Army Household6

(Military.com )

Many post 9/11 veterans and servicemembers will soon see a new package of education benefits. This new Post 9/11 GI Bill, or so-called GI Bill for the 21st Century, boasts the most comprehensive education benefits package since the original GI Bill was signed into law in 1944.

The new bill goes well beyond helping to pay for tuition; many veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, will get full tuition and fees, a new monthly housing stipend, and a $1,000 a year stipend for books and supplies. The new bill also gives Reserve and Guard members who have been activated for more than 90 days since 9/11 access to the same GI Bill benefits.

To find out more detailed information — click here!

Thanks to all those that wrote, faxed, emailed and called their legislators to get this bill passed !

Just a quick post in the midst of our family togetherness weekend… I just checked my grades for my Respiratory Therapy (RT) class and I got an A!! Woohoo!

SO now off to have some time with The Clan (my family) and celebrate my “A” !

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

President Bush understands that military families throughout our country are making great sacrifices as their loved ones serve at home and abroad. Throughout his Administration, he has been committed to ensuring that our service members and their families receive the highest level of support from our grateful Nation. After many of America’s service members requested the ability to transfer unused GI education benefits to their family members, President Bush called on Congress in his 2008 State of the Union to fulfill their important request.

Throughout the past five months, President Bush and members of his Administration have worked hard to ensure that an expansion of GI benefits includes transferability. Yesterday, House leaders reached a bipartisan agreement on a supplemental war funding bill that would deliver critical support to our men and women in uniform.

The President is pleased that Congress answered his call to ensure that military families will soon be able to transfer their unused education benefits to their spouse or children. This legislation will build upon the GI Bill’s historic legacy of ensuring brighter futures for service members and their families. We urge both the House and Senate to immediately pass this bipartisan agreement.

President Bush also continues to call upon Congress to support his other initiatives which would strengthen support for our military families, including expanding access to childcare, creating new authorities to appoint qualified spouses into civil service jobs, and providing education opportunities and job training for military spouses. President Bush strongly believes that these additional measures will help further demonstrate America’s strong appreciation for the sacrifices of America’s service members and their families.

So come on Ladies (and Gentlemen too) let’s all encourage our representatives in Congress to start doing their job and get the work done! If you don’t know who represents your area or their contact info, then you can find out by going to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

Let’s make them hear our voice!

I saw this come across the The Military Report over at Military.com

U.S. Representative John Carter (R- Fort Hood) introduced the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (H.R. 6070) in the House, which would amend the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA). SCRA gives servicemembers the ability to maintain a home of residency, regardless of placement by military orders, which has given servicemembers tax relief and also made a change in driver’s licenses and vehicle registration unnecessary. The bill gives military spouses the same benefits as they relocate with their active-duty spouses.

I personally never really had to worry about the issue with driver’s licenses and vehicle registration due to MN (our state of residence) already having a law similarly to this. I hope that Congress can get off their ‘duff’ and get this voted on, approved and signed by Pres Bush very soon.

Lots of military spouses could use a law like this. I commend Rep Carter for putting together something like this for us Milspouses! We all know how hard we work and sacrifice for our military husbands but its nice to know that others (especially those in Congress) appreciate it too!

So what are your thoughts… sound off!

Photo Credit : Dan took this at the National Zoo, Washington DC

I started watching Army Wives by accident. I was flipping through channels one Sunday night and happened to come across it on Lifetime. It was the second show of season one. I was sucked in from the get go. Maybe it was because I wasn’t involved with an Army man back then and I’ve always been intrigued by military life. Now that season two is ready to start (Sunday, June 8th) I’m not sure that I’ll be able to watch it. It’s completely different now that I’m involved with a soldier. TV doesn’t always portray things realistically but even more than that, season two seems a little less intriguing because I’m dating an Army man that is deployed in Iraq right now so the show  hits a little closer to home now that I’m going through it in real life.

Tammy (Household6)  and I were chatting about the show and we started talking about which character we were. Hands down, I’m a Roxy. In so many ways I’m not like her, like her loud outspoken personality - that’s so not me - but there is one huge way I’m just like her and relate to her character. She didn’t know anything about the Army lifestyle. She met a soldier while at work one night and after a whirlwind courtship (about 4 days I think it was) she decided to marry him. She packed up her kids and moved onto an Army base. Although Seth and I aren’t married, or haven’t even met face to face yet, and I’m not living on an Army base hanging out with other Army wives, I’m learning as I go along, just as Roxy does. I don’t think there was anyway I could be prepared for all that goes along with being involved with a soldier, but I certainly wouldn’t change it for the world! I’m one proud Army girlfriend.

Which Army wife are you?

Pamela Moran - the woman that struggles to keep her family from financial doom, married to a Delta Force man and has to deal her husband’s secret assignments

Denise Sherwood - the devoted homemaker who has a troubled teen and hasn’t known much outside of Army life. Her father is from a long line of military men

Roxy LaBlanc - a single mom who married an Army Private First Class soldier after only knowing him a couple days

Claudia Joy Holden - the strong and respected wife, the heart of the military goings-on where they are stationed at and married to a recently appointed post commander Brigadier General and she’ll now have to face new challenges because of her husband’s promotion
Leave a comment and let me know!

Ok I mentioned yesterday about my husband’s sunburn. The top of his head is far worse but his back looks pretty bad too. I was finally able to get a picture to share…

????????

Many people have different events/memories that kick off the beginning of summer for them. Sometimes it the first day of summer vacation, others its the first family trip to the beach. However in our house, its the first sunburn of the season

Just kidding.. its the first weekend hanging out at the pool here on post.

The pool here on post officially opened and off we headed for a weekend of fun hanging out at the pool. We always look forward to hanging out at the pool. The kids always have a blast playing with their friends… Dan and I have fun chatting and catching up with our friends.

Well after 30 minutes of being at the pool.. the weather turned bad really quick. According to my ipod touch, the weather showed sunny all day. Oh joy, drag unhappy kids out of the pool in the rain.

So today we checked the weather again (double checked too) and off we went to the pool to try again. This time was much more successful. We had a great day of playing, swimming and catching up. Apparently I was lacking in school information, because i got caught up so much I found out that school for the kids ends 4 days earlier than I thought it did~ Oops!! (I’m just glad that we found out now rather than later LOL )

It also rang in another milestone of summer… the eventual sunburn for my hubby. Yes SGT Dan is a nice shade of red. I’m a little sunburned too but its a brownish red so not too bad. (I’ll be tan in a day or so) The kids of course just got tan. As soon as I can get a picture of “fire engine red boy” , I’ll post it.

Happy Summer!

Well yes sort of.. I’ve definitely been missing in action (MIA) from the ‘net! For those that wrote wondering if I’m alive, I’m happy to report that I am and all is well. Dan come home from WLC (warrior leadership course) at Ft Knox a couple of weeks ago. So I’ve been hanging out with Dan while he’s been on leave, which has been lots of fun and relaxing.

Big changes happening around here… I’m going to part time status with my work at home Virtual Assistant (VA) business, going back to school to work in Respiratory Therapy again, and I’ve got a really cool project I’m working for Parents of Military Service members out there.

Have a great weekend!