There may come a time when you or your spouse need to talk to someone about your mental health. Beyond the typical stressors of military life, the global COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges this year. In fact, more than one in three adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression since [...]
While there are no submarines in Washington D.C., our nation's capital is a major hub for shore duty jobs, particularly at the Pentagon. If you're interested in being stationed there, monitor PERS-42 (officers) and PERS-403 (enlisted). The Navy Yard is also nearby, as well as the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Unfortunately, you will have [...]
Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need for significant physical distancing, there has been a HUGE increase in virtual communication. From video chats and phone calls to texts and social media, technology has been a blessing during this time. As military spouses we are privy to information regarding boat movements, however this knowledge is [...]
Have it be a deployment, patrol or underway, whatever term you use, they all lead to family separation. Within the submarine community, this time apart is unique as there is little to no communication between service members and their family back on shore. Preparing for this time of family separation, while similar to other communities, [...]
Story submitted by Kirsten Social media is a wonderful tool for submarine spouses. We move so frequently and have so little time to figure out who is going to be our emergency contact, let alone form friendships and meaningful relationships. Social media can be used to make quick determinations of who might make a good [...]
Every duty station is what you make of it, this we know. And in the submarine community, it doesn’t take long for nicknames and reputations to catch on. And when it comes to Groton, many refer to it as, for lack of a better word, rotten. I did not have many expectations when we moved [...]
San Diego, the notoriously sought-after submarine duty station, boasts the nation’s largest concentration of military personnel. In fact, over 100,000 active duty members are stationed here. Beyond submarines, San Diego is home to the helicopter base at Naval Air Station North Island, the Amphibious base on Coronado where Navy SEALs train, Marines up at Pendleton [...]
Keeping an active Family Readiness Group (FRG) right now can be quite difficult, but it's so important that we stay connected during this hard time. So we must provide comfort and friendship to our fellow spouses. As many of you know, a deployment can be extremely hard without a global pandemic, so this just makes [...]
A Sunshine Committee is a volunteer branch of the Family Readiness Group (FRG), assembled to support fellow spouses, family members, and significant others by lending a helping hand, spreading happiness, and welcoming newcomers (especially during periods when the boat is deployed). Depending on how active your FRG is, a Sunshine Committee may or /may not [...]
