AWTR Show 587: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse
Show Title: You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse
Show Date: November 14, 2016
Show Number: #587
When we marry a military member, our lives are suddenly no longer our own. We not only marry the one we love, but also a whole new way of life—one filled with separations, moves, deployments, and other challenges. How do we cope with this ever-changing life? Our guest, Jen McDonald, offers a helping hand and a whisper of “You’ve got this!” as you make your own way.
Jen is an experienced editor and writer who has been published in numerous national publications and several books. She’s the author of You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse, a book for military spouses born from nearly three decades of experience. She is also the content editor for MilitaryByOwner Advertising.
Jen has been married for 28 years to Chief Master Sergeant Steve McDonald, the Command Chief for the Air Force Air Combat Command. She and her husband have lived all over the world and are the parents of four grown children, including one who is also serving in the military.
You can connect with Jen on her website as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Military News You Can Use:
In an open letter sent to President-Elect Donald Trump, the National Military Family Association expressed the sentiments of many military families. Joyce Wessel-Raezer, Executive Director for NMFA, pens in her letter:
Dear President-Elect Donald Trump,
It’s been more than a year since the first election ads started running. But for many military families, this election has felt longer than any bad set of orders ever could. Now that Americans have spoken and elected you as the new Commander-in-Chief, military families have a few things they’d like to tell you, our new leader.
Military families are tired of the uncertainty, and worried about more unfulfilled promises from leaders who have their loved one’s life in their hands.
Nearly 300,000 service members are currently deployed, many still fighting a war that’s lasted more than 15 years. In that time, benefits for service members dwindled, sequestration became an unavoidable reality, and military families began to wonder if the country really understood the issues their communities face.
Don’t miss this top story:
Hot on AWN This Week:
Why is it so significant that we, as military spouses, not only support but celebrate our unique community? This is a question that AWN Experience Blogger, Jene, asked herself and then goes on to answer in her latest blog post, The Sisterhood of the Yellow Ribbons. Jene shares, “I was once told ‘Military life will change you. If it hasn’t, just wait. It will.’ Our significant others will be gone for uncertain amounts of time, often during holidays and significant milestones. Our families may be with us, but more often than not, our families will also be apart from us. It is vital that we establish a group we can rely on that understands and empathizes with our situation.”
AWN Social Media Roundup
Thanksgiving is right around the corner! This past week we asked our readers to share their favorite things about Thanksgiving and a favorite holiday recipe. One reader shared her yummy butternut squash recipe and another reader expressed her love of watching her kids enjoy helping with the Thanksgiving Day cooking, a long-time family tradition. Be sure to read all the responses over on Facebook.
Public Service Announcement
This week’s PSA is all about the TRICARE Prime Program. Did you know that you have options for your TRICARE medical coverage? TRICARE Prime is a managed care option available in Prime Service Areas worldwide. If you’re on active duty, you must enroll in TRICARE Prime, and your family members can choose Prime, Standard, and Extra. TRICARE Prime offers fewer out-of-pocket costs than Standard or Extra but less freedom of choice for providers.
The following groups of people are eligible for TRICARE Prime:
- Active-duty service members and their families
- Retired service members and their families
- Activated Guard/Reserve members and their families
- Non-activated Guard/Reserve members and their families who qualify for care under the Transitional Assistance Management Program
- Survivors
- Medal of Honor recipients and their families
- Qualified former spouses
- Retired Guard/Reserve members (age 60 and receiving retired pay) and their families may also be eligible. Note: When retired service members and their families become eligible for TRICARE For Life, they are no longer able to enroll in TRICARE Prime.
Once you have successfully enrolled in Tricare Prime, you will be assigned a primary care manager (PCM) who provides most of your care. Your PCM will see you first for your health care needs. The PCM:
- Provides and/or coordinates your care
- Maintains your health records
- Refers you to specialists, if necessary (To be covered, specialty care must be arranged and approved by your PCM)
Care is usually provided in a military treatment facility, but civilian clinics may be used in some cases.
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