Archives for November 2013

Nov
28

Appreciating Military ‘home makers’ at Thanksgiving

Military spouses are the proponents, supporters, defenders and enablers, in the most positive and patriotic sense,who can help their life partners to do what they are called to do. To do the right thing as it is understood by their service member. Male or female, a spouse helps to keep all the plates spinning in the air with their abilities and their willing contribution.

Joe Byerly, at home, photo  provided.

Joe Byerly, at home, photo provided.

 

Guest writer, Joe Byerly, of Enlightened Soldier, pays tribute to HIS military spouse and places her role in a most interesting, historical context.

So now, to honor spouses, many of whom will be working, heatedly over meals of Thanksgiving themselves, this post and in his own words…..

[Read more…]

Nov
25

Making a tax planning list, checking it twice

“Money Mondays” is officially a new MilSuccessNet feature, but  money is on all our minds a lot, isn’t it? Especially at this time of year.

Now’s a good time to give it attention so that you can take advantage NOW of programs and deductions to benefit you from your past year. Plus, you can plan better for your upcoming year.

MoneyIt may look like we are starting heavy, but year-end is going to slam us hard, real soon.. so..  enjoy your Thanksgiving gatherings and then make time over the holidays to collect yourself , and your papers and get on it! Times’s a tickin;.

In future Money Mondays, we’ll feature  tips from independents and authors and financial folks to give you ideas and information. Some bits will be technical and other bytes may be spooned out – firm but friendly, like friends over coffee.

We’re in this, together and the holiday season is a good time to start. We’re spending time and funds that brings us and our families both joy and stress. So now…our first financial writer,  Rick Rodgers, in his own words… [Read more…]

Nov
24

Dan Cooper’s Thanksgiving flight of fancy

On November 24, 1971, Dan Cooper a.k.a. D. B. Cooper purchased a one way ticket from Portland, Oregon to Seattle. This name was actually just a cover as part of this enterprising gentleman’s plan for an unusually memorable Thanksgiving for himself.

1972 F.B.I. composite drawing of D. B. Cooper

1972 F.B.I. composite drawing of D. B. Cooper

No strict security screenings existed at the airports 41 years ago. Passengers and their carry-on baggage screening only began in 1973. Thus, Cooper had no difficulty in bringing on board a bag containing a contraption with wires and cylinders that looked like or could have been an explosive device. [Read more…]

Nov
22

Thanksgiving feeds one family’s stress

A call out from Ft. Leonard Wood for some support on the upcoming holidays via the Guidon, and a response from advice columnists, Shaun and Pamela Collins

box with question marksSeason’s holidays are upon us and the stress levels are simply up. For their take on some of what is complex when families, and our expectations come together, here is what He Said and She Said when this question was sent in:

We recently invited my wife’s Family to come to our house this year for Thanksgiving. It is something we have done before and we often rotate it between going to her Family in Iowa, inviting Family to our home, or going to my Family in Illinois. It’s sort of a tradition.

This year, however, we were thrown a curve ball. [Read more…]

Nov
20

Words-on-Wednedsays notes on Bob Beverley

On this Words on Wednesdays, WoW is following up on guest writer, Bob Beverley’s recent post in MilitarySuccessNetwork.com. What follows are a few questions he answered during our conversation about his books and his personal mission.

Bob Beverley

Bob Beverley

When Nate, Marius and I met Bob Beverley, we were not yet a team and MilSuccessNet was not yet our mission. In a sense, however, he did bring us together at a communications boot camp we had come to separately from three different cities. His opening remarks to the 40 or so in attendance were so human and warm, that our minds and hearts were opened to the information and to the connections we were to make over the next four days.

We again, independently, chose to read his weekly ezine, The Dig, and most recently posed a few questions of Bob, some of which we share here: [Read more…]

Nov
18

On doing too much and being enough

As a mother, I am licensed to worry.

As a contributing editor on MilSuccessNet, I now also worry about all the military men and women I’ve gotten to know in person, by phone or via social media conversations. And I worry about the many service members at large because now I understand more about the depth of your military experiences. As I record or report individual stories, I also know your challenges when you transition into civilian roles at home and in your communities. That’s why I worry.

I feel you are vulnerable to:

1. Being overworked due to your ‘get ‘er done’ work ethic in a marketplace where supervisors and colleagues may be all too happy to let you deliver on tasks to the standards and expectations you applied to your military duties.

2. Demanding so much of  yourself that, you never feel ‘enough’ in aspects of your life and work…   or at least, take a long time to re-jig your measurement of  where you are great and good enough. 

It’s a topic of conversation at team MilSuccessNet. It can all be overwhelming if we submit to the machine, without checking in with ourselves, regularly. So, dear readers, we’re kicking off upcoming articles with this conversation.

Welcome Bob Beverley, a friend Nate, Marius and I all met at the same time and whose words both inspire and comfort when his Ezine, The Dig appears in our inbox, weekly.

Bob Beverley

Bob Beverley

Monday then is a great day to pause and read Bob Beverley’s reflection from The Dig. A psychotherapist of more than 25 years experience in New York State, he shares installment #9 from his series POWER and an idea on how we can show up for the rest of the week, or for the rest of our lives. Read more about Bob in Words on Wednesdays, and for now…..in his own words…

POWER (9)  “You can only do so much.”

[Read more…]

Nov
13

Kelly Kennedy’s: They Fought for Each Other, is a testament to bonds of brothers in arms

Journalist and former soldier, Kelly Kennedy is the author of  They Fought for Each Other, the Triumph and Tragedy of the Hardest Hit Unit in Iraq.  The MilSuccessNet team had the privilege of hearing Kennedy speak a year ago in Denver at Sangria Summit, a military writers’ conference.

She took us all from the podium into the heart of her experience of the men whose lives are illuminated in this exceptional coverage of the unit who paid the heavy human cost of war. She was as honest about the situation that created those incredibly dark days and trauma as she was both loyal and protective of the warriors who got through their ordeals by virtue of their mutual caring for each other.

Kelly Kennedy, journalist and veteran

Kelly Kennedy, journalist and veteran

WoW features Kennedy’s book on this Words on Wednesdays to acknowledge the bonds of service members. Nations stood in honor of Veterans just a few days ago, so it feels right to note that what gets our nations’ warriors through is their caring for and protection of each other, day-to-day. [Read more…]

Nov
11

American Legion calls for service to Veterans

D.M. Dellinger, National Commander, American Legion

Daniel M. Dellinger, National Commander, American Legion

On this Veterans Day, 2013, MilitarySuccessNetwork.com shares with direct permisson, this message from………..Daniel M. Dellinger, who is national commander of the 2.4 million-member American Legion…..in his own words…..

  

Let’s Serve Veterans as Well as They Have Served Us
 
By Daniel M. Dellinger
 
During the recent government shutdown many numbers were thrown around. But there is one number that stands out and it has nothing to do with the debate over the federal budget. [Read more…]