With today being the Marine Corp.'s 233rd birthday, and tomorrow we celebrate our Military Veterans, I'd like to give you some quick info about Military FamilyAppreciation Month.
Instituted in 2002, the designation of an entire month is meant to (according to Marine Corps Commandant J. L. Jones, General) provide "an opportunity to honor the extraordinary contributions of our nation's military families."
Here are some things you can do to facilitate maximum appreciativeness (I totally just made that word up):
- Send a holiday card or gift package to overseas servicemembers! Just know that Thursday, Nov. 13, is the deadline for sending holiday packages to troops stationed overseas using Parcel Post to all Air/Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) ZIP Codes. For cards/letters, you have untilThursday, December 11. However, all military mail, regardless of destination, is sent by domestic mail rate. International rates do not apply to military mail delivery. (Sweet!)
- Make a donation to one of these many (many) groups, gathered here at America Supports You.
- Order FLAGS Across The Nation Note Cards. They're very cute...
- If you're a business owner, offer a discount for military families.
- Hire milspouses! (Like me, lol!) (No seriously - cmwpro.com)
- Support your local Armed Services YMCA.
Maybe you are wondering why we military families even need an appreciation month. I'll explain. (Well, after I shoot you a nasty look.) Consider if you will, the extreme lifestyle of the military family. Relocation, most often to places we've never been. We subsist on quite a bit less and do a whole lot more. We raise our children quite literally on the fly. We rally, and we inspire, and we give those men and women a pretty darn good reason to keep fighting for home, because home is us. You're welcome, folks!
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