Jeremy is the father of two. He is not only a Stay-At-Home-Dad (SAHD) while his wife is deployed with the Air Force but he is also caring for a special needs child.

Macho Spouse is excited to announce our new partnership with the Sonoran Desert Institute (SDI) and their School of Firearms Technology (SFT).

Throughout the year, SDI will provide Macho Spouse with content on Gunsmithing, firearms, and different educational opportunities. In fact, we will be introducing a new Macho Spouse Scholarship to their School of Firearms Technology in May!

Oh! Damn! I couldn't believe it!

Some wife of a soldier was complaining about how he never really says much when he Skypes her from down range!

Really? Are you that obtuse??

Facebook groups are wonderful things that most people probably don't use to their full advantage. With a group, you can control who is in the group and even if the group can be found via search. This makes it perfect for chatting or sharing things that you don't want everyone to see.

As a male military spouse, you gotta have a hobby - something you do that you really enjoy.

Here is what I'm trying to find out.

As a male military spouse, what is your hobby? What do you do for fun?

I have focused the last 10 years of my career as a research psychologist on trying to better understand the needs, struggles, and success of military couples and families. I've worked with hundreds of couples, given numerous presentations, published several articles, received multiple research grants … yet it is quite clear to me that in some ways, I have failed in my efforts.

So this post on Stars and Stripes is currently making the rounds on social media and is kicking up quite a bit of dust. Historically I'm a sucker for these types of “opinion pieces” primarily because I love reading the comments, and the follow-up commentary on this post didn't disappoint. However, most people seemed to have missed Mr. Duffy's thinly veiled insult to military family members; as well as, a very lousy marketing and public relations policy.

Here is a great chance to win some money for the holidays! Simply go to MilitaryTownAdvisor.com and leave a review of your current (and/or past) neighborhoods, schools, apartment complexes. The more reviews you leave, the more often you are entered to win! We all want as much information as we can get about our next move and Military Town Advisor is becoming a great resource for that info!

MilitaryTownAdvisor.com - Neighborhood, Apartment, School Reviews near Military Bases

 

militarytownadvisor.com

 

MilitaryTownAdvisor.com is a relocation resource where military families write reviews about their local areas, neighborhoods, apartment complexes and schools in military towns.

 

As a male military spouse and Stay-At-Home-Dad (SAHD), learning to properly care for my daughter's hair has been a challenging and rewarding experience.

The YMCA Adventure Guides Father-Daughter Sweetheart Ball was not on my radar until a good friend of mine told me how he takes his daughters each year. I thought, "Cool! You and your girls are really excited about this thing, huh?" When my wife started getting emails about the event, there was no controlling her excitement. She was even talking about renting a car for the night!

Carpe Diem is the Latin term for seize the day.  

I've seen on social media, and the news, some folks complaining about the “would've/could've” aspect of their life.  

Far too often people talk about things they wish they could have or should have done.  

Being married to the military, I find myself slipping into that trap more and more often because my wife's Navy career can keep me from pursuing certain passions.

Not too long ago, a Facebook friend and fellow military spouse posted how much she missed living in the U.S. We had a three year overseas assignment several years ago, and so I could relate to this post. I remember missing “home” too. 

When I was a boy, I loved the holidays. I had great anticipation and excitement during Christmas. I loved being with family and friends during Thanksgiving. Food, football and fellowship are what I looked forward to the most.

When TownePlace Suites reached out and asked if I would be interested in writing a few blog posts about their hotels, I immediately said “yes.” I always enjoy reviewing products and services I've used and appreciate, plus TownePlace offered a few free nights for my efforts.  Pssst…don't tell them, but that really wasn't necessary.

Did you know that American Flag Protocol (or American flag etiquette) is actually part of federal law? It provides general guidelines to answer some common questions about how the American flag should be handled and displayed. Although it is federal law, there are no federal penalties imposed for failures to comply with the law. 

As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continues to impact us all, we here at Macho Spouse want to point male military spouses and their families to information they need to navigate this time.

So,you don't know LES, huh? Your spouse either knows LES or will get to know LES very well through the years...and you should, too.

When traveling by air (with my wife or alone), I always look for the USO. The USO volunteers always makes me feel welcome.

Military Base Firearm Laws can be confusing, especially when you end up living at two different military bases within one year, like I did. I own several guns and the first time I encountered military base firearm laws was during a PCS move when the movers asked me if my guns were registered on the base. My response..."Huh?"

The Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) provides military spouses the opportunity and financing to receive the training and education needed for portable careers that will persist during the military lifestyle of multiple relocations.

As a new civilian male military spouse, you will come to a point when you will have to make a decision about your career.

One tip on ho How to make a portable caree is:

Think "Portable" at all times.

Making a portable career requires hard, smart work, but it is possible.

There are plenty of guys who have made their careers portable.

You can do it, too!

Here are 5+ Portable Careers for Civilian Male Military Spouses.

Veteran, military transition, and military spouse employment and training resources for service members transitioning from the military back to living a civilian life, veterans seeking gainful employment, and military spouses seeking employment.

I write about military financial independence, but Im getting a lot of e-mail about navigating the drawdown and starting a bridge career. Im also hearing from Reserve and National Guard servicemembers about balancing their military careers with their civilian employers. Veterans (and military spouses) know that their transition to a civilian career will be like transferring to a duty station in a foreign country. Theyll spend lots of time explaining their military skills and achievements to civilians and translating their military culture into a foreign language.

Article by Craig Gilman, Faculty Member at American Military University

Joining the military means a life of training exercises and deployments away from home, not to mention periodic transfers with little choice of duty stations that can be found in countries half a world away. What comes with all that is a career, even if only for a few years, that provides opportunities for personal growth and satisfaction, professional challenge and reward, career development, and leadership opportunities that build a stronger resume.

How my wife and I met. A little about our life and how I started my own business!

My name is Josh Vittetoe. I am 27 years old and have been married to my wonderful wife Jennifer Vittetoe (24) for almost 7 years. We have two boys, Jack (6 months) and Tannar (5 years). We are currently stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada.

My wife has been in the Air Force for 3 years and is a Senior Airman. She is deploying in a coulpe weeks for the first time.

Guys, I personally attended this event last year in Phoenix and it was the best conference I've ever attended.  

The Assumption:

At the basic level, I think it is safe to say that human beings fundamentally get tremendous satisfaction out of creating something that is uniquely their own. I personally think this spirit is at the core of all human beings. I see this everyday in my own children when they develop their arts and crafts and proudly show my wife and I the bounty of the effort they put in. As we grow older, graduate from high school, college (or both) and enter the work force, we become part of an organization. While jobs vary widely (as does job satisfaction!), an objective person walking into any organization can see that waning passion is not an uncommon theme. I often wonder if that lack of passion is the cumulative result of getting farther away from your own interests and passions over time.

At Macho Spouse, we know the challenges civilian male military spouses face when it comes to finding gainful employment and dealing with career loss. We encourage civilian male military spouses to consider entrepreneurship as a possible way of making this lifestyle work.

A CEO is that one person who embodies the entirety of the business they represent.

They internalize everything about the business and then direct their energy and effort into making good decisions that (hopefully) fall in line with strategies designed to grow the business into profitability.

November is Military Families Appreciation Month, and the 2014 Armed Forces Insurance Branch Spouses of the Year (Branch SOYs) want to help everyone, everywhere participate in thanking and honoring military families.

By John Aldrich, AVP, Military Relations at American Military University

Movember, the grass roots movement to raise awareness about men's health issues is nearly complete, and for those of you who are growing a mustache to show support for the cause, I salute you. For those who didn't participate or weren't aware of Movember, there is always next November.

Just like the mustaches of the Men of Movember, male military spouses come in all shapes and sizes. Some are stay-at-home dads, some run businesses from home, and others balance careers outside the home and taking care of the family.

Originally, I made this video for the community at Computer Music Academy (CMA), but it is for anyone who has ears to hear what I'm saying. 

I learned about Movember from John Aldrich, AVP, Military Relations at American Military University via his post Get In The Game

Movember, the grass roots movement to raise awareness about men's health issues is nearly complete, and for those of you who are growing a mustache to show support for the cause, I salute you. For those who didn't participate or weren't aware of Movember, there is always next November.

Stress affects almost everyone. Before you became a new civilian male military spouse, you probably experienced stress. Now, you will probably experience stress in different ways and more frequently.

Sometimes, it can be a good thing because it can energize us to meet new challenges or changes. But if it's not managed, stress can affect your physical and emotional health, your relationships, and your life.

Whether you're a civilian male military spouse or not, below you will find a few tips on how to manage stress.

The Department of Defense is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of State to provide support in dealing with the coronavirus disease outbreak. Check back for the latest information on COVID-19. We will be updating this page regularly.

Did you know a total of 66% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight, with a whopping 34% of those being obese.  And did you know that a little over 9 million children in America are overweight or obese?  Can you believe that a total of $1.7 trillion dollars goes toward treating overweight Americans annually?

Buying a house can often times seem like an impossible dream for the average American. But as military family members, many people believe it's “easy” because, when eligible, we can buy a house with “no money down.”

The School of Firearms Technology (SFT) at Sonoran Desert Institute (SDI) and Macho Spouse have announced the first ever Male Military Spouse Day dedicated to the male spouses of America's service members.

Are you PCS-ing (relocating) any time soon? Need apartment/housing information? Need school information from other military parents? Need to know about the neighboorhood around your new base?

MilitaryTownAdvisor.com is a PCS relocation resource where military families write reviews about neighborhoods, apartment complexes and schools in military towns near U.S bases. Created by a military spouse for military families.

The National Military Spouse Network (NMSN) - the pre-eminent networking, mentoring and professional development organization committed to the education, empowerment and advancement of military spouses.

Make a difference by using what you know to Help other civilian male military spouses Navigate the Male Military Spouse Role.

Make a video and Help other civilian male military spouses Navigate the Male Military Spouse Role.

Help your spouse Shine as you Navigate the Male Military Spouse Role.

A few people you need in order to successfully Navigate the Male Military Spouse Role.

MALE MILITARY SPOUSE YOU ARE NOT ALONE - MACHO MINUTE

A message to Civilian Male Military Spouses to let them know that "You Are Not Alone" in this journey as a male military spouse.

OK, here is an important topic USAA wrote about a few months ago and we obtained permission to re-post on Macho Money. 

It seems that the subject of employment comes up whenever money is tight, when the kids are all finally in school, or you PCS to a new duty station. I can't tell you how many times I have thought about getting a job outside of our home just so we could have a little wiggle room in the budget.

Macho Money Investing 101 is a video series based on the fundamentals of investing. These videos will discuss many different types of investment accounts, some basic investment philosophies, and offer advice on how to find the right financial planner to fit your needs.

This post is about: savings account, saving, male military spouse, military family, investment, macho money, USAA, Scott Halliwell, JJ Montanaro, money, finance

Watch The Video

Baseguide.com is "actively looking for writers from each branch of service (Marine Corps, Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard) in the coming weeks. In order to better handle submissions, giving everyone a fair chance to have their pieces read thoroughly, we are breaking it up by service, and will only be accepting submissions from that branch of service during that week."

While the deadline for Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard submissions has already passed, Navy submissions will be accepted until Tuesday, September 4th at 5 pm EST.

Whether you are new to military life as a civilian male military spouse, or you have been in the military life for years, you should know where military installations are located (epecially if your spouse just received orders).

Find Military Bases with these Military Base Locators. Use these Base Locators to Find Military Installations Around The World.

As a civilian male military spouse, have you encountered DEERS yet?

As a civilian male military spouse,do you know the benefits available to you? 

If you haven't encountered DEERS yet as a civilian male military spouse, check out this post. If you are a male military spouse and new dad a with a brand new baby, congrats! Here is some info on How To Enroll A Newborn Child In DEERS.

Be flexible. This journey is like Yoga: flexibility and a willingness to improvise are required to make it through to the end.

Be flexible. This journey is like Yoga: flexibility and a willingness to improvise are required to make it through to the end.

Communicate like your life together depends on it.

As a civilian male military spouse,do you know the resources available to you?

Moving is a big part of the military life that we all experience in different ways. Packing up your life and moving it to another location is challenging for anyone. As a civilian male military spouse, there are a few ways to do this. In this post, we take a look at the DITY move aka the Personally Procured Move PPM.

If you haven't encountered DEERS yet as a civilian male military spouse, check out this post. If you are a male military spouse and new dad a with a brand new baby, congrats! Here is some info on How To Enroll A Newborn Child In DEERS.

"One group of guys at Ramstein Air Base in Germany decided to come together and change the male military spouse narrative. They call themselves the Dependabros."

Depression affects quite a few male military spouses and not everyone handles it the same way, some better than others.  In part two of William McEvoy's Man-to-Man interview, William shares how he has been able to successfully manage his own fight with depression.  We're not saying this is the best way to beat all forms of depression.  His strategy worked for him, it may not work for you.  Either way, this interview is a good place to start for those who feel they may need help.

Bill Keller is an Air Force male military spouse married to Major General Suzanne Vautrinot. Between Bill and his spouse, they have over 50 years of military life experience and have lived all over the world. We broke or cardinal rule of never divulging a spouse's rank because Bill has had unique opportunities to meet and communicate with many different types of military families that many of us may never have.

Guys (and gals), this man has real military marriage experience.  Listen to some of his insight and learn what it takes to make a happy, healthy marriage in this crazy lifestyle.  

Wait, you're a stay at home dad? How'd you get on base?" said the hairstylist at the exchange when I responded to her question on what I did for the Air Force.

This happens a lot when you're a military husband. You'll get salutes from the gate guards, military discounts that only apply to active duty personnel, and maybe if you're really lucky, the start of a chewing out over haircut and shave regulations by a senior enlisted person.

Why?

Because our wives make up a small part of the force.

Hey! Does anyone have a marriage map that I can borrow? Better yet, does anyone have a military marriage map that I can borrow? (I could sure use a military marriage compass, too, if you have one. But I don't want to press my luck by asking for too much at once. So, I'll wait on the compass.)

I tried "googling" (yeah, that's a word) "marriage map" but Google kept giving me links to "wedding map" instead. Thanks Google, but I don't want to know how to get to Don and Susan's wedding! I want a map that I can use to help my wife and I get to that Happy Marriage Wonderland place that I have been hearing about since we got married!

This series will answer a few questions about what your getting into as well as what it may be like to be married to a female active duty service member.

My wife has a bit of a challenge now as she adapts to her new position. I asked her how her day went and she told me. Today as a Male Military Spouse (civilian husband married to a military wife), I learned to Listen and Laugh.

Things I learn as a Civilian Male Military Spouse by Taurus James

The deployments and frequent moves of the military lifestyle can put pressure on any marriage. When the wife is the military member and the husband is a civilian, the strain may be greater.

If you're a male military spouse, it's important to know how to help keep your marriage strong. You can learn what challenges you're likely to face and prepare yourself for them. You can learn to recognize when you need help and how to use the resources available to you. And you can build a support system of other people you can count on.

Military.com has comprehensive base guides with information about military installations around the globe. You can get all the information you need about a military base in one place.

Get access to base directories, online local communities, local news and events, local restaurant and business reviews, and sections for spouses and vets.

Military.com Base Guides

The MilitaryHOMEFRONT Installations and Directories is provided by the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness).

The MiltiaryHOMEFRONT Installations and Directories shall provide Official Department of Defense Location Based Services (LBS) information on over 250 military installations and communities worldwide, including Installation Overviews and Directories of Programs and Services available for servicemembers and their families.

MilitaryHOMEFRONT Installations and Directories

Pearl Harbor was bombed December 07 1941

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is Annually on December 7 Commemorates Attack on Pearl Harbor Hawaii during World War II.

You will see it a hear it a lot..."How to Survive Military Life." Here are 5 tips and some good advice for BOTH male and female military spouses on how to THRIVE In Military life.

A List of Basic Acronyms and Terms for the Rookies - Part 1

Start learning what in the world your wife and her co-workers are talking about today! This is a basic, beginners list of military acronyms (something the military is very fond of creating).

Why Learn?

Let's be honest. You won't make it 6 months without some of this basic communication knowledge.

Male military spouses find themselves looking to advance their education and skills have many fifferent challenges. The following is some good information from Military Benefits.

This series will answer a few questions about what your getting into as well as what it may be like to be married to a female active duty service member.

This series will answer a few questions about what your getting into as well as what it may be like to be married to a female active duty service member.

Guys, the APA has determined that men and women share cognitive skills, we are fundamentally the same. The whole notion of guys being better at math and women being better at communication is simply a social construct. I firmly believe that statement, but that doesn't change the social construct.

I don't get excited about much, but I am very excited about this. I no longer have to do all the paperwork and go through the hassle of changing my residency every time we PCS (move). Plus, now I get to keep my residency with a tax-free state. BONUS!

Military spouses need to check out the following article. It gives more details about the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA). Also, keep in mind that this makes voting easier for military spouses!

We put together this this list of tipr for your next PCS move. Don't forget to check out the video at the top!

By Craig Gilman
Faculty Member at American Military University

Are you on the move?  Summer is a time of transition and change for the military child.  For many service members and their families, summer is the time when permanent changes of duty station (PCS) occur.  While there is often excitement about moving to a new location, there is also a tremendous amount of stress.  This can be especially true for the children of military families who often both suffer the sadness of leaving their old friends, school, jobs and community behind and deal with the anxiety of establishing themselves when arriving at their new home.

As a military spouse, there are many acronyms you will hear and use. PCS is one of those acronyms. The short answer is that PCS means move. Here's a more detailed answer.

Lucky number seven. That's what this year's annual MOAA spouse symposium was – though it was a lot more than luck that made the day great. It was the 300 military spouses from across the Pacific Northwest who made the cold trek through Seattle-Tacoma traffic to spend a day at MOAA's 7th Annual Military Spouse Symposium. Here's what we learned, what made us cry, what made us laugh, and who made a special appearance.

We found this article written at the Fort Belvoir newspaper and decided to share as we feel this is a very important issue.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) May 09, 2013

Alicia Hinds Ward was named the 2013 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year ® today in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the military community.

Video of the awards ceremony will be available on Military Spouse mag YouTube channel.

Nominated by her husband, Tech. Sgt. Edwinston Ward, Alicia's accomplishments include serving as the Key Spouse for the 113th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Relocation Assistance contractor, Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Panel Representative for the National Guard and the co-founder of the Joint Base Andrews Business and Community Support Group and Spouse Forums. She is the first National Guard spouse to receive this prestigious award. With the reach of the Military Spouse of the Year ® organization behind her, Hinds Ward is planning to advocate for better spouse employment options and special needs resources.

Alicia Hinds Ward - 2013 AFI Military Spouse of the Year -1st National Guard spouse to win the award

"We want to create an opportunity for these winners to advocate and engage the military spouse community through Military Spouse's media channels: Military Spouse magazine, militaryspouse.com, and social media," said Kate Meeuf, Brand Director

Macho Spouse and Chris Pape are mentioned in Alice Swan's article, Tuning in to the Military Spouse Network, in which Alice covers lessons she learned at the 2013 Military.com Spouse Summit (April 11-12, 2013). Here is what Alice wrote:

Build a service out of your unique experience and skill: A great example is Chris Pape, male military spouse and founder of Macho Spouse (https://malemilspouse.com/). Chris was kind enough to talk with me about how he started Macho Spouse.  Living in Columbia, SC, while his spouse is working on an ROTC assignment, Chris said he began to feel pretty isolated. He thought he was the only guy spouse out there looking for information and help. About two years ago, Chris began researching male military spouses on the web but found only two articles about guys manning the home fronts. One of the stories was written by Amy Bushatz who you may remember from my Spouse Summit blog: https://www.dcmilitaryfamlife.com/profiles/blogs/you-are-not-alone.

Chris emailed Amy, who helped introduce him to Wayne Perry, founder of Manning the Home front (https://www.dcmilitaryfamlife.com/profiles/blogs/the-outlook-for-mil...) – it was the Military Spouse network in action.  A video producer for 15 years, Chris had been working in Arkansas for the Department of Education, creating instructional videos before the PCS to Columbia. “I didn't see any information sites out there for guys to help share lessons learned or how to find jobs,” Chris told me, “so I decided to use the skills I'd developed making the educational videos to create learning videos for male military spouses.” Chris's fledgling video series has grown into a full service site for male military spouses to connect, get information on employment, money tips or gain insights through the Male Spouse 101 tutorial.

Facing another PCS soon with his Air Force spouse to San Antonio, Chris is excited about the opportunities the move presents. “I'm building a business I can take with me,” he explained. And while Macho Spouse is his future, Chris feels it can also lead to other opportunities in the present. Chris is confident that the work he's done creating Macho Spouse will lead to video and film production work in Texas.

For those of you in or near Colorado Springs, Colorado, Military Spouse Connections is looking for a military spouse entrepreneur for their upcoming event.

From Military Spouse Connections:

Attention military spouses in the Colorado Springs area. We love entrepreneurs and are looking for a military spouse entrepreneur to come speak at our event in Colorado Springs on 23 May. If you are a military spouse who has a start-up business that would like to share their business with us and others contact us! You will be able to speak as well as have a table at the event.

If interested send an email to snelson@militaryspouseconnection.org.

Till Next Time…Let's Stay Inspired

YEAH SESAME STREET!  This tour is still going on for those in Japan and Korea.  Could be a great way to spend an afternoon with your family!

AirForceTimes.com

The Military Spouse Business Association (MSBA) is a terrific resource for military spouse entrepreneurs. We list them as a “Spouse Oranization That Rocks!” because we believe in their mission, and have personally used their services with great success. If you have a business of your own, or are considering starting one, we recommend watching this video and then registering with the MSBA. (Run Time: 4:22)

Interview With: Rikki Winters, MSBA Operations Director

MilitaryOneClick is the premier virtual resource for military families and the community that supports the military.

We maintain hundreds of military and non-military resources in one user-friendly directory were visitors can find links to career tools, hiring fairs, educational scholarships, PTSD help, health insurance, buying or renting a home, financial assistance, and more!

Also find us on Twitter (@military1click) and Facebook.

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I did a "soft launch" of the Veterans Info Site website today. The official launch of the website will be in mid-March.

The VeteransInfoSIte.com is intended to provide a single Resource Center for our US Military Veterans and their family members. Specific and current Information related to Benefits, Housing, Employment and Medical Assistance is provided in an accurate and timely manner.

This project is VERY special to me because I am always seeking ways to help those who serve - and have served - their country. As a veteran abd civilian male military spouse, I see the importance of having timely information regarding Veterans benefits and services.

VeteransInfoSIte.com is one way that I can help Veterans get the info they need.

As a new civilian male military spouse, you can volunteer online and make a difference helping kids as an online tutor. 

As a new civilian male military spouse, you can volunteer online and become a Peer Counselor. Get new coaching and management skills make a difference helping others. 

As a new civilian male military spouse, I heard the word Volunteer used a lot .