2020 MF FEBRUARY

SAMANTHA PETERSON

MEGAN HARLESS

ANDREA DOWNING PECK

HOLLY C. VEGA

TIFFANY LAWRENCE

KATE HORRELL

ELIZABETH ASLAKSON

KAITLYN MCLALLEN

CRYSTAL KUPPER

SIERRA REDMOND

JENNIFER BARNHILL

About 18 months ago, my family relocated from Jacksonville, North Carolina to Patuxent River, Maryland. We had been stationed at MCAS New River for 12 years, over two tours, so it felt like I was leaving ‘home’ and I still haven’t found my groove in the land of Old Bay and crabs — and it isn’t just because I am a Yankees fan.

I followed all the advice: I volunteered, attended local events, and connected with neighbors. It wasn’t until the calendar rounded closer to a new year that I took real stock of what was making me so miserable: me. Instead of holding on to the former, it was time for me to embrace the present — and I didn’t want to at all. To be honest, I was relishing in the world’s biggest pity party that I had to move again for my husband’s career. What I didn’t realize was, I was wasting time making the most of new opportunities that come from a different landscape, even if it wasn’t exactly on my bucket list of places to go.

Working a remote position compounded the introverted state I fully adopted, but the time has come to let up on the poor me attitude. So, I purposely sought out a fitness studio that would allow me to meet others in my age group and get away from these four walls, I signed my son and me up for a cooking class (even with a view of the bay Marylanders love so much), and I started planning day trips to D.C. so we could enjoy one of the big benefits of this location: proximity to a major city. And you know what? I feel better. I actually feel like I have a purpose for me, which was lacking all of these months.

The military is going to send you to places that feel foreign no matter how long you live there. But no one can make you feel good about it, except you. As you setup whatever new place you’re calling home, try not to look too far back or too far ahead because you might miss something good right in front of you.

M. Strzalkowski

Bianca

Photo

PCS Pros: The Harless family

By Andrea Downing Peck

Columns

6........ Got Your Six

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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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.

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VALETINE’S DAY

Sage Harvest Gourmet Jerky crafted out of Southern Pines, North Carolina ticks all the boxes for delicious gifts with an awesome backstory. Ten percent of each purchase benefits adoptive families and orphans alike. This military family-owned company is a staple in care packages, according to Thompson. Offering all-natural turkey, beef or brisket options ranging from sweet to smoky to chipotle bourbon, it’s the flavor of America and beacon of hope to adoptive families and children throughout the world.

Link to shop: http:// sageharvestjerky.com/

Alpha Coffee’s military roots are every bit as strong as the coffee itself. Combat veteran-owned, this Utahbased business has donated over 17,000 bags of coffee to deployed troops globally. With names like Double Barrel Black and Warrior Select, no detail is left behind. Including its charitable partnerships with organizations — like VETPAW — benefiting from the Task Force Rhino blend.

https://alpha.coffee/

Intentionality behind gifts has arguably become just as important as the gift itself. Where to shop and what to give are on everyone’s mind whether deployed, reconnecting or simply exploring the newest hometown you find yourself in. Military Families Magazine teamed up with Ashley Thompson, CEO of Pressed – A Creative Space, to ensure you can jump fully into Valentine’s Day without needing to deploy the reserve shoot.

“Our staff is trained to give customers an experience, to tell the stories of what’s in the store,” Thompson explained.

Curating opportunities, especially for the military maker, is part of what makes Pressed an integral part of the downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina community.

“Coming together to support each other wherever and whenever we can is how we show up for each other,” Thompson, a veteran spouse, said. This all military-select list is bursting with backstory sure to impress while supporting the home front. Let’s shop.

Shopping small nationwide

The t-shirts and sweatshirts of Pressed are wildly unique and exceptionally soft. Each product is designed by Thompson’s team and Creative Manager Angela Santos. The local tee collection pays homage to all the duty stations, helping spouses to feel like home. In addition to seriously cool threads, Pressed carries varieties of crystals and stones collected by Thompson from her trips to local shows. “Crystals are the updated version of gifting birth stones. Clients collect them for specific beliefs or simply because they are beautiful,” she said about the newest shop addition.

Link to shop: https:// pressednc.com/

The four brothers behind Civvie Supply all serve the country across different branches of the military and National Guard. Their story, and the brand, are classically patriotic. Any one of the four battle map tees simply illustrate and honor some of the military’s finest moments. Perhaps the best part of Civvie Supply is the multigenerational appeal their designs offer. Made locally in South Carolina, any purchase is likely to make your grandpa or boyfriend look dapper and proud.

Link to shop: https://www. civviesupply.com/

By Samantha Peterson

Your heart story matters

By Holly C.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, impacting 1 in 5 every year, according to the CDC. And behind every statistic is a family affected by the tragedy of this lesser-talked about condition. I want to change that.

In 2013, I founded Military Hearts Matter — a movement to raise awareness about how the stresses of military life relate to heart health for service members and their families. By 2017, our efforts expanded to include a partnership with the Tampa Bay American Heart Association. The goal is to highlight personal testimonials of those who have been impacted, and share tools and resources to help others monitor their own wellness. In fact, less than half of women aren’t even aware that heart disease remains a leading killer.

Personal impact

I’ve been a Marine spouse for 19 years. My heart story began with my

own family when, at 40 years old, my healthy and physically-active brother went into cardiac arrest. At that time, my husband was away for training, we had three children under the age of eight, and I was a thousand miles from my brother. I felt helpless.

Here is the one thing you need to know about me: I don’t do helpless well. I’m a doer and a helper. When I see a friend, and especially a family member, in distress, my instinct is to jump in. Since I couldn’t help in person, I decided to equip myself with information. I went to the base hospital to drill my primary care doctor with questions. Thankfully the doctor made himself available and pulled me into a side room to answer my questions. He directed me to the American Heart Association. A similar interaction later on would solidify that I needed to do more for those families out there like mine.

A fellow Marine wife, Dr. Vivianne Cisneros Wersel’s lost her husband

to a heart attack while he was working out on Camp Lejeune. He had only been home from deployment for two weeks. Following his death, she became an advocate for Gold Star spouses, working to ensure families receive death benefits regardless of whether it was combat-related. Seeing her turn a personal tragedy into advocacy, I was inspired.

Getting started

I wanted to do something impactful for our community, so I started with research on heart disease’s connection to the military. Discovering service members, spouses and children who have and are dealing with cardiovascular disease opened a new world to me. Military Hearts Matter is centered around those stories.

Our families live in highly-stressful situations, with PCS moves, deployments and more; one maintains the home front while the other deals with the realities of combat. We are told over and over again the importance of being resilient, often leaving our personal well-being to get pushed to the side. Military Hearts Matter wants to encourage you to make your health a priority.

Vega, 2019 AFI Military Spouse of the Year, Co-Founder of Military Hearts Matter

Your PCS is not complete until you file a claim

By Megan Harless

Congratulations! You’ve made it to what seems like the end of your latest military move. The household goods have been packed, loaded onto a truck, moved to the new duty station, delivered and you are done unpacking.

However, in the corner of the garage you have a pile of things that didn’t quite make it — a broken shelf, a chipped plate or a cracked mirror, not to mention the seemingly new dresser that now has some scratches and dents and a table that doesn’t quite sit leveled anymore. Many people may take it as what just happens when you move and toss the broken pile of rubbish, but in doing so, you’re also tossing out money that belongs to you.

At the end of each Permanent Change of Station move, you are entitled to file a claim with your Transportation Service Provider to be reimbursed monies to replace or repair those broken and damaged items.

Here’s the deal:  TSP is responsible for paying you full replacement value for your item, or the cost to repair the item. If you choose the FRV for that broken desk, you will be paid an amount to get a new desk

and would allow the TSP to exercise their salvage rights to the broken desk. If that desk has sentimental value to you and you want to keep it, then you would ask for a repair value for someone to come out and fix the desk. Often, if an item can be repaired, the TSP will pay the repair costs for items.

However, filing a claim on your broken items takes a little more work than just saying, “Hey, this is broken!” As you come across items that are damaged, write down the inventory number of that item, the name of the item, a description of what is damaged and pull out your phone to snap a quick picture of what the damage is.

When you have everything unpacked and ready, take your list and sit down to start your claim on  Defense Personal Property System . You’ll input all the information you wrote down, upload the pictures and provide a value of your items. Your TSP, or their assigned claims adjustment company, will review your claim and make an offer. From there you can accept or counter their offer. There is a specific time frame you have for your claim, which is 75 days from the date of delivery to

either submit your claim or file your intent to file a claim.

What is the difference? The intent to file is the tab labeled as “start my loss damage report,” in which as you find damaged items you can start inputting the information into that. Doing this will then allow you up to nine months after your delivery date to submit your claim. If you’re one of those gung-ho folks who gets every box unpacked in a week, you can go right to the tab of “submit my claim” to input all the information and get the process started.

Once you have your claim submitted, your TSP will have 60 days to pay, deny or make an offer on your claim. During this time, they may also ask for proof of ownership or value to substantiate your claim. Be sure to keep all the pictures you took of the damaged items, and a record of any links to items to support the value you claimed.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate your claim to get to full replacement value, or at least a fair value for your items. If the item you are claiming is discontinued and you can’t provide a proof of value, find the closest thing to it using the specifications of the item and use that to counteroffer. If at any time your TSP will not budge on the amount being offered, you can transfer your claim to the Military Claims Office for them to mediate on your behalf for full replacement value.

Don’t leave money on the table by tossing those broken items until you’ve been properly reimbursed by your claim. If you ever need more clarification or have questions, check out the Defense Travel Regulation Part IV — Personal Property.

PCS PROS

The Harless family

By Andrea Downing Peck

jump off the deep end.”

That doesn’t mean all the family’s duty stations have been created equal. Harless admits to “struggling” with Fort Riley. She also has no problem crossing off Camp Atterbury or her current location, Texarkana, Texas, from the family’s list of potential forever homes.

But the family’s move to Fort Leavenworth — home of the U.S. Military Disciplinary Barracks — generated the biggest “you are going where?” reaction among family members.

If practice makes perfect, then Army spouse Megan Harless has earned the title of relocation expert. But moving 10 times in 14 years did more than sharpen her PCS skills. It transformed her into an advocate for reforming the household goods moving process for military families.

Today, Harless is the public face of the movement to revamp the PCS process. Harless assumed that mantle in 2018 when she launched a petition on her “Military Spouse Chronicles” Facebook page calling on lawmakers to hold moving companies accountable and end the “just file a claim” response to damaged and missing household goods.

A writer, military community booster and mother of three school-aged children, Harless never envisioned herself leading the charge for PCS reform until the issue “fell into my lap,” she says. She used her platform to speak out after her family’s “horrendous” PCS to Fort Eustis, Virginia in 2017. It was when she knew her experience was becoming the norm.

“A lot of the stories I was hearing were all the same,” Harless, who now serves on Transportation Command’s (TRANSCOM) Personal Property Relocation Panel, said. “Horrible moves. Lots of damage. Lots of issues. It felt like we were at rock bottom, a turning point, where something had to change.”

A former Army officer, Harless has experienced the PCS process as both a service member and military spouse. That background adds cachet to a PCS resume that contains familiar Army duty stations such as Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Eustis, Virginia; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lee, Virginia; and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as well as less familiar names, Camp Atterbury in Indiana and Red River Army Depot in Texas.

“Because I’ve been able to see both sides of the spectrum, I can understand what our service members go through, what my husband goes through and, as a spouse, what we go through,” Harless said. “It’s a unique perspective of [military] life in general that allows me, when I hear there’s a deployment, TDY or PCS, to not

“When we told my Dad we were going to Leavenworth, his first response was, ‘Oh, my gosh. What did you do?’” Harless recalls. She said her father had to explain to more than one friend that his daughter’s family ‘wasn’t in Leavenworth. They’re at Leavenworth.’”

The Kansas town best known for its military prison and U.S. federal penitentiary became one of the family’s favorite duty stations.

“It was a great little town to live in,” Harless points out. “It was a very tight-knit community, but you had all the big city amenities because

Kansas City was very close.”

In the Harless household, “Home is where the Army sends us” is more than a wall sign.

“Each duty station is a new chapter,” Harless explained. “It’s a new adventure. There are some we love; some we hate. But the mindset is, this is temporary. We can make do with a small, awkward house for a couple of years. We can make do with this community for a couple of years. It’s not forever.”

That attitude has allowed Harless to view each move as another step on the journey to the family’s postmilitary hometown.

“Being able to travel and live in different locations gives us an idea of what areas we like, what type of communities we like, what we want to have on the other end when we are done with the military,” she said.

Whether preparing for your first or 15th military move, Harless’ advice is to “get educated.”

“Know who you can call if you have issues,” she said. “Don’t let bad stuff happen during your move. Take control of it, own it, and be active in the process so you know what’s going.”

One person can make a difference may be the lasting lesson from Army spouse Megan Harless’ efforts to improve the military move process. After Harless attracted the attention of U.S. senators and national media to 2018’s brutal PCS season, the Department of Defense announced multiple reform efforts.

According to TRANSCOM Public Affairs Specialist David Dunn, these changes are under way:

Increased quality assurance inspections of PCS shipments. In December 2018, inspectors were “at the curb” of roughly onequarter of household goods moves across all military branches. By October 2019, inspection rates increased to 66% for the Army, 70% for the Marine Corps and 44% for the Coast Guard. (Statistics for the Air Force and Navy were unavailable.)

Publication of customer satisfaction scores. Military members logging into the Defense Personal Property System can now view “Transportation Service Provider (TSP) scorecards.” Scorecards are updated quarterly,

with the latest update displaying TSP rankings for Oct. 1, 2019-Dec. 31, 2019.

Military Move Hotline at 1-833-MIL-MOVE. The Defense Personal Property Customer Support Center was activated on May 1, 2019, to assist 24/7 with non-technical issues and answer moving-related questions.

Increased crating of domestic household goods shipments. During the peak 2019 moving season (mid-May to Sept. 30), 9% of domestic shipments were containerized. To qualify, CONUS moves must be greater than 800 miles, have estimated weights less than 3,000 pounds in nonpeak season or 7,500 pounds in peak season, be scheduled to enter Storage in Transit and not contain items too large to fit into a standard container.

Selection of a “single move manager.” Household goods shipment and storage is not being “privatized,” but TRANSCOM will this spring select a private-sector company to provide end-to-end management of the movement and storage of household goods. The goal is to “improve access to and management of quality capacity to meet peak demand and enable the Department to affix the accountability and responsibility lacking in today’s program,” Dunn stated in an email. “To be clear USTRANSCOM will never relinquish responsibility to private industry.”

Harless notes other improvements also have occurred within military branches, such as a policy change within the Army to allow for payment of dislocation allowance (DLA) ahead of a PCS.

New program expands education opportunities for Army Guard

By Bianca M. Strzalkowski

A new program gives Army National Guard soldiers access to hundreds of civilian credentials.

The Army Credentialing Assistance Program allows soldiers to pursue industry-specific credentials, certifications or licensures that can make them more marketable in the civilian sector. Within the Army COOL website, users can search more than 1600 options related to their MOS or an MOS, and the portal also breaks down when a license or certification may be beneficial to an occupation — examples include commercial driver’s license (CDL), accredited financial counselor and certified welder.

Kenneth Hardy, chief of the Army National Guard’s education services branch, says this program is designed for the Guard member at any stage of a career.

“A lot of employers are looking

for these types of credentials. They’re looking at them to compare applicants or promote (them),” Hardy said. “There was a fairly high unemployment rate for the soldiers that were leaving the Army, so they did their year, two years or three years, or say they’re leaving after six or 10 years, or even after retirement … they’re going to go on for another career and unfortunately all those Army skills that they have weren’t necessarily tied to a civilian occupation.”

A key talking point of the veteran employment topic has centered on a service member’s ability to translate military experience to a resume. Hardy says this program gives civilian employers a clear understanding of what the soldier is bringing to the company.

“What this does is it allows a soldier to become more marketable on the civilian side by obtaining

those same credentials that civilian employers use and that they recognize on the civilian side,” he explained.

Users can choose up to two pathways total, related or unrelated to what they do for the military.

“If you’re in a combat arms MOS for the Guard, but during the week they’re an IT manager for a network or they’re working in the medical field or any other myriad of fields that have licensing or credentials, and so they can now use our program to help them in those career fields. It’s not just limited to the job they’re doing in the Army,” Hardy said.

Soldiers are allotted up to $4000 per fiscal year for tuition assistance, credentialing assistance or a combination of both. Hardy recommends meeting with an education counselor to determine the

A soldier reviews the Army Cool website during an Army Credentialing Assistance Program briefing. Photo by Norm Shifflett.

best pathway for career goals, and there are a number of assessments that soldiers have access to.

For those with credentials that may have a renewal cost, soldiers can reapply the following year for assistance with those fees.

TOP 5

CURRENTLY PURSUED

The application process is somewhat “clunky” at this time, Hardy adds, with soldiers having to manually fill out information about the vendor, program requirements, cost, etc. The timeline from application to approval is dependent on the program chosen. To view the full list of credentials eligible for assistance, go to https://www.cool.army.mil/search/CredSearchAlpha.htm.

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DEDICATED The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. For comprehensive consumer information, visit Info.PurdueGlobal.edu. www.militaryfamilies.com 13

Commissary bagger retires after

If you go to the commissary on Carlisle Barracks, you’ll see a badge on the wall that reads #1 bagger. Not your average employee recognition, it’s an ode to the almost 51 years Dave Dellinger served military families as a volunteer commissary bagger. Liked, loved and respected by many, this badge symbolizes the retiring of his number.

At the age of 16, Dellinger and five other special needs young adults started working at Goodwill, which was a trades facility back then. Later, they were moved to the commissary on Carlisle. Maxine Bond, Dellinger’s younger sister, recalls being eight years old and watching her brother leave for work.

“He loved his job. It gave him purpose and a reason to get up every day,” she said.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the average person has 10 different jobs before the age of 40. Of the six people who started out with Dellinger, he was the only one with staying power.

One can only imagine the changes that take place over the span of half a century. Dellinger has seen them build a new commissary, but the changes he remembers most are the people who PCS in and out.

“A lot of changes. A lot of new people,” he described.

By Tiffany Lawrence

After being there for so long, he admits to missing it. His favorite part was the people he worked with. Bond references her brother’s employees with appreciation, “They were always very kind and sensitive to his needs.”

Lee Glasser, assistant head bagger, remembers Dellinger’s dedication.

“He would always go out of his way to help and do things that weren’t even a part of his job. The customers still ask about him,” Glasser said.

Commissary secretary, Elizabeth Walton, worked with “Davie”—his nickname, for 16 years.

“Davie was great. He got along well with everybody and was always here, always dependable, and always a hard worker,” she said.

But being a hard worker was easy for Dellinger who enjoyed what he did and was supported everyday by his family and co-workers. He was also clever and found ways around the system. Bond’s husband laughs as he remembers a funny story.

“There was a rule that if something got broken or opened, everyone could share it in the break room. Suspiciously, a lot of cookies and donuts were broken into. They found out that Dave did it on purpose so he could have the sweets. They had to let him know not to do that anymore,” he said.

On the 50th anniversary of Dellinger’s employment, a flag was taken to the post garrison and flown in his honor. His fellow baggers, in a gesture of respect because they liked him so much, put the flag in a case for him to keep.

“The flag is a big deal to him. He keeps it in his bedroom,” Bond added.

Dellinger’s days are now filled with

tasks like walking to get the mail, feeding the animals, watching birds and helping to cut wood. He gets emotional when Bond speaks lovingly to him, “you’re just a big helper around here aren’t ya?”

Serving the military community completes Dellinger’s circle because he also comes from a family of service members. Both his sisters served in the Army. Bond, who retired after 24 years of being active duty, expresses pride for her brother’s support of the military community for all those years.

Dellinger sometimes goes back to visit his friends at the commissary, but after five decades of commitment, he says, “I’m retired and it’s time for me to take it easy.”

To DITY or not to DITY?

By Kate Horrell

With each set of PCS orders, I wonder whether we should consider a Personally Procured Move (PPM), which is the official name of what most of us call a DITY, or Do It Yourself move. It’s tempting — you hear stories of military families making tons of money, and it seems like there is less chance of damaged goods. If you’re considering a DITY move this PCS season, here are six questions you need to ask yourself:

How much reimbursement will you get?

For most people, the main reason to consider doing a DITY move is to make a little money. Before you get started, be sure you understand exactly what you will and will not receive, whether you do a DITY, a full government move, or something in between

All service members who are executing PCS orders are entitled to a wide range of travel entitlements, including:

• temporary lodging,

• monetary allowance in lieu of transportation (technically called MALT, but often just called mileage),

• per diem for travel days,

• dislocation allowance.

When you do a DITY move or a partial DITY move, you’ll also get an allowance for moving your belongings, based upon the distance and weight moved. From that allowance, you pay all the expenses of the move: packing materials, hired help, the actual transportation of your goods, and unpacking. Any excess reimbursement beyond your actual expenses is taxable income.

Contact your personal property office to be sure you understand your entitlements and the reimbursement requirements for your branch, including when you need to have your vehicle weighed (empty/full/ both? start/finish/both?).

Can you manage an upfront cost?

All branches have a process for getting an advance of a portion of your anticipated move reimbursement, but it doesn’t always work out as expected. If you decide to do a DITY move, you should plan to pay for all expenses out-of-pocket and expect that it may take months to be reimbursed.

Is moving yourself realistic?

Doing a DITY move is work, especially if you have a lot of stuff or heavy things like a piano or old-school entertainment center. Do you realistically have the time, mental energy and physical strength to pack up everything you own, load it safely onto a truck — or into a moving container — and unload it all on the other end?

Do you have a lot of professional gear?

One major limitation of a full DITY move is there is no way to separate out professional gear weight. Service members and their spouses are

permitted to deduct the weight of certain specified work-related items from the overall weight of goods. Separating professional gear is a big help if you are close to your weight allowance.

Will you be able to keep track of the paperwork?

DITY moves require extra paperwork and receipts, particularly when you go to file your income tax return. You’ll need weight receipts to get reimbursed by the military — requirements may vary by branch. Then, because DITY reimbursements are taxable income, you’ll need all your expense receipts to deduct from your income.

TIP: Experienced DITY movers recommend a designated folder or envelope for receipts, but also taking a photograph of every single receipt when you get it. Upload the picture to the cloud to ensure you’ll always have access to a copy.

Have you considered a partial DITY?

One of the easiest ways to get the benefits of a DITY move without the work is to do a partial DITY, which separates your move into two parts. The government movers take care of the things you don’t want to move, and you get reimbursed for the portion you do move. A partial DITY is a good solution if you aren’t sure you want to do a full DITY, or if you have certain items you want to move yourself.

DITY moves are a good option for different situations, but they are a lot of work and they may or may not make money. Understanding the reimbursements and the process will help you decide if it is the right option for you.

20,000

soldiers set to deploy for DEFENDER-Europe 20

By Elizabeth Aslakson

The Department of the Army announced the largest U.S.-based Army exercise of forces to Europe since the Cold War.

DEFENDER-Europe 20, a joint, multi-national, U.S. Army Europecommanded exercise, will take place this spring and includes the deployment of 20,000 soldiers from across all components.

Brig. Gen. Sean Bernabe, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations for U.S. Army Europe, explained the intent of the largest exercise in 25 years.

“Headquarters Department of the Army directed U.S. Army Europe led exercise designed to build strategic readiness for U.S. Army,” Bernabe said. “Twenty-thousand U.S. Army soldiers, with their assigned equipment, will deploy from the U.S. to Europe and go to training areas around Europe to participate in other smaller exercises.”

Other smaller exercises include:

Exercise Swift Response , an annual multinational parachute operation across Europe,

Exercise Saber Strike , a biannual exercise featuring ground maneuver training based in Poland and the Baltic States,

Exercise Allied Spirit , which is focused on interoperability at brigade level and below between allies and partners,

Exercise Dynamic Front , an annual exercise designed to improve interoperability between allied and partner artillery units.

Bernabe added , “Once these smaller exercises are complete, DEFENDER -Europe 20 will redeploy the 20,000 U.S. forces back to the U.S. for their next mission.”

The German Armed Forces weigh each tire on the SLT 56 heavy duty tractor unit and tank transporter at the Coleman Barracks, Mannheim Germany. By establishing the vehicles axle weight, it will help protect and preserve the mobility of forces across Europe. Photo by Pvt. Katelyn Myers.

Purpose

Maj. Traun Moore, USAREUR spokesperson, further detailed the exercise’s intent.

“The purpose of DEFENDER-Europe 20 is to demonstrate the U.S. military’s ability to rapidly deploy a large combat-credible force from the U.S. to Europe and, alongside our allies and partners, quickly respond to a potential crisis. Key objectives include units drawing Army prepositioned stock; receiving, staging, moving and integrating units; commanding and controlling a division-size force, rehearsing response options; demonstrating U.S. ability to leverage alliances and partnerships; and testing new equipment,” Moore said.

By the numbers

The exercise will take place from April to May 2020, with personnel and equipment movements occurring February through July. About 37,000 U.S., allied, and partner nation troops will participate. Of the 20,000 troops deploying from the continental U.S., 7,000 will be Army National Guard soldiers from 12 states and 750 U.S. Army Reserve soldiers. Additionally, 9,000 U.S. troops based in Europe, from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will participate.

Objectives

The main objectives of DEFENDEREurope 20 are the military’s refocus on strategic readiness and continued improvement of interoperability.

According to Moore, the military has concentrated on tactical readiness over the last several years. However, emphasis has shifted to building strategic readiness.

“Strategic readiness includes the ability of the U.S. military to dynamically project force and set the theater by mobilizing and deploying forces, sustaining them in a crisis, and redeploying them when their mission is complete,” Moore explained, also clarifying that this exercise is not in response to a specific threat or adversary.

Moore continued, “Interoperability is a state of readiness that we collectively strive to improve ... Although this will be the largest movement of U.S. forces to Europe in over 25 years, we are working closely with our allies and partners to ensure a common understanding and enhance our combined readiness and interoperability capabilities. Living and training alongside our allies and partners in Europe helps the U.S. maintain the relationships and trust that are essential for ensuring global security. Interoperability is not only about technology; it is about people and processes — about all participating nations’ militaries developing basic battlefield-critical capabilities like communicating with and understanding allies and partners.”

Preparation

As with any major military operation, units involved — including NATO and host nations — will be organizing and practicing ahead of time. Also, planning conferences will take place prior and throughout each stage of the exercise.

“All participants are in constant communication, to ensure that there is a shared understanding of the key objectives and the steps that are being taken to successfully execute pre-deployment, exercise execution and redeployment operations,” Moore said.

For example, the U.S. Army Europe team is already working with host nation teams “to plan and execute pre-exercise senior leader engagements in

participating countries in an effort to further share information about DEFENDER-Europe 20, alongside their host nation counterparts.”

Impact on families

In terms of how this exercise may impact military families, Moore says families should be prepared for their service members to engage in additional training prior to the exercise, as well as resetting when redeploying from Europe. Though most activity will occur in April and May, pre-deployment training timelines are dependent on the individual unit’s objective. Furthermore, troops and families stationed in Europe and not involved in the exercise, should see minimum impact on their daily lives and experience no interruption of services.

The Grizzly Team conducted a Leadership Professional Development training discussing the fundamentals and tenets of a Combined Arms Breach in preparation for Combined Resold XIII and Defender Europe 20. Photo by Master Sgt. David Ruiz.

By Kaitlyn McLallen

Rental a Home 5 tips to make your

Rentals are a blank canvas designed plainly to fit every family’s needs. Even if it’s only for a few years, it is important you add detail to your house that speaks to who you and your family are. For me, decorating our on-base house is a way to find comfort and make where we are stationed feel more like home.

I have met many people during my husband’s military service from different backgrounds. We all come from various places, but we share a common goal: create a space that is charming and comfortable. Military families can flourish in a cozy, safehaven, which alone is a reward, especially when you move often.

Here are five tips to give your current — or future — space the home feeling:

Texture your walls

Whenever I hear the word rental, the first thing that comes to mind is boring white walls. You can use more than pictures and art to bring life to your walls. Using temporary wallpaper adds color, detail and texture and can revamp your boring spaces. As you can see in the picture below, I use subway tile peel and stick backsplash in my kitchen to add detail. Temporary wallpaper is also a perfect way to add accent walls behind your bed or entertainment center, or even in an entryway.

Nature

Elements from nature, like plants and wood, add warmth and life to your home.

Wood: A wooden furniture piece or an accent piece is important in every room. A wooden frame, dresser or a unique piece like an old window adds character and warmth.

Window treatments

Blinds can make a room feel bare and cold, but by simply adding curtains you can add height and warmth to the entire room.

Area rugs

Plants: Whether it’s faux or real, every room can use a little green. Placing plants in a piece of pottery that you love can add much character to your space. Other than your windowsills, plants look beautiful on dressers, coffee tables, shelves and the list keeps going. Other than green, I use cotton stems in galvanized hanging baskets in my living room. During the spring, I change them out for colorful floral stems, then in the winter I switch to pine. a couch with a good book and a candle going. Cozy basics include throw blankets, pillows, books and warm lighting. For throw blankets and pillows, choose a few colors to keep your space looking uniform. Add texture by choosing blankets and pillows that have fabric detail like wool and large knitted blankets.

Rugs are a simple way to add detail to your space. They can be placed under coffee tables, dining room tables, bed frames or to any area that feels cold. If you don’t like the flooring in your rental, add a large area rug to mask it.

Cozy details

By definition, cozy is giving a feeling of comfort, warmth and relaxation. Nothing is more cozy than enjoying a cup of coffee on

Books are another element that also add warmth. I have a bookshelf full of books, but I also add them to my shelves, coffee table and I also display cookbooks in my kitchen. Candles and lamps add the element of warm lighting to your home. For lamps, I recommend warm white light bulbs and for candles I recommend choosing scents that you enjoy and that go with the season. For example, in the summer I love clean linen scents, then I switch to pine scents to mark the start of winter.

2020 GUIDE TO MILITARY SCHOLARSHIPS

By AFM Staff

If you’ve been tossing around the idea of starting — or finishing — an education, 2020 is a great year to do so. The service branches, private organizations and higher education institutions are offering incentives to military-affiliated students by way of grants, scholarships or tuition discounts. Below are a few we found, but check back on our website because this list will be continuously updated.

A few important notes:

1. Read all criteria early so that you can plan for any time-consuming requirements, like letters of recommendation and transcript requests.

2. Create reminders for deadlines so that you don’t miss important dates.

The latest list of 2020 offerings for those serving and their family members:

Pat Tillman Foundation

Link: https://pattillmanfoundation. org/apply-to-be-a-scholar

Who’s eligible: Veteran and activeduty service members from all branches of the military including National Guard and Reserves who have served in pre- and post-9/11 service areas.

Application period: Feb. 1—28, 2020.

Florida Advisory Council on Military Education

Link: http://www.fla-acme.org/ scholarships

Who’s eligible: Applicants must meet one of the three criteria: reside in Florida; be permanently stationed in Florida as part of either the active duty, guard and reserve component; or enrolled at a Florida institution of higher learning during the application period of the award year (December 15 through March 15).

Application period: Now—Mar. 15, 2020.

Southeastern Council on Military Education (SECOME)

Link: http://www.secome.org/ scholarships

Who’s eligible: Students (active duty, National Guard members, drilling reservists, veterans and their spouses) must be assigned to a military installation and reside in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, or South Carolina.

What’s the basics: The organization will award scholarships ranging from $750-$1500.

Application period: Feb. 1—May 31, 2020.

FOR MILITARY SPOUSES

National Military Family Association

Link: https://scholarships. militaryfamily.org/offers/nmfa-spousescholarship

Who’s eligible: Spouse to an active duty, reserve, guard, retired, medically retired, wounded or fallen service member (must be a servicerelated wound, illness, injury or death that took place after September 11, 2001).

What’s the basics:  Awards available for career funding, degrees, clinical supervision towards licensure in the mental health profession, or business expenses.

Deadline: Applications accepted all year.

MyCAA (My Career Advancement Account)

Link: https://mycaa.militaryonesource. mil

Who’s eligible: Spouses of service members with the rank of E1-E5; W1W2; O1-O2.

What’s the basics: Maximum tuition assistance benefit of $4000 to be used toward an associate degree, license or certification.

Deadline: Rolling basis.

Hope For The Warriors

Link: https://www.hopeforthewarriors. org/transition/military-spousescholarships

Who’s eligible: Military spouses, caregivers and Gold Star spouses

Deadline: Opens Apr. 1, 2020.

If your organization has a military scholarship program that you want to be added to the list, email the details to managing.editor@ameriforcemedia.com .

FOR MILITARY SPOUSES AND DEPENDENTS

ThanksUSA

Link: https://www.thanksusa.org/ scholarship-program.html

Who’s eligible: Be a dependent child, age 24 or under (as of application deadline) of US military service personnel, or the spouse of US military service personnel. This also includes members of the reserves who have been activated to FT duty and members of the National Guard who have been federalized & who otherwise meet the requirements.

Application period: Mar. 1 – Apr. 15, 2020.

BRANCH AID SOCIETIES

Each service branch has an equivalent branch aid society that supports service members and their families through various programs – including education assistance.

Air Force Aid Society

Link: https://www.afas.org/howwe-help/general-henry-h-arnoldeducation-grant

Who’s eligible: Spouses of active duty and Title 10 Reservists, and widows.

What’s the basics: Needs-based grant ranging from $500 – $4000.

Opens: Jan. 2, 2020.

Army Emergency Relief

Link: https://www.aerhq.org/Applyfor-Scholarship

Who’s eligible: Spouses of National Guard/Reserve Soldiers on Title 10 Orders are eligible, in addition to those spouses of an active duty or retired soldier or the widow of a soldier who died while on active duty or while retired.

What’s the basics: Need-based scholarship program for spouses pursuing their first undergraduate degree.

Application cycle opens: Apr. 2020. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance

Link: https://www.cgmahq.org/ programs/education.html

Who’s eligible: Family members of eligible Coast Guardsmen

Navy Marine Corps Relief Society

Link: https://www.nmcrs.org/pages/ education-loans-and-scholarships

Who’s eligible: Children and spouses of active duty or retired Sailors and Marines (including retired reservists drawing military retirement pay).

What’s the basics: Interest free loans and grants range from $500 to $3,000 per academic year.

Application cycle opens: Now—May 15, 2020.

OUR SUPPORT SYSTEM TRAVELS WITH YOU

ecampus.oregonstate.edu

SSgt. Chris Burke B.S. in Business Administration United States Air Force Las Vegas, Nevada

“Oregon State was a great experience for me. You get all the help you need.”

Army wife throws for Olympic glory

By Crystal Kupper

“I loved how I learned to adapt as a person anywhere I go, any situation I’m in,” the 31-year-old said. “I feel like from moving around with my parents and having to make new friends, but keep my old friends, I just learned to be adaptable.”

Good thing, too, because McMillan is getting ready for some intense adaptation: switching from being an Olympic athlete in the heptathlon — a sport consisting of seven track and field events — to hopefully being an Olympic athlete in the javelin.

If having both parents in the Army taught Chantae McMillan Langhorst anything, it was how to be flexible.

“I believe I’m athletic enough to pick up more potential in [the javelin],” McMillan said. “I chose javelin because it was one of my stronger events within the heptathlon, and I wanted to give it a shot, to focus on it and grow in it.”

As the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo approach, “focus” and “growth” may be the best words to describe McMillan’s journey from military kid to Olympian, mom and Army wife.

Southern strong

McMillan was born in Tennessee to career soldiers and stationed throughout the South, though she calls Rolla, Missouri her home. The feeling is mutual, too, as Rolla still loves its hometown girl who won two high school state long jump championships in 2004 and 2005 and was selected as a Nike All-American.

From there, she attended the University of Nebraska as an outdoor heptathlete and indoor pentathlete.

McMillan graduated not only with an art-focused education degree, but also as a five-time All-American and four-time Big 12 conference champion while breaking school records to boot.

Yes, at 5’8 and 156 pounds, she’s that athletic. Her muscles are so prominent that she admits to her lats occasionally ripping sleeves.

“It’s amazing to see how one body looks from one sport to another,” she said.

That muscle development, along her with competitive nature, qualified McMillan for the London Olympics in 2012 in the heptathlon. But she caught the flu before the 800-meter race and finished a disappointing 29th.

“I wish I could have been like Michael Jordan in game five [of the

1997 NBA finals],” she says wistfully, “but I finished my heptathlon in the 2012 Olympics and that’s what I take from it overall.”

Switching it up

McMillan’s life has changed significantly since London. Her 64-year-old father — always present at her track meets — died in August 2015 from appendectomy complications. She then failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Two bright spots, however, came when the athlete married Devon Langhorst in the spring of 2018 and baby Otto arrived that October. Just a year later, her husband graduated Army warrant officer training and is now a helicopter pilot at Fort Rucker, Alabama, near where the Langhorsts now live.

But before all of that came ESPN’s famous Body Issue in 2015. When McMillan first read the email asking her to participate in the photoshoot — in which world-class athletes pose nude while performing their sport — she thought it was fake.

“It was crazy, because that’s always been on my bucket list!” she admits. “I called my parents to get their approval right away. It was a nobrainer for me, but I wanted to have their support.”

She got both the support and artsy shots of her high-jumping naked in the Southern California desert. But by the end of 2016, McMillan felt burnt out on the heptathlon and made the switch to javelin.

“[The javelin] is so technically difficult; you can throw a great throw and the next time is like, whoa, you missed a degree when you released and it took two meters off your throw,” she said. “I like those little

details, the perfection of it.”

McMillan is “always” rehabbing a blown patellar tendon in her plant leg but says focusing on developing quadricep strength has helped. Her biggest test arrives in June, when she needs to throw 61.5 meters at the Olympic trials to qualify for Tokyo.

New trials, new event, new Olympics? No worries. McMillan’s already tackled the challenges of new mom and Army wife. She and Devon have designated Sunday check-ins where they discuss her workouts, his training and Otto’s latest achievements.

“It’s a balance,” she said. “It’s making sure I’m committed, that I know I can do it all. You’ve got to be a strong warrior throughout this process.”

And as all military members know, warriors have multiple weapons with which they can rise victorious.

Follow McMillan’s training and journey to the trials on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ chan_taemac.

A historic look at

the Fort

Lost in the Woods

By Sierra Redmond

Welcome to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. While the Army has dubbed it as ‘The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence,” the locals here affectionately nicknamed the area “Fort Lost in the Woods.” Located in the heart of I-44 between St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri, what this small town lacks in attractions, it makes up for in charm and

history. So, if you’re visiting the area for a military graduation or calling the place home for the next two to three years, here is everything you need to know about Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Fort Leonard Wood is a fairlyyoung military base. The post was created in December of 1940 as a

training post during World War II. Today, it is home to the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, the MP Regiment, CBRN, and Army engineers. Fort Leonard Wood also trains more than 82,000+ soldiers and civilians a year. For a small town, the Fort and surrounding cities have many historic landmarks to see.

Starting on post, if you are a history buff, then you will thoroughly enjoy visiting the on-post military museum with authentic war artifacts. This unique complex is an immersive experience open during the week, free of charge, and open to the public. It has three regimental museums: The U.S Army Military Police Corps Regimental Museum, U.S Army Engineer Museum and the U.S Army Chemical Corps Museum. For a full experience, try visiting all three and maybe pick up a gift from the shop to commemorate your visit. Right outside of the museum, you can find an authentic block of the Berlin Wall.

Another unique on-post experience is Memorial Grove. Take a stroll along the beautifully designed scenic path that pays homage to soldiers past and present. All three corps and regiments are represented with bronze statues, honorary bricks, plaques and benches to take it all in.

Adjacent to the Memorial Grove, visitors can also take in history at the World War II Complex. Here, you can get a glimpse into what soldiers lived like before and after WWII, and take a brief, self-guided tour of nostalgic Fort Leonard Wood buildings from its humble beginnings.

Off-post experiences

For those wanting to explore the surrounding community, Fort Leonard Wood borders the three neighboring cities of St. Robert, Waynesville and Plato. The St. Robert and Waynesville areas directly run the historic path of old route 66. In St. Robert, visitors can grab a meal at the Route 66 Diner or a quick stop to the road side attraction called Uranus. Here, you can sample the fudge factory, restaurants and novelty museums.

Just off post near Walmart, you’ll find a tribute to the local military community made of rocks painted by different regiments and built up into a stunning piece of art. Visitors from far and wide come to photograph the iconic display of Fort Leonard Wood’s strong military history.

In Waynesville, you’ll discover more nods to the historic route 66 with a stunningly painted mural in downtown Waynesville. Plus, themed dining options, shops, and museums. Tucked away close-by at Roubidoux Springs, scuba enthusiasts can take a dive adventure in Laughlin Park. It is open year-round.

The Fort Leonard Wood area is nothing short of a history buff’s dream. Each place from on-post to the surrounding cities offers something to do for every member of your military family. Whether you are looking to plan a getaway or are visiting Missouri, make sure to add this military community to your bucket list.

Women veterans face increased risk of homelessness

By Jennifer Barnhill

The number of homeless veterans has decreased by 48% since 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but the data does not take into account women veterans living on the streets because that information remains unknown. In addition to being a minority population, they are twice as likely to be single parents and are often denied the same services provided to male counterparts.

How does this happen?

“You go down a road when you become homeless. You don’t just wake up one day and get put out on the street,” Ginger Miller, disabled Navy veteran and Founder and CEO of Women Veterans Interactive, explained.

Miller and her husband, a Marine veteran, were homeless for nearly 18 months after separating from active duty.

“I was going to do 30 years in the Navy and I ended up getting a

medical discharge. From that point things just didn’t go right,” Miller said, adding that her husband found himself unemployed when a promised job opportunity fell through. “When that happened, his PTSD kicked into high gear.”

When veterans struggle during their transition from active duty to civilian life, blame is often the name of the game. Blaming the Transition Assistance Program for being a check-in-the-box program; or the VA

for a history of bureaucratic policies; or a lack of active-duty command support; or the often distractedwhile-in-mandatory-training service member themselves. However, no matter how pointed the training, timely the service, supportive the command and attentive the participant, if one of these areas is lacking, veterans suffer.

Evolving veteran population

Although the landscape of homeless non-profit agencies is littered with veteran-specific options, many of them do not offer adequate housing options for women, let alone those who have multiple children. Many female veterans are not utilizing homeless shelters, but instead favor couch surfing in order to keep their families together. The result is data that is collected on this subsection of the homeless population is missing or inaccurate.

According to a 2011 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress, HUD collects data on homeless women and on homeless veterans, but does not collect detailed information on homeless women veterans. Without detailed information to inform decision makers, women veterans are left without needed services.

Ohio Army National Guard veteran Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado, Founder and CEO GuideOn Education Consulting LLC, advocates for Final Salute Inc. Photo by Jarrod Thompson.

It is predicted the women veteran population will account for over 16% of all veterans by 2040. As the Department of Defense had to pivot after women were allowed to serve in 1948 , over 70 years later the VA has pivoted to evaluate what services are available to and designed for women.

In light of this gap in service, Miller launched WVI in 2012 to provide services to help other women veterans avoid homelessness.

“For me as a woman veteran, I didn’t know where to look for help, who to ask for help. I didn’t have the courage to ask for help. I went to school full-time and worked three jobs. I said to myself, ‘when I get back on my feet, I am going to dedicate my life’s work to supporting veterans,” she said.

However, it doesn’t always take struggling with housing insecurity to see the problem. Ohio Army National Guard veteran Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado advocates for Final Salute Inc . — a women veterans’ service organization specializing in combating homelessness.

“These are women who are possibly still working and find themselves homeless, who are couch hopping, sleeping in cars. The government does not have a way to fully capture that number. So, what we have is

an invisible homeless population. Unemployment is a major factor contributing to homelessness for women veterans,” GorbuljaMaldonado said.

Risk factors

Those who live in urban areas have become accustomed to seeing homeless men, women and even children asking for food and money at the stop light in front of the neighborhood grocery store. Some hold signs reading “Homeless Vet.” Some give, but most fidget with something in order to avert eye contact and keep on driving. We see their signs. But did we see the

warning signs that led them down the road to becoming homeless?

While every story of homelessness varies from individual to individual, Final Salute Inc. cites the following risk factors that contribute to housing instability:

• Unemployment

• Ineligibility for or lack of veteran benefits

• Legal trouble

• Military sexual trauma

• PTSD

• Disabilities

• Divorce/Separation

• Domestic violence

• Lack of family or social support network

• Substance abuse

Reducing the female homeless veteran population is possible with education, preparation and unity.

If you or someone you know is struggling with one or more of these issues and are facing homelessness, contact your local VA, research homeless shelters at https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org or connect with a veteran service organization at https://www.va.gov/homeless/nonvaresources.asp#five .

Don’t wait to ask for assistance.

Donate time or money to nonprofits that are helping those in need.

Fort Ord Army Base in Marina, California was closed in 1994. It no longer houses active-duty members, but has instead become a shelter for the local homeless population.

Ginger Miller with members of WVI.

At some point during your military career, you will make your final move—or at least, your final military move. Wallet Hub released a report comparing the 100 largest U.S. cities across 20 key metrics, ranging from share of military skill-related jobs to housing affordability to the availability of VA health facilities.

BEST CITIES FOR VETERANS

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-veterans/8156/