Hallee Bridgeman had a hard time reading military novels because they were filled with assumptions that were wrong. So she wanted to give a realistic story about the military – to honor the military. She wanted to give the readers what it really is like and that is what she did with Honor Bound, Word of Honor, and Honor’s Refuge.

Combining her knowledge and experience of military life with a vast amount of research, USA Today bestselling author Hallee Bridgeman has crafted a new action-packed romantic suspense series that looks at the lives, loves, and struggles of three Special Forces A-Team officers. Bridgeman states, “It is my desire to honor those who have served with the characters that I create.” She successfully accomplishes her goal in her new Love and Honor series, which expertly intertwines three captivating stories.

Hallee Bridgeman is the USA Today bestselling author of several action-packed romantic suspense books and series. An Army brat turned Floridian, Hallee and her husband finally settled in central Kentucky, where they have raised their three children. When she’s not writing, Hallee pursues her passion for cooking, coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband.

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Hallee, check out her website here, or you can connect with her on social media via Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. And you can purchase the books in the honor series here or at any major book retailer.

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amanda

Today we are showcasing our AWN Empowers, Ohana Homefront, which was nominated as an organization for helping military families.

The Ohana Homefront Foundation was founded on October 4, 2021 by Marine MilSpouse, Natalie Ealy, and (Ret.) Navy MilSpouse, Sarah Otto. Both Natalie & Sarah have been MilSpouses for over 2 decades and have a heart for the Military Community as a whole. They realized that there is a gap when it comes to Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention and want to make sure that EVERYONE in the Military Community is receiving the care that they need to their Mental Health.

The impact of inadequate access and lack of quality care does not affect just our service members, it affects their families and the military community. The mission of the Ohana Homefront Foundation is to end suicide within the Military Community as a whole. Ohana Homefront Foundation does this through helping service members to safely process traumatic experiences and providing crisis intervention, and empowering military spouses & families to feel confident and supported in caring for their service members and children, through creating connection to communities and providing resources for their own healing.

Thank you so much to all of you at Ohana Homefront for doing your part to empower military families all across the globe and truly making an impact.

Encouragement Minute with Juanda

Make them fall in love with you. In the spirit of the fall season, why not make people fall in love with you? You possess all the qualities one needs at home, on the job, and in the community. Most importantly fall in love with yourself. When people value you they will show you.

News 6 with Emma

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of October 24, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Emma Tighe.

Microsoft Army Goggles Strikes Out at First Testing

The future may have to wait awhile as the new Microsoft army goggles fails four out of six quality tests given by U.S. army troops. Around 5,000 of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) goggles w...

Are you considered a Grinch in your house? In this Milspouse Empowerment Moment, Jolene explains how even if you are a Grinch (or not), proper planning can help bring out the joy of the holiday season. The idea of the holidays always seems joyful. But when it comes to the actual execution, things can get stressful. So Jolene shares her tips for keeping the holiday season happy.

Below are the links shared in this Milspouse Empowerment Moment:

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Homemade Vanilla Extract

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Military Spouse Owned Businesses List

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Veteran-Owned Businesses List

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Trees for Troops

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Christmas Operation Homefront

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Operation Christmas Spirit

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Operation Holiday Joy

To hear Jolene’s tips for a Grinch-free holiday season, listen below.

Giveaway alert! This podcast just got even better. One lucky listener is going to get the chance to win the book The Bear and The Hug. For a chance to win, simply comment on any social media post sharing this podcast. We will randomly choose a winner one week from when this podcast airs.

It has been a hard few years for families, and this new author wanted to create a tale that would resonate with children confused by COVID, long distance, and periods of military deployment when hugs aren’t an option. So a Military spouse published a fairytale Bear book to help families with difficult conversations. The book is about hope, bravery, and love – there is always hope and sometimes you have to continue to be brave for love.

In The Bear and The Hug, Bear ventures out of his cave after a long sleep to find the world outside is not how he left it. Instead of greeting him with open arms, Bear’s friends keep their distance. With help from his friends, he learns that bravery and hope are what are required to save hugs.

Melissa Cannioto’s husband is a pilot in the US Air Force, and through many deployments, they’ve seen first-hand the effect distance has on young people. Though she lives in the US, she originally comes from Newbury in England and misses scones, crumpets, and all things British here in Florida. Melissa has a degree in English Literature, and now works as an Adventure Guide for Disney and travels extensively with her husband across the world. Next year, we are climbing Mt Kilimanjaro!

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Melissa, you can connect with her on social media via Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. And you can purchase The Bear and The Hug here or at any major book retailer.

News 6 with Emma

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of October 10, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Emma Tighe:

US Navy Supercarrier Readies to Set Sail

 For the first time in forty years, the Navy is ready to launch a new type of craft on its maiden voyage. Super Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford sets to deploy from Virginia with a mission of training in mind. Her sailors will be joined by at least eight other countries as the US Military looks to strengthen bonds through training with our NATO Allies.

DOD Tackles Economic Insecurity for Service Members

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin the Third announced a plan to provide immediate and long-term financial relief for members of the military. Some of these steps are an overhaul of BAH calculations to ensure that BAH reflects the historic fluctuations of the housing market, fully funding the commissary with the goal of becoming 25 percent cheaper than its off-post competitors, and launching a new career-accelerator pilot initiative that will match military spouses with paid private-sector fellowships in a variety of career paths. These are only a few examples of the DODs plan and you can read the statement in its entirety here

 School Could Soon Be in Session for Pre-K Military Kids

The Department of Defense is reportedly considering universal all-day pre-K for four years olds. This implementation could bring about more financial relief for dual military members as they could utilize the free all-day school for their kiddos a...

We refer to spouses that have been around this military life awhile as a seasoned spouse. Kathleen brings you this week’s Milspouse Empowerment Moment, where she talks about what makes a seasoned spouse, and get ready– things are about to get spicy! 🌶 There are many things that makes up a seasoned spouse and Kathleen is here to share all about it!

To hear what would be in a seasoned spouse’s spice kit, you can listen below or on the podcast app of your choice.

Being a military spouse is already stressful and deployments essentially make them single parents for months or even years at a time. This makes pursuing their own career opportunities increasingly difficult. However flexible work can help them in leveraging resources to create work flexibility while achieving financial stability.

Hiring our Heroes reports that 33% of military spouses have even lived apart from their spouse in order to seize career opportunities. As more and more Americans are jumping on the flexible work bandwagon, there are ways for military spouses to also reap some of this change in how people work to grow their skill sets while juggling other obligations, including childcare. 

Kira Caban is a flexible work expert and leads global communications for Instawork. Her insights have been leveraged by CBS News, CBS Mornings, Fox News, Newsweek, and others. She has worked with some of the nation’s leading brands and thought leaders to discuss and provide technology-driven resolutions to the industry’s most pressing challenges.

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Instawork, check out their website here, or connect with them on social media via Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. And check out Instawork’s partnership with Hiring Our Heroes here.

Resource Recon with Jolene and Sarah

This week’s resource recon is brought to you from our ever-empowering, Band of Bloggers. One of our empowering bloggers, LaVaughn Ricci, shares with us her top secrets and tips for surviving a road trip – Help! I’m Road Trippin Alone with the Kids. 

“I miraculously survived a road trip recently, where I, alone, took my four children to visit family and friends. We traveled through eight different states, stretching roughly 2,810 miles (not including the miles in between to take emergency potty breaks, take an off-route break for gas and food, and visit extra family and friends outside of the main destinations) and we took 18 days to do it all.”

She dives into her secrets of a successful road trip with four littles. If you’re planning a road trip for an upcoming holiday – check out her firsthand experience with great tips and ideas. 

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amie

Today, we are showcasing Army Wife Network’s Everyday Empowerment recipient, one of our very own from the Command Team, Amanda Bicknese. 

The person who nominated our Director of Empowerment states: Amanda has helped me tremendously as I have walked this postpartum depression and anxiety path. From long phone calls of me just crying to funny stories to help calm me down. She has been a positive force through it all, and I know I couldn’t have made it without her. Amanda is simply a selfless person. As she juggles being a wife and a mom of littles, she still took the time to listen to me, help me better understand how military training works, and let me vent. 

Thank you so much to Amanda Bicknese for doing your part to empower military families around the world.

News 6 with Emma

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of October 3rd, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Emma Tighe.

Bad News for Balfour Beatty 

A former housing manager in Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas was hit with a sound slap on the wrist in the middle of an ongoing fraud investigation, reported

As a mom in this world, it is hard to escape the dreaded mom guilt. In this week’s Milspouse Empowerment Moment, Sharita gives us ways to deal with that pesky milspouse mom guilt. We have all been there, so we can help you to navigate it.

Below are the links shared in this Milspouse Empowerment Moment:

* Stop comparing yourself

* Be intentional with the time/energy you DO have

* You are a good mom

To hear Sharita’s tips about battling mom guilt, watch the Facebook video by clicking here – or listen below.

Thank you to today’s sponsor, First Command Financial Services. With four out of five financial coaches coming from the ranks of military spouses or veterans, they’re uniquely qualified to help you pursue financial security. Visit www.firstcommand.com to learn more and find a financial coach near you.

After 9-11, Operation Gratitude founder Carolyn Blashek began volunteering at the Los Angeles airport military lounge. In March 2003, a soldier came into the office and broke down at her desk. He was on leave from a war zone for his mother’s funeral, his wife had left him, and his only child had died as an infant—he had no one else in his life. It was then he told her,

“I’m going back over there. I know I won’t make it back this time, but it really doesn’t matter because no one would even care.” Right then, Blashek realized that when bullets are flying, troops must believe that someone at home cares about them as an individual. That’s when operation gratitude was born.

Operation Gratitude honors the service of our Military and First Responders by creating opportunities to express gratitude. People care about being part of a team and they want to know that what they do matters. Both showing gratitude and receiving gratitude are uplifting.

Major General James Johnson (ret. USAF) served over 30 years in the United States Air Force, following in the footsteps of his father who served over 20 years in the United States Army, and leading the way for his son who is currently serving in the Air Force. He leads a team of professionals, grass-roots volunteers, and corporate supporters, with the mission to honor the service of our military and first responders by creating opportunities for Americans to express their gratitude. Hundreds of thousands of service members and first responders receive care packages from Operation Gratitude every year because of the generosity of grateful supporters nation-wide. Operation Gratitude envisions a future where All Who Serve Believe the American People Care.

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Operation Gratitude, check out their website here, or connect with them on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. There are also so many ways to volunteer with Operation Gratitude, check out the different opportunities here.

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amanda

Today we are showcasing one of our volunteers who is an MRE winner, which by the way, that stands for Motivated and Ready to Empower. A huge congratulations to Army Wife Network Command Team Member, our Director of Social Media, Kayla Geblein.

Kayla currently lives with her husband in Fort Benning, Georgia. She is a mom to twin girls and a dog mom to her two pups. Kayla graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor’s in Social Studies Education and Special Education, then attained her master’s in Literacy Education. She has taught in Georgia and at her previous duty station, Fort Bliss. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Kayla and her husband are avid Buffalo Bills fans and try to attend as many games as they can! After living in Texas, she found a new love for barbecue and has since become quite good at smoking her own meats. Kayla enjoys reading and doing puzzles, but when the husband is around, they enjoy movies and an occasional video game. Volunteering has been a part of her life as far back as she can remember, and she is very excited to start with AWN!

So much thanks goes out to Kayla for doing your part to empower military families all across the globe.

Encouragement Minute with Juanda

When you are going through difficult times and you can’t see your way, remember this is temporary. You are not alone, seek the support you need. You will come back to yourself again. Do not be afraid to seek counseling so that you can learn the tools to help you heal. Do not get stuck,

We’ve all heard that cringe-worthy saying at some point as a milspouse… “You Knew What You Were Signing Up For”. This week in our Milspouse Empowerment Moment, Sarah hits back and talks about the things she didn’t know when she married her husband. There are so many things that milspouses cannot know before becoming milspouses.

To hear things that Sarah learned along the way as a milspouse, watch the Facebook video by clicking here – or listen below.

Everyone faces obstacles in their lives. Absolutely everyone. Learn the secrets of how Hall of Famers overcame the obstacles in their lives to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient – and how you can, too in the book Over, Under, Around, and Through.

Everyone already has the skills they need to surmount the obstacles in their lives. You have to keep putting one foot in front of the other to continue on. And remember that the key to resiliency is thinking that you can get through the obstacles that come your way.

Jill S. Tietjen, PE, is an author, international speaker, and an electrical engineer. After more than 45 years in the electric utility industry, her professional focus is now on women’s advocacy, worldwide.  Her latest award-winning book, Over, Under, Around, and Through: How Hall of Famers Surmount Obstacles, was released by Fulcrum Publishing in May 2022. She has been inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame.

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Jill, check out her website here, or connect with them on social media via Facebook or LinkedIn. You can also find her book, Over, Under, Around, and Through: How Hall of Famers Surmount Obstacles here and you can find the teacher’s guide here.

News 6 with Jolene

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of September 19th, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

U.S. Troops Face Continued Opposition in Japan

Okinawa’s incumbent governor, Denny Tamaki, was reelected, despite concerns of escalating tensions between China and nearby Taiwan. Tamaki is opposed to U.S. forces in Okinawa, in particular the “ongoing U.S. Marine base relocation” and he also is in favor of further reductions of American troops stationed on the southern island, reported Military.com. The majority of the 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan are located on the island of Okinawa whose residents struggle with “noise, pollution, accidents, and crime related to American Troops,” the governor said.

Marines Aid in South Korean Typhoon Clean Up

Marines and South Korean troops near Camp Mujuk South Korea “hauled debris and shoveled mud” to aid in the aftermath of super Typhoon Hinnamnor which made landfall in South Korea earlier this month, reported Stars and Stripes. “Because of the strength of the alliance and our relationship with the [South Korean marines], we were able to swiftly provide aid to the surrounding community following the damages caused by Typhoon Hinnamnor,” said 1st Lt. Austin Gallegos, spokesman for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Korea.

Little Debbie Waves Goodbye to the Commissary

Commissaries will no longer stock Little Debbie snack cakes reported Military Times. “McKee Foods, the maker of Little Debbie snack cakes, has said it can no longer shoulder the burden of providing the sweets to the Defense Commissary Agency and Navy Exchange Service,” citing costly regulatory standards. You can still find Little Debbie snack cakes at off-base...

Annie has been dealing with infertility for over five years now. So for this week’s Milspouse Empowerment Moment, Annie talks about her experience with infertility. She gives us her five tips for dealing with both the physical and emotional journey.

To hear Annie’s tips about infertility, watch the Facebook video by clicking here – or listen below.