion, starting with her questions and comments:
My fiance is stationed in Germany currently, and we would like to get married before he is due to return to the States. Our wedding date next year is four or five months before he is due to PCS. He does not want to extend his tour, so I will not be able to get command sponsorship. (Command sponsorship requires that he have at least 12 months remaining in his assignment.)
He’s an O-1 and lives in an apartment off base. We don’t have any children, so it would be just me going to Germany to live with him. Paying for my own travel expenses isn’t a big deal to us, and there isn’t anything we would need to have shipped over that I can’t fit into a suitcase or two.
By Terri Barnes
Published: March 12, 2012
Blame it on a tough economy. Blame it on my move to the politically charged environment of Washington, D.C. Blame it on bad news from my dentist. Blame it on me, because I am the one on the soapbox.
On the whole, I find little to complain of in my military life. I was born to it, still live it and love it for many reasons. For those reasons, I am increasingly dismayed by the erosion of our government’s fiscal commitment to those who live a life of military service.
By Terri Barnes
Published: March 6, 2012
With each move, we military spouses must rebuild our lives to some extent: new friends, new schools, new babysitter, piano teacher, orthodontist, hair stylist and more. For me, rebuilding a healthy exercise routine is often at the end of the list, if it makes my list at all.
I’m neither an athlete nor a gym enthusiast. It’s an effort to find an activity I like that qualifies as exercise. How I wish that reading could burn fat and build muscle. When I do find something active that I like to do, it seems a move always interrupts my stride.