Blogs

Military moves can present unique challenges due to the nature of relocation and potential separations from loved ones; when you factor in the holidays, these moves get even more compounded. Below are some tips we've compiled to support you as you navigate moving during the holiday season. Plan and Communicate Early Military moves often come with little notice. Though you may have a checklist (and you've checked it twice!), you'll likely find that half the installation or base goes on block leave during the holidays, making it nearly impossible to get anything done. Keep those communication lines open, and plan what you can as soon as possible. Stay ...
Finding Your Community ; Encontrando Tu Comunidad! Meet Nicole. She’s been a military spouse for more than 10 years. Originally hailing from Puerto Rico, Maryland is now home. While serving her community as an Air Force Key Spouse, Nicole knows firsthand how difficult it can be to deal with career gaps. Nicole was out of the workforce for 10 years…and then discovered Blue Star Families Careers . “ Verano Bilingüe" was the first program I participated in, and when I learned about the initiative, I had to volunteer . "Blue Star Careers brings back a "spark" in me. Through BSF Careers, I am starting to feel more confident ...

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's more than just delicious food and beautiful aromas, though. What I love the most about this time of year is the focused moments of gratitude, spending time with family and friends, and creating memories that I know will last a lifetime. I still remember the first Thanksgiving my husband and I were dating. He was on his first deployment to Afghanistan, and these were the good old days of SAT phones and writing letters - plus, since I was just a girlfriend, I wasn't able to get much information from the FRO, so I relied on spouses that I knew to keep me posted on things. I celebrated the holiday with my family, ...
If you're new here, welcome! Blue Star Families is committed to creating deep connections between military and Veteran members and their civilian neighbors. Whether in-person or virtually, we firmly believe we are all stronger when caring for one another. Blue Star Neighborhood continues to grow every single day, and we are so grateful that you are here! It is important to us that our community members feel connected no matter where they are or where they are going, and that is why we have created some new lifestyle communities in The Neighborhood. These communities are more niche than our HQ Community, allowing you to build the connection, acceptance, ...
Blue Star Careers — Career Nourishment 101 As a Military Spouse, nurturing and advancing your career is a continuous process that requires dedication, self-awareness, and strategic planning. Here are some Blue Star Career nourishment tips to help you grow and succeed in your professional journey no matter where the military takes you! Set Clear Goals: Define your short-term and long-term career objectives. Clear goals will provide direction and motivation, allowing you to focus on what truly matters. Continuous Learning : Never stop learning and acquiring new skills. Stay updated with industry trends, attend workshops, ...
‘Mirrors and windows’ is a phrase that often comes up in my line of work. What does it mean? It is a phrase that highlights the importance of diversity in the information and media we consume, the spaces we enter, and the stories we hear. A mirror is a term used to describe one’s shared identity thriving in a space or positionality. At the same time, a window is an opportunity for someone to see another person’s identity and humanity thriving in that space or positionality. The diversity in what we see, hear, and experience can provide those windows and mirrors for ourselves and future generations and expand the possibilities for what we think is possible. The ...
I don't know about you, but I'm still filled with enthusiasm from all the excitement of Blue Star Welcome Week 2023 . We all know the stress and overwhelm of moving to new areas, so having something like Welcome Week to increase morale is essential. It's a way to build connection and community, whether you've been in an area for one week or three years. Building reliable relationships, finding new places to explore, and revisiting old gems are vital to healthy living and creating a home. One of our dear friends, Cassandra Glubzinski, decided to write a poem on her experience with Blue Star Families and Welcome Week. You can read this fun piece below, ...
Photo Credit: National Park Service Our national parks tell the stories of people, communities, and movements while connecting us to the lands we call home. These places are only made more treasured by the people who bring them to life through interpretive conversation, education, and impactful storytelling. On this day of Women’s History Month, we honor Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest Park Ranger serving with the National Park Service, and the face of the Rosie the Riveter WWII Homefront National Historical Park in Richmond, California. Having supported the WWII efforts on the homefront while working in a segregated union hall as a file clerk, ...
Food for Thought - Stand out in a competitive market! Military spouses, today’s job market is extremely competitive, and more than ever, highly trained and educated community members face the most challenges when searching for work. In some communities throughout the military lifestyle, the market is more uncertain and can test your motivation. Maintain a positive outlook; you can increase your chances of career success with the right approach and strategies. Blue Star Careers' recommendations can help you navigate the job market while applying the latest job-searching tips to stand out in today's competitive environment; ...
The biggest issue facing Veterans during transition isn’t just a lack of resources. And the solution isn’t one-size-fits-all. Many in the field have tried to pinpoint one exact causality for the difficulties service members trading in their combat boots experience. However, if there’s one life-altering thing 1989 gave us, besides the 486 microprocessor — it’s the term “intersectionality.” Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw coined this term, which she explains “is simply about how certain aspects of who you are will increase your access to the good things or your exposure to the bad things in life. It helps us clearly see how social identities work on multiple ...
When reflecting on her childhood, Dr. Aundrea Matthews recalls time spent at the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point. She was raised outside its historic walls in the Village of Highland Falls, New York. Beyond being close to West Point, her grandfather, Sergeant (Ret.) Sanders Haygood Matthews, was a member of the academy’s esteemed Buffalo Soldiers. “I got to spend the majority of my time on West Point hanging around them, listening to old stories,” she shares. “They always got together. They talked about horses, horses they liked, and who they trained and how many cadets. My grandfather used to say all the time, anything you can do ...
Who is ready for one of the best weeks of the year!? Blue Star Welcome Week 2023 officially kicks off this Saturday, September 23, 2023, and we couldn’t be more excited! Blue Star Welcome Week started two years ago as a way to fill the gap that military- and Veteran-connected families feel due to their frequent moves and transitions. The constant challenge of establishing a sense of belonging to a new community takes a lot of work; that’s where Welcome Week comes in! This year, along with the more than 150 incredible events that our 13 local Chapters have planned, Blue Star Families will be sharing: Daily giveaways ...
Metropolitan Washington, D.C. has grown steadily to become more diverse, especially between 2010 and 2020. Today, more than half of the region’s residents identify as non-white . For an area ranked as one of the most diverse places to live in the U.S., it should come as a surprise that military families of color still feel isolated. Laura, an active-duty Army spouse and first-generation Mexican-American, is ready to close the gap. “I am most passionate about starting those ‘hard’ conversations that center around racism and inclusion,” Laura shares. “I notice I’m not alone in the experiences I’ve had as a military spouse. Many share similar ...
LinkedIn Like a MilSpouse — What to Post on LinkedIn Grow a Professional Network While Adding Credibility To Your Career! Creating professional, engaging, and relevant content for your audience is essential when posting on LinkedIn. Invest from two to three days per week, 5-10 minutes to schedule your post for the week, plus dedicate a day to add comments and engage with other members or companies you follow posts. Infusing energy into your professional profile and growing your network can be managed in an hour per week or less, with professional lifetime benefits. Did you know that 85% of all jobs are filled via networking on LinkedIn? ...
As a successful New Zealand diplomat of 14 years, David was a well-traveled and established professional. He’d been through several overseas tours to places like Indonesia, Chile, and finally, Hawaii, where he met his future spouse, John, an Army Chief Warrant Officer 2. “My career as a diplomat was promising and on an upward trajectory,” David shares. “However, I decided to leave my career behind to pursue my personal happiness with my husband. It was an extremely hard decision for me because my identity was wrapped up in my profession.” Leaving the comforts of familiarity behind, he embarked on a journey of uncertainty. In David’s first few months ...
New England area members! Don't miss you chance to meet Adrianne Haslet, a Boston Marathon bombing survivor who became just the 2nd woman in history to run the Boston Marathon after losing her leg. She is a community supporter for our Blue Star Welcome Week, and will be our special guest during our #BSWW Kick off event aboard the USS Constitution on Sunday, SEP 24 from 5pm - 7pm. There will be a special tour of the ship (not available to the public!) and an opportunity to speak with Adrianne as she takes the tour with us (she may even fire the cannons during Evening Colors!). Join us by registering here for this very special event - there are more ...
Marla Bautista, an Army wife and mother of three, knows firsthand that advocacy can play an important role in building a stronger, more supported community. That’s because she was once food insecure and unhoused. And those challenging experiences have shaped her into who she is today while positively affecting how she can help others. “I am a person who has directly experienced homelessness and the obstacles that come along with obtaining safety and security after hardship,” Marla shares. “I am honored to share lessons from my experience, while using the applied research from Blue Star Families, to assist our community in places I think we need it most – our ...
Attention military families with kids under 18! Our friends at HomeBase have been great partners with Blue Star Families of New England, and they are seeking insights about what type of services they could offer next for military families with kids age 18 or under. It take less then 3 minutes and could help determine programs and services for our #milKids here in the area (and beyond). Check it out and fill it out if you can! https://forms.office.com/r/ AKJCdAmR9d
When it comes to military moves, there are typically two types of people: those who plan and those who want to figure it out along the way. No matter what side you fall on, the frequent moves of military life can leave you feeling disconnected and without a sense of belonging. That is what makes Blue Star Families Chapters so important! We currently have 13 Blue Star Families Chapters located across the country. These groups empower military members, spouses, and their families by connecting them to meaningful programming to establish a sense of community with their civilian neighbors. Feeling a sense of belonging is crucial to: Psychological ...
Listen to Kimberly's story here . As the Wells Fargo Housing Insecurity DEPLOY Fellow, Kimberly has a lot to offer military families. For starters, she understands military families. Her mother was the first Korean female Chief Warrant Officer 5 in the U.S. Army. Not to mention, Kimberly was accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy, and her husband is an active-duty Army soldier. But her voice is what makes her an even greater asset to the military community. And it will prove to be powerful in her DEPLOY Fellow role. Housed under Blue Star Families’ Campaign for Inclusion initiative, the DEPLOY ( D iversify and E xpand the P ipeline ...