2020 MF OCTOBER

ENT Print Adaptation

You don’t have to look far to find someone that needs a helping hand during these times — and that someone may even be you. The pandemic has highlighted our strengths and weaknesses as a community, as a country, as a world. It’s actually quite overwhelming.

Parents are fighting a somewhat losing battle in trying to work, uphold new requirements for virtual and hybrid learning, and manage the typical day-to-day responsibilities while also make the best decisions for themselves and their families. Service members continue to be on the front lines of COVID-19 missions, deployments, and a new way of training. And, who can forget, it’s election season in a very divided America.

As we enter month seven of this snippet of our history, it still feels surreal, unreal and impossible. Now, more than ever, if you can’t be one of the helpers, look for the helpers like Katelyn Tinsley, an Air Force veteran and current spouse, who is featured on page 10. She experienced her own hardships throughout her military journey, so she turned that adversity into

action by starting Homefront Room Revival. The organization specifically works to improve the quality of life for junior enlisted.

It is easy to lose sight of your own needs right now. Luckily, there are tens of thousands of programs that support the community; in fact, this issue highlights a fraction of them. Leaning on the resources is no different than relying on the tools needed to complete your mission or job. Take care of you. You matter.

Bianca Letter from the Editor

The team of Homefront Room Revival organizes their warehouse of hidden treasures aboard Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Cover feature images by Jen Winebarger of Whimsy Day Photography

Andrea Downing Peck Stephen Ruiz Jimmy Norris Tiffany Eve Lawrence

Elizabeth Aslakson Jessica Manfre Shelley Levitt

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/

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

Editorial comments can be emailed to managing.editor@ameriforcemedia.com

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

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION

President and Publisher Todd Taranto

Managing Editor Bianca M. Strzalkowski

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by Andrea Downing Peck

by Bianca M. Strzalkowski

by Jimmy Norris

by Shelley Levitt

Digital Editor Lauren Lomsdale

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by Elizabeth Aslakson

Transition training for women veterans extended online

By AmeriForce Staff

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was updated from AmeriForce Media’s previous reporting.

The VA Women’s Health Transition Training (WHTT) is extended online through December 21.

The program is a collaborative effort between the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to educate service women on health care services available after military separation.

This course provides an in-depth discussion about:

• Female-specific health care including reproductive services, maternity care, mental health services, newborn care, and gynecological care and musculoskeletal care

• Eligibility for VA health care and how to enroll

• Resources available for service women during the military-tocivilian transition process

It is recommended that service women take the training roughly 12-18 months out from transition, and it can be taken more than once. It should be completed in addition to the DOD Transition Assistance Program , a spokesperson for WHTT says.

Maj. Alea Nadeem and Dr. Nancy Maher.

Photo by Emma McAlary Photography.

“The WHTT is supplementary to what the TAP program is designed to be and it’s just more of a deep dive and more than just an overview of women’s health services that are available. So, there’s five phases — and the third phase is all about women’s health services. The biggest vantage is it goes over every single health resource that a woman could want and it’s a women veteran that answers questions over live format.”

The training team initially transitioned to the condensed virtual format of roughly two-anda-half hours in response to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions. Nancy Maher, program manager of WHTT, says the live online setting still contains core elements such as differences between the military and VA healthcare systems.

“We talk about how in the military healthcare system everything is regimented, like ‘you will come in at this date and time to have this vaccination’, etc.; whereas when you’re in the VA, it’s more like the private sector in that the onus is on you to seek out your healthcare and adjust your healthcare needs,” Maher said. “Then we do a really deep dive for healthcare services available for women at the VA: reproductive health, primary care, specialty care and getting really deep into the benefits in terms of infertility treatments, adoption, etc. and … some of the deployment health-related conditions that service women might experience more frequently than their civilian counterparts.”

Because of the comprehensive nature of the topics, there is a companion workbook with further explanation on services.

A bonus feature of the virtual format is a women veteran’s program manager is available

during the training to answer any questions and provide additional insight. These WVPMs have unique knowledge on the services and offerings to women by women, and they serve as advocates.

Maher sees added benefits in the women-only class.

“(It) allows for a freer discussion and a more safer environment

where people can really discuss gender-specific healthcare issues and needs,” she said.

All service women are encouraged to register and attend any virtual training. Participants are not limited to trainings in their own time zone.

Go to  https://www.va.gov/ womenvet/whtt/  to register for an upcoming training.

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Nicholas Sparks’ new novel focuses on sailor with PTSD

By Bianca M. Strzalkowski

After 25 years of writing novels, best-selling author Nicholas Sparks said his latest book took him to a place he’s never been.

“The Return” is about a sailor, Trevor Benson, who moves back to his native New Bern, North Carolina, after being injured in a mortar blast in Afghanistan. Though it is a fictional story, Sparks says he spoke to post-9/11 veterans to ensure the character’s experience was authentic.

“I had to have a lot of conversations with veterans who were suffering from PTSD, and more than that they had to be honest conversations and there had to be a level of trust and openness on their part to discuss the consequences and challenges associated with PTSD. I probably had conversations with no less than nine or 10 different veterans who served in various capacities overseas,” Sparks said. “It was remarkable to me that everyone’s story had certain similarities but each one was specifically unique. I spoke to people who had tremendous survival guilt. I spoke to people who had difficulty escaping from the nightmare of some horrific injury. I spoke with people whose hands shook regularly, years after they returned from Iraq or Afghanistan.”

The process of writing a novel can take anywhere from one day to 10 years, Sparks says, with “The Return”

entailing roughly a year’s time from writing to editing to the final product.

A common element of military service can be found throughout Sparks’ novels, including the wellknown story of “The Notebook” — a romantic drama later adapted to a film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams who played roles from World War II. Showcasing characters with a military affiliation isn’t solely because of the author’s home being co-located near Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, but also because of familial connections to the Armed Forces.

“Many people in my family have served in the military. The military has been just part of my upbringing since I’ve been a young child and they’ve served in all branches … I’ve always been appreciative of the sacrifice that my family members have shown to uphold the values of our country and I’m appreciative for everybody in uniform who serves. It’s just part of my life.”

Research is a core component of the process Sparks uses to create a character who feels “unique and yet universal.” While bringing Trevor Benson to life in “The Return,” Sparks says it took him to emotional destinations unknown to him.

“There is an element as a novelist at which you have to dive into

this particular character’s head, so when I was writing and creating the character of Trevor Benson I had to dive into the mind of someone who’s an orthopedic surgeon who gets blown up essentially in Afghanistan in a horrific mortar accident. And this not only happened to him, but it blew up the person that he thought he would be. He had spent — like most physicians he wanted to be a doctor for years and years and years — 15 years of his life toward undergraduate school, residency, a fellowship in orthopedic surgery, and then all at once, in the blink of an eye, all of that was taken away.”

“The Return” explores who a person becomes after war injury leads them on another path, a discovery process Sparks said he wanted to follow.

Want to read more of our interview with the bestselling author? Go to https:// militaryfamilies.com/militaryveterans/nicholas-sparks-newnovel-focuses-on-sailor-with-ptsd/.

The book is currently available for purchase with major book retailers and Nicholas Sparks will be hosting a number of events, including book signings. Visit www.nicholassparks.com to learn more.

Photo credit: James Quantz Photography

A house will not feel like a home when a mattress pad doubles as your bed, but that was Air Force spouse Emily Davis’ introduction to military family life.

“It was hard because I didn’t have friends or family nearby,” said Davis, whose husband Joseph was assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base after completing training. “I didn’t feel like I was a part of the base. My mom had gotten us a couch and coffee table, but we basically had nothing. For six months, we slept on a mattress pad on top of carpet.”

The couple’s spartan existence ended when Davis was introduced to Homefront Room Revival Their house’s empty spaces were transformed using home décor

By Andrea Downing Peck

backpack on” and then going into debt buying furniture to make her military house feel like a home after marrying her active-duty spouse.

“A lot of military families come into the service like I did with next to nothing and really aren’t connected into resources or creative outlets to cope,” Tinsley explains. “Many feel isolated and struggle with adjusting to military life. Through our program, we’re able to pull them into the studio to connect with others who have gone through similar experiences as they work on creating pieces for their homes side by side.”

Davis credits Homefront Room Revival with doing more than making over her home.

plucked from the curb of the North Carolina base and then repurposed and reimagined by Emily and program volunteers.

Homefront Room Revival is the “passion project” of Air Force veteran and military spouse Katelyn Tinsley, who formed the 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2016. Tinsley recalls joining the Air Force “with no more than a

“They blessed me with so many things I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to get for myself like lamps so I can read next to my bed,” says Davis, who now volunteers with Homefront. “They thought of all the small things that would help me feel like I had a home. On top of that, I made my best friends at Homefront. They are like my family here in North Carolina.”

While Homefront Room Revival teaches furniture upcycling and DIY skills, Tinsley points out its mission is to build resiliency and interconnectedness within the military community. An added

* All photos by Jenna Winebarger

bonus is the program keeps thousands of pounds of discarded furniture out of community landfills. Partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and small businesses cement ties to the local civilian community as well.

“[Homefront] ends up being a soft entry to traditional resources,” Tinsley said. “The military has tons of resources available to families but not all of them are really approachable. Our entire program puts a fun-face forward where it feels like a safe space to ask for help.”

Homefront Room Revival’s core project, Furnish Hope, is open to Seymour Johnson families E-5 and below. The program has refurbished 82 rooms for more than 50 service members while hundreds more have participated in open art studio time, workshops and life-skills socials. Each December, Dec’ the Deployment not only decorates homes of military families and single service members but also delivers a dose of holiday spirit.

Tinsley, whose five years in the Air Force included assignments spanning mental health services and sexualassault-victim advocacy, is convinced creative arts can inspire healing in the midst of chaos. She recalls being pregnant with her second child when her husband deployed and being unable to muster energy to put up a Christmas tree for their daughter. She pulled herself out of her funk by repurposing thrift store furniture and items found during “curb alerts,” when PCSing military families discard unwanted items curbside.

After separating from the Air Force and obtaining an MBA, Tinsley founded Homefront Room Revival from her Goldsboro garage, hosting get-togethers where military families repurposed furniture while learning

upcycling skills and thrifting tips. As the program grew, Homefront moved from Tinsley’s garage to a community art studio. Today, the nonprofit has a permanent home in Seymour Johnson’s new Connect 4 building, a military families’ coop housing Homefront’s studio and warehouse, Airmen’s Attic, Cinderella’s Closet and a food pantry.

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Tinsley’s goal is to build Homefront Room Revival into a model that can be replicated across the Air Force and all military branches.

“Life experiences can drive you to your passion and you find your purpose,” she said. “For me, that was creating this program to help others struggling to better cope.”

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NAVY

to build legacy teaches players COACH

By Stephen Ruiz

Early during Carin Gabarra’s coaching career at Navy, it was not uncommon for her to pack several small orange cones for running sprints.

They were not for her players.

Gabarra, a key piece of Team USA’s gold-medal-winning squad in the first Olympic Games that included women’s soccer in 1996, kept her spot on the national team after the academy hired her. She needed the practice.

“Sometimes you would look out of a window on the seventh floor of a hotel and look down, and she’s doing sprints back and forth, using the parking-lot lines as her lines,’’ said Rob Blanck, in his 26th year as an assistant coach at Navy. “Nothing fazes her. She’s as resilient of a human being that I’ve ever known in my life.’’

Navy hired Gabarra in 1993 as it sought to promote women’s soccer to an NCAA-sanctioned sport. She is

the Patriot League’s all-time leader in victories and has led Navy to at least a share of the conference title 10 times, including an outright championship in 2019. Four of those seasons ended in the NCAA Tournament.

The Patriot League canceled fall sports because of the coronavirus pandemic, but Navy was granted an exemption and may try to play an abbreviated non-conference schedule.

“Starting from scratch and finding recruits and going out and watching them play, it takes a lot to build, because the kids who were on the team when I got here didn’t come to play soccer,’’ Gabarra said. “I had to get certain recruits and get in athletes who wanted to do this, along with attending the Naval Academy. It’s a mind shift.’’

Gabarra (nee Jennings) arrived at Navy after previous stints as the head coach at Westmont College in California and as an assistant at Harvard. Kerry Kuykendall, who played club soccer at Navy in the early 1990s, was from Gabarra’s hometown and mentioned her to school officials as a viable coaching candidate as they sought to grow the sport.

It was a good match.

“There weren’t just that many programs in the United States at that point, ... and now it has just evolved so much,’’ Gabarra said.

Gabarra was undaunted by the challenge of building a successful program at an institution with such high standards. She has faced longer odds.

Women’s soccer did not enjoy anywhere near the popularity it has achieved in the United States before Gabarra and other Hall of Fame players such as Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Julie Foudy arrived on the national pitch.

Gabarra, a forward, was chosen the most outstanding player of the first Women’s World Championship (which became the World Cup) in 1991. She was selected to the sport’s all-century team in 1999.

“I’m a purist of the game,’’ Gabarra said.

Not that she shines a spotlight on her credentials.

Cadie Higginson graduated in May after playing four seasons at Navy.

During her recruitment, she was unaware of Gabarra’s accomplishments.

Then a friend suggested she Google Gabarra.

“It was like, ‘World champion. MVP. Olympic. All of this stuff,’’’ said Higginson, who plans to study for a year at Oxford before joining

the Marines. “And I just came in intimidated by her, and then you meet her. She’s just the most down-to-earth person you could possibly meet.’’

Entering her 28th season at Navy — only men’s golf coach Pat Owen, who arrived in 1991, has been there longer — Gabarra wants her players to build their own legacy. That’s why a sheet of paper is left in each player’s locker, chronicling the players who have worn her number in program history.

It’s a reminder of how the past is linked to the present.

SSGT Ray Rangel – U.S. Air Force

CPL Robert M. Weber – U.S. Marine Corps SMSGT Robert S. Cannon – Air National Guard

“Every year feels like new,’’ Gabarra said. “It’s never the same thing because of the difference in players and people coming in. I’ve just been fortunate that I’ve stayed in one place for so long.’’

Museum explores WWI’s global impact, today’s legacy

By Susan Malandrino

Where does a museum collection begin? How do curators tell humanity’s most complicated stories? For more than 100 years, the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri has asked and answered these questions about the Great War and its enduring impact.

From the first shots fired in 1914 to the last attempts at peace in 1919, the museum showcases firsthand accounts from the battlefield and the home front. At the museum, the conflict comes alive with more than 300,000 artifacts, objects and documents — one of the world’s largest collections.

Today’s legacy

“The cataclysm that was World War I was the defining moment of the 20th century,” Senior Curator Doran Cart said. Yet to many Americans, this conflict is a muddled, confusing clash of powers overshadowed by World War II.

For Cart, WWI remains important because it is the start to so many of the important challenges of our modern era. From the conflicts and civil wars in the Middle East, to the present challenges of Russia and Ukraine, to immigration issues and rising isolationist tendencies around the globe, the links can be traced to WWI.

“You cannot talk about today’s problems without finding the connections,” he said.

Innovation on and off the battlefield

The lasting ramifications of this conflict continue today as does the innovation discovered in medical and military fields.

Cart shared how medical practices, including advanced techniques in the treatment of head trauma were first developed during this conflict. For the first time, antiseptics were developed to clean wounds, soldiers were taught about hygiene and blood banks were used. In France, vehicles became mobile X-ray units, surgeons were drafted in closer to the frontline and hospital trains evacuated casualties.

“So many of these lessons learned are relevant in war zones today,” Cart said.

In terms of the mechanics of war, this conflict brought about the use of airplanes and tanks in conflict,

machine guns and chemical war. All items that are relevant to later conflicts in the 20th century and today.

100 years of collecting

The museum’s latest exhibits, “100 Years of Collecting” and “100 Years of Collecting Art” showcase an exhaustive number of objects and documents that have never been displayed. Highlights including a formal court frock coat and vest worn by Imperial Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph’s personal household staff and aides, 100+ year-old soldier-issued hardtack (hard bread) and a sign from 1942 indicating the memorial would be closed due to potential threats of WWII-related sabotage.

Another item of interest is the lectern used by President Calvin Coolidge at the Nov. 11, 1926 dedication of what eventually became the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Coolidge spoke before 150,000 people — the largest crowd a U.S. president had ever addressed.

More stories equal more understanding

The museum has recently acquired a unique and beautifully made Russian woman’s coat.

“Her insignia indicate that she was a machine gun unit commander and the coat is amazing in that it has survived over 100 years with all the turmoil and later history of Russia,” Cart said.

“Women’s history in WWI has been one of the long-overlooked aspect of the war and this piece helps greatly in writing another chapter in the history. It also contributes to our future planning needs of acquisitions for the museum in three specific areas: women of all nations involved in the war, minorities and indigenous peoples.”

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Global conflict

“The founders of our museum knew the importance of the global story,” Cart said noting that nearly 20 countries/empires across the world are represented in the exhibition.

Items from the around the globe have been collected, including from the Austro-Hungarian empire, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Ottoman Empire, Romania, Russia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Countries that were neutral during the conflict — Mexico, Spain and Sweden — are also represented as they supplied items that were used at some point during the conflict.

Visiting the museum

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum has modified their

policies to adapt to social distancing and health and safety protocols. The museum is offering limited access timed tickets and recommending social distancing and mask wearing practices during visits.

“We tell people to maintain the distance of a 1917 Harley Davidson motorcycle, which we happen to have on display, and is nearly six feet in length,” Cart said.

Can’t make it to Kansas City? The museum has made a variety of online resources available for teachers, students and the general public.

Both exhibitions run until March 7, 2021 and are included with general admission to the museum and memorial. More information can be found at https://www.theworldwar.org

Photos courtesy of the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

WORKSHOPS FOR WARRIORS

TRAINS VETERANS FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

By Jimmy Norris

Workshops for Warriors started with a handful of wounded service members in a 400-sqaure foot garage. Twelve years later it’s poised to become the world’s largest training facility for advanced manufacturing.

Despite the meteoric growth, founder and CEO Hernán Luis y Prado said he’d never had an interest in manufacturing. The 15-year Navy veteran had planned a 40-year career. This changed in 2008 when he started visiting National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. There, he saw wounded warriors dealing with terrible conditions. He described service members living in tunnels

while waiting for hospital rooms in facilities that weren’t designed for a sudden influx of survivors.

“These Marines that were used to jumping out of helicopters were just languishing in bed for days after days just waiting for physical therapy that came once a week,” Prado said. “And the docs that would come by every week and say ‘hey next week you’re going home.’ And that would go on for 30, 40, 50 weeks. That was just soul crushing.”

The final straw came during a trip to the local mall where Prado ran into a friend he’d served with in Iraq. Since they’d last seen each other,

“Here I was a tough guy, combat vet …,” Prado said. “I grabbed my wife as I sank to the deck and I said ‘we’re going to sell everything. We’ve got to do something.’ My wife, to her eternal credit, said, ‘yes we are.’ I loved the Navy and I would’ve stayed there forever. But I had to do something. I was so tired of seeing my friends dying of suicide and just being lost. These are guys that I had served with and they were hyper-capable, hypercompetent. All the sudden they would just be hollowed-out versions of themselves that were drifting aimlessly into the shadows.”

Prado’s friend had stepped on a landmine and lost both legs.

Prado started what would eventually become Workshops for Warriors by inviting service members receiving treatment in Bethesda to his home to hang out. He said they loved to tinker in his garage. This got him thinking about next steps. Most of the service members being treated in Bethesda were only there for four to six months. This ruled out apprenticeships which can take up to 10,000 hours to complete, he said, and college degrees which can take years. Professional credentials, on the other hand, are stackable and portable, he added.

Next, Prado developed partnerships with multiple U.S. manufacturers to get the equipment, supplies and instructors. As a lieutenant in the Navy he didn’t make enough to cover the costs.

“Fortunately, we got some incredible companies that donated time, tools, software and connected us with other people,” Prado said. “Little-by-little we started moving forward.”

Prado’s next move was to take his last Navy assignment in San Diego, California. He said he did this because more people leave the service there – 17,000 a year – than anywhere else in the country.

The current Workshops for Warriors facility takes up three city blocks in San Diego and includes housing and dining facilities for students. A $148 million expansion is slated for next year.

Since 2008, 760 veterans and transitioning service members have graduated from Workshops For Warriors. Prado said 95% of the program’s graduates receive job placements with an average salary of $60,000 a year.

Courses are open to honorably discharged veterans and transitioning service members who are within six months of separation. Students take four-month courses in advanced manufacturing, welding fabrication or machine repair. The $25,000 tuition can be covered by the G.I. Bill. For those don’t have access to the G.I Bill, scholarships are available, Prado said.

Each course is coupled with opportunities to gain nationally recognized credentials in welding, machining, computer aided design, computer aided manufacturing and more. Programs are accredited through the Bureau of Private and Post-Secondary Education, American Welding Society and the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.

Prado said most students have between four and eight written job offers prior to graduation. The only shortcoming he sees in his program is its capacity for students. Workshops for Warriors currently has the ability to teach 162 students per year. But the organization receives seven to ten times that many applications, according to Prado.

To deal with this, there are plans in the works for a train the trainer program and eventual expansion into other locations throughout the country.

Prado said Workshops for Warriors is almost as beneficial to manufacturers as it is to veterans and transitioning service members.

“You have no idea how desperate employers are for properly-trained machinery repair technicians,” he said.

Prado said there are 2.4 million advanced manufacturing jobs in the United States currently unfilled due to a lack of skilled labor. That number is projected to rise to 4.8 million over the next ten years.

“If you couple that with the fact that the median age of manufacturing workers today is 57 years old, in 10 years, who is going to build our ships, our aircraft, our bridges, our buildings,” Prado asked. “We cannot allow our manufacturing capability and our economic resiliency to be outsourced to China.”

Service members or honorably discharged veterans can apply for entry wfw.org.

TIPS FOR BUDGETING

By Lauren Lomsdale

As the holidays get closer, many military families find themselves looking for ways to save money and budget appropriately for the upcoming holiday season. Random COVID impulse purchases, a downward spiraling economy, job loss, and purchases related to a new homeschooling or virtual schooling curriculum can leave people, financially, in a different place than they were in years past.

So how do you try to save and budget for this holiday season when your finances may have taken unexpected hits because of the coronavirus pandemic? Financial expert and military spouse Lacey Langford from The Military Money Expert says there are three things you should evaluate when you start budgeting for the holidays: your current holiday savings, the total amount you want to spend for the holidays, and who is on your list.

“Knowing how much you have to spend is the jumping-off point for your budget,” Langford said. “Then you can look at [ways to save] between now and Christmas.”

You will also want to examine how much you want to spend for the holidays. You can do this by looking at your current savings account balance. Subtract the amount you want to

keep in savings as your emergency and investment amounts to find your total holiday shopping budget. Once you have that number, you can write down the people on your holiday shopping gift list, and assign each person an amount of money you would like to spend on them. “[When you] know who you’re buying for it makes it easy to firm up your spending budget,” says Langford.

“Save money every month, starting in January. … Set up an automatic $100 transfer from your checking to your savings at the beginning of the month. By the time November rolls around, you’ll have $1,100 to holiday shop with,” Langford suggests.

But don’t fret — if you aren’t that organized with your holiday budgeting this year, you can still do some things to help you save some cash for the next several weeks:

Don’t procrastinate: Shop sales when you see them. You can even do this throughout the year.

Use apps like Qube Money that utilizes the popular envelope system or Tiller that helps you budget throughout the year.

Cancel your cable or streaming services.

Honey and Rakuten are two websites that offer cash back for purchases made on other sites — even Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Target participate

“Don’t forget to use your military benefits when shopping for the holidays,” Langford said.

Shop My Exchange, Id.Me.Shop, and GovX are all military-specific and provide discounts or lists of companies that give a military discounts online.

The military exchanges also offer a new layaway program as well. Layaway not only helps you pay for what you can manage in a certain timeframe, but also allows you to stick to your monthly budget. There are several different options for layaway, from 30 days for clothing and handbags up to 120 days on fine jewelry. A deposit purchase of

$25 and 15% of the item’s purchase price, plus service fees are required to put your items on layaway at any military exchange. You can find out more information by visiting the Exchange website at https://www.aafes.com/exchangestores/layaway

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UnitedHealthcare vision coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, located in Hartford, Connecticut, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, located in Islandia, New York, or their affiliates. Administrative services provided by Spectera, Inc., United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. Plans sold in Texas use policy form number VPOL.06.TX or VPOL.13.TX and associated COC form number VCOC.INT.06.TX or VCOC. CER.13.TX. Plans sold in Virginia use policy form number VPOL.06.VA or VPOL.13.VA and associated COC form number VCOC.INT.06.VA or VCOC.CER.13.VA. This policy has exclusions, limitations and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For costs and complete details of the coverage, contact either your broker or the company.

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FORMER HOMELESS SPOUSE NOW AIDS OTHERS IN SAME SITUATION

By Tiffany Eve Lawrence

An Army spouse has found her purpose after overcoming homelessness and creating her own organization that gives back.

When Marla Bautista was 18 years old, she was thrown out of her home by her abusive step-father with only a trash bag of clothes and a teddy bear that belonged to her deceased mother. For almost two years, she lived a transient lifestyle staying in shelters, with friends and on the streets. It was the generosity of a local catholic church that changed the trajectory of Bautista’s life.

“There were volunteers who handed out sandwich bags with hygiene items and they didn’t want anything from us. It was just ‘this is for you because you need it.’ And that was something that truly touched my heart. I promised myself that if I ever overcame that situation of homelessness that I would do the same,” she said.

Bautista and her husband, Staff Sgt. Ulisses Bautista, started serving their community as a family in 2011 and would later become The Bautista Project Inc . They began by using their own funds to distribute meals and hygiene bags for the homeless. Their nonprofit now provides basic living essentials, educational resources, support groups, veterans services and community resources for reintegration.

The impact they’ve created near their assigned duty stations has fostered an environment where the homeless can feel like they belong. With this, PCS’ing affects the Bautistas differently.

“Every time we move, we feel like we are leaving a community behind,” she said. But due to the vast amount of homeless in the U.S., there is always a new part of the community to impact.

In the state of Florida alone there are over 28,000 homeless Americans, of which 1500 are local to Hillsborough County in Tampa where the Bautistas currently reside. Although homelessness in America has decreased by 12% since 2007, according to the National Society to End Homelessness, there are still over 567,000 homeless people in the US.

The Bautistas have served the homeless population in Germany, Colorado Springs, New York and now Tampa.

Within a week of PCS’ing to south Florida, they were volunteering in a shelter.

“We have to reintegrate ourselves in that new community,” she adds, and consistency matters. Her entire family goes out twice a month with meals and care packages, and instead of giving and going, they sit and interact with the locals in need. They get to know them and eventually build friendships.

In 2018 Bautista, with a desire to do more, began reaching out to her fellow military spouses and Facebook friends. With their help her nonprofit has been able to provide winter jackets, gift a color printer to a shelter, create a small library of free books, raise funds to host a Christmas party at a homeless shelter getting what she calls “real gifts” for the attendees and shelter volunteers, and distribute disposable masks. They also continue to collect uniforms to make belonging blankets for homeless youth in group homes or shelter setting.

The Army has been a vehicle allowing them to help in different parts of the world and Bautista’s husband shares her passion for giving to those in need, to include homeless veterans. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs reports that as of January 2019 there were 37,085 homeless veterans in the U.S.

Bautista doesn’t judge any of them. She says, “We’ve all fallen on hard times before. It just looks different for everyone.”

One simple thing that she says anyone can do to start giving back is to purchase four $5 gift cards at an essentials store or fast food restaurant.

“That’s just $20 and you can hand those out,” she says, adding that something this small can provide a meal for a person and the act can change their life.

Military families in Poland

By Elizabeth Aslakson

Accept the challenges and embrace the adventure.

That’s the advice of Lt. Col. Andrew Hess and his wife, Cymatha, for military families heading to Poland is. They are among one of the first to be stationed at NATO Headquarters in Elblag, following the 2016 Summit in Warsaw.

“Poland captured a piece of my heart,” Cymantha said after experiencing the spirit of the people.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed this sentiment last year when he announced, “Our alliance cannot be at full strength without robust contributions from all allies. President Trump is grateful for Poland’s leadership in contributing its fair share to our common defense.”

Consequently, in August 2020, Pompeo finalized the redeployment of American troops from Germany to Poland, adding to the 4,500 service members already there. Most troops are on a nine-month rotational basis without families, but the Hesses lived there for two years.

Cymantha explained because there wasn’t an American base nearby, including DODEA schools, they lived 90 minutes west of the headquarters so their children could attend the British International School of Gdansk. Additional limits included the ability to work as a civilian.

“It was possible to work on the economy and maintain a [Status of Forces Agreement] status, but your employer had to be willing to file for your work permit. It is a costly

and lengthy process,” she said

However, challenges didn’t keep them from making the most of their assignment. In Gdansk, many Poles speak fluent English, making

interactions easy. For example, Cymantha didn’t hesitate to call specialists, including care for her thyroid condition, knee surgery, trips to the ER, and mental health services.

“We had no communication issues and facilities were modern and clean,” she said. “Poland is also amazingly cheap.”

For example, for a family of four, our grocery bill was less than $100 a week and $30 to dine out.

Cymantha also elaborated on her children’s unique academic experiences, explaining her son loved all the outdoor extracurricular activities and her daughter attended an acting workshop in Oxford, England.

Potential drawbacks included class size and the European model of education. As Hess’ children progressed, there were fewer students in each grade, limiting peer circles. In addition, teenagers must attend designated vocational schools based on testing, narrowing academic opportunities.

Other guidance Cymantha gave involved transportation. Though

critical infrastructure was expansive and accessible, “Getting a car wasn’t easy and I suggest incoming families do not consider purchasing a vehicle in Poland under current conditions.”

Other than that, Cymantha had no issues.

“It was easy to have visitors. My sisters and niece came to visit twice. They all fell in love with Poland,” she explained.

Overall, though it was difficult being one of the few Americans in the country, Cymantha looked back fondly on her time in Poland because she engaged with others. She reiterated the importance of incoming military families immersing into the community to prevent isolation.

“In the U.S. and prior duty stations, our life was hectic ... [But] in Poland our life was simple, and family centered,” she said. “Poland was a breath of fresh air. The people love Americans. I have never felt more welcome. Most people tried to speak English and once they found out we were military, would display admiration for our service. They want us there. Poland has a turbulent history and the American presence gives them peace of mind.”

Also stationed at NATO Headquarters, Lt. Col. Jeff and Nina Byrd lived in a nearby suburb for nearly three years with their daughters. In many respects, the Byrd’s time in Poland was like the Hess’ experience.

However, the lack of an American support structure was an obstacle for Nina, especially with there being more of a language barrier in Elblag. Plus, it wasn’t until April 2020 when a family readiness group became

functional out of Szczecin — a seven-hour drive from Elblag.

Another concern Nina discussed was the school. Elblag had one option — a private school that taught in Polish. She explained their older daughter learned Polish quickly but their youngest “struggled the whole 2 ½ years” they were there.

Nina also described difficulties getting medical care despite having access to a NATO translator.

“We had some bad experiences … [So] our neighbors introduced us to an on-call doctor who spoke some English and was willing to see us,” Nina said.

As a result, she expressed appreciation for the support received from Polish friends.

Finally, both spouses expressed the value of military friendships during the challenging assignment. Cymantha reached out to spouses coming into the country, such as Nina. And Nina, in turn, helped families arriving in greater numbers in Elblag. Consequently, Nina mirrored Cymantha’s statement about life in Poland.

“Between friendships created, the amazing work-life balance, and the graciousness of the Polish people, I had the most memorable two years of my life,” she said.

BUSINESSES THAT GIVE BACK ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL

By Jessica Manfre — SPONSORED

Philanthropy and service to others has been proven to create better outcomes all around. For some businesses, this approach simply involves writing a check. Caliber Home Loans is doing it a little differently, choosing instead to dive deep into communities with boots on the ground.

For Bryan Bergjans, Senior Vice President of Military Lending for Caliber, service has been ingrained from a young age. It’s the reason he initially enlisted in the Navy and continues that service today as an officer in the reserves.

“Five years ago, when the commitment was made to the military and veteran demographic from the top down at Caliber, the vision and strategy were to do it through community engagement,” he said.

Rather than only focusing on standard marketing and advertising, Caliber plants roots within the community and makes relationships its priority. Bergjans explained that through doing this, you can organically build a loyal customer base that sees the genuineness in what you are doing and that will gravitate toward you for business.

“We have people doing fantastic things all across the country. They focus on their backyard, which is the right thing to do. They see the results of their giving. Your volunteer time is worth more than cash,” Bergjans said.

While Caliber donates to several nonprofits, its branches throughout the country invests much of its time and energy into the local community’s needs. It’s advice that Bergjans wants to share with other business as well.

“Focus on organizations that were created to help support the mission you want to support. People will see you rolling up your sleeves doing whatever it takes to make lives better. The rest is will follow,” he explained.

This doesn’t necessarily mean those in the business world should dive in without thinking or planning. Bergjans recommends they explore taking part in things they are passionate about.

“You should never want to do community outreach if your main intent is to get business for yourself in the long run. That will bleed

through fast, and the commitment just isn’t there. You have to be sincere in your commitment,” he said.

Bergjans shared that those in the business world need to remember that people are naturally looking for connection. In his experience, when a customer looks for a mortgage broker, realtor or other business and sees a professional on scene who’s heavily involved in the community, putting people first — they’ll be more apt to choose them.

“We [Caliber Home Loans] started that process a long time ago; we never wanted the integrity of our commitments to be called into question. Our credibility and sincerity towards the military community bleeds through to the extent that other organizations want to partner with us,” he explained.

Many say that those who lead lives filled with kindness at the forefront are happier and more successful in life. Being a business committed to doing the right thing for the right reasons can result in a positive company culture and happy employees and the business will be better for it too.

Bakery serves up more than pastries for militaryaffiliated entrepreneurs

By Shelley Levitt

Dog Tag Bakery is justly renowned for its butterscotch blondies and buttery cinnamon buns. But the Washington, D.C., shop has a mission that goes far beyond turning out stellar baked goods. In partnership with nearby Georgetown University, Dog Tag runs a nonprofit fellowship program that operates as a living business school for post-9/11 veterans with service-connected disabilities, as well as for military spouses and caregivers.

Twice a year, between 14 and 16 fellows go through the fivemonth program, which combines academics and hands-on small business experience. Fellows take seven courses that cover business basics, including finance, strategy, marketing, management and communications. Those courses are taught by Georgetown faculty in a classroom above the bakery.

Meanwhile, on the floor of the bakery itself, fellows learn a wide range of practical skills, like how to decorate a cake, interact with customers, and manage a budget. For their capstone project, they work in small teams to develop a new product that will be sold in the bakery, going through the steps of testing recipes, sourcing ingredients and developing a marketing plan.

Wellness is a cornerstone of the fellowships with daily workshops in mindfulness, journaling, nutrition and yoga. And, to relieve financial barriers to participating in the program, fellows receive a $1,400 monthly stipend, as well as a laptop for use during the program.

Claire Witko, Dog Tag’s director of programs, says the fellowship is designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. “That includes,” she says, “understanding

that failure is an unavoidable part of forging a successful path forward, and that learning how to rebound and find creative solutions to challenges are essential skills.”

The aim of the program, however, isn’t to groom the next Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey.

“We don’t define success,” Witko said. “Our fellows discover their own definition of success. It’s about finding purpose and voice.”

Fellows who complete the program earn a Certificate of Business Administration from Georgetown. Many find themselves transformed.

“Alumni often emerge completely different people,” Witko said. “They have new confidence; they know what they want and how to pursue it.”

That was certainly the case for Adela Wilson, a 2019 Dog Tag fellow. The wife of an Air Force veteran who was medically retired in 2007, the 51-year-old mother of three sons had resettled her family in several cities in the Middle East and Europe during her husband’s 15-year military career. In each new city, she’d forged a career for herself in sales. But back home in Virginia,

acting as her husband’s full-time caretaker, she felt she’d lost her sense of identity and, she says, her “edge.”

“Getting accepted into the fellowship was lifechanging,” Wilson said. “The program is like drinking through a firehose. It’s so intense and fast-paced.”

She loved every minute of it, from the improv workshops and a visit to Capitol Hill where the Dog Tag fellows had meetings with Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, to “living labs” where executives from corporations like Boeing, Nestle and Capital One mentor fellows on soft skills like delivering an elevator pitch or understanding your personality style.

Today, Wilson works as a career transitions specialist at the Wounded Warrior Project, helping veterans overcome barriers to employment.

“I feel like I’m really making a difference and I absolutely love my job,” she said.

BY THE NUMBERS

Since it began its fellowship program in 2014, Dog Tag Inc. has enrolled 148 Fellows across 12 cohorts, or classes.

Here’s a look at who these fellows are:

Age (at time of enrollment)

18-24: 3%

25-31: 24%

32-38: 24%

39-45: 22%

A favorite word at Dog Tag, Wilson says, is “pivot”— fellows are encouraged to be flexible and open to new goals as their circumstances and passions change. When COVID-19 struck, the organization had to do some pivoting of its own, taking the fellowship classes and workshops virtual.

“We’ve learned how to bring the experience of being in the kitchen to Zoom,” Wilson said. “The fall fellowship will be completely virtual and we’re beginning to explore hybrid models — a combination of in-person and remote elements — for the post-COVID world.”

Meanwhile, the bakery itself has reopened for business. Featured on the menu is a specialty created by some recent fellows as their capstone project: freshly baked bread pudding topped with homemade caramel and a drizzle of chocolate. Success, as the saying goes, is sweet.

For more information on Dog Tag Inc., including how to apply for the fellowship program, visit https://www.dogtaginc.org/ fellowship .

46-52: 22%

53 and older: 5%

Gender

Male: 41%

Female: 59%

Service*

Service-disabled veterans: 72%

Military spouses: 34%  Military caregivers: 10%  Translators: 2%

Branch affiliation*

Army: 56%

Air Force: 14%

Navy:19%

Marine Corps: 11%

Coast Guard: 3%

*Some totals exceed 100% because fellows fall into multiple categories, such as a fellow who’s both a veteran and a military spouse, or who has served in more than one branch of the military.

By AmeriForce Staff

Organizations adapted quickly to current restrictions for in-person service opportunities by finding ways for volunteers to still make an impact online. Here are a few of the ways you can make a difference from home:

The American Red Cross uses digital volunteers to assist its social engagement team in monitoring conversations of disaster-affected people, sharing updates on resources and disasters, and offering compassion to people who need it the most, according to its site.

Volunteers work in four-hour shifts and applicants must have a proficiency in managing social media platforms. To learn more, visit https://redcrosschat.org/ digitalvolunteer/ .

The Military Spouse Corporate Career Network is a nonprofit organization that assists spouses with finding work. Its team trains volunteers for a variety of positions, such as employment specialist, local outreach, and writers for its journal. For a description of current opportunities, visit https://www. msccn.org/volunteer-opportunities. html .

The Sierra Club has moved all of its volunteer opportunities to virtual until in-person gatherings can resume, according to its site. Among its positions are some that are location specific like “Become a Voter Captain in Illinois” to more general like “Administrative Volunteer.”

It also offers the chance to be part of a team of volunteers or focus on a very-specialized area such as “Pollinator Protector Subteam Member” — we plant gardens, fight for pollinator health and oppose the toxins that harm these vital creatures, sharing strategies across states.

Visit https://clubvolunteer.org/ volunteer to find an activity that interests you and to see what the time commitment is.

Soldiers’ Angels uses “Team Angels” from around the world to support deployed service members, military families, wounded heroes, and veterans of all eras. With more than a dozen opportunities, there is something for everyone. Examples of activities from its website include:

1. Adopt-A-Family Team: provide holiday support to military and veteran families with gifts for the children and a grocery gift card for a holiday meal

2. Baby Brigade: provide virtual baby showers for expectant spouses of deployed service members and expectant activeduty female service members

3. Ladies of Liberty Team: team of all-female volunteers who are dedicated to supporting the specific needs of deployed female service members

OPERATION HEAL OUR PATRIOTS

Operation Heal Our Patriots® provides combat-wounded veterans and their spouses with a week of Biblically based marriage enrichment classes surrounded by the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness, as well as ongoing chaplain care. This Samaritan’s Purse ministry is just one example of how we are helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of hurting people across the globe in Jesus’ Name.

Support our work via https://cfcgiving.opm.gov/

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