1. http://www.health.mil/blog/10-06-24/Family_Resiliency_Webinar.aspx.
This Week in MC&FP
July 8, 2011
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Many of you may have watched today‘s historic launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Chances are, too, you‘ll watch as the crew completes their mission, returns and retires the Atlantis and
concludes the space shuttle program. We wish them good luck and Godspeed. Through technology,
we‘re able to stay connected in ways not imagined in the early days of our nation. Information flowed
much more slowly! In fact, while many new Americans were aware of a Declaration of Independence,
on July 4, they were unfamiliar with its content. The first public reading of that document occurred 235
years ago, July 8, 1776. Colonel John Nixon read the words we now know ‗by heart‘ to the residents
who had assembled at Philadelphia‘s Independence Square.
Have a good week and take care.
Please note: Some hyperlinks in this text are lengthy, sometimes extending more than one line. For best
results, cut and paste the entire link into your Web browser.
From the DASD, Robert L. Gordon III
We all know what it‘s like to benefit from someone else‘s generosity. Whether it‘s a neighbor who
collects our mail when we are on vacation, or another military family who supports us through a
deployment, we know how comforting it feels to have the support of those around us. It is one of
greatest qualities of the American people: our desire to help out and give of ourselves.
The Feds Feed Families Food Drive Campaign (http://www.fedsfeedfamilies.gov/) will be collecting
food donations throughout the month of August. The federal government has challenged all federal
employees to donate to their local food banks this summer and meet this challenge by setting a goal of
gathering two million pounds of food and other non-perishables for those in need. The Department of
Defense is taking the lead by pledging to collect 733,800 pounds!
See http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/07/feds-feed-families/
From the Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth
TRICARE Standard Gives Families More Options
TRICARE Standard is a great option for military families who want more freedom when it comes to
selecting their medical providers. TRICARE Standard is a fee-for-service plan available worldwide
to all eligible, non-active duty beneficiaries. To learn more, go to http://www.tricare.mil/standard.
For more information, see http://www.tricare.mil/mediacenter/press_article.aspx?fid=549
Providing policy, tools, and resources to further enhance the quality of life of service members and their families.

2. This Week in MC&FP July 8, 2011
Blue Star Museums – Going Strong!
The National Endowment for the Arts initiative, Blue Star Museums, recently added its 1,475th
participating museum to its ranks. The program offers free admission to museums for all active
duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 30, through Labor Day,
September 5, 2011. Participating museums are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, and American Samoa. These include children's museums, fine art museums, history
and science museums, and nature centers. To locate a participating museum, go to
http://www.nea.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/index2011.php. For a quick peek at what families
are doing – and seeing – check out The Blue Star Voices blog at http://www.arts.gov/bluestarblog/
From the Family Advocacy Program Office
The Parent Review – Feedback is in
More than 2,000 healthy babies are born to military families each week. Meeting the needs of these
young families remains a high priority for TRICARE and those enrolled in TRICARE’s Parent
Review program give high marks to this outreach. According to these patients, the Parent Review
provides convenient and useful resources to guide them through pregnancy, child birth and care of a
newborn. For more information on the survey results, see
http://www.tricare.mil/mediacenter/news.aspx?fid=728
The Parent Review offers weekly, customized emails to new and expectant parents who receive care
at select military treatment facilities and civilian practices. Beginning in the seventh week of
pregnancy, through birth and up to the child‘s third birthday, messages are sent directly to the
mother‘s personal email. Included are tips, questions and answers, information on their baby‘s
current stage of development, parenting news and recent research. Emails may also include
customized information from the MTF where they receive obstetric or pediatric care. In addition to
The Parent Review, military families can help keep their child on the path to healthy development
by accessing other useful TRICARE resources at http://www.tricare.mil/baby.
From the Resale and NAF Policy Office
Commissary On-Site Sale Events
The Guard/Reserve On-site Sales Program provides the commissary benefit to deserving
Guard/Reserve members and their families who live in areas that aren‘t close to an existing
commissary store. These sales are not only for the Guard and Reserve – they're for any authorized
shopper. Currently, there are no on-site sales for online ordering. For more information, visit
http://www.commissaries.com/guard_reserve_sales.cfm. In the next few weeks, DeCA will deliver
the benefit:
July 11-12 Guard and Reserve San Nicholas Island, Calif.
July 15-17 Guard and Reserve Springfield, Ore.
July 16-17 Guard and Reserve Chadron, Neb.
July 21-24 Guard and Reserve Chattanooga, Tenn.
July 22-23 Guard and Reserve Riverton, Utah
July 30-31 West Virginia National Guard McConnelsville, Ohio
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3. This Week in MC&FP July 8, 2011
In the News
From Joining Forces and the First Lady – What You Can do to support Military Families
On July 4, the First Lady sent the a message to the White House email list, wishing them a Happy
Independence Day and encouraging all Americans to honor the brave men and women in uniform
by volunteering to give back to the military families who sacrifice so much to keep us safe. To read
her message, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces/blog.
From Family Focus Friday – How Families Serve During Deployments
―Having him deployed is very emotional for me, I‘m so used to having him around, and he
normally helps with our son (two-year-old Julian Verduzco) and helps around the house,‖ said
Kendy Verduzco, wife of Spc. Rosario Verduzco who is deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq with the 40th
Combat Aviation Brigade. ―So, having him away, it‘s really hard. I know when I see him on the
unit‘s Facebook page, I always get super emotional and when I see his pictures there, I just tear up.‖
When people think of those who serve our country, they often think of Soldiers in uniform; but
seldom think about the spouses, children and other family members that those service members
leave behind when they deploy. See http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/07/family-focus-friday-
how-families-serve-during-deployments/
From the American Forces Press Service – White House OKs Suicide Condolence Letters
President Barack Obama and Defense Department officials will send condolence letters to the
families of service members who commit suicide in a war zone. The change is in keeping with
administration efforts to remove the stigma of mental health treatment, an administration official
said on background. The president last year ordered a review of the long-held policy of not sending
condolence letters to the next of kin of those who commit suicide in war zones. White House
officials yesterday announced the policy change allowing for condolence letters to be sent. The
president made his decision after consulting with the defense secretary and members of the military
chain of command. See http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=64576
From the American Forces Press Service – President Praises Troops During Independence Day Event
Military service members attending the White House Independence Day celebration represent the
latest in a long line of heroes who have served the United States with honor and sacrificed much to
protect the freedoms all Americans enjoy, President Barack Obama said here today.
―I cannot think of anybody I would rather celebrate with than all of you,‖ the president said, ―the
men and women of our military and our extraordinary military families.‖ Obama and his wife and
children hosted a traditional Fourth of July celebration for members of the Army, Navy, Air Force,
Marines and Coast Guard. About 1,200 service members and their families attended the White
House event, which included a barbeque, a USO show featuring Train and Amos Lee and a viewing
of the national capital fireworks. See http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=64547
From the Family Matters Blog – Army Reserve Spouse Tackles Finances
When my husband, David, was deployed with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to Iraq, I‘d never
balanced my checkbook. I was what you might call a bystander to our financial lives after
embarrassing David enough — the last straw was when I bounced our tithe check — to start
handling our money exclusively. If adults had superlatives, I‘d be voted, ―Most Likely to Get My
Electricity Turned Off.‖ When David left for the war, however, it seemed less frivolous and more
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4. This Week in MC&FP July 8, 2011
dire. Women would say, in hushed tones, ―You should know more about your finances,‖ they
would say, ―in case something happens.‖
See http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=64558
Tips of the Week
Nutrition Tip of the Week – Have you seen the new food guide pyramid?
In June 2011 the United States Department of Agriculture unveiled the replacement for
MyPyramid – MyPlate. The new visual, which is a plate split into sections for four of the food
groups and includes the fifth food group to the side, is intended to remind Americans to eat
healthfully and make good food choices. The five food groups it includes are fruits, vegetables,
grains, proteins and dairy. For more information on MyPlate, check out the USDA‘s MyPlate
website at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.
Parenting Tip of the Week – When children misbehave
Children often misbehave when they are afraid, upset, or sad. Help them learn that their feelings
are not the problem, their misbehavior is. Statements such as, "Stop that crying" or "Don't get
angry over such silly things" only lead to self-doubt and shame. Instead, help children understand
their emotions, and learn to express them in better ways. Something like "I know you're sad that he
broke your toy, and it's ok to feel that way, but hitting him is not allowed," can help set limits on
behavior without teaching children that their feelings are wrong.
From staff at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. For more information, see
http://www.extension.unl.edu/web/extension/children_parenting
Let’s Move/Childhood Obesity Tip of the Week – Making Wise Protein Choices
Go lean with protein:
Start with a lean choice:
The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (eye of round, top round, bottom round,
round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts.
The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least ―90 lean.‖ You may be able to
find ground beef that is 93 percent or 95 percent lean.
Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choices.
Choose lean turkey, roast beef, ham, or low-fat luncheon meats for sandwiches instead of
luncheon/deli meats with more fat, such as regular bologna or salami.
Keep it lean:
Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.
Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.
Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
Skip or limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Breading adds calories. It will also cause
the food to soak up more fat during frying.
Prepare beans and peas without added fats.
Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.
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5. This Week in MC&FP July 8, 2011
Financial Tip of the Week – Money Management for Teens
Simple, everyday things can save your money!
Everyone can use a little guidance on how to save more money. Here are some suggestions for
simple things you can do.
Set goals. "Saving money now for use in the future gets easier if you know what you want and how
much you'll need," said Janet Kincaid, FDIC Senior Consumer Affairs Officer. It helps to set
savings goals you can easily achieve. If you want to buy a $500 item within the next year, plan to
save $50 a month for 10 months, which is just $12.50 a week. (We're not including any "interest"
you could earn on your savings.)
Have a strategy for saving money. Every time you receive money – from your allowance, a gift, a
summer job or some other source – try to automatically put some of it into savings instead of
spending it. That approach to saving money is known as "paying yourself first."
Here's one suggestion: Consider putting about 25 percent ($1 out of every $4) or more into savings
that you intend to let build for a few years, perhaps for a down payment on your first car.
Separately you can save a similar amount of money for clothes, video games, electronics or other
items you might want to buy within the next few months. With what's left, keep some handy for
spending money (maybe for snacks or a movie) and consider donating some of your money to
charity.
Cut back, not out. Are you spending $5 a week on snacks? If you save $2 by cutting back, after a
year you'll have $104 to put in a savings or investment account that earns interest.
Military OneSource Tip of the Week – Quick Tips for Avoiding Money Traps
People short of cash are often tempted by the easy terms of payday loans, car-title loans, or tax-
refund anticipation loans without realizing how expensive these quick loans really are. Because
service members are often vulnerable to these money traps, the U.S. congress has enacted measures
to help protect service members and their families. Here‘s what you should know about these types
of loans and your rights as a military family:
Familiarize yourself with common money traps. Service members and their families may fall prey
to unscrupulous lenders who advertise near military installations. These types of loans are sure to
cost you a bundle in outrageously high interest rates and fees. Three of the most common types of
money traps include:
Payday loans, also called cash advance loans, may look like a great way to get quick cash
between paychecks, but the interest rates are very high. You are essentially agreeing to an
instant, deep pay cut.
Vehicle-title loans also offer short-term cash and extremely high interest rates. With this
type of loan, you give the title of your car and a copy of the keys to the lender as security for
the loan. If you don‘t repay the loan or fall behind in your payments, the lender simply
takes the car, sells it, and pockets the money.
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6. This Week in MC&FP July 8, 2011
Refund-anticipation loans are advertised during tax season as a way to get your income tax
refund without having to wait the typical 10 to 20 days for the IRS to issue it directly. A tax
preparer will file your tax return and loan you the amount of your anticipated refund. The
loan becomes costly when you factor in fees.
If you already have a payday loan or other high-interest loan, do your best to cut expenses or raise
money in some other way to pay back the loan as quickly as you can. Avoid taking out another
payday loan to pay for the previous one. This creates a cycle of debt that can be difficult to turn
around.
If you have an emergency, take advantage of military relief societies. The Air Force Aid Society,
Army Emergency Relief Society, and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society offer interest-free loans
and grants to service members. In addition, banks and credit unions on your installation offer low-
cost, short-term loans to help you if necessary.
Use free e-filing services to get your tax refund faster. With free e-filing services available through
Military OneSource, the Internal Revenue Service web site (http://www.irs.gov) and Volunteer
Income Tax Assistance offices on military installations, service members can typically get the full
tax refund from the IRS within 10 days of filing.
Understand the Military Lending Act. Congress passed the Military Lending Act in 2006, which
limits lenders providing certain kinds of loans to military members and their families. There are
criminal penalties for a lender who provides a payday, vehicle title or tax refund anticipation loan to
a military member or family member when the loan is closed-end (not a line of credit); secured by a
check, access to a bank account or a vehicle title; and is over 36 percent annual percentage rate.
Along with criminal penalties, these loans are null and void. The lender offering one of these loans
is supposed to ask if the borrower is on active duty in the military or a family member of someone
who is, but if the lender doesn‘t, the law still applies and is enforceable. When the lender does ask,
then the borrower must declare his or her rightful status.
Before you sign for any type of loan, be sure you understand the interest rates and fees charged.
Read the loan documents carefully. You may also want to take the documents to a military Legal
Assistance Office. Find your nearest Legal Assistance office at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Your Family Center can give you information and support on many issues that affect service
members and their families. And Military OneSource, a free 24/7 service from DoD, available to all
active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members and their families, provides information and referrals
plus face-to-face counseling. Call (800) 342-9647 or access
http://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS.aspx
Spouse Tip – MSEPJobs! Connecting Military Spouses to Employers
It‘s finally here! An online portal that connects military spouses directly to employers who want to
recruit, hire, retain and promote military spouses into current job openings at their facilities around
the world.
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7. This Week in MC&FP July 8, 2011
By visiting the Military Spouse Employment Partnership – MSEP – jobs portal at
http://www.MSEPJobs.com, military spouses can get on the fast track to sustainable portable
careers and employment with 72 Fortune 500 Plus Employers. Here‘s how it works:
Establish your MSEP account: Your MSEP account holds your employment information,
including resumes, and other information that makes it easy to submit job applications
directly to participating MSEP employers with current job openings.
‘I’m a military spouse:’ Links you to Military OneSource’s Spouse Career Center where
spouses can explore portable career fields, occupations, licenses, credentials, and salaries;
access education and training information including sources of financial assistance; become
―job ready‖ by developing child care and transportation plans, resumes, job applications and
interview skills; and learn how to make career connections to public and private sector
employers.
Search for job matches: Here, you can search for current job openings by job title, CONUS
and OCONUS locations, most recently posted, and most viewed job openings. There is also
a job match function that matches spouse account employment profile information to posted
jobs to help take some of the guesswork out.
‘I’m an employer:’ Allows employers to post current job openings; access MSEP
partnership information and applications; and see the growing list of participating MSEP
employers by type of employer: finance, healthcare, retail, staffing, technology, and other.
So – help spread the word throughout the military spouse community: MSEPJobs.com is up and
running. It‘s ready to help active duty, Guard and Reserve Component military spouses from the
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard make the connections they need for
portable career employment, especially when they relocate to new duty locations worldwide.
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