Married to the Military : A Survival Guide for Military Wives, Girlfriends, and Women in Uniform

by Meredith Leyva

• ISBN13: 9780743255547
• ISBN10: 0743255542
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-30
• Publisher: FIRESIDE PRESS

Summary

The Unofficial Scoop on Military LifeWhether you're dating, engaged, or married to an active military servicemember or reservist -- or you've just signed up yourself -- you may feel as if you've somehow married the United States military! While there are plenty of orientation books for him, there are almost no handy, user-friendly resources for you. Meredith Leyva, a military wife and founder of CinCHouse.com, the Internet's largest community for military wives, girlfriends, and women in uniform, details everything you need to know to manage day-to-day issues and get on with the adventure of military life. From relocation to deployment, protocol to finances, and career to kids, Leyva offers time-tested advice about: Keeping your love life together during deployments Relocating yourself and your family around the world Maintaining your own career when you're expected to move every three years Understanding what pay and benefits you're entitled to -- and how to maximize them Translating those odd acronyms and jargonWritten by a seasoned military wife, this smart and savvy guide will help you take control at every point of your servicemember's career -- from filing marriage papers as newlyweds to choosing prenatal and child care when you start a family to figuring out his pension when he's ready to retire.

Author Biography

Meredith Leyva is the founder of CinCHouse.com. She has worked as a public relations consultant and lobbyist for Fortune 500 companies and was named Congressional Staffer of the Year by the Retired Enlisted Association for her work with the Armed Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. She lives in Panama City Beach, Florida, with her husband, a Navy diver and physician, and their son.

Table of Contents

Welcome to the Adventure of Military Life!	p. 1
Dealing with Jargon, Political Correctness, and Other Nonsense	p. 2
Your First Day as CinCHouse	p. 6
Getting Documented	p. 6
Getting to Know Your Base	p. 10
Controlling Your Family's Destiny	p. 14
Getting Started in the Military	p. 15
Understanding Career Tracks	p. 17
The Daily Grind	p. 18
The Reality of Relocation	p. 20
Reservists' Duties	p. 24
Differences Between Military and Civilian Jobs	p. 24
Community and Family Resources	p. 27
Government and Nonprofit Organizations	p. 27
Civil Servants vs. Bureaucrats: How to Get Business Done on Base	p. 33
Spouse Clubs and Command Family Support Groups	p. 35
What Are Other Military Wives and Female Servicemembers Like, Anyway?	p. 37
The Case for Getting Involved	p. 39
Protocol, or How to Get Along in a Hierarchy	p. 42
Ranks and Privileges	p. 42
What the Uniform Means	p. 45
And Your Name Is ... ?	p. 50
What to Wear? The Appropriate Dress for Every Military Occasion	p. 52
Your Portable Career	p. 57
Personal Finances--Military Style	p. 65
How Military Pay Works	p. 65
Reserve Pay	p. 71
How to Read a Leave and Earnings Statement (Pay Stub)	p. 72
Taxable vs. Nontaxable Income	p. 82
Problems with Military Pay	p. 82
Direct Deposit	p. 83
Tax and Regulatory Benefits	p. 83
Lower Your Interest Rates by Going to War	p. 85
Retirement Benefits	p. 86
How Politics Affects Your Retirement	p. 88
Survivor's Benefits and Life Insurance	p. 89
Educational Benefits	p. 91
Health Care Benefits	p. 94
Myths About Military vs. Civilian Care	p. 94
Tricare: The HMO for the Military	p. 97
How Tricare's Coverage Rates	p. 99
Tricks for Getting the Best Health Care	p. 101
Tricare Regions and Contact Information	p. 104
Dental Care	p. 106
Relocation and Housing	p. 108
Moving Your Household Goods	p. 109
Reimbursement for Your Travel	p. 112
House-Hunting Leave	p. 116
The Logistical Process of Moving with the Military	p. 118
Storage	p. 119
Shipping Your Cars	p. 120
Shipping a Mobile Home	p. 121
Shipping Your Boat	p. 121
Shipping Firearms	p. 122
Relocating Pets	p. 122
Traveling Overseas	p. 123
Moving Out	p. 125
The Big Trip	p. 130
Moving In	p. 130
Housing	p. 135
Easing the Transition to a New Community	p. 138
Pearls of Wisdom for a Great Move	p. 140
Master Relocation Checklist	p. 141
Marriage Hoo-ah!	p. 146
Creating a Family Strategy and Lifetime Dreams	p. 146
A Big "If"	p. 152
Calling All Military Men: Better Ways to Communicate with Your Wife	p. 155
Handling Deployment Separation Together	p. 156
Extra Parenting Skills for Military Couples	p. 161
The Adventures of Military Life	p. 165
Furnishing a Military Household	p. 165
How to Vacation at Almost No Cost	p. 169
Children's Activities (for Kids from 2 to 92)	p. 171
What Happens When the Worst Happens--and What to Do	p. 173
When a Servicemember Dies	p. 173
When You Must Live Near an Ailing Family Member	p. 174
If You Must Separate from an Abusive Spouse	p. 174
When Your Servicemember's Pay Gets Screwed Up and You Have No Money for Groceries or Bills	p. 175
When You Have Emergency Expenses	p. 175
When You Desperately Need to Track Down a Deployed Servicemember	p. 175
When Both Parents or a Single Parent Is in the Military and Forced to Deploy	p. 176
Preventing Trouble in Paradise	p. 177
Really Stupid Acronyms and Jargon	p. 181
Acknowledgments	p. 189
Index	p. 191
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.