2019 MF JUNE

The stereotype of military spouses as “dependas” has to end.

Not only are spouses the foundation of a service member’s home while they defend our country, but they are some of the most educated people in America. In fact, Hiring Our Heroes discovered that almost 90% of military spouses are post-high school educated. The nuclear family model of the working husband, stay-at-home mother and two point five children is being crushed in today’s society, and I do not stand alone in recognizing that it is a good type of evolution.

In a candid conversation earlier this year with Nicole Vogel, senior program manager for USO’s Military Spouse Programs as well as a military spouse, we deliberated the changing military family landscape. She said, “I think it’s starting to catch on that we are not the 1950s military spouse anymore. The thing is that military spouses are going to marry someone very similar to them. If a military spouse is successful, and wants a career, and is a go-getter, they are going to marry someone the exact same way.”

I nodded my head, thinking about my own story. I didn’t grow up fantasizing about my perfect life partner or conjuring the names of future children. No, I told people about my career dreams: I wanted to

be a successful writer and a magazine editor. And I know that is a large reason why my husband felt he was compatible with me, because he defines himself to be a successful dream catcher, too.

Modern American families, not excluding military families, tend to have dual-income households. Bureau of Labor Statistics’s recent report on “Employment Characteristics of Families” shows that almost 50% of married couple families are dualincome. Consequently, Hiring Our Heroes found that three quarters of spouses say that having two incomes is vital to their family.

Military spouses are smart, eager and wanting of the workforce in addition to balancing loving, fulfilling homes. What company would not be begging to have such an impressive group of employees? It shouldn’t be a conundrum why this group of Americans are also some of the most under- and unemployed.

I understand that I am preaching to the choir, but we need this dialogue to continue, grow and reach people outside of our community. We have to approach civilian employers not as Kent Clark with a superpower hidden beneath a business suit. We have to step into interviews wearing our Super Spouse on our chest with pride.

“Yes, I may move in two to three years, but I am the best person for this position, and here is a resume and outside data to prove it.”

Military spouses are some of the finest, and there are endless statistics to prove it. The mindset of civilian employers won’t change on its own, and it won’t change overnight. Military families will continue to face hardships. But, change doesn’t come from doing nothing. It comes from being brave.

As one of my all-time best friends has reminded me time and time again, “It’s not brave if you’re not scared.”

Sincerely,

Maddie Dolan Associate Editor

Photo by: Runyon Photography.

Military spouses are educated, hard-working and eager individuals, like this group of former HSC-25 spouses that are realtors, professors, dual-service families, certified public accountants, nurses, master’s students and graduates, graphic designers, professional photographers and mothers and fathers. Photo by Erin O’Neill of Timeless Photography by O’Neill.

Modern day Rosies transform military spouse employment

by Rebekah Sanderlin

By the Numbers

Military Families Magazine by AmeriForce Media, LLC, is published 12 times a year for active duty service members and their families. Copies are available through participating family service centers, relocation offices, transition offices, base lodges, libraries, daycare centers, MWR activities and other locations by request. Unit distribution requests can be made online at www.AmeriForceMedia.com/ mf/print-magazines/

Individuals can order a free digital edition of this issue at www.AmeriForceMedia.com/ mf/subscribe-free/

Editorial comments can be emailed to Editor@AmeriForceMedia.com

Military Families Magazine is published by AmeriForce Media, LLC, Bloomington, Indiana, a private company. Information and advertisements in this publication do not constitute endorsement by any branch of the military or the Department of Defense. No part of this publication may be copied without the express written permission of the publishers. AmeriForce Media, LLC, the publishers, and publisher’s agents make no endorsement of any advertised services or products and none should be inferred.

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION

President and Publisher Todd Taranto

Managing Editor Bianca M.Strzalkowski

Coworking space offers structure to remote workers

by Andrea Downing Peck

Associate Editor Maddie Dolan Design Open-Look Business Solutions

ADVERTISING

PLEASE CALL 703-337-8100

Todd Taranto Publisher

Todd.Taranto@AmeriForceMedia.com

Julie Miller

Vice President, Sales

Julie.Miller@AmeriForceMedia.com

Brian Dunbar

Director of Business Development

Brian.Dunbar@AmeriForceMedia.com

Ursula Hirschhaeuser Germany Sales +49 (0) 69-15053980

Ursula.Hirschhaeuser@AmeriForceMedia.com

AmeriForce Media, LLC 400 West 7th St. #233 Bloomington, IN 47404 www.AmeriForceMedia.com

United Through Reading launches

new app

A new program uses technology to close the distance between deployed personnel and their families.

United Through Reading, also known as UTR, launched the Story Station application to give service members a tool to read to their children from any location. For over 30 years the organization has provided the community with access to the time-honored tradition of story time, even when a work commitment prevents loved ones from being co-located. In an effort to keep up with technology, UTR has transitioned from VHS tapes and DVDs to a cloud-based application.

The Story Station app is available now on the Google Play and Apple stores.

Kurt Schwend, senior director of operations and technology, says the organization started to explore an online delivery option five years ago in order to create a more flexible product for service members.

“… so there’s two parts there that I think are going to be really helpful to the service members: one is it’s now available to service members who aren’t near or can’t make it to one of our recording sites, so it expands our reach and the availability to service members,” he said. “The story once recorded and posted is now available anytime, anywhere instantly. It can’t get lost in the mail or on a device that can be lost or misplaced.”

Families will also be able to share the reading with multiple children, extended family members or whoever else they want to see it.

Schwend adds UTR sees the app as a tool for strengthening today’s military families. “Families that communicate and that spend time together and read together are more resilient. They just build more effective and cohesive families and of course it promotes literacy,” he said.

To use UTR’s Story Station Application:

1. LOGIN: Register with www.ID.me “Troop ID” to log in.

2. SELECT A BOOK FOR A CHILD YOU LOVE: from UTR’s curated booklist.

3. ADD + TO BEGIN: Take of photo of the book’s cover and enter the title and description.

4. READ: Press record and read the book aloud.

5. SAVE: Finish recording then save your file.

6. SHARE: Select the checkmark to share your recording via email.

7. PREP: Select the checkmark to move your recording to the upload tab.

8. UPLOAD: Navigate to the upload tab, select the upload cloud to upload your recording.

9. VIEW: Go to www.utrapp.org to log in and view your UTR video.

We asked this issue’s authors:

Who

Mandy Baker

The person who has pushed me the most both professionally and personally is my husband. No matter what I’m doing or what my goal is, he supports me. He is completely understanding when I need time to myself to work, or reflect, or whatever I may need at the time. He supports my dreams completely.

Rebekah Sanderlin

No one has pushed me as much professionally and personally as my mother, Mary Frances Rudy. I’m one of four children and she raised us as a single, teen mom. Not only did she finish college despite these obstacles, she finished law school at 40 years old and started a very successful business. “Can’t” has never been in her vocabulary and she’s never let me keep it in mine.

Tiffany Lawrence

My husband, Retired Chief WO2 Issac Lawrence, is very supportive of my professional endeavors. But it’s not his words that push me to work daily on my talents and reach for more. It’s the fact that he spends every day learning and growing, and it’s contagious! Watching his determination and refusal to settle is inspiring.

Lizann Lightfoot

My husband has always been the biggest supporter of my professional writing career. He encouraged me to push through red tape to publish my first book, and cheered me on when I started the Seasoned Spouse blog. Professionally, there are several key military spouses who have given me encouragement and words of wisdom when I needed them most!

Andrea Peck

After my daughter developed a passion for horses, I upped my game as a freelance writer so I could cover the costs associated with her very expensive sport. Ultimately, it was a win-win. She got recruited to an NCAA Division 1 equestrian team, and, by pushing myself professionally, I permanently expanded my client list.

Brunella Costagliola

To me, family is everything, and I have my parents to thank for that because my mother taught me to be strong and my father taught me how to tell stories that entice and capture attention. Now that I am a mother and wife, my husband is my strength and my two children are my daily motivation and inspiration.

has inspired you to push yourself professionally or personally, and how?

IT careers offer solution to military spouse unemployment

By AmeriForce Exclusive

Want a career with a promising outlook? Grow one with Google.

The tech giant launched a new round of tools in May to assist military spouses with opportunities in remote work and information technology. As unemployment numbers continue to hover at 16% for those married to military members, Google created education and employment resources to address the issue. Among the offerings is a certificate program designed to help spouses land IT careers.

Computer and technology occupations are anticipated to grow 11% through 2026, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, will provide 1000 scholarships for spouses to complete the Google IT Professional Support Certificate through a partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). Jacquelline Fuller, VP of Google.org, says this new announcement expands previous efforts by taking a look at the specific needs of a military spouse job seeker.

“Grow with Google is really focusing

on thinking of groups who are left behind – or are at risk of being left behind – but for whom some of these programs can be tremendously helpful in terms of building their digital skills, helping them to launch an online business, helping them to consider roots like the IT support certificate,” she said.

Fuller adds this initiative is personal for her because she watched her own mother’s experience with Army life.

“I grew up in the military in a military family and we moved 17 times,” she said. “So, as a kid in one of these families, I think just seeing firsthand how difficult it can be on spouses and how important it is to have serious skills, opportunities and channels and ways to find remote work.”

Industry experts view tech jobs as a viable solution to ongoing employment woes facing spouses as there continues to be a staffing shortage with roughly 150,000 unfilled IT support jobs in the U.S., according to “Summary Demand and Requirements by Occupation,” Labor Insight Jobs, Burning Glass Technologies.

Google’s certificate program can fast-track applicants to career opportunities because it does not require a college degree and it can be completed in eight months. Upon completion, spouses have the option to connect with over a dozen employers seeking to fill IT support positions, including Home Depot, Bank of America, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Spouses interested in applying for the scholarship to access the Google IT Professional Support Certificate can access information on IVMF’s website at https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/onwardto-opportunity

Basic application requirements include proficiency in the English language, numeracy skills, a high school diploma or equivalent, an interest in the IT field, and the ability to commit to the course of study for a period of six months and eight to 10 hours per week, Fuller explained.

Additional resources from Google’s latest announcement

Work from home job search tool: Spouses can search for jobs that meet career interests, like [customer support jobs] and then filter your location to ‘work from home’ to see a list of relevant job listings that meet these criteria. Whether the jobs are listed as “remote”, “work from home” or “telecommute” opportunities, this filter does the work for you, and helps you explore the opportunities available.

Online lessons: “Connect and Collaborate Anywhere with Digital Tools” teaches remote workers tools and tricks to succeed in the digital office. On Primer, Grow with Google’s app for small businesses and job seekers, new lessons called “Finding or Transitioning to Remote Work,” “Keys to working remotely,” and “Collaborating while working remotely.”

Workshops: Blue Star Families will provide in-demand digital skills training workshops throughout the next year.

Krystel Content Creator Military Spouse

Build a career from anywhere.

Military spouses are at least four times more likely to be unemployed than the national average, often as a result of frequent moves. To help with their journey, Google is offering free tools, training and resources so military spouses can build meaningful careers wherever they are.

grow.google/militaryspouses

TRANSFORM MILITARY SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT

By Rebekah Sanderlin

Three military spouses used entrepreneurship as a solution to their own employment challenges, and they’re helping others become business owners, too.

Rosie the Riveter, with her red bandanna and her bicep flexed, became an icon for working women during and after World War II. So many men had left to fight that

crucial jobs were going unfilled. If America was going to keep the lights on — literally, Rosie first appeared on a poster for Westinghouse Electric Company — women had to join the workforce.

Now in its 18th year of war, the U.S. economy is strong, people aren’t growing “Victory Gardens” and the Department of Labor Statistics

reveal women make up 57% of the workforce.

Military spouse unemployment, however, is the worst in the nation — six times worse than the national average, according to the Department of Defense’s “2017 Demographics” report — and high spouse unemployment is hurting the military mission.

Military families often barely squeak by on one income in the modern day, dual income household economy. As a result, many young couples aren’t considering military service and many serving are leaving earlier than planned.

But there is a solution, and some modern day Rosies are preaching it: entrepreneurship.

“At one point, I’d worked 10 jobs before deciding entrepreneurship might be the best career path for me. I was sick and tired of reinventing myself and being denied for positions I knew I was qualified for, so I created my own job,” said Lakesha Cole, who now refers to herself as a “serial entrepreneur.” Cole and her business partners Krystel Spell and Kia Young have not only adopted the Rosie attitude for themselves, they’re helping other military spouses adopt it, too.

Cole’s husband was on active duty in the Marine Corps and stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., when she had her epiphany.

“I took $500 from our checking account while my husband was deployed and drove to the LA Garment District to buy merchandise,” she said. “People always complimented me on how I dressed, so I figured if I bought it, I could probably sell it. I found a web designer on Craigslist and started selling to friends and family.”

On location in downtown Jacksonville, N.C., the modern day Rosies are currently planning the makeHER MilSpouse Retreat for other military spouses. All photos by Runyon Photography.

Now, a decade into her entrepreneurship journey, Cole divides her time between Jacksonville, N.C., and Tampa, Fla., and has two locations for her She Swank Marketplace stores. One is located in Jacksonville and the other is a franchise location in her hometown of Portsmouth, Va. She also sells merchandise online, and she and Spell co-own Hello Rosie, a website that sells planners, calendars and gifts with a military spouse focus.

For Spell, her first entrepreneurship venture was with her website, Army Wife 101.

“I had nothing else to do then because I was stuck at home with a young baby,” Spell said. “Then I met another military spouse who was a blogger and she was making money.”

That meeting proved beneficial. A short while later Spell had learned how to make a living helping others navigate the military lifestyle while entertaining them in the process.

“For military spouses, entrepreneurship offers flexibility,” Spell said. “It also offers a sense of ‘I’m doing this for myself.’ Military spouses are really creative and really good at going with the flow, and those are great skills for an entrepreneur!”

As for Young, she had served in the Air Force, gotten out, married a soldier and gone to work in the mortgage industry.

“I could always find work when we moved,” she said. “I made great money and we could buy anything we wanted. We could afford to just up and go to Disney, but we didn’t have the time to. I chose entrepreneurship because it means we get to live this very crazy life the way we want. I’m never going back to a job where I have to ask permission.”

Young started her own company, The Social Crown, a social strategy agency that helps other businesses with digital marketing.

“I’ve been offered some pretty nice positions with other companies, but… no. I would rather have my time and my freedom, even if it means I make less money,” Young said.

The three entrepreneurial military spouses began talking with each other about their journeys and a theme began to develop. It wasn’t enough for them to be successful alone. They knew the concerns that pushed each of them into entrepreneurship were impacting other military spouses, too. Together, they decided to launch the makeHER Milspouse Retreat to help other military spouses become entrepreneurs.

“Entrepreneurship equals freedom. Freedom of time and purpose,” Cole said. “And you gain your life back. With the makeHER Milspouse Retreat, we want to create a creative and intimate retreat environment

for spouses whether they’re just at the idea phase, or they’ve been in business for years. We want to add value to them and their businesses.”

Their first retreat is scheduled for Oct. 3 through 6th in Kiawah Island, S.C., which means they’re busy planning it now, busy with their own businesses, busy with their families and busy with all their future plans.

But busy-ness is not an obstacle to business, Spell said.

“Launch it broken and fix it live,” she said. “People often have amazing ideas but they let roadblocks stop them. Don’t wait for your cousin’s friend’s brother to build you a website. Just build it yourself. The internet puts everyone on equal footing. There is no reason to not get started.”

Kia Young

Krystel Spell

Lakesha Cole

Cole at her brick-and-mortar location in Jacksonville, N.C.

Spell’s first entrepreneur venture, Army Wife 101 , is now one of the leading sites for military spouses.

Cole is an author and serial entrepreneur.

Young owns The Social Crown, a social strategy agency that helps other businesses with digital marketing.

Is a master’s degree

worth it?

By Mandy Baker

As a military spouse, it is easy to put career goals on the back burner to support the military lifestyle. Many forgo their own careers simply because it is too daunting to acquire a new position when another Permanent Change of Station is imminent. Plus, careers that require state licensing can be even more difficult to maintain.

Therefore, many military spouses set their personal dreams and goals aside and, instead, focus on raising families and standing beside their loved ones as they work toward their own ambitions.

In the face of challenges a military lifestyle presents, that doesn’t mean spouses shouldn’t take steps to ensure they can achieve their goals. In fact, many of them do. The 2017 “ Military Spouses in the Workplace ” survey by Hiring Our Heroes shows that 88% of spouses have some post-high school education, 34% have a college degree and 15% have a postgraduate degree. This makes them more highly educated than most working Americans.

No matter the camp a spouse finds themselves presently in, though, questions can still remain. Should they pursue another degree despite the hurdles? And, why?

There are many excuses not to pursue higher education, but there are also many reasons why someone should. Here are a few reasons why a military spouse should chase their educational dreams:

It’s a career requirement. There are many career fields, especially health-related professions, that call for a graduate degree. Even many entry-level positions demand applicants to have higher education. This is not a requirement that looks to be changing any time soon, either. In fact, Georgetown University’s “ Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020 ” confirms that it is becoming even more common. By 2020, 65% of job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree, some college or an associate degree.

A weightier paycheck is desired.

It is a demonstrated fact by the PEW Research Center that someone with a graduate degree or higher is associated with earning a larger salary than someone with a bachelor’s degree. Graduate school can result in some pretty major gains. On the other hand, even if obtaining a master’s degree is not a guarantee to a higher salary, the investment in one’s personal development could be more attractive to high paying employers.

Everyone needs a backup plan. Things happen. Life changes. The future remains unpredictable. However, even when life is going according to plan, statistics can be a reminder that no one truly knows what will happen tomorrow. Like how almost 4% of

post-9/11 veterans, as stated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics , are unemployed. How the Department of Defense’s 2017 report said 1.7-3.5% of service members are estimated to have divorced in fiscal year 2016. Or that soldiers are still dying while serving their country. If something were to happen, though, and a military spouse’s life was so drastically changed that they could no longer rely on a military lifestyle, having a master’s degree would only make someone better prepared to handle life’s challenges.

It’s time to fulfill a dream. Maybe the biggest reason anyone should pursue a college degree is because they want it. Everyone sets goals for themselves, and some are based around education. If a military spouse pursuing their educational goals is something they’ve wanted to do, then they should do it. There are abundant sources of financial aid that specifically target military spouses, and there are many credible schools and programs that conform to a mobile lifestyle.

There are no excuses. When something is scary, many people will make excuses as to why they shouldn’t do it and why it isn’t the right time. Maybe they’ve hit that point where they have used every excuse there is, and there are not any more to give. That means now is the time. A military spouse should jump in with both feet and just go for it.

Ultimately, military spouses should look ahead at what they want to do when either their service member transitions or an unusual opportunity to work presents itself. If a desired career field demands a master’s degree or a higher wage is desired, it could be beneficial to fulfill that degree requirement in advance rather than rush to do it at a more critical time in their lives.

Military kids lauded for accomplishments in academics, volunteer work

By Bianca Strzalkowski & Maddie Dolan

Seven military kids received Operation Homefront’s annual award recognizing those making a positive impact in their community.

Six honorees were named the 2019 Military Child of the Year for their respective branches and one recipient, Brandon Mammano, received the 2019 Innovation Award sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton. The group as a whole has endured 31 PCS moves, 187 months of parental deployments and 1,800 hours of volunteer work. Though they have each emerged as leaders within their duty stations, excelling in areas of academics, sports and volunteerism.

Most of all, I love being a military kid because I get to be a part of a family that is serving our great country each and every day.”

His dad’s service has inspired his pride in being an American, he says, mostly because of his intimate knowledge of the sacrifices made by service members in the name of freedom. Mammano urges other military kids to embrace the opportunities afforded to them through their parent’s time in uniform.

Air Force

Benjamin “Benji” Rawald knows all about going the extra mile to reach a goal. The high school junior is among a handful of students traveling 70 miles to get to school each day. Still, the long commute has not deterred him from participating in a number of projects, including local conservation efforts and cleanups at military, American Indian, historic and civic cemeteries.

“Try new things. You get the opportunity to do so many things that most people don’t get to do in their lifetime. You get to experience different cultures and different foods and different activities and seeing places and meet friends from all over the world,” Mammano said.

The swim team captain currently holds a 4.0 GPA and has volunteered with various organizations, such as Fisher House, Military Child Education Coalition’s Student 2 Student program and USO.

Eighteen-year old Mammano, an Air Force kid, has moved eight times including from New Mexico to Hawaii, causing him to miss out on the opportunity to fulfill the class president role he was elected to. While he admits his military life has been accompanied by a “few struggles,” he says he has also had unique experiences.

“Being a military child, I’ve had the opportunity to do so many super cool things, such as climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower or surfing in Hawaii,” he said. “Military children are able to travel all over the world and experience so many great cultures. You can travel to Belgium to eat waffles or go to Germany to visit the Christmas festivals or even sled down the sands of New Mexico.

His main passion has been service in Boy Scout Troop 280. He regularly teaches first aid, wilderness survival, conservation and cyber safety at the base youth center, day care facilities and scouting events. Since 2013, Benjamin has completed over 5,000 service hours. His desire to give back emerged after seeing the local community rally for his family.

“Well, when my mother was sick many people within our school and our neighborhood of Del Rio, Texas gave us food and meals because we had little to no income and at the time we weren’t able to give them anything in return. As I grew older and was heavily involved in Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, I was perhaps not able to give back to the people directly but to the community and surrounding

town,” he explained.

Benjamin values the opportunity military life afforded him to meet different families and make new friends. He says the skills he received made him adaptable, but saying goodbye to friends repeatedly is challenging.

“Being able to adapt to the new school and environment from a young age is what makes part of the mold of what makes a military child,” he said. “However, once you get to meet the person as a good friend, it’s very hard to accept the loss of the family and the kids that you probably will never get to see again.”

His advice to other kids is to make the effort to stay connected to friends.

Brandon Mammano

Michigan-based student Elisabeth McCallum Polleys is this year’s Army Military Child of the Year. The 16-year old credits the resiliency of being a military child with helping her change hardship into service.

In 2017, Elisabeth received serious back surgery to correct scoliosis that forced her to miss the second half of her freshman year. It led her to become active with Curvy Girls, leading a monthly Detroit support group of eight to 20 young women who may feel alone, different, angry about their brace, and worried about surgery. She says that desire to step up always came from watching her mom serve.

“I think it always started with my mom, for her being in the military she sacrifices herself for our country and that always

inspired me to try and give back to the community because she’s here giving back to the United States,” she said. “Whether that’s raising money for animal shelters or being a young person empowering those with scoliosis or just being a friend to others, I really think I learned that from my mom.”

Elisabeth, now a junior in high school, began to look at military life differently as she got older.

“It took me awhile to realize the positives of being a military child because we always think of the negatives first in any situation. Knowing I have to give up my life, it feels like I have to leave it behind and start a new life and that’s really hard for a kid or a

Coast Guard

Seventeen-year old Kylie McGuire has faced events far beyond her years, including saving a classmate’s life and assisting a professor with universitylevel research. She received the Legion of Honor Award after successfully performing the Heimlich Maneuver on a student during a school trip.

The high school senior got emotional talking about what it has meant to watch her dad serve and deploy for the Coast Guard.

“It’s not just a bunch of people fighting over there – it’s family, friends that are over there. It’s someone’s dad. I know that now,” she said.

Kylie maintains a 4.4 GPA while serving as

Marine Corps Child of the Year

For Marine Corps kid Jaxson Jordan, being a military kid means exuding and embodying resiliency.

“ … you get to meet new friends and have new experiences. Then you get to have friends all over the country and even other countries,” he said.

Jaxson, 13, currently attends seventh grade in Jacksonville, N.C. However, his father is serving an unaccompanied tour in Okinawa, Japan. Recent hurricanes impacting the southeast encouraged Jaxson to spring into action by organizing a school drive and collecting donations for supplies. He says his family’s giving nature and an experience with a schoolmate taught him to think of others.

“ … when I had a friend that, he never brought lunch or bought lunch, and so one day I just started bringing extra in my lunchbox to give him some. And, when he told me his family didn’t have much food in the house, and that made me sad and it came where later on they started a thing, four times a year we had kids bring in the food and we would donate that to the food shelter. That led to, for my birthdays, instead of getting stuff, I would collect stuff and donate that to the food shelter or the Ronald McDonald House, places like that,” he said. And Jaxson hasn’t stopped at just single acts of kindness. He has volunteered for the Arthritis Foundation, Blue Star Families, and trained service dogs, among

teenager. It almost feels like your breaking inside,” she said. “And it took me awhile to understand all the moving and having to sacrifice your parent – on TDY or deploy to fight for our country – it’s also a blessing because without that I wouldn’t be as strong as I am today.”

president of the National Honor Society, captain of the girls’ swim team, secretary of the French club, and student representative for her local board of education, among other activities. She has been determined to participate in as many clubs and groups as she could as a way to meet others, a tactic she recommends for her peers.

“You have to remain optimistic, like moving to a new town may be scary but just stay happy, you’ll make friends in no time. You’ll be accepted into clubs and groups. If you put yourself out there you’ll have the best time,”

After graduation, Kylie plans to attend a four year university to major in chemistry and minor in mathematics. Her goal is to become a surgeon.

other activities.

He encourages other military children to remain flexible and optimistic.

“It’s just going through everyday struggles, bouncing back and standing up is what’s important,” Jaxson added.

Kylie McGuire

Jaxson Jordan

Program aims to ease military transition for female veterans

By Bianca M. Strzalkowski

A new partnership between the Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs focuses on the gender-specific needs of women leaving the service.

Air Force Reserve Maj. Alea Nadeem spearheaded efforts to launch a pilot program addressing challenges attached to transitioning female veterans. Though her primary job is as an intelligence officer with a focus on the Middle East, she says it was a problem she couldn’t walk past as a woman.

“When I transitioned myself – you think it’s going to be the easiest thing in the world – you’re like ‘okay, I got this’ and it was probably one of the most difficult times of my life. You try to figure out your identity, like who am I. It was just a really difficult period, and so I started just researching transition difficulties and one thing that kept popping up was the VA research for women – and saying women do have a little bit more difficult time transitioning and sometimes they don’t get the resources they need,” she said.

She researched information related to the transition experience for women and found they were committing suicide at higher rates during that time period in their life. Nadeem decided to cold call the VA in an attempt to address the ongoing issues.

“To be honest it [the call] came out of anger, as terrible as that sounds. As I was doing my research, a friend had committed suicide – a female veteran …,” she said. “I thought, we have got to do better. The VA has resources, the DoD has resources.”

In her initial talks with the department, she recommended hitting women right as they were transitioning – before they were handed off to the VA. The VA agreed to work with the DoD to create Women’s Health Transition Training.

The pilot program focuses on three areas, Nadeem says:

1. That service women know that no matter what happens in life they can go to their VA for resources, whether that’s suicide, mental health, your

mammogram, that the VA is a place for women so that they can see themselves deserving of those resources.

2. Curb all these issues – get a woman to walk into the VA and not become homeless or another statistic.

3. Encourage usage of the VA. The more women that utilize the VA and give feedback, the culture will change and the demand will expand services.

Dr. Nancy Maher, program manager of the VA Women’s Health Transition Training Pilot, stated women veterans underutilize the department’s resources because they do not often identify as veterans.

“VA has found that many women veterans do not see a place for themselves at VA and do not think of VA as a quality place to get women’s health care, often leading to fewer women veterans enrolling in the system. Additionally, women veterans are not using VA services as much as their male counterparts. VA developed this training to focus on transitioning servicewomen’s

Photo by Emma McClary Photography

health needs, address misperceptions regarding eligibility for VA care, increase their awareness women’s health services offered by VA, and encourage women Veterans to enroll in VA soon after leaving the military. We partnered with the Air Force to use this as an opportunity to help women think not only about their VA healthcare option, but also about their own health during their, often hectic, transition out of the military,” Maher released in a statement.

Nadeem adds, the misconception surrounding military service is a national one, not just in the minds of women.

“I think one of the things we found out was when you ask a woman if she is a veteran, a veteran is sometimes burned into our minds as a male image,” she said. “When we changed the question to ‘have you served’, they said yes. It’s an image, we have to change what a veteran is, what a veteran looks like. That’s not just the VA or DoD, that’s society as well.”

The pilot program team travels to different installations to meet with female service members and discuss health needs and concerns. Nadeem explained it is often the first time many service women feel they can discuss gender-specific health topics in an open forum.

“They [service women] have never felt like they can talk about women’s health in an open environment,” Nadeem said.

The day’s agenda also includes a visit to a VA office, where possible due to scheduling, along with a review of what services are actually offered at that facility.

There are roughly 1.8 million women veterans in the U.S., according to the Department of Veteran Affairs. Gale Bell, women veterans program manager, works as a liaison and advocate for those in the DC-area. She says outreach is the most important component of her position because women need to know what exists for them. Primary care, maternity care and mammography remain the top programs utilized currently.

Bell, who previously served in the Army Corps, has worked in several VA offices over the decades and sees a department that is constantly evolving and improving. She urges female veterans to make themselves a priority by using the programs they earned.

“First and foremost, I would ask them (female veterans) if they have even an inkling of uncertainty then let us be the expert to help you identify whether or not you are eligible for services,” she said. “Come take a tour of the facility, ask those questions, do know there are Women Veteran Program Managers at each and every VA medical center. The services that we offer are comparable –if not better – than civilian services. These are services and entitlements that they have earned and they should certainly take advantage.”

The pilot program visited Travis Air Force Base, Calif., this month to meet with a reserve unit, as well as a session at the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Center near Warner Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Nadeem, who transitioned from active duty Air Force to the Air Force Reserve, sees an extra layer of confusion when it comes to the reserve component because of continuous transition.

“That is a huge challenge that I don’t think anybody has been able to crack that nut. And I just explained it recently to the VA – do you know how many times the Guard and Reserve are going to come off orders – they’re activated, they’re not activated. They go back to civilian status,” she said.

https://www.va.gov/womenvet/acwv/whtt.asp

MEET ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE TEAM

Christine Rickertsen Daynelle Carlin

Linda Moore Nicola Hall

Photo by Emma McClary Photography

Military entrepreneurs lead the way in social media growth

By Lizann Lightfoot

A growing number of veterans and military entrepreneurs are discovering that social media is the perfect tool to grow an online business. These “milpreneurs” founded companies that can grow no matter where they are stationed.

Military veterans and spouses have always needed creativity, perseverance and grit to establish a small business during a military career. Permanent Change of Station moves can cause business owners to restart every few years, while deployments force veterans to step away from their companies.

Social media has changed that. Military entrepreneurs are realizing the benefits of running an online business and using social media platforms for low-cost growth.

A new survey conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that, when compared to non-military peers, veteran businesses were “34 percentage points more likely to report that they built their business

on Facebook,” and “16 percentage points more likely to have reported increased sales due to Facebook.”

The study concludes that the government should “Invest in digital tools that benefit minority-, veteran-, and women-owned small businesses.”

It goes without saying that social media has become a key component in running businesses, and are extra beneficial for milpreneurs.

Stories on social media hook customers

In the military, Enrique Marquez trained military working dogs, but after he returned from Iraq, he struggled with depression and PTSD. His dog was his constant companion, but Marquez admits his dog wasn’t well-behaved, so he spent time working with him and training him.

“I started to notice that the same methods and concepts of helping a dog overcome their behavior issues — fear, aggression, anxiety — could also be applied to my own life,” he explained. “As my dog grew better behaved, I grew into a calmer and more confident person.”

Marquez began training dogs for fellow veterans and the concept for DogWorx was born.

However, Marquez didn’t have start-up funds for his company. One day, while waiting in line at a coffee shop, he realized that everyone was on their phones.

“Where people’s eyes are, their attention will follow. I knew that social media was the key to get that attention towards DogWorx,” he said.

Social media allowed him to build a business on a shoestring budget and scale advertising funds to match his audience.

Marquez says DogWorx’s growth has come mainly through online videos. They attract customers in two ways: telling stories and offering free tips.

Marquez said, “We share the story behind every dog who comes to training with us, showing how the dog’s behavior and obedience progresses through the training, and

Marquez trains dogs for fellow veterans through DogWorx. Submitted photo.

we finish by showing the same dog with its owner after training, where one can clearly see a big difference.”

This is a relatable way to give hope to dog owners and potential clients. The company also uses social media to provide free dog training tips.

Although this may sound counterintuitive, Marquez explained, “We’ve had people from across the country and across the world reach out to us, telling us how they were able to help their dogs with our videos. These same people are the ones who tell everyone about our work, which leads to more people checking our videos.”

Portable marketing is key to mobile businesses

Nadia Martinez is a Mexican-born military spouse of a U.S. Marine. She created an online retail company, Kallie & Co., that sells handcrafted goods made by Mexican artists. She wanted to offer fair labor to her Mexican community, while managing a portable business that could move with her during each PCS.

The small business was originally created in her laundry room, but Martinez needed a way to share her unique story with her audience.

“Since day one, I have used Facebook for my business,” she

said. “It’s been the best and most affordable way to connect with my audience and grow my business.”

She now reports that four out of five customers find her company through Facebook or Instagram.

This milspouse entrepreneur employs a team of military spouses across the country and has grown a socially-conscious business supporting people in both the U.S. and Mexico.

She encourages other entrepreneurs to use digital platforms to grow their dream companies.

“Digital marketing platforms continue to be affordable for start-ups. It’s something that any entrepreneur can start by testing audiences and their responses. It’s a good business for the military/PCS lifestyle because it’s something that can be managed from everywhere. All we need is an internet connection and computer or just any mobile device,” she said.

Martinez is an example of how digital marketing can be a portable tool to grow a business.

Social media provides remote access to businesses

Corey Coleman, a veteran, comes from a family of military members

and business owners. He opened gyms where he could continue to serve customers and build something meaningful. He is now co-owner of Crossfit Little Creek and Spinister Cycle Studio in Norfolk, Va.

While he cautions that there may be obstacles to service members creating a business while on active duty, he is convinced that “going digital is a win-win for military entrepreneurs. It allows the service member to manage business operations while traveling or deployed, and it also keeps them relevant in a fast-changing world that revolves around technology no matter what your industry is.”

Coleman uses social media for storytelling and promoting his businesses.

“Facebook continues to be a staple of how our society communicates and interacts with each other,” he said. “It was a very natural partnership for us to move into the business side of things to stay connected with customers.”

Whether milpreneurs provide a product or service, social media is proven to be an affordable and effective way to grow a PCS-proof small business.

Coleman is co-owner of Crossfit Little wwCreek and Spinister Cycle Studio in Norfolk, Va. Submitted photo.

Nadia Martinez pictured with her Marine husband. Submitted photo.

But the positive expectation he held of his transition dissolved as reality set in.

Now four years after retirement, he said, “I’m still looking for a purpose. The Marine Corps gives you a purpose. You don’t have to wonder. They tell you what you’re here for.”

Before leaving the Corps, Magwood was advised by a senior officer to take time off to discover who he was beyond the military as a person, husband and father. Titles, he says, that he may have neglected because of his devotion to service.

AFTER THE

WHO ARE WE MILITARY?

By Tiffany Eve Lawrence

Is it different not being in the military community? How’s the financial adjustment? How will things be for us as a couple?

These are just a few of the questions asked by people who are soon to separate or retire from the military, and want to know how they should expect life to look. But one of the most common struggles is answering the question that many veterans and their spouses may be hesitant to voice: Who am I now?

While the average military career lasts five to eight years, the Department of Defense reports that between 2014 and 2016, over 32,000 veterans retired from the armed forces. These veterans spent two plus decades serving their country while walking side by side with others who shared the same mission, culture and experiences.

On April 30, 2015, Staff Sgt. Karl Magwood became one of those veterans. He retired after serving in the Marine Corps for 20 years.

“After you’ve been doing something for so long, it’s hard to shake it,” Magwood said.

Two months after retirement, he started a full-time job.

For this Marine, who served two duties in Iraq and took pride in accomplishing his everyday tasks as an information security technician, Magwood found it hard to have idle time. His wife of seven years, Denise Magwood, recalls her husband’s experience on his new, civilian job.

“Karl was still in military mode of getting the job done,” she said. “The supervisor told him to ‘Just relax and enjoy getting paid to do nothing.’ That’s not how my military minded husband rolls.”

After 54 days before his probation period was up, Karl Magwood was released from that position, being told he wasn’t a good fit.

He was hired for another federal position and was released from that one after only three months. Karl Magwood went from being a devoted Marine for 20 years, to losing two jobs within five months.

The former Marine then went through what he refers to as “the

Magwood during his retirement ceremony from the Marine Corps. Submitted photo.

great gain.” He put on a significant amount of weight and was diagnosed with diabetes.

“I checked out mentally, and depression tried to get a hold of me. I started to question my self worth,” Karl Magwood said. And although he was now able to be a husband and father, he didn’t feel useful.

He admits that about 80% of his identity was tied to being a Marine.

the shipping.’ I just wanted him to be happy and I knew he needed to be doing something to feel good, so he basically became the labor for my business,” she said.

Denise Magwood continued, “He’d become distant and standoffish and I could see the stress of not working was triggering some PTSD that he’d previously dealt with. He started to question his purpose and his place. I wanted him to understand that

organizations for veterans and their families that was founded in 2004. But he says that in the past couple years he has grown and been supported by the relationships in his local church.

“It’s a loving church and there’s always someone I can reach out to for help,” Karl Magwood said. “There’s no need for me to wear a Superman cape.”

In May, Karl Magwood started a new job after being a stay-at-home dad since 2016.

He said, “I need something that is fulfilling personally, so I can be a whole person for my wife and kids.”

Karl Magwood’s saving grace came through his wife. His wife started a business, called Diva Style Accessories, where she’s been successfully selling jewelry for the past two and a half years.

“I noticed he started wanting to help. I would do shows and he’d say, ‘Babe I’ll do the invoices and

because of his time in the service, he was still able to provide for us now through his retirement pay and disability.”

Karl Magwood acknowledges that there are organizations that he can go to for help. Organizations like the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, one of the largest

Of the many service members who will be making their transition to civilian life soon, and may struggle with identity and purpose, Karl Magwood shares some advice:

“Take at least three months off to adjust your mind and recoup. You don’t have to get back in grind mode. Take the extended vacation and get to know yourself,” he said.

Staff Sgt. Magwood with his wife Denise. Submitted photo. The Magwood Family

I need something that is fulfilling personally, so I can be a whole person for my wife and kids.

offers structure to remote

COWORKING SPACE WORKERS

By Andrea Downing Peck

If you build it, they will come. For three military couples from Fort Bragg, their “Field of Dreams” wasn’t a baseball diamond in Iowa but a six-story coworking space in downtown Fayetteville where veterans, military spouses, active duty soldiers and others in the North Carolina community could nurture their entrepreneurial dreams.

In an era when many people can work from anywhere and everywhere, coworking office spaces are multiplying in cities across the country. Targeting the military community presents a new spin.

Revolutionary Coworking President and Army spouse Hanah Ehrenreich did not have to live in Fayetteville long to realize a coworking space for “broke nonprofits,” work-from-home military spouses, vetrepreneurs and milpreneurs was the answer to a quietly simmering problem.

Ehrenreich was serving as executive

director of Sustainable Sandhills, a small environmental nonprofit in Fayetteville, so she knew firsthand the challenges paying rent and utilities put on a nonprofit’s budget. She was propelled into action after noticing friends working remotely felt trapped in their homes when active duty spouses were deployed or working 12-hour days.

Three years ago, Ehrenreich and her husband, Adam Van Treuren, then an active duty soldier, formed Revolutionary Coworking with two other couples: Army veteran Michael Barbera, now Revolutionary Coworking

vice-president, and his spouse, Crystal Wambeke-Barbera, and Army veterans Dalton and Patrice Carter.

Their plan to build a coworking space on the doorsteps of the nation’s largest military installation came together when the Self-Help Ventures Fund, part of North Carolina-based Self-Help Credit Union, offered the fledgling group leased space in Fayetteville’s historic First Citizens Bank building. Self-Help Ventures Fund’s Malcom White said he was impressed by the group’s “compelling narrative” about the need for a coworking space in Fayetteville and their plan to cater to military market segments.

As a nonprofit, Revolutionary Coworking was offered below-market rates for prime real estate, but the capital to get the doors open required a healthy dose of DIY and pennypinching, with each board member pitching in $300.

“That was enough to get us going,” Ehrenreich recalls. “We had people donate things and we drove to Ikea and loaded Michael’s trailer with desks and four chairs. We just figured we would figure it out.”

They did. Revolutionary Coworking hit its three-year revenue projection in nine months.

Revolutionary Coworking’s cofounders are first to point out their combined talents are greater than the sum of their parts. Together, they bring not only a wealth of entrepreneurial experience but also unique skills: accounting (Wambeke-Barbera), information technology (Van Treuren), economic development (Ehrenreich), cinematography/ multimedia consulting (Barbera) and life coaching/public speaking/ negotiating (Patrice Carter).

“Our military community always

seeks to connect with the local businesses and resources,” Dalton Carter explains. “We wanted RevCo to be a hub where we could bridge the gap between the military and local community while serving the needs of both.”

Because their military target audience mirrored the Revolutionary Coworking board, board members had no doubts about Coworking’s appeal within the Fort Bragg community.

“When people think coworking spaces, they are not necessarily thinking military,” Barbera points out. “But there are a significant number of military spouses [and service members] who need a place to work and don’t want to necessarily work in their homes and don’t want to commit to a long-term real estate lease because of the transient lifestyle.”

Revolutionary Coworking members get more than a place to work, a dedicated desk or an office space. In addition to providing regular networking events and educational programs, Revolutionary Coworking also includes a member-owned, dropin childcare center onsite.

Army veteran Tiffany Martinez, owner of Cool Spring Clubhouse learning center, praises her partner-member relationship with

Revolutionary Coworking.

“When you are working with a group of people who have so much passion, so much love, there’s never a bad day. I don’t know how else to explain it,” Martinez says. “It’s been a blessing.”

Van Treuren, who as a child grew up in Fayetteville, began dedicating his free time to designing the coworking space’s high-tech features after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan in 2016. He says joining the Revolutionary Coworking team taught him a valuable lesson about military life.

“Having an outlet outside of the military meant so much to me,” he says. “I wanted other soldiers to see that. Don’t make military life harder on yourself. Go and find friends outside of it. Find something else to do and give back.”

Military moves and separations have spread Revolutionary Coworking’s cofounders across the country, but their member-owned-and-operated business continues to flourish, with most board members working remotely on its behalf.

“The time commitment from day one to now has significantly decreased,” Wambeke-Barbera notes. “We’re not perfect, but we’re a well-oiled machine.”

Hiring managers may not yet have fully caught on, but military spouses are an elite remote workforce.

Army spouse Erica McMannes, co-founder and COO of Instant Teams, a remote-talent teambuilding company, has no doubt the military lifestyle prepares spouses to thrive in work-from-home or entrepreneurial businesses.

“By nature, military spouses are self-starters and very autonomous,” McMannes points out. “We’re very multitasking and purpose driven. Those are skills and assets that make remote workers great because naturally we know how to keep ourselves on track.”

When working from home, McMannes recommends finding a designating spot to work, even if it’s a kitchen table. Use virtual calendars, direct messaging apps and project management tools to stay on task. Block scheduling can allow remote workers to plan around school activities or household obligations, she adds.

McMannes says joining a coworking space–if one is available in your community–also can pay dividends.

“We encourage people to go to a coworking space,” she says. “You are going to have the energy of the people working around you and coworking spaces have a really cool vibe.”

Meanwhile, all signs indicate the number of companies offering flexible working policies and work-from-home opportunities will continue to accelerate.

“Awareness of family-needs dynamics and gender equally are driving the concept that people can do their best work from wherever they are,” McMannes says. “Companies understanding that are ahead of the curve.”

money tips

for military spouses

By Lila Quintiliani, AFC, Military Saves program manager

Spouses are often called the backbone of the military family, and while our specific job descriptions may vary, we are always busy. We painstakingly handle the details of PCS moves, balance caring for our kids and spouses with trying to have a career, volunteer at our children’s schools, and bake cookies for the Family Readiness Group’s fundraiser. But we don’t always pay attention to our personal finances.

Here are four financial tips every military spouse should know:

Be familiar with your family’s finances

No one person should oversee every aspect of the family’s finances. It should be a joint effort, and at the very least, if one spouse is dealing with the day to day bill paying and budgeting, the other spouse should be kept in the loop. There’s nothing worse than having the service member deploy, or the spouse go on a business trip, and have a payment fall through the cracks. Not only is it no fun to come home to a house without power because the electricity bill didn’t get paid, but your credit score could also take a major hit.

Talk to your spouse about money

This goes hand in hand with the previous tip. While you and your spouse don’t have to agree on every little detail, you at least ought to talk to one another frankly and have some short- and long-term goals that you are trying to achieve together. Not only is this type of conversation good for your finances, it’s good for your relationship, too, since disagreement over money is one of the main sources of tension for couples.

You can have retirement savings, too

While it’s awesome that the active duty military member may be working toward a pension or socking away money in the Thrift Savings Plan, spouses can, and should have, their own retirement funds. Even non-working spouses can have a Spousal IRA. If you can’t afford to fund it fully each year, you can still set aside a small amount each month and watch it grow over time.

Take advantage of the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act

The Military Spouse Residency Relief Act along with the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 allow spouses to choose the same state of residence as their service member even when they have never lived in the state. Why should you care? If your spouse is a resident of a state with no income tax, such as Texas or Florida, and you are stationed in a state that does have income tax, such as Virginia, you will not have to pay state taxes on any earnings. Since this is a fairly new law, and individual states have not worked out all the kinks, you may want to consult with your installation’s tax center or a tax professional.

If you want more tips and information about saving, visit MilitarySaves.org Take the Pledge , which is the start of your own personal financial plan, and receive motivation to reduce debt and build wealth.

Continued from page 15

Navy Military Child of the Year

Ever since she was a little girl, Elisabeth Lundgren watched her father’s selfless service in the Navy’s EOD community. It inspired a warrior athlete mentality in the 17-year old who was diagnosed with a connective tissue and joint hypermobility syndrome causing the joints to move beyond the normal range creating repeated injuries and cycles of pain, therapy, and recovery. Even though this limited her ability to compete in land sports, she excelled in the water.

“You know, with my genetics disorder, a lot of the recovery times he was gone for, the injuries, the struggles with that. But my dad’s service has taught me to be strong for other people, so being able to support mom and my siblings, and still having to go to school and perform at high levels and find my own way to recovery. He taught me to adapt and be outgoing,” Lundgren said.

The AP Scholar, who currently resides in Chula Vista, Calif., touts a 4.6 GPA along with various volunteer work through the American Red Cross, EOD Foundation and Cancer Awareness Club.

Throughout her life she has learned that military kids get to experience many positive things that civilian families do not.

“Like, the pride and admiration for my dad and the members of the military, and the understanding and the connection and the support system with military families, and being able to understand at some sort of similar level the struggles that other military kids go through, and be able to connect and kind of

National Guard

support them; understanding what they have gone through and what they go through,” she explained.

Lundgren attends the University of California, Santa Cruz and plans to pursue a career in the STEM or medical field.

National Guard kid Campbell Miller was inspired to give back after watching his mother balance being a single parent and military officer.

Campbell was diagnosed with a blood disorder at age 3 that prevents him from joining the military, so he has found other outlets to mirror his mother’s commitment to always find a way to serve.

“She served her fellow service members at work but also she found ways to serve at the school that my siblings and I went to, she was always looking to serve in church, and she always served our neighbors. Watching that as I grew up, and then later her encouraging me to do the same thing to serve in my school, and to serve in my community, and to serve as part of the Boy Scouts,” he said.

The 17-year old high school student has been a member of the National Honor Society, captain for varsity baseball and

cross country, and taken mission trips to Guatemala, Ireland and Uganda. More recently, he was able to accomplish becoming an Eagle Scout in the midst of relocating from Maryland to Ohio – an achievement he credits with coming from the willpower of being a military child.

“I also think that being a military kid, to me, means having a sort of determination and having a positive outlook. It can be really daunting and very almost saddening to move and go to three different high schools in those two moves, so I think that having a determination to keep a positive outlook and to finish with something that you started, like with my Eagle Scout project where I moved in the middle of it, just the determination finish something,” Campbell said.

He plans to attend Auburn University and pursue a career in architecture.

Campbell Miller

Elisabeth Lundgren

6 must-see military lodges for your travel bucket list

By Maddie Dolan

With a world full of alluring destinations, it might be hard to narrow down where to go. Plus, when it comes to figuring out where to stay when on vacation, sometimes military-associated lodging isn’t at the top of what one considers luxury. In reality, though, there are some premium accommodations specifically for military families. These are our top six lodges around the world we think everyone should try and visit: 2 1

Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

This mountain resort located in the heart of the Bavarian Alps has 258 rooms and suites, vacation cabins, a campground, and several dogfriendly accommodations. Edelweiss is located at the foot of Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze, and delivers on epic mountain views and adventures year-round.

Dragon Hill Lodge in Seoul, South Korea

Even before the 2018 Winter Olympics, Seoul was on the rise as a popular tourist destination that allures tourists to its traditional Korean neighborhoods, skincare shopping, and colorful temples galore. Dragon Hill is located in the heart of downtown Seoul and offers in-house dining experiences, concierge services, a basketball court, and a 2,000 square foot playground.

4 Hale Koa Hotel in Fort DeRussy, Hawaii

Anyone’s tropical vacation dreams can come true if one is lucky enough to snag a room at the beachside hotel within the bustling Waik ī k ī neighborhood of Honolulu. According to its website, the resort gardens throughout the property are sustainably maintained in homage to Hawaiian royalty, which makes guests feel like royalty themselves as they sip tropical drinks at an open air restaurant with nearby palm trees swaying in ocean breezes.

New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo, Japan

Centrally located in Tokyo within walking distance to the Tokyo Tower and a quick train ride to Shinjuku station, New Sanno is a gem that provides luxurious amenities at a price that cannot be rivaled at other civilian lodgings in the massive city. The in-house dining options will make it hard to want to leave the premises, especially with the swimming pool and shopping centers located within.

Okuma Beach Resort in Okinawa, Japan

Imagine staying at a rustic cottage with a deck jutting out onto a private beach with calm, turquoise, tropical waters lapping upon the sandy shore. Okuma offers a variety of these lodgings ranging in buildings that sleep from two to 10 guests. Add the Sunset Cafe, a nine-hole golf resort, and a campground, this is a destination to strive to visit.

3 5 6

Ft. Leonard Wood Lake of the Ozarks Recreation Area in Linn Creek, MO

Lake of the Ozarks has 1,150 areas of shoreline and reaches 92 miles in length. During the summer months, people flock to the area to camp, fish, golf, boat, lounge beachside, and hike through the surrounding rolling hills. LORA provides its guests with easy access to all the fun activities to be had in the area, with lodging that includes campsites, pet-friendly cabins, and barracks.

Rising boxing star seeks to raise awareness

By Brunella Costagliola

Military child and Native American advocate Gracy Kennedy is boxing her way to stardom from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to the Junior Olympics Team.

Gracy, now 13, was in fourth grade when she told everyone who would listen that she was going to become a professional boxer. But as she trains to make the Junior Olympics Team, Gracy is also boxing her way toward achieving a much bigger goal. A goal

that is close to her heart: raising awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA

From milkid to boxer

Gracy was born into a dual-military family. Her father, Steven Kennedy, is of Irish origins and a master sergeant in the Air National Guard. Her mother, Jeanita Kennedy, is a member of the Navajo Nation and joined the Air Force when she turned 18. She

had to go on her first deployment when Gracy was only 3 months old.

As a result of her mother’s many deployments, Gracy spent half of her life without her mother by her side. In fact, that’s a leading reason why the Kennedys decided Jeanita Kennedy needed to separate from the military.

After settling down at Minot AFB, Gracy’s parents signed her up for karate classes because they wanted her to learn how to defend herself.

“I liked it,” Gracy stated, “but then my karate teacher moved so my parents started looking for a new selfdefense class. They found boxing and signed me up for it. I like it because it gives me something to challenge myself with and when all the hard work I do pays off and I win, I find it rewarding and satisfying.”

Soon, her passion for boxing became too powerful for her parents to ignore.

The challenges of boxing

“We signed her up for training when she was 8 years old,” Jeanita Kennedy said. “To be honest, I thought that she was going to quit after her first bloody nose.”

To everybody’s surprise, Gracy was more determined than ever to get back on the ring. In fact, the gym soon became her home away from home.

“Gracy wasn’t doing well in school because of her attention span,” Jeanita Kennedy said. “She was also bullied and only had one friend.”

After a year spent working with someone who told Gracy she “should just stick to Ju Jitsu,” the Kennedys welcomed a new coach — also a Native American who offered to train Gracy for free — who saw the fire in Gracy, believed in her and decided to take her under his wing. But after a

year and a half of training, Gracy kept losing match after match.

Yet, Gracy didn’t quit. She still woke up early in the morning to do all the strenuous exercises her coach taught her including running three miles and multiple push-ups. She kept following a strict diet of fish and fruit, which turned out to be challenging for a 12-year-old who, at times, craved candy like all the other kids.

Gracy remained focused, though. She knew that, in order to reach her goals, she couldn’t quit on herself. Plus, she had three people in her life who believed in her and never quit on her either: her mother, father and coach.

Fighting for awareness

“Eventually, Gracy realized that if you really believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve everything you set your mind to,” Jeanita said with pride in her eyes.

Gracy began winning match after match, and as her confidence in the ring grew, so did her confidence and performance in school. In March 2019, Gracy won the Western Elite Qualifier and Regional Open Championship in Reno, Nev.

It was after that major win that Gracy told her mother, “I want to help and inspire my people.” Jeanita said she

turned to her daughter, smiled and reminded her that she already did.

But solely being a source of inspiration for girls everywhere wasn’t enough for Gracy. She wanted to raise awareness about an issue that is very close to her because of her Navajo heritage: raising awareness of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA.

“I want Navajo and all Native Americans to grow up in a safe environment and become stronger,” Gracy said. “Murdering, raping or kidnapping people no matter what age, gender or race is horrible and should not happen. And I’m glad that I’m helping a group by raising awareness for their cause.”

Even though data is limited and not always accurate, the National

Crime Information Center states that in 2016, 125 Native American women were reported missing in North Dakota alone. The lack of information, news coverage and laws issued to help protect indigenous women are the reason why Gracy decided to take it upon herself to bring awareness to the issue.

“I have a tiny red dress pin to my boxing bag,” Gracy said. “It reminds me to fight and encourage others.”

As Gracy continues to train hard to achieve yet another sizable goal — to be on the Junior Olympics Team — she knows she can count on the entire military community to keep cheering her on.

“I’m still extremely nervous, but yet strangely excited!”