After 50 Years as a Military Caregiver, Carol Finds Support Through Blue Star Families
There are 5.5 million military and veteran caregivers in the U.S. today. These hidden heroes make incredible sacrifices in support of caring for a loved one—whether a parent, grandparent, child, or wounded warrior; they also face unique experiences and struggles based on their circumstances. Even those caring for a wounded warrior may be in very…
Read MoreMilitary Connected Caregivers Learn to Focus on Self Care: Misty’s Story
Meet Misty. She’s an Army veteran and mom of two. In 2001, Misty was living in New York, just an hour from New York City, waiting for her Officer Candidate School class assignment. The 9/11 terror attacks further fueled her desire to serve. “It [9/11] was the most surreal time, and everyone just came together,”…
Read MoreOne Choice MilFams Shouldn’t Have to Make
One Choice MilFams Shouldn’t Have to Make Military life comes with a unique set of challenges for all families—from deployments to frequent moves, time away for training, and the general unpredictability of not knowing what lies ahead, just to name a few. But what happens when your family is thrown an extra curveball? For example,…
Read MoreStarbucks Understands the Sacrifices MilFams Make & Raises Its Hand Year-Round to Help!
Did you know military families move three times more often than their civilian counterparts? Most move every two to three years. Restarting in new communities can often be extremely isolating, and many military families don’t feel heard or understood by their civilian neighbors. In fact, according to the 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, less than…
Read MoreA Senior Spouses run in with Murphy’s Law of Deployments #MilitarySpouseAppreicationDay
It doesn’t take long for a military family member to learn about Murphy’s Law , Murphy’s Law of deployment that is. Anything that can break will break. Or, more generally, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. The washer explodes, causing a flood? Sure. One of the kids breaks an arm attempting a double…
Read MoreMeet the Illinois Army National Guard MFRs
Needless to say, 2020 was a year like no other. The year had a particular impact on one segment of the American public: those serving in uniform and their families. Did you know that, based on Blue Star Families’ annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey, more than half (55%) of National Guard family respondents and a…
Read MoreHere’s How to Get Free Starbucks Coffee for You, Veteran (and Family)!
There are days when military life’s got you feeling like… via GIPHY … because, seriously, we deal with some stressful stuff, y’all! But even if you’re no longer active duty, you know what we’re talking about because you’ve been there, done that (hello, nine moves and six deployments!). Here at Blue Star Families we’re forever…
Read MoreMeet Courtney: #BSFBeatCOVID19
Meet Courtney: #BSFBeatCOVID19 Meet Courtney. She’s a proud Army Spouse, mom of two, a DOD civilian registered dental hygienist, and a military child as well. Courtney is no stranger to the unpredictability of military life and prides herself on being able to roll with the punches. But this past year has really tested her mental…
Read MorePresidential Volunteer Service Awards for Blue Star Families in 2020
Nothing Can Stop These Dedicated Volunteers Blue Star Families volunteers do it all—from planning special events to helping us tell their Blue Star Families stories, and leading activities for military families across the nation and around the world. Despite a global pandemic, these volunteers stepped up and continued to support military families, and they deserve…
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