2 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement April 2014

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By Alice SwanBlogger for DCMilitaryFamilyLife.com

and military spouse

Our son deployed to Afghanistanwith his unit in June and I wasable to greet him in Germany in

January. How can I explain the emotionsI experienced through his deployment?Anxiety, fear, hopefulness, trust, joy, andnow peace. They were the same feelings Iconquered while my military spouse wasdeployed, but why did they feel doublyoverwhelming this time? As a successfularmy wife, I learned to juggle three kids,spouse, house, unit requirements, work,and volunteer positions while standing on

my head whistling “I am woman hear meroar.” But all the handy resiliency tools Ipicked up along my military journey stilldidn’t prepare me for sending our son offto the battlefield.

I remember hearing warning sirens whiletalking with my spouse during his Iraqdeployments and how easily I accepted hiscalm reassurance. It was a totally differentexperience hearing those sirens going offwhile using Skype to chat with our son. Iwanted to reach through the screen to draghim to safety.

Flesh of my flesh, baby I cared for for solong, how do I let you go to face this dan-

Learning to be

ARMY MOMSTRONG

STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK SeeMom, 9

April 2014 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement 3

Circulation of 110,000 printedby offset as a civilian enter-prise quarterly magazinefor installations within theNational Capital Region by

Comprint Military Publications, a divisionPost Community Media, LLC. ComprintMilitary Publications is located at 9030Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD20877. Telephone 301-921-2800.

Editorial content, including graphic artand photographs that support mes-sages, new stories, and feature arti-cles, are prepared in the MarketingOffices of the installations that con-tribute the information and blogs from

DCMilitaryFamLife.com. Letters and sug-gestions may be mailed to DCMilitaryFamily Life Publisher, Comprint MilitaryPublications, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

The printer is a private firm in no wayconnected with the Department ofDefense. Opinions expressed hereinare those of the contributors to thisMarketing publication, and they are notto be considered an official expression ofthe Department of Defense. The appear-ance of advertisements in this publica-tion does not constitute an endorsementby the Department of Defense of theproducts or services advertised.

Maxine Minar, President | John Rives, PublisherComprint Military Publications | 301-921-2800

1036414

A bunch of

By Crystal CavalierBlogger for DCMilitaryFamilyLife.com

and military spouse

We know that military familiesare strong, and it is no simplefact that our military kids are

a resilient bunch. April is the Month ofthe Military Child and I want to focus ona particular aspect of the military fam-ily: desensitization of military children. Mydaughter and I have decided to team upthis April to let you know how resilientmilitary kids can be. I honestly can saythat I have seen a transition from pre-9/11to post-9/11; we have been adjusting andliving in a new normal. My husband’spre-9/11 deployments went from three- tosix-month tours and then, post-9/11, overthe 12-month mark. Deployments, train-ings, and temporary duty assignments canbe mentally, physically and emotionallyexhausting for the entire family and theycan be particularly confusing and stressful

for kids. We, as adults and the spouses leftbehind, also can experience stress, espe-cially when we wonder how the transitionwill affect our kids and how we will handlebeing the sole parent.

My family isn’t unique, but we are ina unique situation compared with mostmilitary families. We are geographicallyseparated and, before you ask, it mostcertainly is due to our careers. My hus-band and I decided that I should pursuemy career, hoping that the Army eventu-ally would station him in the commutingarea. In these budget-sensitive times, how-ever, it doesn’t seem foreseeable. This is anew chapter in our lives, and we try to dothings to minimize the stress put on ourkids due to our separation. Now don’t getme wrong, some degree of stress is normaland teaches us how to handle and copewith things.

RESILIENT KIDS

COURTESY OF CRYSTAL CAVALIER

From left to right, Samantha, Catherine andDany Cavalier at home in the gardenSee Resilient, 11

ON THE COVER | Photo: iStockphoto/sonyae; Medallion: iStockphoto/snake3d

4 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement April 2014

When does a simple baby carrier have thepower of Superman’s cape?

When it helps a wounded warrior hold his baby for thevery first time or helps his caregiver spouse have hands freeto push a wheelchair…

When it helps returning service members re-bond withthe children they left behind…

When it offers a mom or dad the ability to multi-taskwhile single parenting during a deployment…

When it is part of a commitment made by service mem-bers to honor lost friends….

These “super” baby wraps promote secure attach-ments between military parent and child. The brain-child of army spouse Kit Jenkins and her friendRachel Silvernail, these baby-wearing carriers aredistributed through a year-old nonprofit called theCarrying On Project. Carrying On supplies carriersto military families that are nominated or complete anapplication at carryingonproject.org. The carriers aregenerously donated by industry sponsors or offeredto Carrying On at well-below retail prices. Donationsto the project and frequent online auctions help withshipping and purchasing costs, Jenkins explained.

Why did two busy moms of toddlers decide to enterthe nonprofit realm? Jenkins said that it started with theloss of military friends. “Two friends from my servicedays died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. I wentto their funerals and saw their wives, each with babies.I came back wondering how they would handle every-thing and wishing I could help them,” she said.

Not long after, Jenkins and her husband lost anotherfriend, Ben, who succumbed to his struggle withpost-traumatic stress disorder. “At his memorial, somany people shared stories of how Ben helped those inthe unit, from lending money to stepping up to watchkids during emergencies. He was always there for hisfellow soldiers. This really moved me to want to helpother military families,” Jenkins said.

The natural choice for her was baby-wearing carriers,since she already was involved in baby-wearing groupsand a firm believer in the benefits of these sling-likecarriers. That belief started when Jenkins was a newmom in Colorado; her husband had just deployed andthey were far from family. She’d heard about these wrapdevices during prenatal doctor visits. After the birth ofher daughter, she contacted a baby-wearing supportgroup to learn how to use them properly.

“I learned through that deployment that thebaby-wearing carrier was a life saver,” Jenkins said.“When one parent is gone, you’re the one that has tocare for an infant and tackle all the other tasks at home.And when my husband came home, it helped him bondwith our daughter. She would actually bring it to him tobe carried. I’ve seen it work now with so many families.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KIT JENKINS

Kristy Armstrong uses a baby wrap for her infant.

BABY CARRIERS:‘Superman’s Cape’

By Alice SwanBlogger for

DCMilitaryFamilyLife.comand military spouse

April 2014 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement 5

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Jenkins told me that Carrying On wasborn over cups of coffee and tears that sheand Silvernail shared after Ben’s funeral.She had met Silvernail through a localbaby-wearing group and both womenknew this was an idea worth pursuing.Though not a military spouse, Silvernailsaid that she comes from a family with along history of military service and waseager to help military families. The small,tight-knit nature of the baby-wearingcommunity made starting the project eas-ier, they told me.

“We reached out to companies andthey were excited to donate carriers. Westarted by posting Facebook notices thatwe were offering the carriers to militaryparents and got family nominations. Wetook part in an Operation HomefrontStar-Spangled Baby baby shower eventhere last spring, with the help of companydonations.We were surprised at how pop-ular our booth was,” Jenkins said. Sincethen, they have developed their web site– carryingonproject.org – and participatedin five more Operation Homefront babyshower events.

They’ve sent carriers to Germany,Alaska, Okinawa and installations inbetween, as well as to families in everyservice. The women said they are espe-cially excited to be assisting woundedwarriors and their spouses.

Silvernail explained that they try tomatch carriers to the parent’s needs. Ifthey don’t have one in their donations,they will find it for the family. “We werecontacted by a sergeant in Germany whowas looking for a special carrier for hiswife who was expecting twins. Within afew days we found a carrier that couldcarry two babies,” she said. Carrying Onis now sending out some 250 carriers amonth to military families.

Jenkins shared that the letters and pic-tures they have gotten from service fami-lies who’ve received a Carrying On carrierprovide the fuel to keep the project going.The women take satisfaction in know-

ing they are making a difference in thosefamilies’ lives. “We’ll do this for as long aswe can or until the carriers become moreaffordable and accessible for people,” sheadded. Until then, they will reach outto family readiness groups, installationparenting classes, chaplain offices andbaby-wearing groups in military commu-nities to connect with service membersand spouses. They also will participatein more of Operation Homefront’s Star-Spangled Baby baby showers to get their“super” wraps to families who need them.

To learn more about Carrying On ornominate a military family for a carrier,visit carryingonproject.org. Obtaining acarrier starts by clicking on the “Applyfor a Carrier” tab. The site features pho-tos and testimonials from military fam-ilies around the world. If you’d like tohelp the Carrying On Project, click on the“Donate!” tab to make a contribution.

Kevin Murphy

Connor and Lindsy Murphy

6 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement April 2014

ByChris FieldsBlogger forDCMilitaryFamilyLife.com

andmilitary spouse

In April, we celebrate the Month of the Military Child. Aprilalso is the first full month of spring, the season when lifebegins anew. I think it’s fitting that the Month of the Military

Child coincides with the first month of spring. A military childwill, for better or worse, be forced to begin again, over and over,throughout childhood. Growing up, a military child will live in aperpetual spring, with an ever-present sense of newness and dis-covery thatmost children never get to experience. Or have to face.But, in one important sense, military children will grow up

homeless. We’ve all heard the familiar phrases: “home is wherethe heart is” and “home is where you hang your hat.” Hopefully,every military child will grow up in a nurturing environmentfilled with heartfelt concern and warm embraces. Hopefully, theywill have a small plot of the world to call their own – a wall todecorate or a space that it uniquely theirs.But military children will never get that grounded and familiar

sense of home. They will have houses, yes, and hopefully theywill grow up in a loving, nurturing environment. But whereasgrowing up military will allow kids to see unbelievable things –things an average child will never get to see – what they’ll missout on is that assuring sense of going home. They’ll never thinkof any one place as “my hometown.” They’ll never have that oneidyllic place that recalls endless summer days or memories ofthose friends they grew up with. They won’t have that groundedcontinuity as their group of friendsmoves from elementary schoolthrough high school. They’ll hear Bruce Springsteen’s “MyHometown” and never truly feel that affecting sense of identifi-cation, change, growth and decay to which Springsteen alludes.They’ll never have that sense of “mine” when it comes to anyparticular location.Every few years, a military child must uproot and move to

another part of the country or even the world. Every few years,the military child must begin anew. A new school, a new setof friends and acquaintances – a new world. New joys, newinterests, new fears, new threats. Newness in general. Perpetualspringtime.But newness is often unsettling and unfamiliarity is often

terrifying. All of the motivational books and seminars touchon one key element of improving your life: the importance ofembracing change. The crucial step of leaving your comfort zone.The necessary leap out of comforting patterns and into a realm ofuncertainty. Well, as adults, we’re much better able to deal withthis newness and uncertainty because we’ve faced and overcomesuch challenges in the past. But children do not have that reservoirof successes on which to draw. They simply don’t have that senseof “this too shall pass” that adults have cultivated. Childhood isfrightening enough, but to have to leave your world of familiarityand comfort every few years and reboot your life – that must bemassively challenging. And probably disorienting. There’s a rea-

son it is called your comfort zone, because everything outside ofit is uncomfortable.On the one hand, a child in a military family misses out on the

roots and sense of identity that growing up in one place affordshim or her. I grew up outside of Chicago and view many thingsthrough the lens of a Chicagoan. In many respects, Chicago par-allels major East Coast cities in terms of its visceral intensity, cul-tural offerings, and sense of dynamism. But in other respects, it istruly a Midwestern city, with that Midwest sense of ease and gra-ciousness. I think the cultural blend of my upbringing has made,for instance, our permanent change of station (PCS) to Texas ascomfortable as our PCS to the Washington, D.C., area. Havingbeen raised in an area that is a little bit rural and a little bit urbanmade those two moves much easier. And so I can only hope thatour moves within and outside of the U.S. enable my kids to havea much healthier ability to adjust to the many life challenges thatawait them. The flexibility and adaptability that, like it or not,military children will have to develop will allow them to integrateinto new locations andmanage a variety of unfamiliar situations.On the other hand, I look back on my youth and all of the

friendships I developed. For all the depth of love and appreciationI have for my upbringing and the people I grew up with, I can’tsay that I’m missing home or longing to reunite with old elemen-tary-school friends. Facebook keepsme up to speed on the impor-tant life milestones of the old crew and I try to get together with

everyone when I’m back home. But it’s not as if there’s some-thing hollow or vacant about my life because I’m far from home.I miss the people and the friendships, yes. But now that everyonehas carved out their own lives, it’s not as if any one of us is able tohang out everyweekend thewaywe once didI hope that my own kids will be able to draw upon the various

life experiences that military living has afforded them. I pray thatthey will be able to approach their lives informed by all of theplaces we’ve lived. I hope they’re able to view the world throughthe various lenses through which they’ve seen the world as chil-dren. I trust that their perspective on life will be flavored with thewide array of cultures, values, languages and priorities that theirtravels havemade available.And so I offer a heartfelt sense of thanks and admiration to

military children everywhere. They may be from several dif-ferent places. They may not have a discernable regional accent.They may use phrases particular to many parts of the country orcreate a handbook of vernacular idioms all their own. They maypick up languages overseas. They may get to live in places aboutwhich people only dream of vacationing. Though it often may bea daunting endeavor, growing up military hopefully will endowchildren with an informed appreciation of cultural differences,robust adaptability to new challenges, and healthy coping mecha-nisms for dealingwith change and growth.It’s springtime now.And for themilitary child, it always is.

JUPITERIMAGES/STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK

HOMELESS:In Praise of the Military Child

April 2014 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement 7

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FFALLS CALLS CHUHURCHRCHFALLS CHURCH

By Lori TupperBlogger for DCMilitaryFamilyLife.com

and military spouse

Spring is here, which means summeris imminent. And, undoubtedly, thequestion that’s on all of our minds is:

“What am I going to do with my kids thissummer?” Will we staycation? But that’sonly one week. What about the rest of thetime? Or, what summer camps are availableto me this year? Have no fear, that’s why Iam writing this. I have the same questionsand I’m thrilled because we didn’t havethese options last year. We arrived too latefrom our desert island and everything wasfull… Not this time though. Neither younor I will go through that because we willbe prepared! OK, options!

AcademicActive Learning Services888-652-4377activelearningcamps.comActive Learning Services’ camps are awe-

some for those of us with kids that loveacademics, animation, gaming and chess.This camp is full of programs that aredesigned to help children utilize creativethinking and maximize logic and memoryskills. Camp locations include Alexandriaand McLean,Va. and Annapolis, Potomac,Baltimore and Huntingtown, Md.

Camp Invention800-968-4332campinvention.orgCamp Invention is way cool. Its hands-on activities reinvent summer fun for chil-dren entering first through sixth grades.Children build original prototypes, createpersonalized motor-powered vehicles, anduse electronics to create pinball machines.A full-day program and multi-child dis-count for three or more siblings is availableat locations throughout Washington, D.C.;Va. and Md.

Summer Camp OptionsJUPITERIMAGES/CREATAS/THINKSTOCK

See Camps, 8

8 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement April 2014

iDTech Camps888-709-TECH (8324)internalDrive.comBoasted as the world’s top summer techcamp for kids and teens, this camp iswhere it’s at. Programs, which take placeat universities all over the country, deliverSTEM (science, technology, engineeringand math) learning experiences in fun,non-traditional environments. There areweeklong day and overnight programs forages 7-17 and two-week programs for ages13-18.

Arts &CraftsThe Art League703-683-2323theartleague.orgAt The Art League School’s summer artcamp, children explore a new medium orbegin a new project each day.The activitiesvary from drawing and painting to print-making and sculpture. The syllabus is dif-ferent for each week of camp and there areall- and half-day sessions available.

Camp Creativity202-639-1770corcoran.org/family/campsCamp Creativity is the Corcoran Galleryof Art’s summer program for kids ages3-16. The studio offers a host of thematicclasses in various interdisciplinary areas.Your student will be inspired by the workof international artist from a wide rangeof time periods, artistic fields, and more.Camp sessions are offered with full-day,morning-only or afternoon-only options inmultiple locations.

Multiple Activities/ThemesSmithsonian Summer Camp202-633-3030smithsonianassociates.org/campThe Smithsonian is a place where mem-ories are made and explorers are born.The Smithsonian offers full- and half-day summer camp programs for studentsentering kindergarten through ninth gradeinterested in exploring Washington, D.C.’sSmithsonian museums, the National Mall,and a host of other sites.

YMCA of MetropolitanWashington Camp202-232-6700ymcadc.orgThe YMCA’s youth camps are diverse,unique, engaging, and so much fun. I

grew up going to YMCA camps and hadthe time of my life. I made amazing life-long friends and carry memories that willremain with me for the rest of my life. Ihave so many good things to say aboutYMCA camps, but instead you can checkthem out yourself. They serve ages 4-16and there are over 60 locations from whichto choose in Washington, D.C., Va. andMd. Need-based scholarships are available.

Sports and FitnessSummer Sports Campsdullessportsplex.com703-430-9966Serving ages 4-14, this camp is located atMichael & Son SportsPlex at Dulles, anindoor sports facility.There are soccer, bas-ketball and multi-sport options.

EarthTreks SummerClimbing Campsearthtreksclimbing.com/md/instruction/summer-camps800-CLIMB-UPCheck out Earth Treks this summer for anadventurous and memorable experience.This co-ed climbing camps features anindoor option for ages 6-9 and both indoorand outdoor options for ages 9 and up. Noexperience is necessary.

Flying Kick Fitness Day Campflyingkicktkd.com301-951-0543Now in its 18th year, Flying Kick FitnessDay Camp comes highly recommended bymy best girlfriends and neighbors.The campserves ages 4 and up and is state and countycertified. Camp runs from June 16-Aug. 1in Chevy Chase and Aug. 4-22 in Bethesda.There are discounts for siblings and if yourchild attends more than one week.The atmo-sphere is fun and activities vary.

Summer Horse Camp 2014potomachorse.com301-208-0200The Potomac Horse Center in NorthPotomac hosts this camp, which serveschildren ages 5-13 and offers 10 weeklongsessions. There are multi-week and siblingdiscounts available. Students ride twiceeach day and enjoy a host of activities –such as art, crafts and games – and learnabout grooming and horse care.

Washington Sailing Marina SummerSailing Campswashingtonsailingmarina.com703-548-9027This camp at the Washington SailingMarina on Daingerfield Island serves chil-dren ages 9-15 and provides fun-filled days

along the Potomac River. Students learnnew skills and having a blast out on thewater.The camp meets rain or shine.

Theater/PerformanceArtsBlackRock Center for the Arts301-528-2260blackrockcenter.org/education/summer-campMusic, dance, theater and visual arts pro-grams from preschool to high school areoffered in Germantown. BlackRock Centerfor the Arts boasts that this will be a sum-mer camp to remember.

Camp Arena Stage202-554-9066arenastage.orgCamp Arena Stage, located in Georgetown,is perfect for the performer in your home.This camp empowers young people, ages8-15, to express themselves more fullythrough art. Campers create their schedules,choosing from a host of classes in theater,music, dance, media, and visual art.

This list is only a very small sampling ofthe many summer camps available in thearea. I urge you to do your research, as Ihave (most of these listings were recom-mended by friends, neighbors, and peoplewhose opinions I highly value), and findwhat works for you and your family.

CAMPSContinued from 7

COMSTOCK/STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK

April 2014 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement 9

ger? How can I show you I am not wor-ried when you are so excited to use yourtraining and go where your friends havealready served? Who will listen to my fearswhen so many other mothers have seentheir sons and daughters off to two, three,four or even more deployments, especiallywhen so many parents have not been ableto welcome their children home with ahug, but with tears?Who am I to be feelingsorry for myself now when it is my child'sturn to serve?

As a military spouse, you typically gothrough a deployment with a unit. Thatsupport network is there to provide com-panionship and help, friends who willgripe right along with you and opportu-nities for care-package packing and wel-come-home banner-making parties. Andblogging about deployment experienceshas become a cottage industry for militarywives and husbands.

There are tons of sites out there man-aged by spouses from all the services shar-ing the good, bad and ugly of survivingdeployments. Military parents, however,seem to be silent partners in this sharedexperience.We are on the outside, trying to

find a way to survive the hours, days, weeksand months of worry.

Here is what helped me get through ourson’s deployment. I share with the hopethat these thoughts can help other momsand dads out there facing this experiencefor the first time:

First, I had some strong shoulders tolean on. Though just as worried as I was,my guy was always encouraging and helpedme trust in our son’s abilities, the traininghe received, and his chain of command.We had to rely on the Army to keep ourboy safe. As harsh as this might sound, wealso talked frankly with each other abouthow we would handle the worst happening.There would be no blaming or feelings ofguilt about our son’s choice of the militaryas a profession. We had to know we couldhandle any situation together.

Second, I had my reliable, friend networkto turn to for comfort and advice – those

willing to share their own hard-learnedcoping mechanisms. From one, I learnedof the daily novena, which she dutifullyrecited each day of her son’s deployments.The novena provided moments of dailyquiet that helped me focus on positivethoughts. From others came the greatadvice to channel my energies into posi-tive action. So I found myself packing upweekly boodle boxes for our son and hismen and sending daily “fun thoughts”messages from home.

Third, being an experienced militaryspouse, I reached out to his unit’s fam-ily readiness group (FRG) to see if therewas any way to offer support from afar.It’s something any parent can do. Thatconnection led us to friending the troop’sFacebook page and getting the monthlyFRG updates. We were able to help withseveral deployment activities by sendingdonations. I may not have been at the

Halloween treat-box packing party or theChristmas stocking-filling gathering, but Ifelt comfort in knowing we helped all thosehard-working spouses in a small way. And– having been there, done that – I madesure to send some frequent, “Thanks forall you are doing,” messages to the FRGvolunteers. It is amazing how these capableyoung spouses keep stepping up to do thetough work through each deployment.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, Ifound Army Mom Strong. Searching forsome type of online support, I hit uponthis great Facebook group. There I couldread comments from other moms, sharemy feelings and, when possible, offeradvice of my own. On the site I discoveredR.E.D. (Wear Red for Everyone Deployed)Fridays. I had never heard of that before.Guess what color I started wearing eachFriday?Thank you,Army Mom Strong, forcreating this non-judgmental, always-in-formative outlet for a mom to express herfears and find solace. There are similargroups for each of the armed services.

A friend once told me, you never knowhow strong you can be until that strength isrequired. I knew I was army spouse strong.Now I know I’m army mom tough. I'llneed that strength even more when ourmiddle daughter is commissioned in May.Two to worry about, oh my.

1036415

MOMContinued from 2

As harsh as this might sound, we also talked franklywith each other about howwewould handle theworst happening. There would be no blaming or

feelings of guilt about our son’s choiceof the military as a profession.

10 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement April 2014

Fort Meade NSA AnnapolisApril 12Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, 9 to

11 a.m. at the Fort Meade ConferenceCenterEaster Egg Hunt, noon to 3 p.m. at the

Youth Center. This free event is open tochildren ages 3-11, who should bring theirown baskets. 301-677-1437.

April 20Easter Sunday Brunch at Club Meade,

with seating times from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.or 2 to 4 p.m. Membership is not requiredbut reservations are recommended by call-ing 301-677-6969.

April 22College Fair at the CYSS Teen Center

from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

April 26CYSS’s annual Family Fun Fair in the

McGill Training Center from 10 a.m. to2 p.m. Admission is free. Features includeinformational booths, displays, crafts,games, prizes, inflatable attractions andmuch more.Earth Day 5K Run/1-MileWalk at 8 a.m.

at the Burba Lake Recreational Area. Allgroups must preregister. Individuals mayregister on site but preregistration is rec-ommended. Visit ftmeademwr.com or call301-677-3318.

May 1Military Spouse Job Fair in the McGill

Training Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May 9Military Spouse Appreciation Lunch at

Club Meade from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Free to all military spouses with a valid ID.

May 11Mother’s Day Brunch at Club Meade

with seating times from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.or 2 to 4 p.m. Membership is not requiredbut reservations are recommended by call-ing 301-677-6969.

May 16A live performance of the Sesame Street/

USO Experience for Military Families.Details to be announced.

May 17Patriot Pride 5K/10K Run and 1-Mile

Walk at 8 a.m. at Murphy Field House.Open to everyone. All groups must pre-register. Individuals may register on sitebut preregistration is recommended. Visitftmeademwr.com or call 301-677-3318.

Armed Forces Day Free Bowling at TheLanes - Fort Meade from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Free games and shoe rental to all pre-senting active-military ID cards.

May 18Massing of the Colors at the Fort Meade

Pavilion at 1 p.m.

May 28Community Job Fair at Club Meade

from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Events are at Fort George G. Meadeand open to all services and ranks, militaryand civilians, unless otherwise noted. Visitftmeademwr.com for details.

Month of the Military ChildCelebration

Celebrate our military children andtheir families during the Month of theMilitary Child Celebration on Saturday,April 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Theevent kicks off with a Stroller Brigade.Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and theStroller Brigade begins a half hour laterin front of Lejeune Hall, ending at theKids First Fair at Chapel Field. KidsFirst Fair events get underway at 10 a.m.Chapel Field is located by the Religiousand Family Services Center, 3019 Embry

Loop. Activities include games, clowns,face painting, and information booths. AnEaster Egg Hunt begins at 11 a.m. forchildren ages 3 and under, 11:25 a.m. forages 4 to 6, and 11:45 a.m. for childrenages 7 and older. Don’t forget to bringyour basket! Call 703-784-5803 for moreinformation.

Quantico Bowling CenterThe Quantico Bowling Center is honor-

ing military children by offering a specialrate for military patrons with children intheir party. Every Sunday in April from 1

to 5 p.m., get three games and shoes foronly $5 per person.The Quantico BowlingCenter is located at 2034 Barnett Ave., inthe lower level of Little Hall. Call 703-784-2210 for more information.

Easter Sunday Champagne BrunchEnjoy a traditional Easter Sunday

Champagne Brunch on April 20 from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Clubs at Quantico& Crossroads Events Center, 3017 RussellRoad, Quantico. Children will enjoy a spe-cial visit from the Easter Bunny! Brunchis $24.95 for adults, $12.50 for children

ages 4 to 12, and free for those ages 3 andunder. Make your reservations today bycalling 703-784-4264.

MCCS Quantico Stay in the KnowWant to know about all the events

aboard Quantico? Then sign up to receivethe Quantico MCCS Life Magazine byemail. Simply email mccsmarketing@usmc-mccs.org or call 703-784-5803.

You also can like us on Facebook atfacebook.com/Quantico MCCS or fol-low us on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/mccsquantico/.

MCCS Quantico

16th Annual Health, Nutrition andFitness Fair

Sponsored by Johns Hopkins’ USFamily Health Plan, the MWR Annapolis’16th Annual Health, Nutrition and FitnessFair takes place Tuesday, May 6 from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. in Recreation Services Bldg.#89 at Naval Support Activity Annapolis.The fair promotes the Navy’s health andfitness programs and fosters an awarenessof fitness and wellness opportunities avail-able in the local community.

There will be screenings for glucose,blood pressure, vision and hearing, chi-ropractic, bone density, and body fat.Information will be available regardingasthma, fitness and group-exercise classes,dental health, healthy cooking, weight lossprograms, and alternative wellness, suchas acupuncture. There will be healthysnacks, demo massages, and the annualMarine Corps Pull-Up Challenge anda push-up contest with prizes for maleand female first-place winners. Doorprizes will be drawn throughout the day.Admission is free.

The fair is open to all active-duty U.S.Naval Academy (USNA) midshipmen;retired military; reservists; Coast Guard;National Guard; active and retiredDepartment of Defense (DoD) civilianemployees, including USNA faculty andstaff and all family members; DoD con-tractors; and USNA Alumni Associationpersonnel.

To exhibit at, sponsor, or obtain moreinformation about the health fair, pleasecall Donna Ruokonen, MWR commer-cial sponsorship coordinator, at 410-293-9206.

Fleet and Family Readiness ProgramsPhone Directory at Naval SupportActivityAnnapolisnAccounting /MWRBusiness Office - 410-293-9277nAdministrative andNAFPersonnelOffice -410-293-9208

nAthletics Office / Fitness - 410-293-9211 / 410-293-9226nAuto Skills Shop - 410-293-3859nBlue Jacket Café (Galley) - 410-293-9120nChild Development Center - 410-293-9390nChild Development HomeProgram - 410-293-9395nDiscount Ticket Sales (ITT Outlet) - 410-293-9200nFAM-CAMP (Campgrounds) - 410-293-9200nFleet & Family Support Center - 410-293-2641nNavy Family Housing - 410-293-9736nUnaccompanied Housing - 410-293-9070nLincolnMilitary Housing - 410-349-1740n Information, Tickets & Travel Coordinator’s Office -410-293-9207

nMarketing / Commercial Sponsorship Office -410-293-9206

nLiberty Zone (Single / Unaccompanied Act Duty) -410-293-9214

nMarina (Carr CreekMarina) - Office - 410-293-3731nCDR John L. Dunning, Ret Pier atMill Creek - Office -410-293-3731/ 2058

nMWRDirector – Office – 410-293-9209nNavyGateway Inns&Suites - 410-293-3906(located at USNA)

nParty RoomRental – Bay RoomReservations -410-293-9200

nRecreational Services Building #89 - 410-293-9200nOutdoor Gear / Sports Equipment Checkout -410-293-9200

nNorth Severn Pool - 410-293-2082nSouth Severn Pool - 410-293-3033nYouth Programs (“Billy the Kid” Youth Center) -410-293-9396

April 2014 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement 11

I have been married to my husband for14 years and he was already in the Armywhen we met. My children have grown upknowing nothing but the military life. Mydaughter was 18-months old when my hus-band first deployed and, while she couldn’tcommunicate to me clearly, I knew she wasupset. But after a few hours, she was OK.

The second time he deployed, she toldme that she was going home to sit on thestep and wait for him. After about threehours of waiting, she gave up. A few weekslater, she had a baby sister to help take careof. Needless to say, her focus was taken offhis deployment.

By the time the third deployment camearound, she had a baby brother, a baby sis-ter, and competition cheerleading to keepher occupied. It doesn’t take a lot to puta smile on my kids’ faces. However, theconstant training, deployments, militaryschools, and time away from dad definitelyhave changed all three of the kids, particu-larly Catherine. I think that her age has alot to do with her understanding and why,I think, she is desensitized to all of this now.

At the last deployment class for fami-lies that I attended, we discussed the agesat which children process deployments.Younger children have no concept of timebut they know when a parent misses animportant milestone. With each age andstage, their understanding and longingdeepen and, by the teen years, combinewith other social and emotional changes tocreate additional stress and challenges.

Now that our oldest is a teenager, sheunderstands complex things a lot more thanI give her credit for. She is not your normalkid; she was forced to deal with life prob-lems at an early age. She was diagnosed withjuvenile arthritis at age 8. By age 10, she haddeveloped Type 1 diabetes. Both occurredwhile her dad was deployed. Both illnesseshave made her grow up more quickly andhandle things that even some grown adultshave a hard time managing.

During my exclusive interview, Catherinetold me:

“Life without a father can make some-one like me jealous. Usually my dad isn’there; he is out somewhere else training.After our winter strings concert, my friendsand I talked about our performances. Mymom was there supporting me, but her [myfriend’s] mom and dad were there in theaudience. She said that her dad congratu-lated her, hugged her and gave her a highfive, then they went out for dinner. I smiledslightly and wished I was her. My dad has

been away for so long that I am not affectedby it anymore; it is like the reserved spacefor dad has become a black hole sucking upevery bit of sadness or emptiness and neverletting it come back. I know it isn’t his faultor my fault, but it makes me sad. Peoplewho have their dad at their events are lucky,and I know my mom is there supportingme but I just wish my dad would be there.When I was in competition cheer and mydad went with us to Charlotte [N.C.] andhe was in the audience and I could see him.I was so happy.”

My husband, not by choice, prob-ably has missed eight birthdays, nineChristmases and several other holidays.Maybe Catherine’s desensitization is dueto not living on a military installation orgoing to a Department of Defense school.I think, however, she has a different out-look on life. Many of the subject-matterexperts on children and deployment inthese classes tell us, “When preparing foran upcoming deployment this provides anopportunity for your family to grow closerand stronger.”

While these statements sound great, theyjust doesn’t work for us. Usually by thisstage in the deployment cycle, my husbandhas already begun the mindset he needsto prep for going away. During our lastdeployment, I was a family readiness assis-tant for the 82nd Airborne Division, 1stBrigade CombatTeam, 1st Brigade SpecialTroops Battalion when the term desensi-tization was introduced to me, and it wasall making sense. I was going through it,my husband’s unit’s spouses were expe-riencing it, and the spouses in the unit Iworked with were going through the samething. It was like a light had been turnedon. The previous deployments I experi-enced and the stress that we went throughwere all a cycle.We have tried to plan fam-ily events, outings, all the things he is goingto miss, and it just isn’t the same. That’swhere it gets tough, because it’s not thesame for every family.And it’s not the sameevery time that he is gone either. Like I saidbefore, there is no real answer to how youcan cope because every family is unique.

I can definitely say that we are doingreally well as a family and we grow eachday. I try to keep a check on our kids. I liketo see how they are doing mentally andphysically.We usually go out once a month,and have a family-fun night out. We relax,let loose, talk about what’s bothering usand have fun.We do try to keep our weeklyfamily traditions: “Taco Tuesday,” “FridayNight Lights,” and “Sunday Dinner” – thethings we did when we lived together.

I hope that all military spouses feel asproud of their solider as I do of mine. Iknow that because our lives are alwaysfilled with a “hello” or a “goodbye” dueto deployments and relocations, our kidshave gotten great at making new friends.I honestly can tell you that – as a result ofeach deployment, training, or time awayfrom my husband – we have found newsources of strength that I didn’t think wehad in us.We also have learned that we likemany new hobbies and have great adven-tures that we can talk about.

RESILIENTContinued from 3

I honestly can tell youthat, as a result of eachdeployment, training,or time away frommyhusband,WE HAVE

FOUND NEW SOURCESOF STRENGTH THAT IDIDN’T THINKWE

HAD IN US.

STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK

12 DCMilitary Family Life - Advertising Supplement April 2014

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