Welcome to USAA's Military Spouse Community

[BrianaHartzell]

Are you a military spouse?

We're pleased to introduce USAA's Military Spouse Community where you can foster connections among friends old and new. USAA's Military Spouse Community is where you can ask questions and get advice from friends across the different branches and the world. USAA wants to provide you an environment where you can share your stories about military life and learn from one another. You will be able to participate in conversations centered on PCS, Deployment, Going Civilian and Military Money Matters. The community offers you access to USAA resources and advisors.

We know military life can sometimes make you feel alone, with few people who can really understand what it's like. USAA's Military Spouse Community puts people who have been there where you are. You can offer up your experiences and learn tips and techniques that have worked for others.

Our Community Managers have all walked the walk-either as military spouses themselves or as those who had families while they served in uniform. They will be in the community's discussion areas, moderating the conversations and helping to direct you to the right resources. Briana, Wendy and Tara are here to help facilitate discussions and offer guidance to the community. Almost all of the discussions in the community will revolve around military life or preparing for the transition to civilian life. You can join in as many of the conversations as you want and you can also recommend new topics for discussion.

USAA hopes you will enjoy this new online community. It's our goal to provide you timely and relevant advice from our advisors and extended family.

[bones_0]

Life as a temporary single parent can be tough. I never had to endure the months of deployment. We have a two year old and my wife is doing a lot of traveling. How do you cut the yard, when do you go to the gym to work out, how do you explain mommy isn't coming home today and what am I doing to do with this girl's hair. Eventually you learn how to solve all of these questions but having an answer doesn't make it necessarily easier. My wife isn't in harm's way; spouses that have loved ones that are need encouragement, support, and prayers. I solute all of the military spouses that are running solo and are tackling the finances, supporting the kids, and hoping their loved one are safe tonight.

[rolk70]

I agree with the last comment. My wife being away from home has definitely put a strain on our family. I am having to do everything that my wife used to do for my son's and I still need to find a clever way of being Dad. Thank you to USAA for this community.

[Leanne]

As the spouse of a soldier, the mother of four boys, and a military-spouse blogger myself (at http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com) I'm excited to watch the spouse community unfold here on USAA. Great job picking an excellent team and aiding the education and empowerment of your members!

[Tara Crooks]

Leanne, Thank you for your wonderful compliments. We do hope to see this community blossom!

[Wendy Poling]

Leanne, I love your blog. Thanks for the finding us and the kind words. :) Rolk70, It's really cool to have a male spouse here as we launch this new community. Please continue to share your ideas and feedback as we grow. Bones_0, Toddlers are tough to handle when mom or dad are away. I applaud you for being your wife's support on the homefront. Another male spouse as we being this journey! Awesome! Thanks to all of you for helping us launch this new community for spouses. Please tell your friends we are here!

[Sayang]

JMJ Hello everyone, It's terrific to find a military spouse community here. I can empathize with what most of you have undergone. We appreciate the experiences we've gained and the life-long friends we've made wherever we've been stationed. Despite retiring from 23 years of active duty in the Navy, my beloved husband is deployed for the 2nd time, as a Dod contractor. This is the 5th deployment we've gone through. It is never easy and you don't get used to it; at least I hope I never get used to it. Tragically, there is hardly any support out there for spouses of these former active duty contractors. They do choose to serve our country as well, but not in uniform. There is no Ombudsman or Key Volunteer or FRG Leader to turn to nor a support group to organize family events. I was wondering if USAA would consider a spouses of contractors community. I'm sure there's a plethora of contractor spouses out there who would appreciate such a community. Anyway, just food for thought. USAA has been an integral part of our lives and we are grateful for their impeccable services. Thank you very much for all you do and may God bless our troops, contractors and all their families.

[Leo T]

I applaud all of the military spouses who have endured many months of deployment. You are doing a wonderful job keeping the home front together, taking care of the children, budgeting, cooking and praying for the safe return of your loved one. I am so thankful for you. You are the engine that drives our country to greater success. Keep it up!

[PublicHealthSpouse]

I agree with the guys and there are few of us guys to agree with. After 7 yrs. you get use to days by yourselve but what I find is the hard part is when she gets home. Our lives don't always blend and we go in different direction but somehow we step back remember why we love each other and slow down. As for children we have adult children out of the house but not out of our pockets, it's a blended family so there always some drama, you never stop being a parent. Well hope we all pull together and solve some of life problems while helping each other and focus on long term goals. God bless.

[oneandonlybecca]

I've learned that being a reservists' family comes with many of the hardships of military life, but without all the support and resources. It's even more likely that you'll feel alone and unsupported when you don't live near a base. Many of the programs out there to assist military families only apply to active duty members. I wish there were more resources out there for the families of weekend warriors.

[www.Ship2storage.com]

We were able to start a successful internet business using USAA Financial Services. Ship2Storage.com is now helping deployed military members store their personal belongings safely while they are away.