Did you know… Mission: Milspouse published its 3000th blog post in 2023 and is still growing!
Suicide Prevention Resources That Can Help
DHA offers resources and agencies ready to help with suicide awareness month.
Understanding and Managing Stress
You don’t have to look very far to find research that supports the idea that stress can lead to serious health problems: blocked arteries, heart attacks, strokes, and even mental health issues. Reality says that there is no way you can avoid stress, and military life reinforces that almost daily.
So, let’s manage it.
Behind Every Gold Star
As any military spouse knows, the armed forces has its own language and terms. Describing a family member that has experienced the death of a service member is no exception. A Gold Star family member is a parent, spouse, child, or sibling that has lost their service member while serving on active duty. Since I have become a military widow, I have found that a large portion of the military community is not familiar with this term or where it came from.
Boarding the PCS Roller Coaster
Five years ago we received PCS orders to report back—for the third time—to Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
I will be the first to admit that Fort Sill is not on my list of highly sought after assignments. However, to us, it’s six hours from home and family. We lucked into on-post housing, which is historical, though at times, quite hysterical.
PTSD Affects Veteran Families Too
Dear Mr. Dad: A few months ago, my husband got back from his third Army deployment—two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He’s been diagnosed with PTSD and is getting treatment, but I’m worried that his condition is somehow rubbing off on the rest of the family. Our children are having problems in school, I’m finding myself on edge and agitated all the time, and my temper seems to be getting shorter by the minute. I used to think that if we survived three deployments we could survive anything. But now I’m not so sure. What can I do?
An Introvert’s Guide to Getting to Know Others
It seems like everywhere I turn lately, there’s discussion about the topic of “connectedness;” that is, how engaged (or how lonely) we may feel as military spouses.
Whether it’s on Facebook or in face-to-face conversations that I have with spouses new to our installation, I’m hearing the same thing: it can be incredibly difficult to establish and maintain friendships with others.
How to Make the Most of a Not-So-Perfect Duty Station
“Fort Drum? It’s too cold.”
“Fort Hood? It’s too hot.”
“Fort Leonard Wood? It’s too remote.”
“Korea? It’s… Well… it’s Korea.”
Okay, you get the idea. Every place is too something.
Mission: Milspouse is a
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EIN Number: 88-1604492
Contact:
hello@missionmilspouse.org
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El Paso, TX 79904