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Published:
October 27, 2008

A Family's Guide to the Military For Dummies

Overview

Expert advice on all aspects of military life

A Family's Guide to the Military For Dummies is for the millions of military dependents, family members, and friends who are looking for straightforward guidance to take advantage of the benefits and overcome the challenges unique to life in the military. This comprehensive guide covers such key topics as introducing military life to readers new to the armed

forces, financial planning, relocation, deployment, raising kids alone while a partner is away, and taking advantage of the available benefits. It offers tips and advice for dealing with emotions that surround events like deployments, deciphering the acronyms used in daily military life, forming support groups, keeping track of a loved one's whereabouts, and surviving on a military base in a foreign country.

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About The Author

Sheryl Garrett is a financial advisor, author, and speaker. She founded the Garrett Planning Network and is the author of Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies.

Sue Hoppin is the Deputy Director for Spouse Outreach at the Military Officers Association of America. In 2007, Military Spouse magazine placed Sue on their 2007 Who's Who of Military Spouses list.

Sample Chapters

a family's guide to the military for dummies

CHEAT SHEET

If your family is embarking on a military career, your life could be unpredictable, stressful, and ever-changing. You'll want to keep your military family happy, ease the stress of making frequent moves, and connect with other military families. To further minimize your stress, learn to manage your monthly finances and the time away from your deployed spouse.

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Articles from
the book

If your family is embarking on a military career, your life could be unpredictable, stressful, and ever-changing. You'll want to keep your military family happy, ease the stress of making frequent moves, and connect with other military families. To further minimize your stress, learn to manage your monthly finances and the time away from your deployed spouse.
When you’re part of a military family, it can be overwhelming to think about moving and starting over every two to three years. During your time at the installation, your unit will become your extended family through shared experiences and deployments. To help with your transition, the military has a structure in place that ensures that you have people, resources, and programs out there to support you from day one.
You should review your finances any time your family starts on a new career path, and the military is no exception. Know how much money you really need to purchase essentials for your family — food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and insurance. Most of these required expenses are provided by, or supplemented by, the military.
When your spouse is deployed with the military and you can watch the news 24 hours a day, it’s easy to let your imagination run wild. Technology’s a great thing, but sometimes enough is enough and you need to unplug. You’re going to have to find ways to manage your separation anxiety or you’ll find yourself coming apart.
Moving is always headache, but many military families have to get used to it. You can turn moving into an art form if you keep the following tips in mind when it’s time to pack up and head out. Pack the essentials you’ll need for your first few days in the house inside a large piece of furniture. It might be difficult to know which box has the linens for the beds and towels for the bathrooms, but if you pack them in a chest of drawers, you might actually find them when you need them.
Military service is a demanding way of life for the entire family. To keep your military family together and happy, try to remember and apply the following pointers: Be flexible! Respect each other’s dreams and goals. Manage expectations. Develop family rituals. Maintain open lines of communication.
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