Fabulous Army Life

I think one of the most beneficial events a battalion can put together is one that prepares Soldiers and Families for upcoming separations. In our unit, we've tweaked the traditional Deployment Brief concept where Soldiers and Families sit in an auditorium and listen as a stream of presenters use PowerPoint to share their resources. This is such a good idea, but we felt that many were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information provided and began brainstorming ways to make this event more user-friendly. The result? A Deployment Fair. Very similar in concept, but very different in execution. We asked our community resource points of contact to set up a booth with their information and any hand-outs they could provide our Families to let them know what assistance/resources they can provide during a deployment.  Each company-level FRG also set up a booth and were able to see each of their Soldiers and Family members face-to-face, even if for a few minutes.  Th...

I cannot fully appreciate the sacrifices made by the parents of our US Army Soldiers.  Mothers, especially, who send their children off to war and pray for their safe return ... have my undying gratitude, love, and prayers.  With two young sons of my own, I can get an inkling of what it might be like, but really, I cannot know. I have seen my husband's mother support him throughout his lifetime, including four years at West Point, and through sixteen years in the Army, including thirty or so months of combat deployment.  She is a stalwart supporter and a sensational prayer warrior. We are fortunate to live close to Family while we are stationed at Fort Hood.  Both sides of our families are in Texas, with Hubby's parents living only an hour away.  This affords us (and them!) with some priceless opportunities to spend time together more often than when we live several states (or continents) away.  His Family is always supportive of us and our Army life an...