Books
A Cup of Comfort for Military Families:
Stories that celebrate heroism on the home front Edited by Colleen SellCopyright @ 2008
It has been said that military life is "not for the faint of heart." But neither is it without its benefits and blessings. One thing is certain: It is an experience like no other--for both the service men and women and their famlies.
In A Cup of Comfort for Military Families, you will experience the familiar pride that wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends feel when their loved one chooses to put his or her needs aside for the benefit of our country. Featuring stories from the current Iraq war as well as stories of those who have long retired from the service, this timely collection is sure to span generations--and touch your heart.
After the War Zone:
A practical guide for returning troops and their familiesAuthors: Matthew J. Friedman, Laurie B. Slone, Copyright @ 2008
- Coping with common reactions
- The aftereffects of "battle" mind
- PTSD - what it is and is not
- Home, work, and community concerns
A highly practical, user-friendly guide to homecoming--including common after-effects of war zone exposure and how to cope--for returning troops and their families.
Two experts from the VA National Center for PTSD provide an essential resource for service members, their spouses, families, and communities, sharing what troops really experience during deployment and back home. Pinpointing the most common after-effects of war and offering strategies for troop reintegration to daily life, Drs. Friedman and Slone cover the myths and realities of homecoming; reconnecting with spouse and family; anger and adrenaline; guilt and moral dilemmas; and PTSD and other mental-health concerns.
With a wealth of community and government resources, tips, and suggestions, After the War Zone is a practical guide to helping troops and their families prevent war zone stresses from having a lasting negative impact.
A Year of Absence:
Six women's stories of courage, hope and loveAuthor: Jessica Redmond, Copyright @ 2005
A Year of Absence follows the lives of six women whose husbands, all members of the U.S. Army's First Armored Division based in Germany, deploy to Iraq in April 2003. A young lieutenant's wife comes dangerously close to alcoholism. Marriages are pushed to the breaking point by the constant strain of fifteen months apart. Each morning the women anxiously scan the headlines, wondering if they still have a husband, if their children still have a father. Some form friendships that become their lifeline. Others somehow find courage despite their isolation.
Behind the Blue-Star Banner:
A memoir from the home frontAuthor: Michelle Cuthrell, Copyright @ 2006
Michelle Cuthrell was 23 years old, nine months out of college and 11 weeks pregnant with her first child when her husband deployed to Iraq in August 2005.
With a baby in her belly and a husband in her heart, this newlywed embarked on a crazy journey that led her through a year of tests and trials, heartbreak and hard times, as she lived alone in the freezes and frosts of Fairbanks, Alaska. There, Michelle endured the pregnancy and rearing of the couple's first and only child as her husband, Matt, served with the 172nd Stryker brigade in Mosul, Iraq.
But when the Department of Defense extended Matt's unit for four additional months in country, just 10 days shy of his much-anticipated homecoming after a year at war, Michelle temporarily fell apart. It was in those difficult days that she learned the real value of friendship, faith and unfailing love.
Behind the Blue-Star Banner documents Michelle's 16-month journey to reunion, and the lessons she learned about true service and sacrifice along the way.
*SPECIAL DISCOUNT* Save $4.00 per book with a bulk purchase (22 minimum) by ordering through
Confessions of the Military Wife
Author: Jocelyn Corbin, Copyright @ 2009
A book of heartfelt poetry written by an Army wife and veteran. Sharing a story of deployment, struggle, and separation, Jocelyn Corbin's poetry will touch the soul of anyone who has ever loved a service member.
Dads at a Distance:
An activities handbook for strengthening long distance relationshipsDeveloped by: The National Institute for Building Long Distance Relationships, Copyright @ 2001
This book contains 330 activities to help business travelers, non-custodial fathers, military men, airline pilots, truckers, etc. strengthen and enjoy their relationships with their children while they are away.
Dear Soldier:
Heartfelt letters from America's childrenAuthor: Barbara W. Baldwin, Copyright @ 2009
This collection of letters from across the United States written in each child's own hand, offers active duty soldiers and veterans and their families comfort, reassurance, and a delightful dose of humor.
Deployment Journal for Spouses:
Memories and milestones while my loved one is deployedAuthor: Rachel Robertson, Copyright @ 2008
A personal journal for anyone who has a significant other deployed with the military. Guided journal writing prompts, inspirational sayings.
E-mail to the Front:
One wife's correspondence with her husband overseasAuthor: Alesia Holliday, Copyright @ 2003
"6/9: Evidently I wasn't supposed to put so much oil in the mower. The smoke went away fairly quickly, though. Connor even got to go for a ride in the fire truck."Alesia Holliday has survived scenes like this and more while her husband, a naval flight officer, has been away on military duty. They have forged a different kind of marriage-one that the 1.5 million current active-duty service members and their families will identify with. E-mail to the Front has a large built-in audience that boasts a camaraderie strengthened by shared difficulties and discoveries. E-mail to the Front consists of short commentaries by Alesia and an e-mail dialogue between her and her husband while he was on deployment. In text filled with empathy, gut-level honesty, humor, and unflinching support, chapters cover everything from "Departure: Only 183 Days to Go" to "Rebellion of the Appliances" to "It's Like Being a Single Mother, but I Can't Date." E-mail to the Front will appeal to everyone who appreciates the courage of those who choose to serve their country, the families who are meeting the challenge of military duty, and those who love and support them. Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry has written a cover quote for the book, and best-selling author Suzanne Brockmann said "This book should be required reading for all Americans."
Encouragement for America's Hidden Heroes:
Survival tactics for the families of our military forces Author: Amy Stevens, Copyright @ 2004
The survival guide was written to honor, guide, and connect with military families who are currently serving their country; by supporting their servicemember. There are many books on how to navigate the military bases, proper etiquette, rank issues, and how to move your family every few years, but very few with practical advice for a combat deployment separation.
Amy Stevens shares her experiences while creating a great sense of pride in the military family. With a firm belief that she is serving her country as a military wife...Amy Stevens shares methods for improving relationships and dealing with the emotions that surround a deployment.
Family Print:
A family's unique reflections during warAuthors: Tim and Tiffany Stoner, Copyright @ 2009
Army National Guardsman Major Timothy Stoner, commander of Indiana's first BlackHawk unit in Iraq, and his wife Tiffany chronicle their journey into and out of war.
Stemming from the blog established as their primary means of communication during wartime, FamilyPrint: One family's unique reflection during war, tells the story of this family of six.
Trading wingtips for combat boots and managing four children under the age of six, Tim and Tiffany transform their difficulty into an experience of graciousness, growth and gratitude. “The dialogue drew in our families and supporters and touched so many people’s lives,” says Major Stoner, who was awarded the Bronze Star during his deployment. “It became our compass and the foundation for what created this book.”
Not only does FamilyPrint depict this candid wartime experience with words, but also via the breathtaking photography of Nathan Rowe, who beautifully captures the agony of separation and the utter joy of coming home.
Indiana’s Governor, Mitch Daniels says, “When a National Guardsman deploys there are truly two people at war: the soldier who goes to fight the enemy and the spouse who stays behind to face, in many ways, an equally difficult task. Tim and Tiffany Stoner’s new book is a useful reminder of the debt we owe to both members of any National Guard Family.”
Found Art:
Discovering beauty in foreign placesAuthor: Leeana Tankersley, Copyright @ 2009
Fount Art is a memoir of the year author Leeana Tankersley lived in the Middle East with her Navy SEAL husband during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As her story unfolds, Leeana finds her life and her soul have been changed forever.
With an artist's eye, Tankersley uses each chapter to piece together moments and memories from her journey to create a work of unexpected beauty: a handwritten note from Kuwait, a braid of fringe from a Persian rug, an original poem, a bit of basting thread, a swatch of black silk from a borrowed abaya, a mesquite leaf, a Navy SEAL trident, a receipt from a Russian-Georgian restaurant on Louisana Street.
Found art emerges, a literary collage created from salvaged stories of loss, hope, and belief.
From a Pebble to a Rock:
Life stories from the homefront to encourage the hearts of every womanAuthor: Patti A. Correa, Copyright @ 2004
How do they do it? is the question often asked as we see wives, mothers, and daughters of military men go day by day faced with loneliness, more responsibility, and uncertainty that come with separation. Follow me as women on the home front tell their true-life, heartwarming stories of love, weakness, and strength during times of separation. These stories of survivial will show you the love they have for their husbands, dads, sons, and uncles and their perseverance to keep the families together.
God + Military Spouse:
United our families will standAuthor: Kathleen Cline, Copyright @ 2008
When the Iraq war first broke out there was ramped support for the military but as time went on personal support dwindled. Yet given the extended tour of duty, support became increasingly necessary to help women and their children get through long deployments and absences of husbands and fathers. As the wife of a Navy man, Kathleen Cline discovered that while there are many helpful books for women, there were none specifically for military wives and the particular challenges they face. During her overseas tour she also learned the importance of the Naval Chapel and the support it gives to military families. At the last three duty stations she volunteered at the Naval Chapel, teaching children church, leading womans Bible study and helping to organize VBS. Now, due to the war, the Naval Chapels focus must be on the active duty member which has left a gap of Biblical education for the family members. God + Military Spouse is the result of this need, and Kathleen Cline is qualified to offer it. From predeployment anxiety, to loneliness, depression and even temptation, God + Military Spouse is the support group manual for military wives and study groups who are serious about preserving the treasure of marriage and family.
Homefires:
War through the eyes of a military wife Author: Sherry Hines, Copyright @ 2004How to Survive a Long-Distance Relationship
Author: Shellie Vandevoorde, Copyright @ 2003
This is a must read for all military families and others living in a long distance relationship. It's a practical, hands-on guide to surviving the difficulties of these relationships. Although written from the perspective of military spouses, this work is equally of value to any couple struggling with the same issues.
You'll find time-tested suggestions for coping with not only the emotional sting of a departure but the ongoing concerns while apart from each other. The pains and doubts brought on by distance is something that every couple in this situation shares. The mind games, the double guessing, the emotional blaming... You are not alone! You and your love done can learn to live with your occasional distance in a healthy, balanced manner. Don't wait, save your relationship today!
Subjects include:
- Fighting the fear of being alone and the fear of the unknown
- Stopping the cycles of doubt
- The struggle of being a temporary single parent, decision maker, etc.
- Infidelity
- and more!
This book could be used as a foundation to conduct classes for new military spouses and serve as a tool for 'Family Readiness Group' meetings,' (FRG's).
I'm Already Home...Again:
Keeping your family close while on assignment or deploymentAuthor: Elaine Gray Dumler, Copyright @ 2006
Military families are especially vulnerable to tough separations. Now there's an easy-to-follow, practical guide to fun and inexpensive ways for keeping service men and women connected to their families while they're on assignment or deployment.
I'm Home Already...Again is an essential tool for military personnel preparing for active duty. The first edition of the work, I'm Already Home, is widely used by over 21,000 families. Now, expanded and updated, this second edition includes special features that make it even more useful and relevant to the unique demands of the military family. This valuable guide will help lessen the impact of being apart from those you love.
I Want You to Know Me:
Love, your American heroAuthor: Vickie L. Mullins, Copyright @ 2007
Are you messy or neat? Are you a deep sleeper or a light sleeper? Can you roll your Rs? Do you ask for directions?
While our country’s sons and daughters are away, they desperately need to know they are still connected back home. Through this book, I Want You to Know Me … Love, Your American Hero, every day mom and dad can see their hero’s hand-written words describing how he thinks, feels and looks. Yes, he has a cleft in his chin; it’s just like his grandfather’s. Mom and dad can touch their hero’s heart from a distance.
The serviceperson’s children can glance through this book every night before they go to bed, looking at the picture posted in the front and remembering when their mommy was here to read them stories … “And they lived happily ever after.” They connect across the miles.
The American hero’s husband or wife can hold the dog-eared copy of their spouse’s book and picture the answers without opening the cover. Yes, he did a flip off the diving board, and we spent the night in the hospital repairing the damage. Their relationship grows stronger.
We feel I Want You to Know Me … Love, Your American Hero, is our most important book so far, because, in times of uncertainty, it is so important to bring a sense of peace to everyone touched by the lives of our American heroes: mom and dads, grandparents, spouses, children.
*SPECIAL DISCOUNT* Bulk rate available to military organizations if ordered in cases of 20 by calling 1-480-941-8202. May even mix and match with other titles available such as I Want you to Know Me: Love Mom and Dad. Visit www.IWantYouToKnowMe.com for other titles.
Life After Deployment:
Military families share reunion stories and adviceAuthor: Karen M. Pavlicin, Copyright @ 2007
Life after Deployment captures the tender and moving stories of military families during their reunion. Service members and their spouses, parents, fiancees, and children share the joy and anxiety of homecoming, the adjustments of living together again, and how they coped with anger, depression, PTSD, injuries, grief, and other challenges.
Some families had fairytale endings. Most worked hard to rebuild their relationships after much time and change. A few suffered great losses. These military families talk candidly about what their experience was really like, offering hope and advice to others who walk this journey.
Lonely Girls with Burning Eyes:
An activities handbook for strengthening long distance relationshipsAuthor: Marian Faye Novak, Copyright @ 1992
Long Distance Couples:
An activities handbook for strengthening long distance relationshipsDeveloped by: The National Institute for Building Long Distance Relationships, Copyright @ 2000
28 pages of full color photos containing 365 creative and romantic activities long distance couples can use to help strengthen their relationships while they are apart.
Moms Over Miles:
An activities handbook for strengthening long distance relationshipsDeveloped by: The National Institute for Building Long Distance Relationships, Copyright @ 2001
This book contains 330 activities to help business travelers, non-custodial mothers, military women, airline pilots, flight attendants, etc. strengthen and enjoy their relationships with their children while they are away.
My Blissful Life as a Submariner's Wife
Author: MJ Allaire, Copyright @ 2009
Imagine yourself as a young mother, half the world away from loved ones as a military dependent, then compound this with the much larger challenge of raising a family by yourself because your military spouse is always gone. No amount of money can replace when an active duty military member misses some of life's major milestones, such as the birth of a child, a baby's first steps, or a high school graduation. Follow one woman as she struggles to provide balance and stability to her dependent children while her husband serves his country. Her trials and tribulations will provide insight to just a few of the challenges faced by today's military family. Think you understand the life of a military dependent? Think again ...
My Hero:
Military Kids Write About Their Moms and DadsAuthors: Allen Appel, Mike Rothmiller, Copyright @ 2008
Working through the Armed Services YMCA, the authors have collected more than one hundred essays from children whose parents are serving or have served in the military. The children's heartfelt, moving, sometimes funny and completely honest observations about their moms and dads truly capture the emotional connection between parent and child. It is a connection that cannot be severed even when a parent is thousands of miles away, gone for long stretches of time, and in danger.
Inspiring, heartbreaking, and genuine, this book provides a fascinating look inside the hearts and minds of kids who love and honor their moms and dads as heroes - at home or on the battlefield.
101 Ways Ways to be a Long-Distance Super Dad...or Mom, Too!
Author: George Newman, Copyright @ 2006
Don't let the distance divide you! You can improve your relationship with your children no matter how far away you live from them — or for how long you're out of town. 101 Ways to Be a Long-Distance Super Dad . . .or Mom, Too! provides great ideas to bridge the gap!
On the Frontline:
A personal guidebook for the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of military lifeAuthor: Tom Neven, Copyright @ 2006
The struggles and temptations our service men and women encounter are unique and beyond what civilians might ever face. Written from someone who's been there, this book addresses head-on the issues prevalent in military life: loneliness, fidelity, debt, fear and much more. It's a must-read handbook with uncompromising biblical guidance that will encourage and inspire both men and women in military service.
Operation Military Family
How to strengthen your military marriage and save your family Author: Michael J.R. Schindler, Copyright @ 2007Our children's well-being depends on it. Our military is fighting to preserve it. Our nation's strength is a result of it. What is it? A successful marriage.
Operation Military Family offers a unique look at how military couples strengthen their marriages despite the challenges brought on by unexpected or extended deployments. This book offers the "how-to's" on:
- Establishing a pre- and post-deployment plan
- Discovering the vision for your marriage
- Relating to your spouse in spite of circumstances
- Tapping powerful resources at little to no out-of-pocket cost
Now is the time to invest heavily in your greatest asset: your marriage.
Portraits of the Toughest Job in the Army:
Voices and faces of modern army wives Author: Janelle Mock, Copyright @ 2007 My husband’s aspirations in the Army are as high as the moon some days and deep into the sea the next. He loves it, I know it, but he doesn’t like having to be away from us. It’s hard to explain to people that your husband wants to go to war, but he does. He wants the experience. That is what he is trained to do. He feels as though he can’t really know how long he wants to be in the Army until he has that experience behind him. I want what is best for him. I fear the danger of war, but I know he will not feel complete doing time in the Army until he sets foot on foreign soil. I am afraid, but I have to have a peace about it, because if I don’t, I won’t survive if he doesn’t return. We have a peace that, whether together or apart, we are a family, always. I don’t know exactly how or why I feel this way. Maybe, it’s because my husband has been a Christian all his life. I can’t put into words what type of peace that brings. Death, injury, or deployment, we are a family. I will always stand by my soldier and I will always stand by my husband.
Separated by Duty, United in Love:
A guide to long-distance relationships for military couples Author: Shellie Vandevoorde, Copyright @ 2006 Where can you turn...when the bills are due, the kids are acting out, loneliness and doubt are creeping into your quiet hours--and you're handling it all alone? If your partner is in the military, or has any job that requires long stretches of time away from home, these challenges may be the greatest that your relationship will ever face. Now is the time you need answers, resources, and understanding. This is the book that will give them to you.
Souls Under Seige:
The effects of multiple troop deployments-and how to weather the storm Author: Bridgett C. Cantrell, Copyright @ 2009Besieged! Everyone is looking for a quick fix for the current war to win it, fight it, or end it! In the meantime, the resiliency of the dedicated men and women serving our country has been stretched thin by another concern the siege of their souls as they go through the revolving door of seemingly endless combat tours. The most voracious enemy for today s troops and their families is time, attrition, and unpreparedness. These elements continue to eat away at every level of their lives. It is all in the makeup of living under siege, and those under siege need to find ways to hold their ground as long as the war lasts. They need to prepare well in advance for the inevitability of multiple deployments.
It has been confirmed that warriors on their third and fourth tours of duty have much greater rates of mental health challenges than those on their first or second deployments. Time, and the wear and tear, has become a daunting enemy. For the families the weight of these deployments is magnified when they are ill-prepared for the tremendous emotional change and upheaval that may develop from these circumstances.
Dr. Bridget C. Cantrell, Ph.D. is the author of Down Range to Iraq and Back and Once a Warrior: Wired For Life and she now brings you Souls under Siege: The Effects of Multiple Troop Deployments and How to Weather the Storm. It is a book that will help us all find ways to support and tend to those living with the pressures of multiple deployments. Its thrust is to not only expand awareness of the issues involved, but to also outline sensible tools for finding relief in these trying times. Souls under Siege is not a book to sit idle on your shelf. It will become a useful guide to be used over and over again.
Spouses Also Serve
Author: Tiffany A. Booher, Copyright @ 2007Through her unmatched ability to introduce readers to a military spouse's thoughts and feelings with diary entries and poetry, author Tiffany Booher exposes you to the heart and soul of the military spouse. The National Anthem plays and tears stream down your cheeks. Night after night you sleep in a lonely bed, fearing the unknown, and fighting tears and longing. The telephone rings and it is the call you never imagined you d hear. Through her unmatched ability to introduce readers to a military spouse's thoughts and feelings with diary entries and poetry, author Tiffany Booher exposes you to the heart and soul of the military spouse. Then, by carefully selecting Bible verses to provide both biblical strength and guidance for the spouse, Tiffany helps build faith and comfort in some of the best and worst times a military spouse may encounter. This book is a must-read for both military and non-military women and men across America. For it is not just the military members that serve our nation: their spouses also serve.
Standing By:
The making of an American military family in a time of war Author: Alison Buckholtz , Copyright @ 2009Alison Buckholtz never dreamed she would marry a military man, but when she met her husband, an active-duty Navy pilot, nothing could stop her from building a life with him— not even his repeated attempts to talk her out of marriage. He didn’t want her to have to make the kinds of sacrifices long required of the spouses of military personnel. They wed shortly after September 11, 2001 and, since then, their life together has been marked by long separations and unforeseen challenges, but also unexpected rewards.
Standing By is Buckholtz’s candid and moving account of her family’s experiences during her husband’s seven-month deployment on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. With insight and humor she describes living near a military base in Washington State, far from home and in the midst of great upheaval, while trying to keep life as normal as possible for the couple’s two young children. But she is not alone in her struggle. In Standing By, Buckholtz portrays her friendships with other military wives and the ways in which this supportive community of women helps one another to endure—to even thrive—during difficult times.
Throughout Standing By, Buckholtz speaks honestly about the culture shock she experienced transitioning into the role of a military wife. Because she had been raised to conquer the world on her own terms rather than be a more traditional wife and mother supporting her husband’s career, the world of the Armed Forces was at first as unfamiliar as a foreign land. But a remarkable and surprising series of events has challenged her long-held assumptions about the military, motherhood, and even the nature of American citizenship.
A rare and intimate portrait of one of the tens of thousands of families who now wait patiently for their service member to return home safely, Standing By is a window into what matters most for families everywhere
Surviving Deployment:
A guide for military families Author: Karen Pavlicin, Copyright @ 2003Surviving Deployment is your personal guide to turning an otherwise lonely and challenging situation into a positive experience.
Learn what to expect, how to prepare, and how to personally grow as individuals and families. Your survival gear will range from a sturdy toilet plunger to the fine art of letter writing. You'll manage financial changes, help children express their feelings, and discover a renewed appreciation for everyday life. Solid information. Practical checklists. Personal stories from hundreds of families.
Surviving Military Separation:
A 365-Day Activity Guide for the Families of Deployed PersonnelAuthor: Marc CB Maxwell, Copyright @ 2008
Family members know that today, military separation is common and that long deployments are the norm. Coping with everyday problems and hardships by themselves is very difficult, and often leads to loneliness and depression. In his day-to-day counseling of military family members, Marc CB Maxwell, a Department of Defense Guidance Counselor and former Army Airborne Ranger, discovered that many members of his military community were unprepared for these separations. Surviving Military Separation: A 365-Day Activity Guide for the Families of Deployed Personnel is the helping hand they need to get through their family member's deployment.
Marc's daily counseling quickly made it clear that his members required something fun, easy to understand, and enjoyable to pass the time. Surviving Military Separation is the first book on the market to provide everyday steps and activities to help guide family members through these particularly trying separations.
Lavishly illustrated with more than 140 pieces of original art by Val Laolagi, Surviving Military Separation is an activity guidebook created especially for family members of deployed personnel. This unique presentation offers 365 days of activities for the entire family. The book's setup allows readers to break down the lengthy deployment into weeklong chunks, which passes the deployment much more quickly by taking it one fun and creative step at a time.
Surviving Military Separation also includes: A section for journal entries for readers to record their thoughts and feelings for a deployed loved one to read at a later time; a calendar section to help family members remember important dates; stationery to write their deployed personnel; and a world map to assist family members in locating their deployed loved one.
Coming on the heels of the military's recent announcement of longer deployments, Surviving Military Separation is both timely and long overdue. Every family experiencing a military separation will find this book indispensable.
The Busy Book:
99 Ways to Stay Busy During Deployment (E-Book) Author: Sara Horn, Copyright @ 2009
Military spouses who are going through deployments sometimes struggle to find time for themselves. They’re busy, but they often feel like they’re spinning their wheels more than they are getting a whole lot done. When this happens, setting goals and planning one or two special projects can change a spouse’s perspective for the better.
The Busy Book offers 99 different ways a military spouse can stay busy during a deployment. Ideas are found in one of four areas: physical, mental, social and spiritual. A special feature includes the web links that come with many of the 99 ways, leading you to more information about a specific idea, and a checklist can be printed out for you to keep record of the different activities you've already tried.
The author, Sara Horn, a Navy reservist wife, has written extensively about the military and for the military family. She’s the founder of www.wivesoffaith.org, a faith-based military wives support organization she started when her own husband deployed.
The Day After He Left for Iraq:
A story of love, family, and reunion Author: Melissa Seligman, Copyright @ 2008Melissa Seligman is something rare in the world of military families—a military wife who is also a beautiful writer. Here she describes her feelings as she watches her husband walk away from her and her newborn, knowing full well that he might not return from the war in Iraq. She experiences saying goodbye twice—both times he left when their children were still infants. While he’s away from home again, Melissa struggles to remember the goodness of her husband and the joy of their life together. Working hard to raise a baby and a four-year old, Melissa tells of the heartbreak and desperation she experiences at home. She watches her daughter clutch a G.I. Joe doll she’s named “Little Daddy,” and wonders if the family will make it through.
Hers is a story of sadness and strength, desperation and hope, displacement and unity. It’s a story that anyone left behind (and we have all been left behind) will respond to, one that, unfortunately, is becoming more and more common as the war in Iraq continues. This is a work of timely and powerful non-fiction by a significant new author.
The Military Father:
A hands-on guide for deployed dadsAuthor: Armin A. Brott, Copyright @ 2009A much-needed resource for the long-distance dads and dads-to-be, who are seeking information and advice on how to be involved with their family before, during, and after their deployment.
Written by the country's leading authority on fathers and families, The Military Father helps fathers and their families face the challenges of deployment and stay connected with their loved ones back home. Special topics covered include:
- Unique issues that affect civilian contractors and nonmilitary government employees.
- Challenges facing Reservists and National Guardsmen when they leave--and then return to--their civilian life.
- What to do if your wife is going to have your baby while you're deployed.
- How to stay involved as a single parent.
- What happens when Mom is deployed.
- Detailed, easy-to-use predeployment checklists.
- An in-depth overview of child development, from pregnancy through age eighteen.
The Road Home:
Smoothing the transition back from deploymentAuthor: Elaine Gray Dumler, Copyright @ 2009The Road Home is the newest addition to the I'm Already Home book series which is widely used by more than 56,000 military families. This comprehensive resource meets the specific needs of families in all branches of service transitioning back to "real life" as their service member returns from deployment. Many military families struggle with both the joys and challenges of the reintegration process and they're looking for answers. Continuing in the tradition of supplying great information, stories and support websites to service families, The Road Home helps you quickly find information about the issues and concerns that are personal to you! Some of what you'll find in The Road Home: Homecoming - beyond the balloons and parties; "What do you mean by that?" - Improving communication; "But Dad said I could!" - Tackling discipline while maintaining a united front; "How the heck did my butt get so big?" - Image, sex and intimacy; "Am I normal?" - Adjusting to your new normal; "What do I do now?" - Getting back in the swing of things with family, job and community; "I did not sign up for this!" - Combat Stress, PTSD, wounded warriors, dealing with loss; "You need attention too" - The unique needs of blended families, single service members and extended families...plus so much more! You'll also find over 250 military focused web resources and military discounts for continued assistance. Reunion isn't all about balloons and parties--it just starts there. During your tour of duty things changed...as they had to. Now it's your job to adjust to those changes, find your family's "new" normal, and settle back into your life together. The Road Home is the beginning of your journey.
These Boots (CD, 60 minutes):
A spouse's guide to stepping up and standing tall during deployment Jacey EckhartWhen your spouse deploys, the challenges -- emotional and practical -- can seem overwhelming. On this recording, Jacey Eckhart, a military wife for 18 years and columnist for the Virginian-Pilot, offers suggestions and strategies to help you prepare for deployment, survive (and even thrive) while you're "married but single," and get ready for homecoming. You'll also learn ways to communicate with your spouse, help children cope, use resources, and build a community for support and encouragement.
Listen/download or receive an e-mail or printable version at www.militaryonesource.com
The Treasure of Staying Connected for Military Couples
Author: Janel Lange, Copyright @ 2004This book is a lifeline for couples stressed by military life, especially the lengthy separations. Short "real life" stories of couples growing through the tough times are expanded by comments from the author, a Navy wife of 25 years, who also has 25 years experience in presenting marriage enrichment programs.
365 Days of Deployment:
A wife's survival story Author: Sara Dawalt, Copyright @ 2007Follows a military wife's experiences during her husband's deployment to Iraq. Filled with laughter, tears, and everything in between, this book explores the wide-ranging emotions brought about by a loved one's deployment. Through self-exploration Sara Dawalt explores the skills necessary to cope and make sense of her life during a point of turmoil. She reaches a turning point and gains a new understanding of herself, life, and how to survive deployment. Her quest for happiness during what could have been her darkest year will touch your life. Dawalt shows you how each day apart from a loved one at war can be a meaningful experience.
Thriving Not Just Surviving:
Deployment perspectives for today's military familiesOfficers' Christian Fellowship (OCF), www.ocfusa.org
Copyright @ 2008
This new book offers powerful insights to military families who are facing multiple deployments. Thriving Not Just Surviving is a collection of dozens of interviews and articles, many by wives of men who are currently deployed. They share their stories of God's care and provision with the hope that they will inspire others in similar situations. Additionally deployed men also speak out and share what they want their wives to know about deployment. The final chapter of the book is dedicated to reunion and reintegration.
To order copies, please contact Joyce Baerg at the OCF office in Englewood, Colorado, through e-mail (joyce.baerg@ocfusa.org) or phone (800-424-1984). We are offering Thriving Not Just Surviving for $10 each. For orders of ten or more copies, the price is discounted to $6 each. At this point, the book is only available through OCF.
Turning Your Heart Toward Home Workbook:
A workbook for re-integration and re-adjustmentAuthor: Bridgett C. Cantrell with Chuck Dean
Copyright
Perhaps we now have the opportunity to make up the ground we lost when our troops came home from previous wars. “Turning Your Heart Toward Home” is a course that utilizes many lessons learned from the past. It provides tools for warriors to reintegrate with their loved ones upon returning from their military assignments.
The combination of educational skills and experiences have structured this powerful course entitled “Turning Your Heart Toward Home”. This vital information addresses and resolves many of the destructive issues surrounding relationship reintegration when soldiers return home from war.
During the course, war veterans and family members alike are directed to the core concerns that work against healthy reconnections. Using step-by-step inventories participants are guided toward rebuilding healthy relationships.
U.S. Army Deployment Cycle Readiness:
Soldier's and family member's handbookThe U.S. Army Deployment Cycle Readiness: Soldier's and Family Member's Handbook is designed to be used by Soldiers and Family Members in the Active, Guard, and Reserve Components. This handbook helps Families "gear up" for the various stages within the deployment cycle providing tips, ideas, and resources that can be used. Mission readiness requires Family preparedness. It can be very helpful to maintain a Family, Unit, and Resource Connection throughouth the various deployment stages.
Soldiers in this handbook refers to all Active Duty, Guard and Reserve members of the Army. "Families" refers to both immediate and extended Family members of Soldiers as well as other individuals identified by Soldiers.
Waiting Wives:
The story of Schilling Manor, home front to the Vietnam War (Paperback)Author: Donna Moreau, Copyright @ 2006
In 1964, as the first B-52s took flight in what would become America's longest combat mission, an old Air Force base on the plains of Kansas became Schilling Manor -- the only base ever to be set aside for the wives and children of soldiers assigned to Vietnam. Author Donna Moreau was the daughter of one such waiting wife, and here she writes of growing up at a time when The Flintstones were interrupted with news of firefights, fraggings, and protests, when the evening news announced death tolls along with the weather forecasts. The women and children of Schilling Manor fought on the emotional front of the war. It was not a front composed of battle plans and bullets. Their enemies were fear, loneliness, lack of information, and the slow tick of time.
Waiting Wives: The Story of Schilling Manor, Home Front to the Vietnam War tells the story of the last generation of hat-and-glove military wives called upon by their country to pack without question, to follow without comment, and to wait quietly with a smile. A heartfelt book that focuses on this other, hidden side of war, Waiting Wives is a narrative investigation of an extraordinary group of women. A compelling memoir and domestic drama, Waiting Wives is also the story of a country in the midst of change, of a country at war with a war.
When Duty Calls:
A handbook for families facing military separation Author: Carol Vandesteeg, Copyright @ 2005In this unique and wonderfully thorough handbook, a military wife and mom shares practical advice about preparing and dealing with deployment of a loved one. Carol Vandesteeg helps families learn what to expect as they prepare for deployment, how to communicate while separated, helping children through the separation, and reuniting at the end of the tour of duty. When Duty Calls also addresses the subject that's so painful to face: the possibility that the loved one may not return.
While They're at War:
The true story of American families on the homefrontAuthor: Kristin Henderson, Copyright @ 2006"Most of us are aware of the horrors of war and of the sacrifice made by our fighting men and women. Less well understood is the burden borne by the families our service members leave behind. While They're at War reveals their solidarity and hope; their loneliness and anguish in the face of uncertainty. Authentic and from-the-heart, this is a piece of often untold American history, and a must-read for those both in and out of uniform." Review from Senator John McCain
Your Military Family Network:
Your connection to military friendly businesses, resources, benefits, information and adviceThe Military Family Network, www.emilitary.orgCopyright @ 2008
Your Military Family Network is a friendly, complete, need-to-know overview to all the resources available to you and your family to be all you can be in your military and community life. This valuable insiders resource guide provides you with detailed information on how to manage life issues--from shopping the Exchange to handling deployment, from getting physically fit to getting financially fit, from finding schools to taking a family vacation, and much more. The book also includes a section providing handy worksheets to help you succeed and keep a record of your own vital statistics for handy reference. The guide will save you hours, days, and weeks of hunting down the facts on your own and provide you with timely information to help you make informed decisions when you need them most.
Copyright Benita Koeman 2008 - 2010
Organizations that support:
Deployment:
Encouragement:
Military Life:
Resources
Deployment Resources:
Books & Websites
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These are books that deal specifically with deployment. Go to the Military Life Link for a separate listing of books dealing with military life in general.
