A Family's Guide to the Military For Dummies

Expert advice on all aspects of military life A Family's Guide to the Military For Dummies is for the millions of military dependents, family members, and friends who are looking for straightforward guidance to take advantage of the benefits and overcome the challenges unique to life in the military. This comprehensive guide covers such key topics as introducing military life to readers new to the armed forces, financial planning, relocation, deployment, raising kids alone while a partner is away, and taking advantage of the available benefits. It offers tips and advice for dealing with emotions that surround events like deployments, deciphering the acronyms used in daily military life, forming support groups, keeping track of a loved one's whereabouts, and surviving on a military base in a foreign country.

Foreword xxi Introduction 1 Part I: Reporting for Duty 7 Chapter 1: Living Life As a Military Family 9 Chapter 2: Figuring Out Customs and Courtesies 19 Chapter 3: Getting Around Military Bases 31 Chapter 4: Connecting with the Military Community 49 Part II: Understanding Your Financial Issues and Benefits 59 Chapter 5: Deciphering Military Compensation 61 Chapter 6: Taking Care of Yourself: Health and Dental Insurance 73 Chapter 7: Maximizing Military Benefits 87 Chapter 8: Starting Out on the Right Financial Foot 97 Chapter 9: Building onto Your Financial Foundation 113 Chapter 10: Housing Options for the Military Family 131 Chapter 11: Finding Employment and Educational Opportunities 149 Part III: Supporting the Military Family 165 Chapter 12: Raising a Family in the Military 167 Chapter 13: Maintaining Strong Military Couples 179 Chapter 14: Tapping into Community Support 191 Chapter 15: Dealing with the Disability or Death of a Family Member 205 Part IV: Mastering Deployments 217 Chapter 16: Prepping for Deployments 219 Chapter 17: Accessing Traditional Family Support 239 Chapter 18: Helping Children Cope with the Absence of a Parent 247 Chapter 19: Keeping Connected with Your Loved One 263 Part V: Transitioning Out of the Military 271 Chapter 20: Separating from Service 273 Chapter 21: Retiring from Service 283 Chapter 22: Exploring Subsequent Careers 293 Part VI: The Part of Tens 305 Chapter 23: Ten Best Benefits for Military Spouses 307 Chapter 24: Ten Biggest Financial Military Benefits 311 Chapter 25: Ten Worst Scams Against Servicemembers 317 Appendix: Military Acronyms 321 Index 341