Imagine moving from California to North Carolina with two kids under two and your spouse gets deployed within 30 days of moving. That’s where Brandi Jones found herself for her very first PCS. And that’s where her idea came from to start bridging the gap between military and civilian communities. She found other spouses in the community that had young children and founded a preschool playgroup called Mommies Like Us.

Brandi’s grandparents were her biggest inspiration to help other military families. They helped her to remember to be present and to think about what kind of legacy she is leaving. Brandi’s advice to other military spouses is to make this military life an adventure.

Brandi has been the wife of a United States Marine for nearly two decades, and she has been volunteering in the community for over the last 17 years. She’s been recognized as AFI Naval Postgraduate School Monterey Military Spouse of the Year, A Hero at Home, as well as a recipient of the Opening Doors Award from the Girl Scouts. The business Brandi created in 2010 was recognized by then Second Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden. She is a Transitional Kindergarten teacher, Publisher, and small business owner of Macaroni Kid Monterey.

Also, check out these publications and more info about Brandi in these articles:

Monterey Herald
Monterey Bay Parent
Hi-Desert Star

Listeners, if you would like to see more of what Brandi is up to, check out her website or connect with her on social media via Facebook, Instagram, or her other website. 

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amanda B.

Today we are showcasing one of our volunteers who is an MRE winner, which by the way, that stands for Motivated and Ready to Empower. A huge congratulations to Army Wife Network Command Team Member, our Communications Liaison, Sarah Robichaud!

Sarah is a Maryland native who married her husband, Andrew, in 2012. Since then, she has had the opportunity to live at Fort Benning, Georgia (twice); Vilseck, Germany; Fort Bliss, Texas; and now lives in southern Virginia where her husband teaches ROTC. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Salisbury University and a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from Liberty University.

The  majority of Sarah’s time is spent rocking the stay-at-home-mom life with her two amazing children, Emily (5) and Logan (2). She also has two small dogs and an out-of-control vegetable garden. During her free time, you can probably find Sarah out for a jog or playing at the beach.

So much thanks goes out to Sarah Robichaud for doing her part to empower military families all across the globe.

Encourage Minute with Juanda Bryant

You made it! You made it – yes, you’re living through a pandemic, yet you made it. You made it through the ups and downs. Reflect on the fact that you made it through 2021 and then create your vision for 2022.

News 6 with Jolene

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of Jan. 31, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

Utility Bills Coming Back To Military Housing

Due to rising energy prices, residents of privatized military housing will be soon be paying utility bills, reported Military Times. The policy memo was issued on December 16 to all military branches, however, according to Military Times, “the timeline and details are unclear.” The program falls under the Resident Energy Conservation Program and is “designed to monetarily reward tenants who conserve energy and charge more to those who don’t.”

Free Tax Software For Service Members

The Department of Defense announced the continued partnership with free tax software for military members. You can access the software through Military OneSource. The e-filing software walks users through a step-by-step process to file their taxes. “Service members and spouses also have free access to MilTax consultants who are versed in recent changes to tax law and specially trained to know all the nuances of filing taxes in the military.”

Free Online Classes For Military Spouses

Military spouses can access free online courses on learning platform Udemy through June 29, 2022. Courses are on-demand and flexible and will help you enhance your current skills, learn new skills and stay up to date on industry trends. Some classes are designed to help learners prepare for certifications in areas including cloud computing, information security, project management, accounting and more. Get started by contacting a SECO career center by calling 800-342-9647 or texting MilLife SECO to 468311.

You can check out more of this week’s top stories here.

Thank You

Thank you for tuning into this week’s episode. Please leave a five-star rating and review on Apple podcasts, then send us a screenshot of your review to info@armywifenetwork.com or DM us on Facebook or Instagram @armywifenetwork to receive a special in-real-life gift as a thank you on behalf of AWN. We appreciate your engagement and support.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download