Blue Star Stories
Saving Money During Back-to-School Season
Many families are feeling stressed and financially strained by inflation and supply chain issues. Amid these challenges, families are prioritizing back-to-school spending. In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates that families with children in elementary through high school will spend an average of $864.35 on school items in 2022. However, when that spending on supplies…
Read moreA Closer Look at Military Children’s Mental Health: 4 Steps You Can Take to Make a Difference
Summer is nearly in our rearview mirror and back-to-school time is here! The large number of families PCSing this season means thousands of children will start the upcoming school year somewhere different. New friends, changes in education delivery due to evolving COVID-19 guidelines, and sometimes unfamiliar curriculum await young minds, many of whom are still…
Read moreStrengthening Food Security in the Force: Strategy and Roadmap
The TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) Version In November 2021, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a memo, “Strengthening Economic Security in the Force.” It directed the following actions: increase Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) extend Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) in areas with housing shortages field a new Military Leaders Economic Security Toolkit to help…
Read morePowerful Legacy in Bronze: Mission of a Buffalo Soldier
When reflecting on her childhood, Dr. Aundrea Matthews recalls time spent at the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point. She was raised outside its historic walls in the Village of Highland Falls, New York. Beyond being close to West Point, her grandfather, Sergeant (Ret.) Sanders Haygood Matthews, was a member of the…
Read moreMore Than a Grocery Store: Everything You Need to Know About the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA)
In the military world, summer is the unofficial “PCS season.” Each year, about 600,000 military families relocate through a permanent change of station (PCS) or transition out of the military. Upon arriving at a new duty station, one of the first stops for a military family is the grocery store to replenish the food items…
Read moreWhat You Need to Know About Male Military Spouses and How to Help
The upward trend in male presence in the military spouse community is uncovering a lack of inclusivity and representation. A recent article by Military OneSource raised concerns about male spouses’ feelings about isolation, public presumptions, and generalizations about gender roles. Blue Star Families took this opportunity to speak to male spouses to gain a better…
Read moreSleep Number Raises Its Hand Year-Round To Help Military Families Thrive Through Better Sleep
Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong it will. Did you know that this phrase was first coined about a service member? Seriously. Edward J. Murphy was a major in the Air Force in the 1940s specializing in engineering. He was frequently faced with things that didn’t go to plan and as a…
Read more5 PCS Guides to Get You Through Your Next Move
A big part of the military experience is the inevitable Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move. Hundreds of thousands of service members and their families do it each year, and luckily, most things that could go wrong have before. Gleaning insights from experienced movers is a best practice, especially for newcomers, but even seasoned military…
Read moreHow Identity Affects Transition: A Veteran’s Perspective
The biggest issue facing Veterans during transition isn’t just a lack of resources. And the solution isn’t one-size-fits-all. Many in the field have tried to pinpoint one exact causality for the difficulties service members trading in their combat boots experience. However, if there’s one life-altering thing 1989 gave us, besides the 486 microprocessor — it’s…
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