The welfare of our family means the utmost importance to us. But have there been moments where you’ve been left feeling overwhelmed, like you have tried everything and have nowhere else to go? EFM has created a commonplace to support families of all branches and unite their voices. As an advocate, they tackle big problems, in efforts to change policy and laws both medical and programmatic.

Today’s guests are Rebecca Emerson, who is the Executive Director of Exceptional Families of the Military (EFM) and Austin Carrigg, who is the Chief Executive Officer of EFM.

EFM is a volunteer-led, 501c(3) non-profit organization specializing in helping DoD families enrolled in DoD’s Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP). They are EFMP families themselves and have multiple online support groups with about 7,000 EFMP family members DoD-wide. They provide direct support, support groups, and also work on legislative and policy priorities on behalf of our families. They are part of the Tricare for Kids Coalition and the EFMP coalition, the largest group representing EFMP families. 

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Exceptional Family Members, you can visit them by clicking here or connect with them online via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or LinkedIn.

Resource Recon with Jolene and Jade

This week’s Resource Recon is all about our blog! One of our latest posts comes from one of our command team members, Lindsey Rauch, in her recent post titled, How to Grocery Shop During Inflation, she shares a few easy steps to shop while on a budget:

• Plan your meals
• Choose meals with similar ingredients
• Go back to the basics – similar to above – protein bowls!
• Make it from scratch 
• Cut out big brands and “snacky” items – hummus and veggie sticks, nuts, fruits, homemade muffins

Moxie Minute with Amie

Today’s new word on our list is grit.

Being a military spouse requires a whole lot of grit. It takes determination and perseverance to navigate the challenges that come with this lifestyle, from frequent moves to long separations from our loved ones. But as the saying goes, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going,” and that’s where our grit comes in.

Grit requires us to use our challenges as opportunities to grow and thrive. As Angela Duckworth, the author of the book “Grit,” puts it, “Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” And that’s exactly what we do as military families – we keep on running, no matter how tough the course may be.

News 6 with Emma

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of March 13, 2023, straight from M:M News 6 Correspondent, Emma Tighe:

Relief for Type One Diabetics Through TRICARE

Good news for military family members with Type 1 Diabetes! The costly Omnipod 5 insulin pump is now officially covered by TRACER

It is covered by the Tricare pharmacy benefit as of mid February. Beneficiaries must have pre authorization from their PCM and it is only covered through Tricare approved civilian pharmacies, not in home care delivery services or military hospitals. If the device is purchased at a non network pharmacy, the beneficiary will have to pay full price, but can be refunded through Tricare if a claim is filed. 

It has already been out on the market for over a year but not covered by Tricare until a month ago. It had cost desperate families quite a pretty penny, with the starter kit costing 635 and then costing 280 dollars for five refill pods which need to be changed out every couple of days. With this new coverage beneficiaries will pay 38 dollars per 15 pods. Or roughly 38 dollars a month.

What a relief for type one diabetic dependents and their families! Here’s wishing many more hours of counting your blessings instead of counting your numbers!

*Find out more at militarytimes.com.

Tax Incentives for Hiring Military Spouses?

Bipartisan legislation was presented in the Senate and House this week that would give companies tax incentives when they hire military spouses. If this bill is passed it would give the company a tax credit that would be equal to 40 percent of their employees first year wages. This program is called the Work Opportunity Tax Credit and companies have already enjoyed tax credits through this program when they hire veterans.

Military Family Advocates have been fighting for spouses to be included in this program for years. 21 percent of military spouses are unemployed which is roughly 2 to 4 times higher than regional averages. It has steadily held on to this percentage for the past eight years. 

*Find out more at military times.com.

DOD Gives Flag Etiquette Crash Course for Military Members

The DOD recently sent out a memo concerning flag etiquette during the end of a busy sports season. They pointed out that military members could not assist in any flag ceremony where the flag could be desecrated, including the flag trailing off parachutes or gliders and the unfurling of stadium size flags.

They reminded service members that the flag should never be carried horizontally but always aloft and free, and should never touch anything beneath it including the ground, water, or merchandise. While it’s hard to find a member of the military family that doesn’t get teary at a flag during a pre game national anthem, it’s important that the flag is given the respect it deserves, in honor of our past, our future, and the ones who died defending it.

After all, the star spangled banner flies over the land of the free, not on its ground! 

*Find out more at Washingtontimes.com.

That’s it for me! This is Emma Tighe with News 6, where information empowers. 

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

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amanda

Today we are showcasing our Everyday Empowerment recipient, Julie Tully.

Julie is a familiar friend to us here on our podcast. She is known as a cowgirl-turned-nomadic Navy spouse. Julie is the author of Dispatches from the Cowgirl, a memoir that captures her extraordinary experiences of living in Africa as the spouse of a naval nomad. Her book is available on Amazon and other bookstore retailers. You can learn more about Julie and her books by going to her website, julietullywriter.com or finding her on social media via Facebook or Instagram.  

All that to say, thank you so much Julie, for being an empowering military spouse and author! And on behalf of Mission: Milspouse, thank you so much for doing your part to empower families around the world.

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 hello@missionmilspouse.org or DM us on Facebook or Instagram @missionmilspouse to receive a special in-real-life gift as a thank you on behalf of MM. We appreciate your engagement and support.

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