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WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2008 – Starting a business requires cold, hard cash and moral support, both of which are now available to military spouses through a Virginia-based organization. “Military Spouse Business Association will help military spouses with the tangibles of financial and business resources and the intangibles of motivation, encouragement, support and recognition,” said Lanette Lepper, a co-founder of the organization, and a military spouse who owns her own business. The other co-founders, Joanna Williamson and Rebecca Poynter, share the same backgrounds as military spouses and small-business owners. Their idea to create the Military Spouse Business Association stemmed from...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2008 – More military spouses than ever before are heading back to school this year, and they’ve earned some financial help to study for their chosen degree, National Military Family Association officials said. The association, which prepares military spouses, children, and parents to better deal with the unique challenges of military life, recently announced the nearly 400 recipients of its 2008 Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program. This number represents a dramatic increase over previous years, officials said, thanks to new partnerships with the Fisher House Foundation and Health Net Federal Services, who helped meet...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2008 – Two troop-support groups hosted a “Military Showers of Appreciation” for 15 expectant military mothers July 27 at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Many of the expectant mothers helped by the two groups -- North Star Group and Operation Showers of Appreciation -- have spouses who are deployed and will not be home for the birth of their new babies. “Military Showers of Appreciation assists active-duty military families from all branches that are expecting new babies with various items they will need to care for their new baby,” said Mandy Sims, vice president of the North Star...

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2008 – An entrepreneur who has moved around with her Marine Corps husband and now calls Camp Lejeune, N.C., home is using her small-business success to help other military spouses get started with businesses of their own. “Being a military spouse breeds an excellent opportunity for reach and really working with a community that shares the same love and support that you have as a business owner,” Roxanne Reed -- founder of the All Fired Up Candle Company, Jane Wayne Gear and Marketing to Military Group – said in an “ASY Live” interview on BlogTalkRadio. “I...

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2008 – President Bush presented six military spouses the Presidential Volunteer Service Award today for exceptional support to their communities and the nation. Video Bush made the presentation as 1,100 military spouses gathered for a Military Spouse Recognition Day celebration on the White House South Lawn. This year’s awardees were: Colleen Saffron, an Army wife; Ramona Vazquez, a Coast Guard wife; Bob Davidson, an Air Force husband; Ellen Patton, a Navy wife; Dawnle Scheetz, an Army Reserve wife; and Kaprece James, a Marine Corps wife. “The six individuals we honor here today have earned the respect...

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2008 – President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates paid tribute today to about 1,100 military spouses who gathered for a Military Spouse Day celebration at the White House, where Bush promised to continue pushing for more benefits for military families. Alex Loudon, wife of Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Dyer, left, and Amanda Villiers, wife of Army Staff Sgt. Stan Villiers, join about 1,100 military spouses at the White House for a Military Spouse Day celebration, May 6, 2008. Defense Department photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Following...

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2008 – Military spouses embody the courage, nobility of duty, and love of country that inspire every American. On Military Spouse Day, we pay tribute to the husbands and wives who support their spouses in America's Armed Forces during times of war and peace. The legacy of military spouses began when colonial Americans were fighting for independence. Martha Washington boosted the morale of her husband's troops by visiting battlefields and tending to the wounded. Since then, members of our Armed Forces have served our Nation accompanied by the steadfast love and support of their spouses and...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2008 – Frequent military relocations can take a toll on spouses’ careers unless they have a portable skill, which is exactly what one foundation has set out to provide them. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation has partnered with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education to offer military spouses a chance to earn the “accredited financial counselor” credential. The credential gives spouses the ability to work in financial counseling, nationwide, either on or off military installations, said Gerri Walsh, associate vice president of authority’s office of investor education. “It is a well...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2007 – Military spouses now have a larger scholarship pool to draw from, thanks to a new partnership between the National Military Family Association and the Fisher House Foundation. The collaboration will enable the NMFA to expand its Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program to many more deserving spouses, association officials said. “With 55 years of combined experience serving military families, both NMFA and Fisher House Foundation are acutely aware of the challenges and hardships facing today’s military families,” Tanna Schmidli, chairman of the NMFA’s board of governors, said. “We are thrilled to be working...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates joined Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao today in supporting a new initiative to help military spouses get the education and other credentials needed to pursue careers in high-demand, high-growth occupations. Gates praised the new Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative as a “landmark program that will open the doors to our military spouses for more fulfilling careers,” even as they relocate regularly due to their loved ones’ assignments. The $35 million demonstration program, co-sponsored by the Defense and Labor departments, sets up accounts for eligible spouses in eight states to cover...

ST. JOHN, U.S. Virgin Islands, Nov. 1, 2007 – The calls family members receive about a servicemember’s injury come out of the blue at all hours of the day and night, and they all have the same general effect. Susanne Rooney and her husband, Army Sgt. Peter Rooney, enjoy the warm weather and water of Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, on Oct. 20, 2007. The couple was part of a small group of wounded veterans and their spouses who participated in a kayaking trip to the Virgin Islands. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

/10/2007 - OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFPN) -- "Breathe, baby! Breathe, baby!" Claire Darnell tried again to give the little girl mouth-to-mouth at the edge of the pool. The child lay there, pale, eyes partly open but unmoving, pupils dilated. The rescue breathing didn't seem to be working. "Breathe, baby!" The fifth of August started out like any other Sunday at the height of summer. After church, Claire, her husband, Maj. Bart Darnell, and their three children made their way to the Splish and Slash water park at Camp Humphreys. They ran into two other families from Osan Air...

Excerpt - WASHINGTON: Spouses do not belong on campaign payrolls, the House of Representatives says, voting to end a practice that has benefited some members of Congress for years. Monday's action follows controversies in which lawmakers added many thousands of dollars to their family incomes by hiring relatives for campaign tasks, even if their qualifications were not always apparent. The practice "has shown the potential to foster corruption," said Rep. Adam Schiff, chief Democratic sponsor of the measure that was approved by voice vote after little debate. ~ snip ~

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2007 – A national motor oil company is partnering with a volunteer troop-support group to keep spouses of servicemembers deployed overseas on the road. Chevron Products Company announced yesterday that its Havoline with Deposit Shield motor oil brand is partnering with Operation Homefront to launch a national program supporting troops’ wives. The program, called Operation Havoline Star, will provide 1,000 free conventional oil changes, including lube and filter, at participating Texaco Xpress Lube locations. The program is available to select military families with a financial need, and is available now through Dec. 31. “Operation Havoline Star...

VAIL, Colo., March 10, 2007 – After two days of skiing and snowboarding, last night was all about fun for the 25 injured veterans participating in the Vail Veterans Program here and their guests. Army Sgt. J.R. Salzman (from left), adaptive snowboard instructor Eric Norton, Wendy Owen, and Josie Salzman, fly down a tubing trail at Vail Mountain’s Adventure Ridge on March 9 in Vail, Colo. The outing, which included ski biking and dinner, was a time for the 25 injured veterans and their guests to come together as a group after two days of private and group lessons....

ELMENDORF AFB, Alaska, Feb. 24, 2007 – About 60 military spouses here had a chance yesterday to share some of their concerns with the military’s top ranking officer. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accompanied by his wife Lynne, thanked the spouses for their contribution to the nation’s defense. “Spouses and families serve this country as well as anybody that’s ever worn the uniform,” the chairman said. In some ways, he said, it’s harder for the folks back home than it is for the troops deployed in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. “When we...

When Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) rose to the Senate floor last summer and passionately argued for keeping the federal estate tax, he left one person with an interest in retaining the tax unmentioned. The multibillion-dollar life-insurance industry, which was fighting to preserve the tax because life insurers have a lucrative business selling policies and annuities to Americans for estate planning, has employed Dorgan's wife as a lobbyist since 1999. A few months earlier, Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) had pleaded for restraint as she urged colleagues to avoid overreacting....At the same time, her husband, Robert J. Dole, was registered to...

HEIDELBERG, Germany, Sept. 29, 2006 – Starting Oct. 1, military spouses in Europe interested in teaching can participate in the Department of Defense Spouses to Teachers program, which until now had been only available stateside. The program’s services include information on state-specific educational requirements, teaching credentials and scholarship options, along with a maximum reimbursement of $600 for teacher certification examinations. “Spouses serve too,” said Pamela K. Smith, the Spouse Education, Careers and Relocation program manager for the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. “It’s our goal to help them build careers.” According to DoD research, teaching...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2006 – Military spouses facing a permanent change of station into or out of the Fort Riley, Kan., area can relax about at least one aspect of their pending move. A $500,000 Workforce Investment Act grant through the Department of Labor will help them with job training and placement, Lesa Crockett, a career counselor with Heartland Works, Inc., said. “It’s not something you’ve probably seen before,” Crockett, who’s also a military spouse, said. “It’s something that I’m very excited for because … military spouses normally don’t get anything unless it’s provided by the (military).” Heartland Works, Inc....

NEW YORK - Christine Benvenuto embodies a Jewish ideal. Her kitchen is kosher, she attends synagogue and has read rabbinic writings and Torah. But for many American Jewish leaders, she has an even more compelling quality. The mother of three, whose husband was born Jewish, is a convert. “A lot of things attracted me to Judaism,” said Benvenuto, whose book “Shiksa” chronicles her path to conversion and the choices of other non-Jewish spouses. “I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in New York and my friends were always Jewish.” As intermarriage continues at a high rate, many community leaders believe...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 -- Moving frequently is not always beneficial to military spouses’ careers, but RE/MAX officials hope to help change that. RE/MAX, an international realty company, announced “Operation RE/MAX” on Aug. 14, during opening ceremonies of the 2006 RE/MAX International Conference of Broker/Owners and Managers here. This program assists military spouses in developing careers in real estate, which a recent American National Standards Institute survey indicated as one of the top five careers suited for military spouses. “A career in real estate is ideal for many military spouses,” Dave Liniger, RE/MAX co-founder and chairman of the board,...

I wrote a commentary recently about my husband’s upcoming third deployment. In that article, I referred to him as a hero. When he read it, he zeroed in on that word and said I was wrong, that he wasn’t a hero – just another Soldier doing what he was told to do. I explained to him my reasons for describing him a hero: because he was able to leave his family and step foot on a plane when he knew he may not come back. Because he was one of the people who volunteered to do that. Because he saw...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2006 -- Servicemembers and their family members with financial questions need look no further for the answers than a new column on the CinCHouse Web site, www.cinchouse.com. CinCHouse and the Military Officers Association of America recently launched a new advice column for young military families addressing questions about pay and benefits, Meredith Leyva, CinCHouse founder, said. “This is a terrific opportunity for our (Web site) visitors, who represent the youngest and newest members of the military community, to get solid advice from a trusted source,” she said. “It’s wonderful to have experts from (the association) to...

FRIEDBERG, Germany (Army News Service, June 7, 2006) – A group of oddly dressed U.S. Soldiers patrols a village on the lookout for insurgents. Suddenly ambushers open fire from windows, an assumed casualty springs to life firing at the patrol and the Soldiers quickly head for cover. As members of the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, coached the squadron of Army spouses through the combat course on Friedberg’s Ray Barracks, the competitors discussed their options and took action. It was all part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team’s Combat Spouse Badge Challenge June 3 – an event...

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2006 – Spouses of the military's senior enlisted leaders gathered here today to learn about each service's program for wounded troops and to share ideas for the future. Marine Gunnery Sgt. J.A. Burks, a representative for the Marine for Life program, speaks to the spouses of senior enlisted leaders during a conference at the Pentagon, May 9. Photo by Sgt. Sara Wood, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The wives of the senior enlisted leaders from the combatant commands and the service senior enlisted advisors met at the Pentagon in conjunction with their husbands' conference,...

Twenty-five years ago, most men in the Tampa Bay area married by age 35. But since 1980, the number of never-married men 35 to 55 has jumped sevenfold. ST. PETERSBURG - On the eve of his 50th birthday, Robert Mendenhall was trying to decide whether to spend the big day with someone new or with his ex-girlfriend. She had held his interest the longest: eight months. Mendenhall, who works in regional sales for a roofing and window company, hangs out with half a dozen never-married men in their late 40s and early 50s. They are successful at their jobs, keep...

SIERRA VISTA — A hugely successful drive to help Cochise County’s foster children has received nationwide recognition. USA Weekend Magazine has chosen the Herald/Review and the Fort Huachuca Community Spouses’ Club as honorees in its Make A Difference Day Awards. It follows the amazing support given by our readers to an appeal for luggage for youngsters who often have to throw their belongings into a trash bag when they leave home. The campaign culminated in a one-day collection last October of more than 1,000 suitcases and travel bags — making a difference in the lives of more than 1,000 children....

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2006 – Growing up in Bristol, Tenn., country singer April Taylor heard tales of her grandmother's struggles while her grandfather served in Korea, and she's hearing similar tales from her friends today. America Supports You member and country music singer April Taylor remembers her grandmother's struggles as a military wife, and is working to support military spouses, their families and the troops. Twenty percent of the proceeds from Internet sales of her single "Hero at Home" will go to benefit military spouses. Taylor recently became a member of the America Supports You program. Photo by Samantha...

Registered domestic partners will continue to get the same tax benefits as married couples who transfer property under a recent court ruling that upheld a 2003 decision granting that right. The ruling last week by the Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Jack Sapunor upheld the California Board of Equalization decision to extend to domestic partners a property tax exemption originally written for spouses. Under tax code dating back to 1979, people who inherit property after the death of their spouses are exempt from the category of "change in ownership," which would subject them to reassessment of the property's value. The...

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2006 – Military spouses looking to further their education are receiving a helping hand, thanks to America Supports You team member the National Military Family Association. The group's Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship provides $1,000 to spouses of servicemembers studying for professional certification or attending post-secondary or graduate school. The funds can be used for tuition, fees, books, and school room and board, according to the NMFA Web site. "NMFA has been working with education issues for a while, (but the work) wasn't specific to military spouses," said Michelle Joyner, the organization's director of communications. "However,...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Feb. 6, 2006) -- “To anyone who has lost a loved one or has experienced the wounds of war I extend my deepest sympathy. Casualties of war are not only those lost, but also those left behind. For the departed, the family feels the loss most. For the wounded, it is both the Marine and those who love them who experience the void of a past life free from disabilities. But, in each case the sacrifice of the Marine was freely given, an outward sign of his or her faithful sense of duty to...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2006 – Military life is full of ups and downs. But for it to be a more positive experience, military spouses have to know themselves, Amberlynde Graham said. Graham has been a married nearly six years to a Navy fire controlman - he operates, maintains and repairs weapons systems' control mechanisms. In that time, the couple and their four children -- the youngest is now 22 months old -- have had six changes of station in five states and gone through two deployments. They are currently stationed in San Diego. Through the moves and separations, her enthusiasm...

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Dec. 8, 2005) -- Recruits endure three months of intense training to make the transition from civilian to Marine. But Marine spouses get thrown into the military lifestyle without any formal training. Quantico’s military spouses can turn to the Lifestyle, Insight, Networking, Knowledge and Skills program to help adjust to the change. The program offers three three-hour or two four-hour sessions each month packed with information about the Marine Corps, resources, services, community activities, and deployment and separation issues. “If Marine spouses have an understanding of the Marine Corps’ mission and how it affects them,...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2005 – Severely wounded servicemembers and all military spouses are encouraged to attend a "Hiring Heroes Career Fair" Sept. 20 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to explore job opportunities in the federal government and private sector. The fair, similar to one held earlier this year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, represents one of many steps the Defense Department is taking to help wounded troops transition to productive, satisfying civilian careers, Mark Smith from the Defense Civilian Personnel Management Service told the American Forces Press Service. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has expressed the department's continued...

The FTS program provides Soldiers with a means to recognize their supporters: spouses, parents, and employers of National Guard and Reserve Soldiers. Honorably discharged veterans may likewise nominate themselves for recognition under this program. Nominees will receive an Army lapel pin, an Army decal, a certificate and letter signed by the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army thanking them for their support.

“Man and Woman”, “Wife”, “Husband”, “Widow”, “Widower” Banished From all Ontario Law Terms, when referring to spouses, are banned from all government programs, services, documentsToronto, February 25, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – With the obscenely rapid, three-day introduction and passage of its same-sex “marriage” Bill 171, the Ontario government has advanced a revolutionary change in the way all laws and government programs and institutions refer to marriage and married persons. Everything referring to spouses must now be gender neutral. No longer can a married couple be referred to as “husband and wife” or “man and woman”. The terms “Widow” and “widower” are...

February 27, 2005 On the Home Front, a Source of Support By KATE ZERNIKE MONG the promises to help firm your thighs or give you a more lustrous head of hair that shout out from covers of women's magazines, "7 Things to Expect From A Man Who's Been Living in the Desert" strikes a somewhat discordant note. It was one of the teasers gracing the cover of the first issue of Military Spouse, a new magazine published every other month that was founded in the run-up to the Iraq war by two Navy wives frustrated by what they perceived as...

Orlando, FL (LifeNews.com) -- The man at the center of a debate between his wife and a Florida hospital has died after the hospital won the right to terminate his life support. The hospital and wife disputed whether or not 73-year-old terminally ill patient Hanford Pinette had any hope of survival. Pinette stopped breathing less than two hours after doctors at Lucerne Hospital removed him from a breathing machine. "He was trying to breathe on his own," Pinette's wife Alice told the Associated Press. She is still upset at the actions a court took to allow the hospital to end...

BOSTON - Shove it, then rhyme it with rich. Then roll it a batch of baked cookies and teas. Teresa Heinz Kerry joined the company of blunt-speaking political spouses this convention week by telling a reporter to stop misquoting her and "shove it." Barbara Bush set the standard in 1984 when she called Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro a $4 million "rhymes with rich" during the campaign to re-elect President Reagan and Mrs. Bush's husband, Vice President George Bush. She later apologized. Nine years later, Mrs. Bush was first lady when future Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web...

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - There were hugs, kisses and shouts of joy as families greeted 101st Airborne Division soldiers freshly home from Iraq. Then there was a dose of reality. Army spouses holding newborn babies and "Welcome Home" banners suddenly got quiet and listened as a chaplain and physician delivered the sobering message: Not everything will be easy in upcoming days. "We just ask that you take it slow, that you communicate with each other. Talk about expectations. There may be things you need to talk about," Chaplain Kerry Greene told them. Anger, resentment and flashbacks are just some of...

Sept. 26— On your wedding day you assume you'll have a long future together filled with love, intimacy, maybe kids, and of course, sex. Cheryl Wolfe assumed sex would be part of her marriage. Watch John Stossel's full report on 20/20 this Friday at 10 p.m. She was mistaken. "Marriage was never consummated … The day we got married there was no sexual relationship at all, no honeymoon night and from that point forward — nothing," Wolfe said. She isn't alone. Marriage therapists estimate as many as 20 percent of couples are mired in low-sex or no-sex marriages, and surprisingly...

<p>Gov. Gray Davis is known for dragging his feet on executive appointments, but in the weeks since a recall election became reality he has moved quickly to fill more than 200 vacancies in state agencies, boards, commissions and judgeships.</p> <p>With Senate confirmation needed before today's scheduled adjournment of the Legislature, the governor on Thursday pushed through two nominations to the sought-after University of California Board of Regents -- one for a major donor, the other for an icon in the farm worker movement, who helped deliver the Democratic Latino vote in last November's election.</p>

They were two rich families living 20 miles apart, linked by a phantom. Douglas "Diesel" Cone, the road construction kingpin who paved many of Tampa Bay's highways, was married to Jean Ann Cone, a beloved socialite and philanthropist, for more than 50 years. Their house bordered the Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club in South Tampa. Their money helped build Berkeley Preparatory School, where they sent three children and served as trustees. The school's library was named for Mrs. Cone. She drove a Rolls. Donald Carlson was also a major Berkeley Prep benefactor, though one who never showed his face....

Tina's Got A Gun P.J. O'Rourke, 09.16.02 What do you say when your wife tells you she wants to learn to shoot? How about, "Yes, dear." My wife is afraid of birds. She's not terrified afraid, not "chicken," as it were. Tina just considers birds to be air lizards, icky velociraptors in bad boas. They give her the creeps. She feels about birds the way other people feel about snakes or spiders or New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. I, on the other hand, love birds. I spend a lot of money every year and travel thousands of miles for...