Posts Tagged Military OneSource
Tackling Obesity, for Security’s Sake
Posted by ldaniel in Family Matters on July 23, 2012
By Lisa Daniel
It’s not often there is a national call to action over a matter of national security, but that is what’s happening over America’s obesity problem. Luckily, there is no shortage of resources for all of us to do our part in addressing it.
Concerns about the quick rise in obesity – some call it an epidemic — and its potential to harm military readiness are not new. Ever since 100 retired generals and admirals formed the nonprofit organization “Mission: Readiness” and released its landmark 2010 report “Too Fat to Fight” to convince Congress to mandate healthy school lunches, federal officials, at least, have known of the military imperative to reverse the fat trend. The report included the services’ assessment that 75 percent of the nation’s 17- to 24-year-olds do not qualify for military service – mostly due to obesity.
Those concerns were reiterated last month when the Bipartisan Policy Center released its report, “Lots to Lose,” which shows alarming trends not only in recruiting, but also in retention due to overweight problems. The report notes that nutrition concerns for service members and recruits factored into President Harry S. Truman’s decision to mandate the federal school lunch program. The focus then, however, was vitamin deficiencies.
In the past two years, the movement has changed from alarm bells to action as public officials, including Defense Department leaders, carry the issue from Washington to cities, towns and military installations across the country. Last week, First Lady Michelle Obama took her “Let’s Move” campaign to Philadelphia to announce locally-based public-private initiatives that include things like closing a city street to traffic to make a “safe play” place, challenging residents to a city-wide diet, bringing farmers’ markets to low-income areas and holding information campaigns about the nutritional content of foods.
DOD has made similar changes, requiring all of its schools and daycare centers to give children meals emphasizing fruits and vegetables, restrict TV and computer time, ensure daily exercise and ban sweetened drinks. Read more.
Also last week, Charles E. Milam, principal deputy assistant secretary for military community and family programs, met with military food and beverage workers for their annual workshop and directed that they ensure that dining facilities and other installation eateries give healthy choices that also fit into today’s fast-paced culture. Read more. Also, Military OneSource offers free nutrition and fitness training to service members and their families.
In promoting Let’s Move, the first lady often talks about changing American culture toward healthier living. That’s where families come in. As I talk to military spouses and other parents, most agree that one of our toughest challenges is in challenging the idea that “kid-friendly” cuisine is limited to pizza, fries and chicken nuggets. Changing the culture will mean cutting back on the all-too-easy and inexpensive drive-through meals. It will mean cooking healthy and encouraging kids to try new things – even when your child’s friends are over. Changing the culture means challenging the notion that kids need snacks for every event – soccer, Scouts, etc. – even when the event only lasts an hour. And it means asking teachers to discourage parents from bringing cupcakes in the classroom for every birthday, especially when there are 30 kids in a class. Read the rest of this entry »
DOD Site Seeks Military Spouse Bloggers
Posted by in Family Matters on March 7, 2012
By Elaine Sanchez
March 7, 2012
Officials are seeking established military spouse bloggers to feature on the Defense Department’s Military OneSource Blog Brigade.
Officials are hoping spouses will share their knowledge and experiences about everything from military life and deployment to education and careers. “Military spouse bloggers are the influencers in the blogosphere, and it’s time to tap into their military life experiences,” they said on the site.
To qualify for the Blog Brigade, bloggers must own a personal blog that’s more than six months old and post original content to their blog at least once a week. Content should be relevant to the Military OneSource mission to support military members and families.
The Blog Brigade also features program updates from DOD leaders and guest posts from staff bloggers. To find out more, including the submission criteria, visit the Military OneSource Blog Brigade.
Tips to Ease Summertime Moves
Posted by in Family Matters on June 20, 2011
By Elaine Sanchez
Elaine.sanchez@dma.mil
June 8, 2011
As our seasoned military families are keenly aware, the end of the school year typically marks the start of a high-volume moving season.
Service members commonly know the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day as “PCS season,” which refers to permanent-change-of-station moves. Many families aim to move during that stretch of time to avoid disrupting their kids during the school year.
On average, the military moves about 600,000 shipments a year, and more than a third of those moves take place over the summer. John Johnson, the chief of the personal property branch for the Army’s Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, told me in a recent interview.
With this summertime surge in mind, I asked Mr. Johnson for his top tips to ease the moving process for service members and their families. His tips include:
– Stay organized. Create a personal moving calendar with checklists, phone lists, to-do lists, and links to critical moving processes and information.
– Find out options early. Contact your transportation office as soon as possible to learn about your moving options, including a personally procured move, former known as a do-it-yourself move, or DITY.
– Don’t hesitate to ask. It’s never too early to ask questions, and your transportation office is your primary point of contact for customer service.
– Start early. Once you get your orders and know the dates you want to move, immediately start the moving process. The sooner you start, the better the chance you’ll lock in the dates you want.
– Know your weight. Having a good estimated weight of your personal property and household goods is very important. An easy and dependable method for making this estimate is to figure about 1,000 pounds per room. Keep in mind this is only an estimate and individual shipments will vary.
– Don’t be a no-show. Pack, pickup and delivery dates are scheduled on weekdays. You or your designated representative needs to be available between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You don’t want to miss your moving dates, as this will cause unnecessary hardship on everyone.
– Lock your move date in. Once you’ve selected your moving dates, don’t assume they’re set. Your moving dates are not confirmed until you coordinate with your carrier or transportation service provider.
– Be flexible. Moving in the summer months is extremely busy, with June being the busiest moving month of the year. Your preferred dates may not be available during this time. You will need to be as flexible as possible and always leave some time in your schedule for unforeseen circumstances.
– Lighten the load. Moving is a good time to dispose of unnecessary items. This will help avoid excess weight charges for being over your authorized weight allowance. You don’t want to ship and pay for something you didn’t want anyway.
– Reweigh if needed. You can request a reweigh of your personal property shipment at no cost. This is usually done when you are near or over your weight entitlement.
– Separate shipments. If you will have multiple shipments, clearly separate them at your residence. Multiple shipments should be scheduled on separate days to avoid confusion. You want the right items going to the right destination.
– Update contact information. Defense Personal Property System places you in direct contact with your carrier to manage the movement of your personal property. It is extremely important to ensure your phone number, email address and contact information is updated and current in DPS.
– Stay in close contact. If you have a delivery address for your personal property and want a direct delivery it’s important to work closely with your carrier or transportation service provider to arrange delivery. This will avoid your personal property being placed in storage.
For more moving tips or information on allowances and responsibilities, see the “It’s Your Move” pamphlet for service members or the “It’s your Move” pamphlet for Defense Department civilians. Or, visit the Move.mil website. For more information on planning summer moves, check out this Defense.gov article, “Planning is Key for Peak-season Moves.”
Military OneSource also offers families a host of resources; Military Homefront offers “Plan My Move,” which features a moving calendar and checklists; and Military Installations links families to information about their new bases and communities.
Do you have any moving tips or lessons-learned you’d like to share? Don’t hesitate to write in.
For more family-related posts, visit the Family Matters blog or check out Family Matters on Facebook and Twitter.
Need for Healthy Diet Hits Home for Blogger
Posted by carol.bowers in Family Matters on May 16, 2011
Guest blogger Lisa Daniel is Elaine Sanchez’s colleague at American Forces Press Service. – Elaine Sanchez
By Lisa Daniel
May 16, 2011
Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for personnel, appeared on Capitol Hill earlier this spring along with other service leaders to report on the military’s state of readiness, including the health of the troops. The news mostly was good (see my article “Caring for People Aids Readiness, Official Says”). Despite 10 years of war, recruiting, retention and morale remain strong.
But Bostick’s assessment came with a warning of a troubling trend. The obesity crisis sweeping America has gone beyond health problems for individuals to threatening our nation’s military readiness. That’s because fewer than 30 percent of 17- to 24-year-olds are eligible to serve because they can’t meet physical or educational requirements, Bostick said. A big reason for that: one in five young people are overweight, compared to one in 20 in the 1960s, he said.
“As a nation, together, we must continue to address these concerns,” he said.
Bostick is not the first leader to sound alarms over America’s obesity problem. First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign has brought the issue into the national spotlight, as well as publicity from doctors, dieticians and others who share their concerns with the media.
There is no shortage of resources aimed at helping people maintain a healthy weight. Many volumes have been written on the values of counting calories — or, more recently, counting carbohydrates — and maintaining regular exercise. Weight loss clinics make millions of dollars by helping people manage their food, drink and exercise.
Even with all this, we remain a nation overweight. Unfortunately, knowledge of a problem isn’t always enough to effect change. Sometimes it takes an emergency.
My family discovered this in January when my 7-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1, or “juvenile,” diabetes. Unlike Type II diabetes, or “adult-onset” that can be caused by obesity, Type I is an autoimmune disease that destroys the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin. Natalie was not overweight; as she lamented in the hospital, she eats healthier than many children her age. Read the rest of this entry »
Childhood Obesity Hits Home for Blogger
Posted by in Family Matters on March 14, 2011
By Elaine Wilson
March 14, 2011
Elaine.wilson@dma.mil
My 7-year-old son came home from school the other day and told me another boy had called him fat — several times. My heart sank as I struggled for the right words to comfort my son, and promised to call the teacher on his behalf.
While I was upset with the boy who called my son a name, I was even more upset with myself.
My son is overweight, obese by the doctor’s standards, (see the blog I wrote last year) and I don’t think I’ve been doing enough to help.
Months earlier, I had pledged to make over our sometimes-unhealthy family lifestyle after the pediatrician noted an upward trend on my son’s weight chart.
I started with the best of intentions. For months, I worked at increasing the variety of fruits I picked up each week at the store. But recently, I’ve noticed my tendency to sneak a few of my family’s not-so-healthy favorites — doughnuts, ice cream and candy, to name a few – into the cart. And down deep, I know my son is going to opt for the sweets over the healthy treats when I’m not looking.
I’ve encouraged my son to be more active, but that, too has waned in the winter months. The TV’s siren call is hard for him to resist, and I’ve been growing more lax with my TV cutoff times. He’s not getting enough exercise, and I’m the one who’s ultimately responsible.
It’s not about his appearance; it’s about his health.
Studies show that about 80 percent of children ages 10 to 15 who were overweight became obese by age 25, Public Health Service Cmdr. (Dr.) Aileen Buckler, TRICARE population health physician, told me in a recent interview. And children who are overweight before age 8 are more likely to have more severe obesity as an adult, which can lead to greater risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis and even infertility.
To make matters worse, America’s childhood obesity rates have tripled in the past 30 years. Today, nearly one in three American children and about one in four military children are overweight or obese.
The topic recently has been highlighted in the news, mostly due to First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts with the “Let’s Move” campaign, which encourages people to adopt a healthier lifestyle through healthy eating and exercise. The Defense Department also is working to help families with this pervasive issue, which I wrote about in the American Forces Press Service article, “DOD Takes Steps to Combat Childhood Obesity.”
For example, officials are creating standardized menus for child development centers to ensure the centers are meeting children’s nutritional needs, Barbara Thompson, of the Pentagon’s office of military community and family policy, told me. They’re also working with vendors who supply the centers’ food to ensure they’re getting the freshest vegetables, lower-fat cuts of meat and less processed food laden with fats, salt and sugar.
But the Defense Department can’t do this alone, Thompson said. Adults need to be good role models. She summed up a healthy family goal with the aid of a few numbers: five-two-one-zero. People, she explained, should aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, two hours or less of screen time, one hour of physical activity and zero sugary drinks.
Sounds like good advice. I need to start opting for granola bars over candy bars and frozen yogurt over ice cream. And it’s time to encourage my son once again to pick up an activity that won’t involve a remote control or joystick. That will, at least, be a start.
Are you struggling with a similar issue? If so, don’t hesitate to write in with your lessons learned or greatest challenges.
In the meantime, for more information on a healthy lifestyle, visit a service health and wellness facility, check in with a base fitness center or visit the Let’s Move campaign website or Military OneSource.
Blogger Finds Possible Cure for Holiday Candy Addiction
Posted by carol.bowers in Family Matters on January 13, 2011
By Elaine Wilson
Elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Jan. 13, 2011
The holiday season has been dangerous for my waist line. I’ve pillaged stockings for candy, raided cabinets for leftover holiday treats and even, I admit with shame, snagged a few bites of the chocolate-chip cookies my kids so lovingly laid out for Santa.
I freely admit I’m a holiday candy addict, which is the first step to recovery, I hope. For years, I’ve been trying to resist the sweet treats that are so abundant during and after the holidays.
Unfortunately, as my jeans now indicate, it’s too late for me to resist the savory cookies and candies this year. So now, since I was unable to practice the art of willpower, I must shift into damage-control mode, which mainly involves purging my cabinets of unhealthy treats and hitting the treadmill a few extra times a week.
For our military members and their families who can relate to my weight-related woes, you’re fortunate to have some great healthy lifestyle tools at your disposal. Read the rest of this entry »
Webinars Offer Tips on Finances, Parenting
Posted by in Family Matters on January 4, 2011
By Elaine Wilson
Elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Jan. 4, 2010
Military OneSource will present a series of webinars this month designed to aid military families with everything from parenting and homework to money management and debt.
Webinars are web-based training sessions using teleconference audio and the Internet to deliver an interactive seminar.
I encourage our military families to check out these free workshops, which are open to anyone with access to Military OneSource. For more information on the webinars or to find out how to join one, visit Military OneSource’s webinar information page or call 1-800-342-9647.
Blogger Shares Holiday Money-saving Tips
Posted by carol.bowers in Family Matters on December 14, 2010
By Elaine Wilson
Elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Dec. 14, 2010
I’ve noticed, over the years, that holiday shoppers typically fall into specific categories as they embark on their gift-gathering quests.
First up are the bargain hunters, who relentlessly search day and night for the perfect deal. They crowd into stores in the wee hours on Black Friday and shut down sites with an overload of Internet traffic from office cubicles on Cyber Monday.
Then there are the hoarders, who crowd the stores the day after last Christmas for half-price, left-over goodies, then pack away their bounty in closets and cubby holes until the holiday season rolls back in. I tried this tactic one year and forgot or lost about half of the presents, and spent twice as much as a result. I still stumble upon some of these gifts when searching through attic boxes.
And finally, my most recent category, the procrastinators. This class of shoppers waits until the last possible minute to shop, whether it’s due to a general busyness, a reluctance to accrue more debt or the hope of last-minute price slashing. We’re the shoppers who are confronted with picked-over goods and empty shelves when we finally make our way into the stores, and then are forced to race around town, or the Internet, in a desperate attempt to fill holiday wish lists.
While each style is distinctly different, all share one important aspect in common: a money-saving quest. Read the rest of this entry »
Blogger Urges Readers to ‘Move Forward’
Posted by in Family Matters on October 19, 2010
David Lloyd is the director of the Family Advocacy Program Office of Military Community and Family Policy. In this guest blog, Mr. Lloyd urges victims of domestic abuse to seek help for both themselves and their children.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Looking Back, Moving Forward
by David Lloyd
Oct. 19, 2010
More than 20 years ago, the first federal funds were authorized for the establishment, maintenance and expansion of programs and projects to prevent incidents of family violence and provide shelter and assistance for victims and their children.
Congress formally recognized October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month through a congressional resolution, citing the frequency of violence against women by their intimate partners, the universal nature of such violence and the associated abuse of children in homes where domestic violence occurs. The resolution also recognized the importance of nationwide efforts to increase public understanding of domestic violence and the work of advocates to help domestic violence victims leave abusive relationships.
Over the last two decades, the momentum of the domestic violence movement has continued to build.
The dedication of tireless advocates has helped increase public understanding of domestic violence as a serious public health issue, and driven public investment in the prevention of domestic violence.
Read the rest of this entry »
Blogger Nears End of Moving Journey
Posted by in Family Matters on September 22, 2010
by Elaine Wilson
elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Sept. 22, 2010
The time is finally at hand. I close on my new house in Maryland today.
It’s been a long journey and one that I’ve been sharing in previous blogs: “Blogger Gears Up for Move,” “Tips Ease Transition to New School” and “Blogger Heads Out on House Hunt.”
I wanted to document this experience to pass on some lessons learned, and also to learn some valuable lessons from our moving-savvy military families along the way.
It’s a huge relief to get to this point at last after months of house hunting, document gathering and endless appointments to ensure all of the last-minute details were handled.
Oddly enough, the most challenging part for me hasn’t been the finances or inspections or thick packets of contracts to read. It’s the family adjustment.
I moved my family to the D.C. area from Texas about two years ago, and was anxious about pushing them into another move so soon. My two school-age children had settled nicely into their school here so I was hesitant to start over with them.
But this move will be our last for a while and my kids like all children are amazingly resilient. I see that resilience every day in military children who handle multiple moves and the impacts of deployments with such grace. And I’ve met many now-grown-up military “brats” who say they’re grateful for the varied experiences and people they met in their youth.
With that in mind, I set out to make this a positive adventure for my family, rather than a drastic change.
Read the rest of this entry »