militarymoms

If you’ve survived a PCS move, you have probably stayed in temporary lodging on or off base during your transfer process.  Did you know that many of the lodging facilities on military bases offer low-cost lodging to military leisure travelers?  We’ve stayed at Navy Inns, visitors’ quarters and Air Force Inns in Europe and the U.S., and you can’t beat the prices.

For example, Hanscom Air Force Base, which is just a ten-minute drive from Lexington, Massachusetts, charged us $47 for a two-room suite, with kitchenette.  Most motel rooms in the area charge at least twice that rate, if not more.  We bought breakfast food at the commissary and gassed up our car on base, too.  This would be a great place to stay if you were planning to explore Boston, Lexington and Concord.

We’ve stayed at Navy Lodges in Virginia Beach, Great Lakes (Illinois) and Annapolis, and in a Marine Corps inn outside of San Diego, at Miramar.  Everywhere we’ve stayed, we’ve received great value for our money, and we’ve been able to use base facilities (think laundromats!) to save even more while on vacation.

If you’ve never considered the military lodging system, I encourage you to give it a try.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Yesterday we attended a celebration at a friend’s home on a nearby military base.  We brought along my daughter’s friend, whose parents are not military.  She was astounded to discover that we had I.D. cards and that she was on a military installation.  She worried that her parents wouldn’t be able to get on base because they didn’t have I.D. cards.  She asked me if people fought battles on the base.  At first, all these questions surprised me - I had forgotten how it feels to look at military life from the outside rather than the inside.

I need to consider this idea more carefully, I think.  After nearly 23 years of the Navy spouse thing, I’ve pretty much crossed over to the other side.  I can explain the acronyms, tell you how to get the most out of your local military body hobby shop and give you tips on PCS moves, but most folks I meet learn about military life by watching CNN and Fox.  They don’t ask me, that’s for sure!

I think, too, that my children accept their lives as “normal” - not just the moving, but the rental cabins and the commissaries and the low-cost activities we enjoy.  That’s good - they like the military life, for the most part.  Almost no one in the military is a millionaire, of course, but our lives are pretty decent (I’ll rant about military pay some other time).  I don’t want to take the blessings we have for granted.

I have a feeling it will be a while before we see our $25.

Yesterday, my husband tried to contact US Airways once again about the incorrectly-assessed second-checked bag fee he paid Sunday.  He spent nearly 20 minutes on hold and then - of course - had to hang up to go to (gasp!) work.  He asked me to call US Airways to see what I could do, so I dialed the number I found on the airline’s Web site.

The pleasant-voiced woman who answered told me I had to call Customer Relations in Phoenix to solve my problem.  When I explained that my husband had already tried that avenue and had spent far too much time not talking to actual people, she suggested I send an email to Customer Relations via the US Airways Web site.  I took some time to compose a polite letter, requesting not only reimbursement but also retraining of the employee who incorrectly billed my husband.  After all, our local airport is within 50 miles of some large military installations - the Pentagon, for one - and I’m sure my husband is not the only military person to pay these charges, which will eventually get put on  travel claims and be paid by - you guessed it - taxpayers.  Bad all around, except for US Airways’ bottom line.

I went to the commissary yesterday and noticed that youth sports signups placards are everywhere.  I grabbed a copy of our regional MWR Joint Services Leisure Guide and discovered that our other local military base is taking soccer signups now, too.

While the weekly routine of two practices and an early-morning game doesn’t sound too appealing just as the current school year is winding down, I can say from personal experiene that getting involved in youth sports is good for both parents and children.  My children have both spent many hours running bases, kicking soccer balls and so on.  And, at each new duty station, I was compelled to get out and meet some other parents from our base and our local area, which was a very good thing.  Without youth sports, I would not have met all the wonderful moms and dads who became my friends, and I would have lost the chance to find out how to make the most of my time at each new place.

Youth sports can benefit your whole family.  It’s time to sign up!

As you might guess, it’s not over yet.  My husband contacted US Airways representatives in Charlotte and Las Vegas, and each time was told they couldn’t help him.  He now has a toll-free number to call (no doubt with a maze of “If you’re calling for…” messages to navigate).  The US Airways representative in Charlotte told him that US Airways introduced a bunch of new fees and charges over the weekend.  This is not true; the airline’s last press release on service and fee changes is dated June 12, 2008.  The Contract of Carriage was last updated May 19, 2008.

I know we can dispute this charge and win; US Airways’ contract of carriage clearly states (on page 19) that active duty military, and even those separated from active duty service within the five days prior to their flight, are entitled to check a second bag free of charge.  I shouldn’t have to go through any of this, though.  US Airways should train their employees on new policies before implementing them, and passengers shouldn’t have to spend lots of time on the telephone getting baggage charges reversed.

What really makes me angry, though, is that this has happened to a military person.  It’s not like most active duty people have extra cash to spend on checked bag fees or anything else.  That’s over five gallons of gas right there!

Hopefully, my next update will close out this case.  I’m not holding my breath, though.

So, today I drop my husband off at the airport for yet another exciting TAD adventure (that’s TDY for you Army and Air Force folks).  An hour later, he calls.  Besides the bizarre problems he’s discovered with his government travel card (grrr, I hate those things), he mentioned that US Airways charged him $25 for checked bag #2, per their new policy.

“Wait!” I said, “They can’t do that!  You’re active duty military!” 

“I told them that,” said my husband, “but they said that policy applied only to active duty military returning from a combat zone.”

 ”Oh, no, their Web site does not say that at all!” I practically screamed.  I marched downstairs and recited the US Airways baggage policy to him.  It says, in part:

The following passengers are exempt** from the first and second checked bag fee:

Active military personnel with ID and government issued travel orders/on active duty status (luggage up to 99 lbs/45 kg free of charge)

Apparently the counter agent at our local airport was not properly briefed on US Airways’ policies.  My husband is planning to request that the airline credit him back for this charge; we’ll see what happens.

Meanwhile, I suggest that anyone traveling (on orders or otherwise) should print out a copy of his or her airline’s contract of carriage, which spells out the airline’s policies and obligations to its ticketed passengers, read it thoroughly and bring it along.  Know your airline’s policies; in this time of rapidly-changing fees and policies, you might just know more than the person on the other side of the counter.

Remember that old military recruiting ad?  If you’re a military mom, you’ve probably had the experience of moving to a new duty station and looking for work.  I’ve endured several interviews in which the first question asked wasn’t about me at all, but about my husband’s job.  “So, are you folks military?”

It’s not a friendly question at all, because it translates to, “So, why should I hire you when you’re going to move?”  There is no easy way to answer this question.  You can lie (bad idea), or you can act ashamed of your husband’s dedication to  his country and military career (embarrassing).  What I’ve done, always, is prepare my answer ahead of time.

I usually answer with something like, “Yes, he is.  We’ve just moved here, and we’re hoping to stay for a second tour.  My research shows that (percentage) of all (husband’s Navy career path) jobs are located within 25 miles of (big military base in area), and he is already looking at follow-on tours here.”  So far, it’s worked well.  Of course, I do the research - chances are, local employers already know the statistics I plan to quote.

It’s true that some employers can’t be persuaded to hire military spouses, even though we make great employees.  We’re flexible.  We adapt well to new situations.  We’re creative - just look at what we can do with a tiny house and beige walls!  We are loyal and dedicated - we have to be, just to survive this life.  Most importantly, we know how to be team players.  We can help newcomers and we aren’t afraid to ask for help ourselves.

If you’re looking for a job at your new duty station this summer, bear these thoughts in mind, and plan ahead for your interview.  Get some of Martin Yate’s great books.  Think through the answers to those tough questions.  Find out what the company you’d like to work for really does - Google its name or look at its corporate website.

Hold your head high when The Question comes.  Be prepared with a professional answer, and you’ll do just fine.

Well, the heat wave has gone, for now at least.  More storms blew through last night, more trees fell down, more people lost power.  Our high today will “only” be about 88 degrees - I hope.

I thought I’d suggest a few items to add to your emergency kit.  Most people think of food and water right away, and perhaps even a means to prepare and serve them.  What about the rest of daily life?

• Medicines, both prescription and over-the-counter.  I realize it’s impossible to stockpile prescription meds - Tricare counts every pill dispensed, and if disaster occurs right before your refill date, you could have a problem.  It might be a good idea to talk with your doctor about this issue and see about getting a two-week emergency supply of any meds you might need, particularly if you have chronic health issues.

• Diapers.  Stash a couple of diapers away every time you buy a pack, and you’ll have two weeks’ worth available in no time.  No fair raiding your stash, though!

• Pet food and supplies.  This is NOT the time to run out of cat litter, trust me.

• Matches and fuel.  If you have a fireplace or charcoal grill, you probably have wood or briquets available.  If not, you’ll need to make sure you have propane or some other fuel source for cooking and heating water.

• Tools.  You will need a crescent wrench to turn off your natural gas (important if there is an earthquake, to prevent explosions).  A hammer and a prybar might come in handy, too.

• Pots.  You will need them to heat water and wash up.  Don’t forget dish soap!

• Activities.  Tuck away a deck of cards and drawing supplies.  Life gets pretty boring without TV and GameBoy.

• Batteries of all sizes.  You know, the ones that fit into your flashlight and radio.

• Spiritual comfort.  If you have an extra Bible or Book of Mormon, this might be a good place to keep it.

• Gas and cash.  If you know a storm is approaching, particularly a hurricane, fill your tank and get cash to tide you over for a few days.  Credit card machines and gas pumps don’t work if the power goes out.

God willing, I won’t have to worry about power outages for a few days; I’m looking forward to a few cool evenings, too!

During our trip to Sugar Grove last week, I was surprised and pleased to learn that this small, remote Navy base had finally found a way to provide cell phone service to sailors, airmen and their families.  Prior to this year, cell phones didn’t work at Sugar Grove.  I saw several teens, happily texting their friends, and that was a good thing.

Then I saw a not-so-good thing.  I watched a young lady - probably in her 20s - speed on the main road of the base.  Uh-oh, I thought.  Then I saw the cell phone she was holding up to her ear.

Last time I checked, use of cell phones while driving on a military installation was banned in 2006.  The only way you can use a cell phone is to park your car or to use a hands-free device.  Text messaging isn’t permitted, either (surprise!).

This young lady might have thought that, since she couldn’t see a patrol car, no one was watching.  Unfortunately, she was speeding right near the Navy Exchange, commissary and pool parking lot - a spot famous for near-misses.  Had there been any pedestrians around, I would have reported her to Security.  She could have received points on her base driving record, which could eventually have led to suspension of her base driving privileges.  If you ask me, parking your vehicle at the front gate and hiking all over base isn’t worth a phone call.

Now that the weather is warmer, more families will be out walking and biking on your base.  Set the cell phone down - even better, turn it off or give it to a passenger - and drive carefully.  Please.

Last week I went with my family to the 50th anniversary celebration of NIOC Sugar Grove, West Virginia, where we lived for two amazing years.  The day began with a ceremony honoring sailors and airmen who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The Navy and the local community commemorated Sugar Grove’s 50th birthday.  At the end of the day, country music singer Chris Cagle gave a free concert on the football field.  It was a great day.

Through it all, MWR employees worked.  Some of them started the day at 5:30 A.M., working in the galley, and were still at it at 11:00 P.M. in the club.  Others hauled water, hot dogs and burgers from the club’s kitchen out to the football field’s concession stand.  It was a very hot day - 94 degrees, I think - and the MWR folks were in the blazing sun most of the time.

Sometimes I don’t think we realize how hard MWR employees work on special days - July 4 leaps to mind - to make our holidays and celebrations fun and memorable.  We’re off work, enjoying good food and fireworks, but they’re out there manning the kiddie games, driving the tractor for hayrides and standing over hot griddles, flipping burgers.  It’s tough duty - not as tough as a deployment or an IA, but difficult nonetheless.

Thanks, MWR, for making the last 22 years of my life more fun, and for staying focused on making the lives of active duty folks and their families better.