Dear Son: A Letter from the Revolution

There’s no argument that the historiography of war can best be studied through those who lived it. But, even a few months away from the battlefield can lessen the depth and intensity of the service members’ memories. Fortunately for us, many service members memorialized their experiences in the form of letters home to their loved ones. 

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3 Things I Will Do This PCS Season

PCS Season is upon us, and as I write this, I have just completed my first real PCS with the Army. During my last move, I just packed what I could and flew to my duty station. Before that, the duty station was within driving distance, so I packed up myself and I drove. This time, however, I had the Army move me because driving from Alaska to Tennessee did not sound enjoyable to me.

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Schwartz Family Travel Essentials

We travel a lot by car. In part, we travel by car because it’s expensive to fly and partly because Brandon doesn’t like to fly without a parachute. We’ve driven from Colorado to Arizona, Alabama, Florida and even to Canada. Traveling as a military family is a bit different from regular civilian journeys as we often move to unfamiliar areas and don’t return to a previous duty station. With PCS season upon the military, I decided to collect my tried-and-true travel essentials to share with prospective movers; I hope this helps!

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How I Became an Army Spouse: Alika Schwartz

I grew up in a military household. I learned early that “Home is where the Army sends you.” Although I didn’t have traditional stability, I am fortunate that many of my dad’s career assignments included repeat stops in Oklahoma, Virginia, and Washington, where I grew accustomed to some familiarity with my surroundings. Nevertheless, shopping at the commissary, the post exchange, and even attending church at the main post chapel seemed normal to me, not Martin’s, K-Mart, or the local Baptist church. The Army Wife lifestyle is something that I always thought about: traveling, Hail and Farewells, deployments, and even the frequent PCS.

However, my journey to become an Army spouse didn’t happen exactly as I imagined!

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Lessons Learned in the Army Reserve

I joined the Army Reserve nearly four years ago, and I’m grateful for all the lessons learned and experiences that being a Reservist has brought me. I definitely would not be the person that I am today had I not made the decision to join right out of high school.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way:

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