Blue Star Stories

Welcome to our blog where you'll find the stories from the lives of our Blue Star Families.

Sharon stands alongside two military service members after receiving the Purple Heart.

Healing Wounds with Support: A Purple Heart Story

September 22, 2022

  “Six months later, I woke up in Germany, not knowing who my parents were because of the extent of injuries that I endured. So, I was out in Germany…

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Kimberly poses in front of three large elephants with her husband.

What You Should Know About Kimberly, the New Housing Insecurity DEPLOY Fellow

September 22, 2022

As the 2022 Wells Fargo Housing Insecurity DEPLOY Fellow, Kimberly has a lot to offer military families.  For starters, she understands military families. Her mother was the first Korean female…

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A military child sits in a circular reading nook, reading a book, in the Martin Luther King library.

Military Families: Look to Your Library as a Valuable and Welcoming Resource

September 22, 2022

Authors: Barry Trott, M.S.L.S., Library of Virginia     Nicole Rawlinson, M.L.I.S., Blue Star Families When it comes to moving, military families know all the ins and outs. The average…

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Marla Bautista, and her son hand out food to a man sitting on the ledge of a sidewalk in the city.

From Adversity to Advocate, Get to Know Marla Bautista

September 21, 2022

Marla Bautista, an Army wife and mother of three, knows firsthand that advocacy can play an important role in building a stronger, more supported community. That’s because she was once…

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Laci sits, hugging her two daughters in the grass.

The Challenge of Family Building and How Military Spouses Can Help

September 21, 2022

When Laci married her Air Force service member, she was informed her family building journey would be difficult and conceiving a child naturally wasn’t likely.  Laci’s story, though heartbreaking, is…

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Adults and children stand, posing together in front of a tall fence in a backyard.

Blue Star Welcome Week: A Community-Building Event for Military Families

September 21, 2022

By: Marla Bautista Moving to a new duty station can be an exciting, but sometimes difficult transition for military families, especially those with small children or those who don’t have…

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How Eating Together Improves Nourishment & Connection

September 16, 2022

Between working late, kids activities, and other obligations, a packed family schedule may mean less time to sit down and have a meal together. For military families, that time to…

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Sleep Number® and Kansas City Chiefs Join Together to Welcome Retired Army Family with a New Bed for Their Forever Home

September 16, 2022

Meet Neil, a retired Armor Officer in the Army, father of three, and dedicated husband. He served 21 years including five deployments during Operation Iraqi Freedom and has lived across…

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PRIDE in Network: How One Spouse Found His Again

September 16, 2022

As a successful New Zealand diplomat of 14 years, David was a well-traveled and established professional. He’d been through several overseas tours to places like Indonesia, Chile, and finally, Hawaii,…

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