Presented by: Tara Crooks

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• Presented by Tara Crooks Starlett Henderson

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Tara Crooks

• Spouse of a US Army Active Duty service member
• 15 years
• Stationed in Denton, TX (FEMA Region 6)
• Springfield, MO
• Army posts
• Fort Sill, OK
• Fort Hood, TX
• Korea (unaccompanied)
• Fort Stewart, GA

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Tara Crooks

• MAJ Kevin Crooks
• Daughter, Wrena (12)
• Daughter, Chloe (6)
• 3 Deployments 1 Afghanistan and 2 Iraq
• Passion Empowering military families
• Hobbies decorating, crafting, gardening
• Concerns stability/deployment, children, strong
  marriage
• Celebrations strong family, strong marriage,
  happy home

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Starlett Henderson

• US Army Veteran (Active and Reserve components)
• Spouse of a GA Army National Guard member
• 18 years
• Stationed in Falls Church, VA (Natl Guard
  Readiness Ctr.)
• Calumet, MI
• Army posts
• Fort McCoy, WI
• Fort Lewis, WA
• Fort Huachuca, AZ
• Fort Stewart, GA
• Fort Leonard Wood, MO

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Starlett Star Henderson

• MAJ David Henderson
• Son, Thomas (17) 
• Daughter, Tara (9)
• 5 deployments 1 Afghanistan, 2 Iraq, and 2
  Bosnia
• Passion Empowering military families
• Hobbies  church, motorcycle riding, reading
• Concerns  finances, military children, nation's
  future
• Celebrations  strong marriage, home-business, hig
  her-ed

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Crooks Henderson

• Co-Founders www.ArmyWifeNetwork.com
• Army Wife Talk Radio
• Live (and on demand) 90 minute internet radio
  program
• Field Exercise conferences
• Field Problems QA column
• Loving A Soldier Blog www.LovingASoldier.com
• Expert Columns Resource Database
• Co-Authors of 1001 Things to Love about Military
  Life
• Social Media
• AWN App, Toolbar, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube
• Facebook fan base of nearly 60,000

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Diversity Of The Military Spouse

• Family Status
• 56.6 of the Active Duty force is married.
• 93.1 of Active Duty Spouses are females.
• 42.7 have been married for less than 4 years and
  70.8 for less than 10 years
• Age Range
• 73.2 of Active Duty Spouses are 35 years of age
  or younger.
• Civilian spouses are, on average, 31 years old.
• Family Background
• 31.7 of spouses are very satisfied and 53.6 are
  more or less satisfied with the way things are
  going personally.
• And then there is home state, education, income,
  ethnicity

Sources 2011 Demographics Profile of the
Military Community and 2010 Survey of Army
Families VI
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Source 2009 Quadrennial QOL Review, MOS
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Common Ground

• Being an extension of the military, we are
  involved too. We lead our civilian lives we also
  lead extensions of our Soldier's lives.
• We learn about the military. We read about it,
  speak of it, and maybe even dream about it. We
  know what all of the acronyms mean, and we don't
  even have to think twice when confronted with
  military time.
• We find ourselves swelling with pride every time
  we hear the National Anthem. Every time we see a
  uniform, our hearts yearn for our own Soldier,
  and our prayers extend to whoever is loving this
  one.

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Concerns of a Military Family

• Concerns of A Military Family
• Age of Overwhelmedness
• Loneliness
• Depression
• Understanding
• Children
• Finances
• Time
• Marriage

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From a Military Family

• On loneliness
• We were probably a sad sight to the other
  passengers peering out their windows the three
  of us standing there on the platform crying as
  the train tortuously pulled away.
• On staying connected
• The biggest challenge is working out where to get
  services and staying connected when you need
  something.
• On marriage difficulties
• I never imagined I would end up not having more
  children with this man, contemplating divorce and
  facing a reality of divided custody with our son.
  
• On deployment
• I feel like I have been spinning my wheels trying
  to get us all ready for this huge life change,
  and I feel alone in my thoughts

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Celebrations of a Military Family

• Celebrations of a Military Family
• Pride
• Strong Marriages
• Family
• Structure
• Stability
• Security
• Adventure
• Friendships

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From a Military Family

• On family
• Sure, I worry about deployment and separation but
  kids are resilient and she is learning how
  families can stay connected and love each other
  despite their location.
• The challenges, handled with the right attitude,
  have taught us self-reliance but also cooperation
  in order to get the job(s) done.
• On deployment
• Its made us a stronger unit because we force
  ourselves to communicate despite the separation.
• On friendship
• In the military, friends are our chosen family.
• On pride
• And pride? There is nothing, nothing on earth,
  like knowing that your family is fighting for
  what the flag stands for, all wrapped up in Red,
  White, and Blue.

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To Whom do Families Reach Out?

• Family Readiness Systems
• Service members
• Other spouses
• Official Command
• Media

Michele Bush Kimball, Ph.D., "Communication about
military issues among military spouses."
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Where to Get and Stay Connected

• Military Spouse Central
• Military One Source
• Military Spouse Magazine
• Operation Homefront
• Faith Deployed
• National Military Family Association
• Army Family MWR Programs
• Blue Star Families
• Army One Source
• Military.coms Spouse Buzz

• All of these reputable organizations
• have FB Pages, which BSFs Military Lifestyle
  Survey found is one of the most
  popular,frequently used social media sites.

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AWN Best Practices

• Normalization
• You are normal!
• Sense of community
• Spouses helping spouses
• Cultivated engagement relationships
• No question too small or too large
• What is (insert duty station here) like?
• What can be included in my soldiers care
  package?
• Why am I nervous about reintegration?
• How do I handle my soldiers PTSD?
• Social Media Integration
• Near Instant Feedback
• Personal and Expert Response

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The Neighborhood Knows No Boundaries

• We believe that while the road is tough, it is
  traversable,
• and the journey of a military family has
  inherent value
• measured in enriched life experiences, pride,
  and sense of honor.
• -- Crooks and Henderson
• Wont You Be Our Neighbor?

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• QUESTIONS?