Rebecca Alwine

Join the military, they said. See the world, they said. Well, so far, you’ve seen exotic places like Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and Fort Irwin, Calif. If you’re ready to see more of the globe, you may want to consider Space-A travel.
Space-Available travel is one of those military perks that seasoned spouses refer to and new spouses don’t always understand. There’s an even bigger chance your service member has no idea about it and won’t really care to explore it until retirement, if you go t...

It seems like just yesterday I had a sweet little baby, all smiles and coos. Sure, he cried and pooped a lot — and those round-the-clock feedings nearly did me in — but at least he never threw himself howling onto the ground because I wouldn’t let him dip his pacifier into the dog’s water bowl.
Sudden meltdowns, inexplicable hunger strikes, biting dad — for the parent of a toddler, it’s all par for the course. Still, if you’re a first-time parent like I am, you may not know know what’s normal...

There’s a market for everything. If you’ve ever met Kayla Roof or watched one of her training videos, you know that her energy and passion are contagious. The whole world got to see this side of her when she appeared on Shark Tank in December to pitch a product that captures a growing trend.
Roof joined business partners William and his wife Summer (he is also Kayla’s cousin), to showcase a quirky, kind-of-gross-but-kind-of-fascinating-product called Pop it Pal. The presentation went so well ...

There’s always something magical when military spouses come together for the first time. Just as there are things that set us apart from those not involved in the military community, there are things that instantly bring us together. The love of a service member surpasses almost everything else. Military spouses are a force to be reckoned with.
This weekend, military spouses — along with non-military women — gathered in Dallas, Texas, for the annual IF:GATHERING. Attendees learned that while ...

Freelancers are increasing in popularity as the gig economy continues to grow. For many, freelancing is the perfect way to blend their professional passions and their personal goals. But they are still professionals. They work hard, and those efforts should be rewarded appropriately.
Here are a few ways to make sure you are treating freelancers well so that they will want to work with you in the future:
Use the right terminology.
Freelancers are not employees. You don’t hire them. They don’t ...

Over 19 months, this Coast Guard family paid off $60,000 in debt. They didn’t inherit anything or win the lottery — they lived off of one enlisted service member’s salary, and worked a lot of side hustles to do it. And now they share their story, to show others that it isn’t about luck, it’s about hard work.
Just like everyone else
As high school sweethearts, Dan and Carissa spent like everyone else. “Dan worked full time, I went to college, and I thought I had so much money,” Carissa said. T...

“Before I had Sobee, I would hibernate in my house, with the curtains drawn, afraid to leave the house, as I felt like society didn’t understand me – it was safe and out of the public’s eye,” said Navy veteran Jason Howe. “That all changed immediately after being partnered with Sobee by K9s on The Front Line.”
With the Department of Veterans Affairs reporting that almost one-third of veterans suffer from PTSD, it’s important to take note of all the treatment options available. The use of serv...

We have a love/hate relationship with the way technology surrounds us. As military families, we love that we can stay connected to friends, family, and our service member when they are away from home. We like the security we feel with having the ability to watch our house while we are away. We love that our children can hear their military parent’s voice when they are having a rough day.
But, we also hate the way it controls us. We struggle with balancing the time we spend on our smartphones ...

Getting orders to Germany is quickly accompanied by a rush of emotions, ranging from joy to fear. It’s overwhelming thinking about spending three years in another country, but once you start really thinking about the opportunities, you’ll be itching to get on that plane! Wiesbaden is one of the options for your European military adventure, and we promise, you’ll love it.
Getting Started
Unlike your other moves, you have zero option in your transportation plan. Well, maybe you could do an Atla...

As parents, we set an example for our children: Sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes, we don’t even realize we’re doing it. My oldest child, a son, has picked up on all kinds of things throughout his 10 years of life. He likes football like his dad, he likes chocolate milk like me. And he loves taking care of his siblings.
When my son was just 20 months old, a daughter joined the family. During my pregnancy, he’d talk to my belly, excited as only a toddler can be about something they ...

A service member’s “home of record” is the state from which they joined the military. This can never be changed, but their state of residency can. As spouses, we don’t have a “home of record,” but we do have a state of residency. Usually, it’s where we vote. Sometimes, it’s where we own property.
You have to establish your state of residency. It’s more than just choosing a state. A spouse doesn’t just assume the military member’s state of residency by getting married. You must establish yours...

Running is something people in the military do every day, but for some it means more than passing a PT test. It can be an outlet and a stress reliever, but for the thousands preparing for the Marine Corps Marathon, it’s a way to give back and motivate others.
Since 2003, when a group of military spouses came together to ease the homecoming for wounded service members and their families, Semper Fi Fund has helped over 21,000 service members and raised over $182 million to do so. The organizati...

By Rebecca Alwine, Army Spouse
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock this summer, you’ve heard this story a dozen times. Military family packs up their household goods, moves to a new location, and then spends weeks waiting for delivery.
Their required delivery date (RDD) comes and goes. The air mattress springs a leak, the paper plates that were meant to last for a few days are long gone, and the bills start adding up.
Inconvenience Claim Military Move
Up until this year, most of us were no...

How many lemonade stands did you set up as a kid? Or bake sales? Did you help your parents with the yard sale in exchange for some cash to buy new toys? What about when you started a lawn care business as a teenager, how did that go?
Children learn the broad strokes of entrepreneurship very young, but few understand enough to move on to the next level. In an Inc.com article recently, 93 percent of successful entrepreneurs revealed what they thought their key to success was.
It’s no surprise t...

As a reservist or National Guard member, people often think you have the best of both worlds. But when it comes time to weather a deployment financially, you probably don’t think so.
There are certain advantages to being activated, and there are definitely some disadvantages.
Ideally, your financial situation is steady long before activation or deployment comes down the line. You have a budget, you have a savings account, you have a handle on your debt or are debt free.
For some families, the...