I was chatting with a good friend and fellow military spouse at a military base Starbucks recently (see more about Starbucks in this previous post) when she said something that struck me as really profound.

"Yeah, it sucks that our guys are gone so much of the time,… Read full post »

Like the rest of the world these days, sometimes soldiers just gotta have their lattes and frappucinos.  And just like everywhere else, Starbucks is available on most U.S. military bases.  There's probably some profound societal or economic implication behind that… Read full post »

 Military moms- and dads-to-be received a special treat Wednesday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

According to a March of Dimes press release published in the Kansas City Star, the March of Dimes teamed up with the PGA Tour and Operation Shower, a non-profit organi… Read full post »

Earlier today, President Obama honored Staff Sgt. Robert Miller with the country's highest award for valor.  Miller, a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, was the third veteran of the Afghanistan conflict to recieve the award.  In the instance that led to his… Read full post »

Here's some news that may shock you:  new military recruits are signing up in droves because they actually want to serve their country.  According to a Sept. 5 article in the Dallas Morning News that also ran in the New York Times, a poll of new recruits s… Read full post »

It’s only February, but the day is already warm in West Georgia as several dozen Army privates put down their M-16 rifles and sit on a packed dirt circle in front of me.  I get out my notebook and camera, and can’t help noticing that sweat drips out of many/… Read full post »

I was shocked and incredibly sad when I turned on my computer this morning to find yet another headline about a shooting at an Army base.

In case you haven't heard yet, a man walked into a convenience store on Fort Bliss, Texas, yesterday afternoon and opened fire.  Two store clerks and… Read full post »

What is normal?  Who defines it?  How do you measure it?  Most importantly, how do you know when it has changed?

I've been reading some books lately that talk about how our brain chemistry affects our perception of what is reality, in particular, how the differ… Read full post »

When I was a kid, I wanted two things: to be an actress when I grew up, and red-rimmed glasses, a la Sally Jessy Raphael.  I got the red glasses--albeit less red and less garish than I'd originally wanted--but I never became an actress.  And to be honest, I d… Read full post »

My husband is a combat-ready veteran.  And he's afraid of snakes.  In fact, while doing some training in a desert-y environment, he once hatched a grand scheme to catch a rattlesnake and eat it in order to get revenge on the darn thing for existing in… Read full post »

 If you've never lived on or near a military base, there are certain aspects of it that can take a little getting used to. 

We once lived in a house that was less than a mile down the road from the base's main firing ranges.  And I'm not just talking about… Read full post »

In early 2008, I was initiated into the world of questionable news reporting tactics.

It happened when I was covering a ceremony where the commanding general of an Army base was re-signing the Army Family Covenant for that year.  In case you're not familiar with it, the AFC is a docume… Read full post »

He takes her hand and squeezes it tigher.  "It was kinda hard to watch," he admits.  He stares at the ground and pulls his patrol cap down tighter, averting her gaze.

She stands with him for a long minute, holding his hand tightly and staring intently over his shoulder… Read full post »

Photo credit: Flickr.com, Michal Hadassah 

Dear America,

I am an Army wife.  I claim that title because my husband serves our country for a living.  But there's much more to it than that.

I am your co-worker, your neighbor, your local cop.  I'm that friend of a… Read full post »