militarymoms

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!

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.

Yes, I know you’re a military mom and probably don’t have time to fix your own cars.  Perhaps you’ve never even heard of an Auto Skills Shop before.  When I first married the military, I had no idea they existed, either.  Two decades (and a few extra years) later, I can tell you that we’ve saved thousands of dollars by using the Auto Skills Shops on bases around the world.

Once, quite a few years ago, I added up the hours my husband spent fixing our cars at various Auto Skills Shops and multiplied it by the prevailing automotive repair labor rate.  $3,000.  That’s a lot of money.  I’m sure if I included all the repair hours from the last decade, our savings would be twice that amount.

An Auto Skills Shop is a do-it-yourself automotive repair facility.  They vary a bit from place to place, but they always have a lift or two, tons of high-quality tools, repair manuals and software, and a staff that knows a LOT about fixing cars.  They’re cheap, too; you can rent a lift for a few dollars and use it to make oil changes, tire rotation and other maintenance tasks much faster and easier than they would be in your driveway.

My husband and son are regulars at our Auto Skills Shop.  It’s a great place to teach our family’s newest driver how a car works and how to keep it in good operating condition. 

The best part about the Auto Skills Shop, however, is the helpful staff.  (Steve, Ralph, Jime and all the others, this means you - thanks!)  There are times when my husband is away for months, and, of course, my cars conk out.  I’ve taken my cars and my lack of knowledge to the Auto Skills staff, and they’ve helped me diagnose problems and find parts.  Most of the time, they’ve put the parts on my car, too.

If you’re interested in learning how to fix your car, the Steves and Ralphs at your Auto Skills Shop will help you get started.  Think about it.