this is for all people who have family members in the armed forces. please read?
606352
thank you for supporting them so many people don't
900161
Matt, first, may I thank You for your service to our country; you have my respect, sir, and my prayers.  God Bless each troop!!\n\nCan you talk with him/her about your situation?  Explain that the charity you most need to contribute to is your own?  I would believe that an understanding can be reached;  but if not, I would ask you to email me (click my icon), I can help.
1069903
My father gets extra for family members and some medical help. I don't know how it all works out for sure, but I found a website and you may find some information there?\n\nhttp://www.military.com/Resources/ResourcesContent/0,13964,38349,00.html
927762
I would just like to say that my husband and I are both in the Air Force, we are "kids" as you say, and many our friends and family have joined different branches of the military, there is no shortage of people going to sign up, the Air Force is trying to get rid of people! I would also like to say to whoever suggested cutting funding for the military: my husband makes $18,000 per year, and I will be making less than that (I leave for basic in January, my husband has been in for a year) and if people want to cut military funding, you are telling me that the brave people that are out there fighting for you everyday are going to get paid LESS than the crappy salary they make as it is now?!?! We struggle, all of our friends here struggle with money, this career field isn't about money, though, we do it for pride in ourselves and love of country and for a better life for our families. I don't think that the people who don't join don't love thier country, they probably all have their little reasons why they wouldn't do it. But that's ok, because if there weren't little whimps who didn't go, who would we be protecting?
742556
We give little credit to the families of veterans, such as yourself.  The sacrifices made by wives and children of veterans are sometimes greater that those of veterans, themselves.  Many times the sacrifices and long periods of waiting and not knowing, don't always turn out the way we hope, and that makes it particularly sad.\n\nI'd like to extend a special thanks to all of you out there, who make up the family unit of those veterans who are out there fighting the good fight.  God bless you, your children, and we pray for the safe return of your loved ones.    Semper Fidelis!
1102031
Your friend really has to exhaust all her options before considering joining the military. I joined the Army reserves 5 years ago in hopes of using the money to finish college and make a better life for my family (mother and sister). Well 5 years later and my unit has been deployed stateside and to Iraq  back to back. I havent had enough time to finish my college courses that I started back in 2000. There is money available for college such as GI Bill and army tuition assistance but in most cases it pays for 75% of your tuiition. The army's basic training is not all glits and glam its very hard work physically, mentally, emotionaly not to mention if she has young children they will be without their mother for 9 weeks of basic training plus the weeks or months that must be spent in training for you MOS(military Occupation Specialty) and if shes deployed thats another 6- 18 months overseas and believe me family is what she will miss the most. If I could do it all over again I would have sought wise counsel before signing my life away. Although the experiences have been once in a lifetime and I was able to move out of chaotic circumstances I always wonder what if I never joined the military where would my life be and how would it be different. I have changed and my mindset has changed. I never discourage people from doing what they feel is best  I'm just offering my experiences   God bless
673787
Talk about your family.
959707
My dad was deployed on a lot of holidays when I was growing up.  My mom invited soldiers over whose family was in the States or somewhere else.  Thanksgiving isn't just about family its about being with friends too, so she just made sure that if anyone didn't have a place to go they were at our house!
546894
Well there are a few. My Grandfather (my papa) he was in the Military. My dad, he passed away on May 29,1992. So, this Memorial Day it will have been 14 years since he died. He will be greatly missed. I love him very much and it is still so hard to deal with. And of course I always think of the men and women who have died for us and the men and women over there right now.My prayers are with all the family's of the men and women serving today.\nBy The BradAusmusls.....GO ASTROS!!!!!
743317
Just because someone is in the special forces, doesn't mean they "disappear" for years. Call his command where he was last stationed and ask where he is now stationed. You can also write to your state senator / govenor and they will try to relocate your brother. I won't say anything in details, because there may be other personal problems that have denied him access home? I don't know.\n\nYes it is a horrible thing for a sister / family to not know where their son is after many years, but just remember, your brother has served our nation in the most honorably way possible. \n\nIf you want, I can help you with this, I know a few people in Washington, so if you would like some more help, please feel free to email me. Jason_AndreW_mcintyre@yahoo.com
146918
My brother just returned, a few months ago. I stayed in touch with his girlfriend, by email and the occasional phone call, they live together in another state. You may want to contact the chaplain for his unit and see if a group is available. Also you could talk to some of the other significant others and bring up a weekly or monthly meeting, just to pass on news and share some time. I spoke to my brother about once a week while he was there by webcam and instant messenger. My brother was in Al Asad, it was bad but we were all able to see him. When his kids were here for a visit, I even had the webcam on them and he was able to see and chat with them, it was really great, considering. \n\nGood luck, fcabre@yahoo.com
399600
I personally have never had that happen before but i know that when it happens to people who are officers rather in the military or civilian, they dont like to talk about the losses. They try to see the good in every situation. Being an MP in the military, we have to learn to trust each other and since we work with each other everyday we all tend to become like a big family, and when you loose a family member no matter how close you are to them, it hurts. It's like if you were a kid and you had a puppy that your parents gave to you and you loved it to death. Well, one day it got ran over and how would you feel? You would probably feel let down, and depressed and not want to think about it again after you barried it because it hurt so bad. That's how it is. It's just like asking a solider how many people he killed in a war? Its something you dont do because a true solider doesnt want to admit it. It's not something to keep track of a boast about.
106512
There are many places to go.  One website i suggest is http://www.sarahsmiley.com/military_links.htm#Support_Links  This place helped my friend when her husband went away.  Good Luck and God bless your wife and your family.
554533
Is this family heartbroken? \nSomewhere in Iraq, a family sits down to a Id al-Fitr dinner. The weather is warm, Dad has been busy cooking. People exchange cards and give food and money to the needy. Children wear new clothes, girls decorate their feet and hands with henna, and families and friends exchange visits All are seated. They take each others’ hands as they worry when the next air strike might occur, bounded in a circle of love. The father looks so much older now even though it’s been just a year since they last observed this day devoted to Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Issac. The  dark circles surround his eyes, his wrinkles are deeper and their is obviously more gray in his hair. His shoulders almost seem bent down from some inner burden. \nHe looks around the table at his lovely family. Each looks sadly at the empty chair missing their loved ones who died in a war that was illegal and unjust. 9-year-old Eman Walid tells story about when the Marines burst into the home where most of her terrified family--including her mother, grandfather, grandmother, two brothers, two aunts and two uncles--was huddled together in the living room in their nightclothes.“First, they went into my father’s room, where he was reading the Koran,” she said, “and we heard shots.” Then, she said, the soldiers came back into the living room. “I couldn’t see their faces very well--only their guns sticking into the doorway. I watched them shoot my grandfather, first in the chest and then in the head. Then they killed my granny.” The Marines, she says, began firing into the corner of the room while the adults tried to shield her and her 8-year-old brother. Seven adults were killed, her brother was shot in the shoulder, and she suffered a shrapnel wound to her leg. “We were lying there, bleeding, and it hurt so much,” she says. “Afterward, some Iraqi soldiers came. They carried us in their arms. I was crying, shouting, ‘Why did you do this to our family?’ And one Iraqi soldier tells me, ‘We didn’t do it. The Americans did.’” In this day of remembering loved ones, we will love them forever...
761001
I enjoyed my time as a Marine, I miss it and would love to go back but I have a family and cannot leave them for extended periods. If you join the US military you will be gone for extended periods and you will go to war. Since you do not have a spouse the development of your children could be compromised. I would tell you to stay home and raise your kids.
985757
if i hadn't been too sick to go get a few, Ii would indeed have been, but i haven't left my house in nearly 3 weeks. but my kids even got ones for my grandkids.  My grandfather and uncle died in WWII, and my father and 2other uncles were wounded My step father was wounded in Korea, My step brother was wounded in the golan heights while peacekeeping. In all there were or are 13 members of my family in 4 generations who served .  the youngest is my neice who was in Bosnia, and Afghanistan, and is still serving!
654184
The military will only ship to your Home of Record.  I, honestly, don't know if that applies to family members in cases such as yours.  Your best bet is to contact the transportation office.