2020 MF DECEMBER

by AMERIFORCE MEDIA, LLC

A YEAR OF CHALLENGES, a time of reflection

WHEW, WE MADE IS TO THE LAST MONTH OF 2020. I don’t know about you all, but this year has felt more like a decade. One thing military families are known for is resilience and, boy, have we needed it to face the challenges of this year.

Speaking of challenges, this is our annual deployment issue and nothing says challenge like facing deployment with the additional COVID-related hurdles in our lives at the moment. Yet, military families are here, and we are doing it. Time and time again, our strength and dedication serves as inspiration for one another and our civilian counterparts during times of difficulty.

In this issue, we learn deployment lessons from a former Army Ranger and explore strategies for parenthood during deployment. We also highlight Budsies dolls, a huggable personalized doll that can serve as comfort when mom or dad is deployed.

In our cover story, you’ll meet a group of spouses lifting us up through song. Due to the nature of military life, the group has learned to be flexible and adapt, which feels very much on point for 2020. Plus, their throwback tunes are the salve for the soul that we all need right now. As we close out the year, we are pausing to reflect on the larger themes behind military service. The strength of the Arlington Ladies, who attend funerals on behalf of their service chiefs, help us realize what really matters in the chaos of the moment. As one of the Ladies, Paula McKinley told me: “Every person buried at Arlington is a hero, a hero to someone.”

To all our military service members and families, thank you for all you do. Thank you for being a hero to someone.

contributors

Teal Yost

Noëlle Boyer

Elizabeth Aslakson

Dave Paone

Shelley Levitt

Jessica Manfre

Meredith Flory

The Blue Anchor Belles, from left to right, Elizabeth Davis, Goldie Lahr, Amie Glazier and Veancha White photographed at the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. Photo courtesy of Marin Merkley.

SUSAN MALANDRINO Assistant Editor

Photo ©️Renée C. Gage

CONTENTS

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/

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by Teal Yost

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and sets sights on military career

By Susan Malandrino

IT COULD BE SAID that high school senior and military kid Nilah Williamson has her head in the clouds — literally. While many teens were pursuing their driver’s licenses, this Arlington, Virginia. teen has been so singularly focused on flight that she ended up flying a plane before ever driving a car.

The 17-year-old has not yet taken a driver’s class or test.

“I have different priorities than other teenagers,” she said. Williamson says the love of aviation was sparked when she attended a leadership program in the sixth grade. Through Leadership LINKS , a program that exposes young girls to opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, she was able to take a practice flight in a simulator. One flight and she was hooked.

“It’s the age when you can’t decide if you’re going to be a vet or a doctor,” she said.

“It changed my life and I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

Since that time, Williamson continued to thrive in her pursuit of STEM activities. Last year, she took a year-long aviation class at a local career center.

“The aviation portion of the class is everything I hoped for,” she said. “The physics, the engineering — it ended up being exactly what I wanted.”

After studying throughout the spring and summer, Williamson passed her written pilot exam in September.

“I’m really proud that I did this one thing during COVID,” she said.

Retired Adm. Arthur Johnson, a former Naval aviator, became Williamson’s mentor after the two found themselves routinely crossing paths at different STEM and aviation events in the Washington, D.C. area. Over the years, he watched Williamson achieve her goals.

“This child is committed. She’s not talking a good game. She’s walking that talk,” he said.

“That’s what really motivates me about Nilah. She is not afraid of hard work. She’s driven and I have no doubt in my mind that she’s going to get it done. I’ve got years of experience watching her achieve goals that she set for herself,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s company, Destiny Aviation Services, introduces aviation and aeronautics to elementary through high school students via classroom education, simulator training, flight instruction and aviation operations. The company focuses on showcasing aviation career opportunities to populations who may not have had access to airplanes. “The goal

is to introduce kids to the thrill of aviation,” he said.

The introduction of technology, including flight simulators, has disrupted the previous model of aviation training, making careers attainable more than ever before. Johnson says that sim training is a great way to show kids that aviation can be a possibility for them.

“A young person can decide early and spend time preparing themselves for that endeavor. . . by the time they get a little old enough to get a license, they can actually be quite skilled,” he said.

This is the case for Williamson, who currently serves as a high school ambassador for Destiny.

“Seeing things in action allows people to embrace and pursue. She’s inspiring a lot of kids,” Johnson said.

Both Johnson and Williamson see mentorship and the values of the military as important aspects of their connection.

“Kind of like Nilah, I was a military brat growing up and I had a lot of people who touched my life in significant ways and so that’s the opportunity I have today by helping

people identify what it is they want to do and track a course to get there,” he said.

Williamson’s ultimate goal is to become a Naval aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“I have four generations of military service in my family,” she said. “I just am inspired by the people in my family who also were in the military.”

“For me, the values of the Marine Corps are the values of success,” she said.

In the meantime, Williamson is finishing up her senior year and applying to college. While her extracurricular activities, including MCJROTC, varsity track and crosscountry and National Honors Society keep her busy, aviation remains her focus. She’s working towards gaining the 40 hours of flight time required for completing her pilot’s license and hopes to have it completed before graduation.

Williamson said that she’s grateful for this time during COVID and for the lessons she’s learned from Johnson while working towards her pilot’s license. “It’s perfect that I get to go through this journey will him,” she concluded.

Nilah Williamson poses in a Cesna 172. Photography courtesy of RLJ Photography.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE ARMY OPENS AT FORT BELVOIR

By Susan Malandrino

More than 245 years of history is now on display with the opening of the National Museum of the United States Army located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The museum is the first to tell the entire history of the nation’s oldest military service, immersing visitors in the story of the U.S. Army through compelling galleries, moving exhibits, a multisensory 300-degree theater, tranquil rooftop garden and hundreds of historic treasures rarely or never-before seen by the public.

“We had an Army before we had a nation,” retired Army Lt. General Roger Schultz, president of the Army Historical Foundation, said.

According to Schultz, the museum allows visitors to see and hear the

personal stories of courage and emotion from the American Revolution through the current wars of today. “What’s really important here is that we, the visiting public here, understand and begin to appreciate the selfless duty in the forms of millions and millions who have served in our Army, and that’s the story worth remembering and talking about,” he said.

The museum showcases soldiers in a variety of theaters over time, covering 22 campaigns and showcasing 190 battle streamers.

According to Schultz, the Army was adamant that these depictions be as life-like as possible, and allowed active-duty soldiers to serve as cast

models for the mannequins on display. For Schultz, creating the figures from today’s Army soldiers brings history to life in a dynamic way. “You can sense the emotion. You can sense the fear. You sense the courage … It is almost real.”

“What this place means and what Army soldiers mean, what their families mean to our nation is beyond description,” Schultz said.

The museum also has an experiential learning center for children from age three through middle and high school that focuses on geography and STEM education. For Schultz, the team building piece is the biggest takeaway for children.

“That’s essentially how the Army operates today,” he said. “Not only are we being led in the ranks by great leaders but soldiers in the ranks are willing to share duties and responsibilities with others.”

The museum is on Army property but open and accessible to the general public. Free, timed-entry tickets are required for entry and available for request through the Museum’s website at theNMUSA.org. Due to high demand, those visiting are encouraged to book tickets online before visiting the museum.

The museum’s construction was supported, in part, by the Army Historical Foundation’s Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. Nearly 200,000 veterans, Army families and grateful Americans have raised more than $183 million towards the $200 million campaign goal. The Foundation will continue the campaign as the museum opens to the public. Those interested in supporting the campaign can visit  ArmyHistory.org .

Blue

Veancha White, Amie Glazier and Goldie Lahr.

Photo courtesy of Marin Merkley.

But then you hear the Blue Anchor Belles sing. Just a few notes, and you can’t help but tap your toes.

The “Belles,” as they’re known, are a 1940s-style female singing trio in the Pensacola, Florida area. The group is made up of Naval aviator spouses.

The group takes inspiration from The Andrews Sisters, the best-selling harmony group of the early 20th century, famous for their song “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”

“ We ’re bringing boogie-woogie back, ” Goldie Lahr, who started the singing trio in 2016 while stationed in Oklahoma City, said.

Lauren Martin, a member of the group, notes that the song is a crowd favorite.

“I missed singing, so I decided to start [the group],” Lahr said.

Lahr began arranging unique, threepart harmonies for beloved songs from the World War II era. She held auditions to find additional singers for the group, inviting fellow military spouses to be a part of her vision. Before she knew it, the Blue Anchor Belles were born.

Like for many military families, new orders eventually came. So rather than leave it behind, the Blue Anchor Belles PCS’d to Pensacola in 2018, a move that’s been a great fit.

“Coming to Pensacola has been like

coming home for us. Not only is the rich history of Naval aviation here close to our hearts, but the military, veteran and civilian communities have welcomed us with open arms. Not to mention, people in Pensacola love live music,” Lahr said.

The Belles perform at military functions, community events and minor league sporting events. Still, their passion is singing for aging veterans and their families at assisted living centers and memory care facilities.

“This is music from their generation, and you can see how much joy it brings them. Plus, it brings us joy to keep this vintage music relevant,”  Lahr added.

Since its beginning, nearly a dozen talented female singers have been a part of the Blue Anchor Belles.

“Once a Belle, always a Belle,” Lahr said.

But as most military stories go, their spouses eventually move on to new assignments in new duty stations. Each member takes a piece of the Belles along with them when they move.

“We’ve gotten pretty used to members coming and going,” Lahr said.

For that reason, auditions are held semi-regularly.

“The member that’s about to leave teaches the new member her parts.”

Lahr admits there’s a downside to having members move so frequently.

“But there’s an upside too,” she added. “We have this community of Belles all over the country. We’re in Washington state, San Diego, Virginia, and that community is constantly growing!”

One look at their pin curls, painted red lips and A-line dresses in patriotic hues, and you’re instantly transported back to the 1940s.

Martin joined the group in 2019 when she moved to the Pensacola area with her husband for primary flight training at NAS Whiting Field.

“I saw a call for auditions and decided to give it a go. I did theater and music growing up and had really missed it,” Martin said.

She says she appreciated the opportunity to pursue her passion.

“Moving down here, I had a hard time finding a job. There weren’t many opportunities in the field I work in, and when employers realize you’re a military spouse

and are going to move sooner rather than later, it just adds to the difficulty. It was disheartening. Then I found the Blue Anchor Belles, and it was so nice to have something for me. I feel so lucky to be able to do what I love, which is singing and performing, and so lucky to be a part of this,” Martin said.

The Belles love being a part of a community of military spouse performers, which is exactly what Lahr was hoping to build in the first place.

“It’s a special thing in that it gives military spouses the opportunity to use their talents and a family to

belong to,” Lahr said.

The new year will bring another PCS for Lahr, and she plans to bring the group with her, opening up the opportunity for new military spouses to join the Belles’ ranks.

“We brought the boogie-woogie to the gulf coast, and soon we’ll look to bring it to the west coast. And who knows where we’ll take the Belles after that,” Lahr said.

To learn about auditions or book the Blue Anchor Belles for an event, visit: www.blueanchorbelles.com.

Goldie Lahr, Amie Glazier and Veancha White. Photo courtesy of Marin Merkley.

ROTC INSTRUCTOR

shares lessons

learned in combat

By Elizabeth Aslakson

A Military Science Instructor building future leaders, Sgt. 1st

Class Jeramy Neusmith, embodies the attributes and competencies he teaches cadets.

Neusmith has deployed 16 times since 2001, spending most of his career with the 75th Ranger Regiment, and a few years with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vincenza, Italy.

Now, at Georgetown University’s Hoya’s Army ROTC Battalion in D.C., a consortium comprised of five academic institutions, he instructs students from Georgetown University, American University, The George Washington University, The Catholic University and The Institute of World Politics.

The syllabus, consisting of academic and field training, focuses on developing students’ team building capabilities and leadership. And interwoven within the curriculum are lessons based on 20 years of overseas operations.

“I can give examples and lessons learned, but unfortunately, it’s lecture. [As a result], my goal is for them to go from transactional leaders, to transformational leaders,” Neusmith said. But the greatest impression left with

students is that Neusmith models what he teaches.

One such student, Cadet Kathleen Yellin, is majoring in international relations with a minor in German language and culture at American.

“My family raised me to be thoughtful in my actions and consider the long-term implications about the decisions I was making,” Yellin said, explaining why she wanted to serve her country.

Yellin’s interested in how military service contributes to leadership and foreign policy. For her, Neusmith serves as a role model.

“Sgt. 1st Class Neusmith inspires me to keep my interactions with people real, and that people are affected more by action than words. He repeatedly states an effective leader goes into the field and experiences what soldiers experience. This allows a leader to know what needs to happen, while gaining respect from soldiers. This lesson also applies to life, as you can’t be an effective leader and not know what is going on behind the scenes.”

Yellin appreciates Neusmith’s realworld advice. For her, the benefit of having Neusmith as an instructor is that he doesn’t hold back telling the truth about how things actually run in the military world.

“Lesson-plans often offer best case scenario leader interactions; however, he lets us know things probably won’t go according to plan,” she said.

Cadet Nate Sanders is also a student at American University studying international relations with a focus on national security and foreign policy. Sanders explained though his family currently lives in

Sgt 1st Class Neusmith demonstrates how to clear an M4 to the ROTC Battalion.

Connecticut, he spent a portion of his childhood in Tokyo, Japan and Shanghai, China due to his dad’s job. After so much time abroad, he appreciates America and wants to give back by serving in the Infantry.

Sanders says that Neusmith’s impact on him and his peers has been meaningful. For example, deployment stories have influenced students’ ability to internalize the Army’s leadership model taught in the classroom. The lessons that have remained with him relate to those about the Middle East. Neusmith has taught the cadets just how challenging circumstances can get in extremely hostile places.

The biggest takeaways are that trust in each member in a platoon is vital, realizing that every soldier responds according to their training and using force in a selective manner.

“Sgt. 1st Class Neusmith explained that as future lieutenants and platoon leaders, it is crucial we built our teams by creating expectations, training diligently with them and having the ability to form close relationships and place trust in each soldier,” Sanders said.

“Hopefully, [the cadets] will remember my words and — even change the Army for the better,” Neusmith said.

One of Neusmith’s priorities is to teach cadets about cultural awareness both from a military and societal standpoint.

“A leader should not only understand the culture of their unit, but people around the world… If we could all step in someone else’s shoes, and see things from their eyes and their problems, we could all be better people and could mitigate a lot of stuff that happens,” he said.

Neusmith praises his cadets in the

Hoya Battalion.

“I learn from my students at times. We should all be still willing to learn — even the best generals are open to learning how to be better leaders.”

But according to the cadets, Neusmith’s example has already resonated with them as they formulate their future roles in the Army and their communities.

The most powerful lesson Sgt. 1st Class Neusmith has taught is life is what you make of it and that in order to be a good leader you have to take initiative and make the change you want to see,” Yellin concluded.

Arlington Ladies make funerals a time of comfort, honor and remembrance

By Susan Malandrino

As an Arlington Lady, Paula McKinley knows that the role is not for the faint of heart. While she has attended hundreds of funerals over the years, one in particular stands out, when the nine-year-old daughter of a deceased service member pointed to the casket and asked if mommy was in there.

“Yes, sweetie, she is,” McKinley said as she fought to maintain her composure, something usual for someone in her role.

“I got up and headed to the car and the tears were just rolling,” she said.

The Arlington Ladies, a group of volunteers who attend funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery, ensure that no soldier, sailor, airman or coastie is buried alone.

Begun in 1948, the group was created when Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg, and his wife, Gladys, routinely attended funerals and noticed that some services had only a military chaplain present. Vandenberg asked her friends to start attending services and their efforts grew into a group that would come to be known as the Arlington Ladies.

Today, the Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard all have Arlington Ladies who perform similar volunteer duties, attending funeral services for active duty service members and veterans. The Marines do not officially have a group, as they send a representative of the Marine Commandant to every funeral.

The Arlington Ladies are an official part of the funeral service, representing the military service’s chief of staff or equivalent. During the service, they present cards of condolences to the next of kin from the service chief and spouse. According to McKinley, who serves as chairman of the Navy Arlington Ladies (NAL), the group should not be seen as professional mourners, rather as a support system for the families.

During the service, each family is also presented with a handwritten note from the Arlington Lady herself. McKinley says the ladies write from their own hearts and letters show, in the case of the NALs, “that the Navy has not forgotten about you and you are still part of our family.”

McKinley, who was a Navy spouse for more than 20 years before her husband retired, began volunteering with the group in 1991. “I knew I wanted to do it because I’d met so many wonderful people through the Navy. I’d been to so many wonderful places because of the Navy.”

“I feel like I was there for my best friends,” McKinley said, noting how rewarding the work has been.

After attending the funeral of her husband’s former boss, Navy

Arlington Lady Paula McKinley poses for photographs in Arlington National Cemetery Sept. 22, 2016, in Arlington, Virginia. (U.S. Army photos by Rachel Larue)

spouse Katie Earle (also retired) was tremendously moved by the role of the Arlington Lady in the service. “I knew this is something I wanted to do,” she said.

In the seven years since she’s been involved, she’s seen many different types of funerals, including services where no next of kin was present. For Earle, the act of honoring the service of the deceased is paramount even if she and her escort are the only ones in attendance. If this is the case, she is presented with the flag, takes the time to honor the deceased’s service and then bids fair winds and following seas to the service member.

In the case of most funerals, the role of the Arlington Lady is to represent the service branch to offer condolences, support the family and honor the veteran or service member.

For Earle, the presence of an Arlington Lady helps families understand more about their father, mother, sister or brother and the importance of their service. “If the Navy cares this much about them, this must have been an important aspect of their life.”

In addition to the grief, there have been many joyful reflections of life well lived according to McKinley.

At a funeral for a WWII vet, two of the deceased’s friends shared tales of his heroism after their ship was hit by a Kamikaze pilot.

“It was only at his graveside that the family learned the story of how he kept others alive floating in a raft in

the Pacific,” she said. “He was a hero and no one else knew it.”

For McKinley, these are the important stories you don’t see on a headstone at Arlington.

“Every person buried at Arlington is a hero, a hero to someone,” McKinley said.  “When you go to Arlington, give a tap on the headstone as you walk by and think about that.”

Editor’s Note: Due to COVID-19, Arlington National Cemetery has instituted a variety of precautionary measures, including suspending the work of the Arlington Ladies. For the latest information about when their work will resume, visit: https://www. arlingtoncemetery.mil/COVID.

Kristin Webber-Moore receives a card of condolence from Arlington Lady Paula McKinley, right, during the graveside service for her father in Arlington National Cemetery, Sept. 22, 2016, in Arlington, Va. Her father, U.S. Navy Capt. Kent S. Webber, was buried in Section 60. (U.S. Army photo by Rachel Larue/Arlington National Cemetery/released)

DEPLOYMENT

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

By Noëlle Boyer

It’s a situation many military families know all too well: deployment with kids. My husband deployed when our first son was just a few months old. He deployed again just 10 days after our second son was born. And there I was, alone with a newborn and an almost three-year-old. Looking back on that six-month deployment, a few things kept me sane: routine, preschool and planned family visitors.

Our routine consisted of me sleep training my newborn earlier than I did with my first. Dealing with middle of the night feedings on top of early morning wake ups by my toddler put me in zombie status. Once we got sleep figured out, I was able to manage my energy better.

At the time, my oldest was enrolled in an all-day preschool program. This helped me to get errands done,

maintain a nap routine for my youngest, catch up on chores and take an afternoon nap when needed. It also gave my oldest socialization and structure, which he greatly enjoyed.

The biggest help for me during this time were planned family visitors who came once a month for at least a week. During my husband’s first deployment, I moved back to my hometown for four out of the six months he was gone. While I enjoyed the help from family, I missed my own space and routine. I decided for this deployment to stay in my home and have family come to me. This worked out well because when my parents, aunt and in-laws came out to visit they were able to give me the help I needed, but in my own space.

We all wish these weren’t typical scenarios for military families. How many of us really want to test how

“strong” we are while solo parenting with a spouse on the other side of the world? No one that I know. But unfortunately, so many of us experience the challenges of parenting through deployment or training.

Celita Lewis, a Navy spouse, gave birth to her second son without her husband. He was on a three-month training and wasn’t allowed to leave to attend the birth.

Brittany Durant and family pose for a photograph.

“I felt very resentful for so long,” Lewis said. “I was so mad raising the kids by myself. I didn’t think I’d be doing it the whole time. It felt very overwhelming.”

Even with family helping, she said accepting the separation as a temporary season is what helped her.

“I didn’t see how I was going to survive giving birth by myself and it turned out okay,” she said. “It’s not always going to be this dark, nevergoing-to-end moment.”

Codi Baxter, an Air Force spouse, raised two girls and gave birth while her husband was deployed for a year. They found out 10 days after he left that she was pregnant.

To a spouse going through a similar situation, Baxter said to remember that you are stronger than you realize.

“Having a newborn without your spouse is hard. Being a mom without your spouse’s support is hard. But you were made for this,” she said. “Keep praying (if that’s what you do) and just know there’s a world of people out there that have been in your shoes and understand you.”

Theresa Allen, a Marine Corps spouse of nearly 17 years, has been through four deployments, one of which when their child was four weeks old. That deployment was supposed to be 6 months and was extended to 12 months.

She suggests military spouses give themselves grace as it takes time to establish a new normal during deployment.

“Identify the people who can help in case of an emergency, those who will cheer you up when you are having a bad day or that neighbor that can help you when you’ve locked yourself out of your car for the second time that week,” Allen said.

If a spouse chooses to stay with family during the length of a deployment or training, like nineyear USMC spouse Brittany Durant did, take it one day at a time.

“Go with the flow,” Durant said. “Do what works best for you to keep your sanity and just survive. Despite my husband being gone and the kid’s dad being gone, we tried to make really good memories.”

If you’re a friend or family member of a military spouse dealing with a long separation from their partner, know that a delivered meal, coffee card, visit or offer to watch their kids for a few hours goes a long way.

“Find ways to help give them time to themselves to recharge and take a breath,” Lewis said. “Just be there to physically support and listen to them.”

Celita Lewis gave birth to her second son while her husband was away.

PROGRAM ENCOURAGES

VETERANS BANKING FOR

By Bianca M. Strzalkowski – SPONSORED

The Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP) is giving Veterans and their families access to greater financial independence, resiliency, and literacy.

VBBP is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA). The idea for the program came after a VA analysis revealed a high rate of Veterans were “unbanked,” says Joe Gurney, Senior Advisor of Fiscal Stewardship for the Office of the Under Secretary for Benefits.

“We were seeing an uptick in fraud because hundreds of thousands of Veterans were unbanked, so the Under Secretary actually had me look into this. By unbanked we mean Veterans receiving their VA benefits on a prepaid card or by check. I spent some time doing an analysis about demographics, where they were, who they were, and it turned out there were over 200,000 Veterans who were unbanked,” Gurney said.

Dr. Paul Lawrence, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, charged Gurney with determining courses of action to address the issue. Through his research, he found AMBA — an association of banks operating on military installations. The organizations committed to a joint effort of working with those financial institutions that already “have experience dealing with the unique financial challenges of military members and their families,” retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Steven Lepper, President and CEO of AMBA, said.

The analysis identified key areas affecting today’s Veterans, such as not being able to get a bank account and incurring high fees when cashing checks or using prepaid cards. The VBBP then created a number of common requirements for participating banks and credit unions to join the program, including:

1. Willing to provide free checking accounts and free access to ATM networks to Veterans who deposit their monthly VA benefits in their account, and

2. Helping any Veteran become qualified to open a banking account.

Another pillar of the program is a goal of simplifying banking choices by helping eligible Veterans select the right bank and services for themselves and their families. The VBBP website also includes links to resources on topics like fraud protection, identity theft, financial education, and a checklist for opening a bank account.

Lepper adds the VBBP is a work in progress and there are already talks for ways to improve the program.

“Veterans have as many needs as there are Veterans. It’s hard to

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generalize with anyone, whether they’re military or Veterans. We’re always on the lookout to help make Veterans’ management of their financial resources much more effective and safe,” Lepper, who served 35 years in the Air Force, said.

Gurney says the VBA also looks at trends in the unbanked on a constant basis to identify lessons learned and drive future program enhancements.

“AMBA has setup a constant feedback loop to try to give our Veterans the best experience that we can. For example, we discovered that Veterans want financial education. They want information — especially during COVID – that helps them deal with money, particularly borrowing money. As a result of that feedback, we added financial education to the VBBP website and plan to expand it as we continue improving the

program,” Gurney said.

Lepper explains that by giving Veterans access to banking options, it also creates a motivation to save.

“The one benefit you don’t think about immediately when you think about opening a bank account versus receiving your benefits on a prepaid card or by paper check is the ability to save money. If you cash a check or withdraw all the money on your prepaid card; you walk around all month with money in your pocket. With checks and prepaid cards, there’s no motivation to save and no mechanism to save, whereas with a bank account, you do have that ability to save money in a safe and cost-effective way.

“What we’re hoping, as a collateral effect of opening up a bank account or credit union account, is that our

Veterans will be able to save money and not live month-to-month on their VA benefits,” Lepper said.

Thirty four financial institutions are now part of the VBBP. In addition to ensuring Veterans and their families receive benefits safely and reliably, the participating banks and credit unions offer another advantage: accessibility.

A key component of the program is to meet Veterans where they are, whether that be in a large metropolitan area, rural town, or online. By working with financial institutions that have diverse geographical and digital footprints, Veterans can receive streamlined access to information and communication that caters to their needs. Another goal was to create a robust program that is easy to navigate. The VBBP website https://veteransbenefitsbanking. org/ contains a directory that lists participating banks and credit unions, along with direct links to more specific information on products and services.

Since the inception of the program at the end of 2019, VBBP has grown to roughly 1,000 website visitors per week, revealing a growing interest in both financial education and banking options. Now that awareness is growing, Gurney recommends Veterans take that next step of setting up an account so that they no longer have to put themselves at risk by relying on external entities like check cashing companies.

“We really want to urge Veterans during this time, especially with COVID, to consider direct deposit and setting up a bank account so they can have an easier, faster, and safer way to bank,” he said.

Once Veterans have a bank account, they can sign up for direct deposit by either updating their profile on va.gov (and providing their bank account and check routing numbers) OR by calling 1-800-827-1000.

As the partnership moves into its second year, the organizations plan to expand need-based resources that meet Veterans where they are in their financial life cycle.

Any Veteran or beneficiary who receives federal monetary benefits and who wishes to receive their benefit payments electronically can participate in the VBBP. A full list of participating banks and credits unions can be found at https://veteransbenefitsbanking.org/.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA) have partnered in the Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP) to create banking options for Veterans and their families.

VBBP offers Veterans and service members safe, reliable and inexpensive ways to receive and manage their VA monetary benefits through banking institutions that specialize in services for military personnel, Veterans and their families through federally-insured financial products, services and education.

VA’s collaboration with AMBA leverages a consortium of military-friendly financial institutions that cater to service members.

“VBBP offers another way to simplify banking choices to help eligible Veterans select the right bank for themselves and their families. The VA and AMBA are proud to provide this opportunity to connect veterans with banks that understand their needs.” - Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Questions?

Please call the VA’s toll-free number: 1-800-827-1000

To learn more, visit benefits.va.gov/banking veteransbenefitsbanking.org

HOLIDAY GIFTS

FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST

By Lauren Lomsdale

This holiday season is looking a little different than all the others, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to make it just as special. We have collected the perfect gifts for service members, spouses and kids so that everyone in your spend-every-waking-minute-together-since-March family has something they will totally love under the tree or for Hannukah.

GIFTS FOR SERVICE MEMBERS

5.11 Tactical

5.11 Tactical is a tactical clothing brand that offers clothing, footwear and accessories for those with the military and law enforcement mindset.

Rheos sunglasses

Who doesn’t love a pair of sunglasses for the holidays? These floating sunglasses are scratchproof, smudge-proof and won’t get lost in the pool during their liberty weekends.

Strong Women Supply

Created by a Marine Corps veteran, Strong Women Supply offers a variety of products including t-shirts, water bottles and mugs.

Light therapy lamp

Is your service member coming back from deployment, or do they work in a bunker or on a submarine? These lamps can regulate sleep patterns and help with sleep and mood.

GIFTS FOR MILITARY SPOUSES

Fairwinds Candle Company

Fairwinds Candle Company offers Navy-inspired scents like Commitment, Gig Line and Topside.

Beth R. Martin Designs

Hand-painted by a military spouse in Charleston, South Carolina. these gorgeous leather napkin rings make for a great addition to your next holiday party.

Modern Rosie

Modern Rosie offers prints, canvases and accessories that mostly focus on military spouse life.

Gabb Wireless Z2

The Gabb Wireless Z2 offers a safe, child-friendly phone that can call or text but doesn’t have all the capabilities of a regular smartphone like internet access and social media. Visit

3 Max Puzzles

Do your kids love puzzles? These wooden puzzles from 3 Max are a great step up from traditional puzzles. They are fun to do independently or as a family.

Altruist Wine by Markham Vineyards

The Altruist Wine was developed by Markham Vineyards to honor those serving in the military and as first responders.

FOR KIDS

Tanoshi 2-in-1 Computer

The Tanoshi 2-in-1 Computer is a computer and a tablet, and is perfect for virtual school.

TRICKS FOR DEPLOYMENT TIME 6 Management

By

As a deployment grinds on, many spouses feel that they have too much to do and not enough time to do it. For many, juggling it all can feel overwhelming. Army National Guard spouse and editor of Military.com Amy Bushatz offered us her top tips for productivity during times of stress.

you fill your days. Are you wasting time on social media without realizing it? Are you running errands all over town? More importantly, Bushatz recommends asking yourself larger questions about the activities and how they make you feel. “Can you Marie Kando your life? Did these activities bring you joy?” she asked.

Where are you ACTUALLY spending your time?

“The first and most important thing is to do a deep dive and find out where are you spending your time,” Bushatz said. She recommends keeping a time journal for five to seven consecutive days (including a weekend day) and recording your time in 15 minute increments as a way to analyze how you fill your day. “Be honest with yourself,” she said.

With your time analysis in hand, the next step is to take stock of how

What can you outsource?

Another tip is to think about where you want to spend money and ensure that those funds actually help alleviate stress. For example, do you dread making school lunches? Pick two or three times a week that the kids can buy school lunch. Another tip is to utilize your local CDC and YMCA (many centers offer a deployment discount) as budget friendly options for childcare or even sharing childcare duties with another spouse.

1 2 3

So now that you’ve identified the tasks that are adding stress to this deployment, can you outsource things? Bushatz recommends doing a cost benefit analysis of outsourcing the least enjoyable tasks. “And remember, outsourcing doesn’t have to cost,” she said. She recommends getting creative such as working with another mom to share carpool. “As military spouses, we aren’t used to asking for help but now is the time to do so,” she said.

Be careful what you say yes to.

“Sure, you can walk and chew gum at the same time,” Bushatz said. “But you can’t walk, chew gum, listen to the birds and listen to a podcast.” The basic point is that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all.

Bushatz recommends reframing the concept of trying to do it all.

Susan Malandrino

“The more important question to ask yourself is: ‘What should you be saying yes to?’” she said. Now that you’ve analyzed your time and outsourced certain tasks, suddenly you now have the power to say yes. Get your work or chores done, and you have time to say yes to that trashy TV show you love to watch that can help you relax during deployment.

There is power in making a schedule.

There are pros and cons to scheduling your time but, according to Bushatz, you won’t know unless you try it. Another popular time management tool is time blocking. Designed to increase productivity, your schedule is blocked out in chunks of time, with hard-stop limits. “If these tools help you, use them. If they don’t, throw them out,” she said.

Get enough sleep and work when you are best.

According to Bushatz, scheduling seven to eight hours of sleep should be the first thing you plan for your day. “Not sleeping isn’t sustainable, nor is it laudable. You’ll do more and feel better with the proper amount of sleep. You can’t get anything done unless you start with your sleep.”

Another tip is to do your work when you work best. If you’re a night owl or the proverbial early worm, slot the time that works for you and stick to it. “No one gets a prize for being a morning person. The prize is for getting through the deployment feeling like you have the time and energy to accomplish the tasks and goals that you need to get done,” Bushatz said.

Incorporate these new habits into your life.

Bushatz mentions Daniel Pink’s book “ When ” and Laura

Vanderkan’s “ Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy

While Getting More

Done ” as resources for incorporating effective time management habits into your life.

Lastly, she recommends folding the habits you’ve built during deployment into your daily life when your spouse returns.

Organize your schedule so you know how to pivot when things change. That’s just a great life hack,” she concluded.

ARTIFACTS FROM MY FATHER, A WWII SAILOR

By David Paone

After my father died, I found many of his artifacts that reminded me of the selflessness of the Greatest Generation. My father was a World War II veteran. As a sailor in the United States Navy, he reached the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.

Born in 1922, Donald V. Paone (I affectionately refer to him as D.V.P.) was a college sophomore on Dec. 7, 1941, when the U.S. entered the war. He graduated a year early in June of 1943 and immediately left for boot camp.

I recall him talking about boot camp and the challenges of the swim test. He wasn’t the greatest swimmer and the Navy required all sailors to swim 100 yards without stopping. According to him, this was because if a ship were to sink, it would suck you down with it unless you were at least 100 yards away. It took him three attempts to finally pass the test.

My parents were married in 1949 and my mother said for the first few years of their marriage, when the

alarm clock sounded, D.V.P. would immediately jump out of bed and stand at attention. This was a habit started in boot camp. He said anyone who didn’t do that upon reveille would be put on report.

After boot camp, he attended storekeepers’ school and then was sent overseas. He had never been on an airplane before he embarked on a transatlantic flight.

A lot of veterans don’t like to talk

While stationed in Italy, Donald V. Paone, pictured on the left, learned to drive with this jeep. Years later, the author found this pea Coat at his childhood home.

about their time in combat. D.V.P. spoke about it freely, probably because he didn’t spend a lot of time in it. In fact, from what I can see, his time on an actual ship was short. He was on a subchaser after being stationed in Algiers, North Africa. That time was fairly quick and he was then sent to Italy as a supply officer.

From this point on, his “war stories” had little to do with the war. While in Palermo, Sicily, he spent his time attending the opera. At home, his family was too poor to own a car, but in Sicily he learned to drive a jeep.

His mother was an Italian immigrant but his family spoke only English at home. Somehow, during the war, he found time to take foreign language lessons. But not in Italian, in French! Yes, he took French lessons while stationed in Italy. He claimed that French was purported to be the language of diplomacy, so knowing it could be of use in the future.

Speaking of language, both my parents were pretty straightlaced — they never smoked, barely drank and behaved according to the rules of etiquette. This included swearing. D.V.P. was very proud of the fact that he spent over two years in the Navy and never once said a swear word. So much for the

term, “swears like a sailor.”

D.V.P. died in 2012, just two weeks before he turned 90. My mother had died almost three years before. When going through his belongings, I found a plethora of artifacts — photographs, postcards, endless official documents and threedimensional objects.

For many years my father’s pea coat hung on a hanger from a pipe in our basement. I remember the hash marks on the sleeves. One day, probably when I was in college, I noticed it wasn’t there. I asked my mother about it. She had given it away.

My father once said to me, “That war disrupted a lot of lives.” He made it clear that the volunteers and draftees both had a job to do and they did it.

One thing is certain, when looking at these items, I have to agree that this is indeed the Greatest Generation. I’m sure families throughout the country have similar artifacts buried in basements and attics. It’s important for us to unearth them and tell this generation’s stories. Don’t throw away these mementos and memories like an old pea coat. Treasure them and pass them on for posterity.

This photo of the author’s father, pictured left, with an unidentified Italian family was taken during WWII.

A WWII ear pamphlet produced by the Veterans Administration.

Donald V. Paone’s Navy portrait and envelope.

The author’s father poses for a photograph in Pompeii, Italy during WWII.

The author took this photo a few years before his father, Donald V. Paone, died.

TURNING DEPLOYMENT

experiences into art

By Meredith Flory

In 2013, Dionne Myhre’s husband was on his fifth deployment when she came across the idea of a deployment wall on Pinterest. These walls are an area where family members at home can hang items to stay connected to their service member and countdown their return.

“I can do that!” thought Myhre, a Navy spouse and blogger. With a sixth deployment on the horizon, she recognized that this might be

a fun project to help her children during dad’s absence, especially now that they were older and understood what deployment would mean.

When she and her children shared their deployment wall on her blog, the post went viral. In fact, it was so popular that she created printables and crafts to help other military families during deployments. Her website, www.homemadeourway. com , has since grown to include organizational tools for purchase.

This deployment wall was created by Dionne Myhre, who runs a blog that offers deployment resources.

Amanda Shortridge and her children wait for her husband’s return from a deployment.

Steps for building a deployment wall

1. Check out Myhre’s post on deployment walls or Pinterest for design ideas.

2. Choose a space in your house to hang items. Consider height if children will be participating. Make sure there is space for a small table if you want to include extra items. If you will be taking it down after deployment, use command hooks and tabs to hang items.

3. Purchase items such as a clock to show the deployed family member’s time zone, a countdown tracker and hanging folder for mail. You can also include a whiteboard or post-it notes to write down things you want to tell your servicemember. Consider including countdowns to special days as well such as Advent calendars, vacation money piggy banks, or birthday signs.

4. Design or order labels for each section and attach to the pieces. Collect any photos or branch emblems you will hang.

5. Hang items and talk about each piece with your family. Use the wall to countdown and connect with your deployed soldier, marine, airman or sailor.

“I just knew how inspiring those walls can be especially when we are feeling lonely and miss them immensely,” Myhre said.

Deployment walls can be inexpensive and simple or more elaborate. Most walls include a clock with the servicemember’s time zone, a calendar or countdown of some sort, a map and a mail collector to send family letters in batches.

For more personal touches, families can include uniformed or family photos, the flag or military symbols, encouraging art or quotes and interactive decor, such as a countdown with a tactile component like candy, stickers or tearing a paper chain.

In addition to connecting with the deployed parent, a deployment wall can also help children with learning

skills such as telling time, reading a map or writing skills.

As deployment walls grow in popularity, many military spouses who have small businesses creating art and decor have incorporated the idea into their product line. In particular, Etsy is filled with military family owned businesses that offer these products.

One of those artists is Amanda Shortridge, a Navy spouse, who, with her husband Brandon, owns the Etsy shop Black Rose Wood Art . Shortridge’s first piece, a starry night tracker, came out of an effort to help her three children find a tangible way to cope with deployment. Each night, she and her children would add a sparkly gemstone sticker to a painting of the night sky as part of their countdown ritual. Their family

enjoyed using it so much that they shared the idea with others.

“The ideas just snowballed, and with a combination of my painting

and my husband’s wood working skills, Black Rose Wood Art was born,” she said. Starry night deployment trackers are available in their Etsy store for purchase.

“Deployments are never easy – for the leaver or the left – so if there is any way to make it just a little easier on the children, I support it. So instead of getting the question, ‘Is daddy coming home today?’ every single morning, I instead got ‘Is it my turn to glue the star on today?’ And, to me, that’s priceless.”

The family’s deployment wall has now become a military wall, with trackers from previous deployments and military awards. For them, it serves as a way to recognize the sacrifices and accomplishments they have all contributed.

“When we can see the completed art trackers hanging on the wall next to his awards, we get a sense of inclusion. And the long times spent away from the people we love changes from something that happened to us to something we all made it through together,” Shortridge concluded.

Photos of deployment trackers created by Amanda Shortridge and available in her Etsy store, Black Rose Wood Art.

JUNIPER NETWORKS

DELIVERS HIGH TECH SOLUTIONS

By Susan Malandrino – SPONSORED

From ensuring users can navigate the challenges of a COVID-19 work environment to creating hospital gowns with smart tracking capabilities, Juniper Networks is a technology company building a wide variety of solutions for its customers. While many of these behind-the-scenes solutions might initially go unnoticed, they ensure clients like the Department of Veterans Affairs run as smoothly as possible.

Bob Dunn, vice president of global federal markets at Juniper Networks,

credits the company culture for Juniper’s success. According to Dunn, it’s always about the mission and the business impact.

Juniper delivers high-performance networking solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) driven security to scale services. The company offers certified, open standards technologies and their security resolves threats quickly. They work side-by-side with agency partners to support specialized operations and offer a streamlined shift to the cloud with simple solutions. The company

has a vertical team called Juniper Federal that is dedicated solely to the unique needs and mission sets of the federal government.

“Juniper, as a company, has always been extremely supportive of the federal mission, whatever that mission may be,” Dunn said.

“It’s always about the user experience, so we don’t want the WIFI going down. We don’t want latency,” Dunn said. Through technology, Juniper helps clients have the insights to rapidly fix and

Pictured, left to right, Mike Schlitz, Bob Dunn and Karl Monger, executive direactor of Gallant Few Organization.

repair any hiccups so the solution –a phone call, video conference or a full-on webinar – works.

Another important component for the company is open communication.

“Without great communications, many of the solutions or business objectives of our customers simply will not work,” Dunn said.

Last year, the company incorporated Mist Cloud Architecture into their portfolio. The Mist solution allows Juniper to provide wired and wireless AI, provisioning and management solutions for clients and end users. The result is simplified and automated operations for IT teams.

“Our Mist solution backed up by our switches and other portfolios allow for that. It does a lot of selfmonitoring, self-healing and we are expanding that within our entire network,” Dunn said.

In the era of COVID-19, the company is using innovation to meet the challenges of the moment.

“The Mist capability is one in which, with wired assurance and artificial intelligence, we can do things like contact tracing,” Dunn said.

In some of their offices, Juniper has set up AI contact tracing. For example, if you know a few people were in the conference room, Dunn explains, and others had access to those individuals. “One person may have been found to have COVID. And so, through the Mist system, we’re able to track who was around whom, where were they at what time and it’s all automated. Now lucky for us, no one has contracted COVID. So that’s good but the capability is there,” he said.

Going forward, Juniper believes innovation like this creative use of AI could be of tremendous value to a wide variety of clients. One of those clients is VA, which Dunn says is very close to their hearts because of the sacrifices veterans have made for the greater good.

“They are protecting our freedoms; they are putting themselves at risk,” he said

Juniper’s developed technology to track wheel chairs and ventilators to ensure that VA assets are not only protected but available to the nearest point of need. In one particular case, Juniper has developed RFI technology that could be sewn into gowns of patients with mental challenges. If they get too close to an exit door, the door is automatically locked to prevent harm to the patient.

On a personal note, Dunn has

worked with both the Gary Sinise Foundation and the Gallant Few, two organizations committed to serving veterans. Dunn’s friend, Sergeant First Class Michael Schlitz, serves as a reminder of the impact of Juniper’s programs on the lives of veterans. While on deployment in Iraq, the vehicle Schlitz was riding in was hit was an improvised explosive device (IED). Three others were killed in the blast and Schlitz sustained massive injuries, losing both hands and sustaining burns on 85% of his body. When the team at Juniper is designing products, Dunn says, the end goal is to aid those who have sacrificed like Schlitz.

“Michael is that personal connection for me. That personal touch serves to remind me every day of not only what we can do personally for our veterans but what Juniper as a company can do for the VA customer,” he concluded.

Budsies comfort kids when mom or dad is deployed

By Shelley Levitt

When Alex Furmansky took inspiration from his young sister to launch the start-up company Budsies , he had no idea that the company would grow into a world-wide phenomenon connecting service members and their kids across the globe.

In 2013, 26-year-old Furmansky was visiting his family in Philadelphia when he noticed a couple of things about his 11-year-old sister Michelle. One, she had a talent for drawing. And, two, she loved tucking her stuffed animals into bed at night and cuddling with them as she slept.

Maybe, Furmansky thought, there was a way to bring together Michelle’s creativity and her passion for plushies.

Within months, Furmansky had turned Michelle’s drawing of a red and blue piglike creature named Dongler into a stuffed toy. Then, with his background in finance and technology and $25,000 of his own savings, Furmansky scaled up his efforts to create Budsies . By August, the company was taking its first orders for custom-sewn stuffed animals created from children’s drawings.

“I started the company in my bedroom,” Furmansky said. “I thought I’d sell maybe a couple of hundred.”

Instead, more than 100,000 custom plushies have been created, including fanciful creatures like fish with legs and every iteration of unicorn, and sent to 60 countries around the world.

The company, which is based in Boynton Beach, Florida, has expanded its product line to include Petsies, personalized stuffed animals made from photos of a beloved pet; pillow dolls and photo pillows; and Selfies, plush dolls made from uploaded photos of loved ones.

Its mission is to make a more huggable world. For Furmansky, some of the most heartfelt hugs are taking place around the Military Selfies, an offshoot of Selfies.

Furmansky says that the customers have always guided the company.

“More and more were asking us to make a Selfie of someone in uniform and they’d go on to share that it was for a child who was being left behind when mom or dad was deployed.”

Selfies have been made for parents from every branch of the military with uniforms matched down to the embroidery of name, rank and other details. And, in a newly introduced feature, the Selfies can also include a 10-second voice recording.

Robyn Cassel, a clinical psychologist based who specializes in family and child therapy, believes the Military Selfies has great value for children of deployed service members. According to Cassel, the doll can serve as what she calls “a transitional object” for a child when a parent is deployed, a concrete representation of mom or dad that embodies comfort and safety.

“Children often experience anxiety when they’re separated from a parent,” Cassell said. “The sensory experience of touch through this soft doll that looks like mom or dad can be really comforting.”

For his part, Furmansky says that it is an honor to make these dolls for military families.

“I can’t think of anything that would be as impactful for a child as being able to hold and hug a family member that’s deployed,” he said.

Customers often turn to social media to share photos of the Military Selfies and the stories behind them.

“My son Tatum means the world to me, and this doll will always be a reminder to him that I can be close to his heart when I have to serve my country,” Jhenna, from Texas, wrote on Instagram.

Spouses, as well as children, feel cheered by Military Selfies.

“Sometimes these take a comic turn,” Furmansky said. “A wife or husband who’s left at home might pose the

Selfie of the spouse who’s deployed on the dinner table, in bed or in a favorite armchair as though they’re watching TV, take photos of these tableaus and then share them with their spouse.”

Still, the tales behind these dolls are more likely to inspire tears than laughs. Take what a customer, writing under the handle “Rosies Riveters” posted on Instagram: “For our kiddos, the separation that comes with

being in the military can be difficult. I created two daddy dolls for my munchkins. They absolutely love the fact that they can hug him and hear his voice anytime they want.”

“I’m not crying, you’re crying.”

A 16-inch selfie retails for $99 with an additional 10 percent discount for members of the military; voice recording is an additional $15.

TO SERVE MILITARY PACKAGES FROM HOME CONTINUES

By Jessica Manfre – SPONSORED

After watching the twin towers fall on Sept. 11, 2001, Kathleen Lewis’ son enlisted in the Army the next day. While he was deployed to Iraq in 2004, she began sending him care packages. When he mentioned none of the other soldiers were getting any, she rallied her community to adopt his unit. Packages From Home, a nonprofit dedicated to serving the military, was born.

It wasn’t long before Lewis became everyone’s adopted mom, receiving thoughtful packages. She and her army of volunteers first operated out of cars and garages until they received a donated space to do their work for troops. Since its inception, it has evolved to serve veterans in need as well as military working dogs and service dogs for veterans.

Meghan Richards is the development director for Packages From Home. She believes deeply in its mission and personally knows the difference it can make. She herself was an Army Combat Medic, with two tours in Iraq. “I came on board about three years ago. As a veteran, I, myself, received care packages while I was deployed to Iraq in 2006. I knew all their good work and the impact of the care package and it’s a really amazing job to put smiles on people’s face,” she said.

Although the founder has now retired, her daughter Jennifer Leavitt is now the CEO and Director. Her husband is a Marine veteran himself, so the cause continues to be one close to the family’s heart. In 2019, Packages From Home sent 10,412 care packages overseas to troops,

impacting 20,824 servicemembers. Local veterans received 45,391 pounds of food and 6,616 pounds of hygiene products. Military K9s were sent 272 pounds of goodies as well.

“The military is just a microcosm of society, it’s not just one demographic. You can go much deeper and find so many people from different walks of life, there’s so much diversity. Everybody’s experience in the military differs but everyone deserves to feel cared about and thought of. That’s our goal – to show people we care,” Richards explained.

As the United States heads towards 20 years at war, the work of Packages From Home is more needed than ever. With rising rates of negative mental health symptoms and suicides, finding ways to uplift and encourage those who serve is vitally important. “The thing that troops remark on the most is the notes they receive, the idea of being thought of,” Richards explained.

The pandemic has impacted businesses and nonprofits everywhere, including Packages From Home. Their warehouses used to be bursting at the seams and are now starting to look quite bare from lack of donations. As the country heads into its holiday season amidst a pandemic, giving to these programs is a great way to truly and deeply thank the military for their service.

“Most of the people deployed are young folks. Many of them away from home for the first time. A lot of them from a socioeconomic background that isn’t advantageous and their families don’t have the means to send care packages. We want to step in for them,” Richards said.

And they do, one package at a time.

www.packagesfromhome.org.