Blue Star Stories

#MilKid Aims to Create an Inclusive Community

Former #MilKid Aims to Open Doors and Create an Inclusive Community Meet Brandy. She’s a former military kid and just started as the Communications DEPLOY Fellow for Blue Star Families. With frequent moves taking you away from family and friends and deployments causing added separation and stress, it can be hard for military families to…

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Blue Star Community Changemaker: Meet Kelly

Blue Star Community Changemaker: Meet Kelly Delivered by CSX Pride in Service   Did you know that most active-duty military families don’t feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian communities? In fact, over one third told Blue Star Families in the 2019 Military Family Lifestyle Survey that they don’t know anyone well enough…

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Lives Forever Changed: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11

Lives Forever Changed: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 In the military, we talk a lot about change — change of station, change of command, change of mission, change of status, change of schools. There’s an overall need to be adaptable to the “needs of the military.” We can’t think of any other group…

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Lost Innocence: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11

Lost Innocence: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Twenty years. It seems impossible that it’s been that long, but for the last 20 years, military families have been serving during a time of war. Long enough that military children, affected by a lifetime of deployments and forever changed by loss, are now serving themselves…

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Blue Star Welcome Week Aims to Help #MilKids Find Connections After Each Move

Blue Star Welcome Week Aims to Help #MilKids Find Connections After Each Move When you think about the sacrifices military members make, your first thought might be of those on the frontlines―service members deployed overseas to defend and protect the freedoms we all enjoy. What most Americans don’t understand is that our military families are…

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When Facing Back-to-Back Long-Term Separations, #MilFams Rely on Community Connections to Survive

When Facing Back-to-Back Long-Term Separations, #MilFams Rely on Community Connections to Survive When you think about the sacrifices military members make, your first thought might be of those on the frontlines―service members deployed overseas to defend and protect the freedoms we all enjoy. What most Americans don’t understand is that our military families are serving…

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MilFams Struggle More Than Ever to Find a Place to Call Home

MilFams Struggle More Than Ever to Find a Place to Call Home Moving is a part of military life and a reality that all military families accept. In fact, 600,000 military-connected families move every single year. That’s a full third of our All-Volunteer Force packing up and reporting to new duty stations—some across the country,…

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Blue Star Families Provides Volunteer Opportunities for #MilKids

  Military families move on average every two to three years, with an average of 400,000 service members moving on permanent change of station (PCS) orders every year.  We often talk about the implications for spouse employment and the difficulty of building a network of support as a result of moving frequently, but what about…

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Supporting Black Business during Black Business Month

Supporting Black Business during Black Business Month August is recognized as National Black Business Month, a month devoted to supporting and celebrating black-owned businesses across the country. We’re highlighting thirteen black-owned businesses that strive to serve their communities and give back to the military community as well. Check out these entrepreneurs below!   Meet Marla…

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Finding Unique School Solutions to Support #MilKids

  Meet Shevaun. She’s a navy spouse and mother of four. Shevaun is no stranger to the fact that military life can be unpredictable and challenging. In 13 years of active-duty service, her family has moved six times, faced three deployments, and one year-long unaccompanied tour. Despite all they’ve endured, 2020 presented their biggest challenge…

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