Free Republic

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2008 – An entrepreneur who has moved around with her Marine Corps husband and now calls Camp Lejeune, N.C., home is using her small-business success to help other military spouses get started with businesses of their own. “Being a military spouse breeds an excellent opportunity for reach and really working with a community that shares the same love and support that you have as a business owner,” Roxanne Reed -- founder of the All Fired Up Candle Company, Jane Wayne Gear and Marketing to Military Group – said in an “ASY Live” interview on BlogTalkRadio. “I...

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2008 – President Bush presented six military spouses the Presidential Volunteer Service Award today for exceptional support to their communities and the nation. Video Bush made the presentation as 1,100 military spouses gathered for a Military Spouse Recognition Day celebration on the White House South Lawn. This year’s awardees were: Colleen Saffron, an Army wife; Ramona Vazquez, a Coast Guard wife; Bob Davidson, an Air Force husband; Ellen Patton, a Navy wife; Dawnle Scheetz, an Army Reserve wife; and Kaprece James, a Marine Corps wife. “The six individuals we honor here today have earned the respect...

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2008 – President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates paid tribute today to about 1,100 military spouses who gathered for a Military Spouse Day celebration at the White House, where Bush promised to continue pushing for more benefits for military families. Alex Loudon, wife of Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Dyer, left, and Amanda Villiers, wife of Army Staff Sgt. Stan Villiers, join about 1,100 military spouses at the White House for a Military Spouse Day celebration, May 6, 2008. Defense Department photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Following...

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2008 – Military spouses embody the courage, nobility of duty, and love of country that inspire every American. On Military Spouse Day, we pay tribute to the husbands and wives who support their spouses in America's Armed Forces during times of war and peace. The legacy of military spouses began when colonial Americans were fighting for independence. Martha Washington boosted the morale of her husband's troops by visiting battlefields and tending to the wounded. Since then, members of our Armed Forces have served our Nation accompanied by the steadfast love and support of their spouses and...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2008 – Frequent military relocations can take a toll on spouses’ careers unless they have a portable skill, which is exactly what one foundation has set out to provide them. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation has partnered with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education to offer military spouses a chance to earn the “accredited financial counselor” credential. The credential gives spouses the ability to work in financial counseling, nationwide, either on or off military installations, said Gerri Walsh, associate vice president of authority’s office of investor education. “It is a well...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2007 – Military spouses now have a larger scholarship pool to draw from, thanks to a new partnership between the National Military Family Association and the Fisher House Foundation. The collaboration will enable the NMFA to expand its Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program to many more deserving spouses, association officials said. “With 55 years of combined experience serving military families, both NMFA and Fisher House Foundation are acutely aware of the challenges and hardships facing today’s military families,” Tanna Schmidli, chairman of the NMFA’s board of governors, said. “We are thrilled to be working...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates joined Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao today in supporting a new initiative to help military spouses get the education and other credentials needed to pursue careers in high-demand, high-growth occupations. Gates praised the new Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative as a “landmark program that will open the doors to our military spouses for more fulfilling careers,” even as they relocate regularly due to their loved ones’ assignments. The $35 million demonstration program, co-sponsored by the Defense and Labor departments, sets up accounts for eligible spouses in eight states to cover...

ST. JOHN, U.S. Virgin Islands, Nov. 1, 2007 – The calls family members receive about a servicemember’s injury come out of the blue at all hours of the day and night, and they all have the same general effect. Susanne Rooney and her husband, Army Sgt. Peter Rooney, enjoy the warm weather and water of Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, on Oct. 20, 2007. The couple was part of a small group of wounded veterans and their spouses who participated in a kayaking trip to the Virgin Islands. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

/10/2007 - OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFPN) -- "Breathe, baby! Breathe, baby!" Claire Darnell tried again to give the little girl mouth-to-mouth at the edge of the pool. The child lay there, pale, eyes partly open but unmoving, pupils dilated. The rescue breathing didn't seem to be working. "Breathe, baby!" The fifth of August started out like any other Sunday at the height of summer. After church, Claire, her husband, Maj. Bart Darnell, and their three children made their way to the Splish and Slash water park at Camp Humphreys. They ran into two other families from Osan Air...

Excerpt - WASHINGTON: Spouses do not belong on campaign payrolls, the House of Representatives says, voting to end a practice that has benefited some members of Congress for years. Monday's action follows controversies in which lawmakers added many thousands of dollars to their family incomes by hiring relatives for campaign tasks, even if their qualifications were not always apparent. The practice "has shown the potential to foster corruption," said Rep. Adam Schiff, chief Democratic sponsor of the measure that was approved by voice vote after little debate. ~ snip ~

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2007 – A national motor oil company is partnering with a volunteer troop-support group to keep spouses of servicemembers deployed overseas on the road. Chevron Products Company announced yesterday that its Havoline with Deposit Shield motor oil brand is partnering with Operation Homefront to launch a national program supporting troops’ wives. The program, called Operation Havoline Star, will provide 1,000 free conventional oil changes, including lube and filter, at participating Texaco Xpress Lube locations. The program is available to select military families with a financial need, and is available now through Dec. 31. “Operation Havoline Star...

VAIL, Colo., March 10, 2007 – After two days of skiing and snowboarding, last night was all about fun for the 25 injured veterans participating in the Vail Veterans Program here and their guests. Army Sgt. J.R. Salzman (from left), adaptive snowboard instructor Eric Norton, Wendy Owen, and Josie Salzman, fly down a tubing trail at Vail Mountain’s Adventure Ridge on March 9 in Vail, Colo. The outing, which included ski biking and dinner, was a time for the 25 injured veterans and their guests to come together as a group after two days of private and group lessons....

ELMENDORF AFB, Alaska, Feb. 24, 2007 – About 60 military spouses here had a chance yesterday to share some of their concerns with the military’s top ranking officer. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accompanied by his wife Lynne, thanked the spouses for their contribution to the nation’s defense. “Spouses and families serve this country as well as anybody that’s ever worn the uniform,” the chairman said. In some ways, he said, it’s harder for the folks back home than it is for the troops deployed in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. “When we...

When Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) rose to the Senate floor last summer and passionately argued for keeping the federal estate tax, he left one person with an interest in retaining the tax unmentioned. The multibillion-dollar life-insurance industry, which was fighting to preserve the tax because life insurers have a lucrative business selling policies and annuities to Americans for estate planning, has employed Dorgan's wife as a lobbyist since 1999. A few months earlier, Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) had pleaded for restraint as she urged colleagues to avoid overreacting....At the same time, her husband, Robert J. Dole, was registered to...

HEIDELBERG, Germany, Sept. 29, 2006 – Starting Oct. 1, military spouses in Europe interested in teaching can participate in the Department of Defense Spouses to Teachers program, which until now had been only available stateside. The program’s services include information on state-specific educational requirements, teaching credentials and scholarship options, along with a maximum reimbursement of $600 for teacher certification examinations. “Spouses serve too,” said Pamela K. Smith, the Spouse Education, Careers and Relocation program manager for the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. “It’s our goal to help them build careers.” According to DoD research, teaching...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2006 – Military spouses facing a permanent change of station into or out of the Fort Riley, Kan., area can relax about at least one aspect of their pending move. A $500,000 Workforce Investment Act grant through the Department of Labor will help them with job training and placement, Lesa Crockett, a career counselor with Heartland Works, Inc., said. “It’s not something you’ve probably seen before,” Crockett, who’s also a military spouse, said. “It’s something that I’m very excited for because … military spouses normally don’t get anything unless it’s provided by the (military).” Heartland Works, Inc....

NEW YORK - Christine Benvenuto embodies a Jewish ideal. Her kitchen is kosher, she attends synagogue and has read rabbinic writings and Torah. But for many American Jewish leaders, she has an even more compelling quality. The mother of three, whose husband was born Jewish, is a convert. “A lot of things attracted me to Judaism,” said Benvenuto, whose book “Shiksa” chronicles her path to conversion and the choices of other non-Jewish spouses. “I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in New York and my friends were always Jewish.” As intermarriage continues at a high rate, many community leaders believe...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 -- Moving frequently is not always beneficial to military spouses’ careers, but RE/MAX officials hope to help change that. RE/MAX, an international realty company, announced “Operation RE/MAX” on Aug. 14, during opening ceremonies of the 2006 RE/MAX International Conference of Broker/Owners and Managers here. This program assists military spouses in developing careers in real estate, which a recent American National Standards Institute survey indicated as one of the top five careers suited for military spouses. “A career in real estate is ideal for many military spouses,” Dave Liniger, RE/MAX co-founder and chairman of the board,...

I wrote a commentary recently about my husband’s upcoming third deployment. In that article, I referred to him as a hero. When he read it, he zeroed in on that word and said I was wrong, that he wasn’t a hero – just another Soldier doing what he was told to do. I explained to him my reasons for describing him a hero: because he was able to leave his family and step foot on a plane when he knew he may not come back. Because he was one of the people who volunteered to do that. Because he saw...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2006 -- Servicemembers and their family members with financial questions need look no further for the answers than a new column on the CinCHouse Web site, www.cinchouse.com. CinCHouse and the Military Officers Association of America recently launched a new advice column for young military families addressing questions about pay and benefits, Meredith Leyva, CinCHouse founder, said. “This is a terrific opportunity for our (Web site) visitors, who represent the youngest and newest members of the military community, to get solid advice from a trusted source,” she said. “It’s wonderful to have experts from (the association) to...