The Defense Department’s MWR Libraries Summer Reading Program is an initiative designed to encourage reading and learning among military families and service members. This program runs during the summer months and offers a range of free reading-related activities, challenges and events for children, teens and adults. Listen to this podcast and learn about how you can participate in this year’s summer reading experience and the benefits of reading and staying in touch with your library all...

In this podcast episode, you will learn about MilitaryChildCare.com, the Defense Department’s request-for-care management system. Developed as an entry point for all military families seeking affordable, accessible, quality child care, MilitaryChildCare.com serves as a “one-stop shop,” global database for families seeking child care. Listeners will also learn how to create a profile on MilitaryChildCare.com and locate options for child care with an upcoming PCS. Host Bruce Moody speaks with...

Learn about the Defense Department’s initiative to correct the records of former service members discharged for their sexual orientation with a less than fully honorable conditions discharge during Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Host Bruce Moody explores the review and correction processes for military records and how the initiative impacts the lives of service members with Col. Amy Brantley, chief of the Air Force’s Discharge Review Board and Christa A Specht, director, Office of Legal Policy,...

Learn what the Defense Department and the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command are doing to provide care, comfort and safety when moving your pets during a PCS. You will learn about steps to take to ensure pet health prior to the move, in addition to how the DOD defines a pet, breeds that qualify for moving assistance as well as breeds with added health risks, and details of the pet reimbursement policy for both CONUS and OCONUS moves. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Angela Delauter, logistics...

Learn how the free MilLife Learning course, “Making Your Final Wishes Known,” can help military and nonmilitary personnel understand what actions need to be taken to ensure their final wishes are carried out upon their death. This includes minimizing paperwork and probate costs associated with distributing assets. You will also learn why estate planning is important regardless of your age or how many assets you have. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Traci J. Voelke, a legal assistance attorney...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and non-medical counseling is a valuable resource that can help service members and military family members manage day-to-day stress and navigate challenges. In this podcast, host Bruce Moody speaks with Michelle Aldana, program analyst with Military Community Support Programs. Michelle answers questions about non-medical counseling, including where to get it, who is eligible, how it works and more. Visit Military OneSource at...

In this podcast, listen to deployment and time away experiences from a seasoned Navy MilSpouse’s perspective, and learn about tips and resources to help manage the phases of deployment — from predeployment preparation and traditions, setting personal and family goals for the deployment period, accepting help from and nurturing relationships with family and friends, giving yourself grace, and establishing reunion traditions, including learning how to share the load with your military partner...

This initial episode of a planned series about military child care and fee assistance provides an overview of the military child care system. You will learn about how the Defense Department is expanding access to quality child care for military families, has streamlined its global request-for-care process through the MilitaryChildCare.com website, and is making child care more affordable while maintaining its quality in order to meet the unique needs of military families and help them be...

The Defense Department will show their appreciation for military spouses in May with a series of virtual events designed to help spouses reach their career goals. Learn about the events, which kick off May 14-16 with the 2024 Virtual Military Spouse Symposium, followed by hiring fair prep sessions May 21-23, and ending May 29-30 with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Virtual Hiring Fairs. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Josie Beets, program manager with the Spouse Education and Career...

Finances, trust, communication, parenting, frequent separations, deployment and PCS are some common sources of military relationship stress. Get tips and learn about free resources that can help military couples address these challenges and strengthen their bonds. Host Bruce Moody and Michelle Aldana, a program analyst with the Defense Department’s Military Community Support Programs, discuss ways service members and their partners can work together and as individuals to navigate stress and...

Moving as a military parent has unique considerations and challenges. Discover tips and resources to take care of yourself as well as others during a PCS that can help you and your family address emotions, cope with feelings around leaving friends and community, sort through the stressors of moving to a new installation and more. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Marly Hinestroza, DOD military family life consultant, child and youth behavioral military and family life counselor. Visit Military...

Having a parent deployed affects children, youth and teens differently from family to family. The Defense Department offers a range of support and resources across the services to help military families cope with all phases of deployment. In this episode, you’ll learn about the resources, such as the School Liaison Program and the important role school liaisons play, as well as Families OverComing Under Stress, or FOCUS, and Military and Family Life Counseling. In addition, you’ll hear...

In this podcast episode, parents will learn ways to connect with their children, including how taking walks with a toddler can improve their language skills, as well as getting tips on how they can better connect with their teenager on a personal level. Parents will also learn ways to maintain engagement with their children as a deployed or separated parent. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Shannon Best, a licensed marriage and family therapist who serves as the child abuse and neglect lead for...

Learn about the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship, a workforce development program that provides up to $4,000 in financial assistance to eligible military spouses for licenses, certifications, national testing, certain continuing education credits or associate degrees to pursue an occupation or career field. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Kristen Silverman, a career coach with the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program. SECO provides military spouses with free career and...

On April 8, 2024, mark your calendar for a celestial event that has the power to unite us all — the total solar eclipse. Join our host, Bruce Moody, as he speaks with Anita Dey, strategic partnerships manager for outreach and engagement at NASA Headquarters, as we gear up for this awe-inspiring experience. Whether you’re stationed near the path of totality or deployed elsewhere, get ready to witness nature’s breathtaking spectacle. Discover why the 2024 eclipse is so special. This is more...

Learn how the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, installation youth centers and mentorship can inspire military-connected youth to find value, meaning and purpose in their stories and support each other along the way. You’ll hear how a National Military Youth of the Year winner is embracing her role as a motivator and mentor and using the lessons learned in her own journey as a MilKid to help other military-connected youth define their passion, find their voice and tell their stories. Host...

Learn how parents can help their children navigate challenges with mental health, what it was like for one military youth who grew up in the community and about her mental health diagnosis. You’ll also learn how she dealt with her insecurities and started therapy to forge a path ahead. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Cady, a military youth who speaks frequently to military groups about her experiences. Visit Military OneSource at...

PCS moves and deployments are among the factors that contribute to feelings of loneliness and social isolation among military families. Strengthening bonds with each other and connecting with the larger community can help families navigate these challenges. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Tara Wright of Sesame Street Workshop about new content and resources from Sesame Street for Military Families and Military OneSource that can help parents and caregivers build family bonds and community...

Learn about the Commissary CLICK2GO program and app, an online service offered by the Defense Commissary Agency that allows eligible patrons to order groceries from the commissary and schedule free curbside pickup. Hear about how the Commissary CLICK2GO app can help with meal planning, food budgeting and reaching your nutritional goals. Note: DeCA is in the process of extending EBT/SNAP as an online payment option for Commissary CLICK2GO. Host Bruce Moody, speaks with Jennifer Claro, a...

Learn how the Defense Finance Accounting Service has simplified the annual eligibility verifications for Survivor Benefit Plan annuitants. Also, learn when verifications are due each year, as well as what the SBP is and who’s eligible to receive payments in the first place. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Julie Burandt-Partin with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Visit Military OneSource at https://www.dfas.mil/managesbp for information on how to manage your SBP annuity. Bruce Moody...

Learn how a free MilTax consultant can help maximize your tax refunds by ensuring you receive every tax benefit your military service entitles you to. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Michelle Aldana, with Military Community and Family Policy, and Fred Koch, a Military OneSource financial counselor and tax consultant. Michelle provides a general overview of MilTax, and Fred, who is retired from the Air Force, shares: • The most common tax-related questions that he gets as a MilTax consultant •...

Learn about the Federal Voting Assistance Program, established by the Defense Department. The program ensures that service members and their eligible family members stationed away from home are aware of their right to vote and provides them with the tools to exercise this right from wherever they are living. Host Bruce Moody speaks with Dr. Lisa Thomas and Brianna Paul, program analysts for the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Visit Military OneSource at...

This podcast focuses on the Transition Assistance Program, providing a comprehensive overview of its role in supporting service members and their families during the crucial period of transitioning out of the military. The episode features the personal experience of an airman who faced an accelerated transition, emphasizing the challenges and decisions that come with a condensed time frame of just four months. The various aspects of TAP are covered, including the resources and assistance it...

Defense Department child care programs have expanded access to quality, flexible child care for military families through fee assistance and options that recognize and respond to the unique challenges of military life. A previous episode about Child Care in Your Home outlined how this program meets those needs and challenges by putting decisions about child care in the hands of parents who want quality care in their homes. In this episode, Host Bruce Moody speaks with Maria Quinn,...