Many rifle owners find crosshair squares helpful for fine-tuning a scope. While some people can successfully eyeball their targets to set the scope's position correctly, it is not something every person finds easy.

Cleaning your rifle barrel regularly is as important as changing the oil in your vehicle. Without proper cleaning, the rifle will not perform optimally and can become damaged. Always check twice to ensure the rifle is unloaded before starting.

According to whatever stats you want to view at any particular time, we as male military spouses are still small in number, relative to the total number of military spouses. You don't have to look far to know that the challenges we face are great. Facing the challanges alone is no fun. That's why we need your help, whether you're just starting out, or you're a 15-year-plus male military spouse veteran.

A few months back, I was looking for a ways to help male spouses and I stumbled upon a Macho Spouse video. I called Chris Pape and asked him how I could help. Using what I know as a web developer and IT consultant, I immediately began working with Chris to develop this website as an online community for male military spouses.

If you have a desire to help fellow military families, own a video camera of decent quality, and want to get in on the ground-floor of a growing organization, please contact us.

Well, it's been a while since I've contributed any meaningful content to Macho Spouse and I owe everyone an explanation. No, I haven't decided to hang it up and retire, not yet anyway, quite the opposite really.

I completed the website re-design and website development for the MachoSpouse.com website and it is now live!

MachoSpouse.com is an online resource and informational hub for male military spouses. It's a positive, pro-active project designed to help guys deal with current military life issuesthrough the use of video, online networking and communication.

When Motley Crue's “Final Tour” came through San Antonio, my wife and I felt we just had to go. Their music played such an important role throughout our impressionable years, well, honestly Vince, Tommy, and Nikki had more of an impact on Dana than me. (Sorry Crue, but I've always been more of a Parrot Head!) But I do like several of their songs and have seen them in concert a few times, so a final romp on the wild side sounded appropriate.

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?

If you are a gun enthusiast who enjoys light gunsmithing projects, you will be interested to know that you can nitre blue gun metal without using salts. To use nitre salts, you have to heat the solution, slowly dip the parts in and hope that they come out looking even. It is definitely a process that requires multiple practice runs before attempting to nitre any actual gun parts. However, there is a much simpler solution if you want to nitre blue your gun metal. Simply do it with heat and without tedious salts.

“Don't hit it right. Don't hit it right. Take a deep breath…relax…that's it…listen to the birds cheerfully chirping, sounds of a distant lawnmower, a breeze gently moving leaves around the treetops…nice, smooth swing. No need to kill this ball…just hit it off the tee. AND DON'T HIT IT RIGHT!”

MachoSpouse.com, an online resource and informational hub for male military spouses. Macho Spouse is a positive, pro-active project designed to help guys deal with current military life issues  through the use of video, online networking and communication.

One of my Google alerts had the following article from Lifetime Moms (Lifetime - you know, the channel with all the dramas?...Oh, you don't know?).

This article is a piece of information that has helped me capture milestones for my loved one who is always at work.  I know that it can be difficult so I hope this helps someone down the line.

I'm finally over the two month hump and I honestly feel like I've accomplished something! This is the longest that we've been apart since we've been married and the longest I've ever had our daughter by myself.

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.

You know, I started Macho Spouse because I couldn't find a job in my career field during our last PCS. Most of us military spouses have probably gone through similar depressing job-searches. But after two years of unemployment, here I am, back in the job market and gainfully employed. This time, however, I have a whole new appreciation for what it takes to land that next job. The following is a short list of what I learned during my latest employment drought.

My mom was looking to make a holiday donation to a trustworthy non-profit organization that supports military families, but she had no idea where to give. 

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.

Yesterday we shared a way to "thank" our military family members by helping with their pets, today we ask you to remember the military children.

How about an ice cold beer...or soda?  Buying a military family member a drink is another great way to show your support and gratitude!

"Every child deserves a toy for Christmas," we agree.  On the 12th way of "saying thanks," Lakesha Cole (2014 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year) reminds us about ToysforTots.org.

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.

Americans love our military, but many people don't quite know how best to express their gratitude. As National Guard Spouse of the Year Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee notes, “saying "thanks" to our military families is something that many want to do, but are at a loss as to how to do it –or in the case of Guard and Reserve, how to find us!”

So the Branch SOYs created #30Ways of Thanks to help. Each day in November, the Branch SOYs will release a video with an action item that people around the country can participate in virtually or locally, individually or in groups. Participants can hash tag #30Ways so that their messages, photos, or videos are spread far and wide. Hash tags #GratefulNation and #MilFamsRock can also be added as a short-hand way to say “You are amazing, military families!” Best of all, the entire #30Ways video collection will be stored on the Branch SOYs' YouTube channel so that it can be repeated in Novembers to come, or whenever someone is looking for a way to say “thank you” to military families.

Don't forget the National Guard and Reserves when it comes to thanking a military family for their service!

The Military Officers Association of America thinks a great way to show appreciation for military families is to help be an advocate on our behalf.  We're a small percentage of the population and we don't have a union or special interest groups looking out for us on Capital Hill. So at times, if you feel military families are being taken advantage of, help us remind our leadership of the promises they've made.

Have you ever considered volunteering for an Honor Flight welcome?  It's a great way to say "thanks" and show your support!

Participating in the Coast Guard's Run to Remember is an excellent way to show your support for military families!  For more information, visit CoastGuardFoundation.org.

A great way to show your appreciation for military families is to adopt a military family this holiday season.  What?  Adopt a military family? Yes!  Reda Hicks, the Armed Forces Insurance Army Spouse of the Year, explains how operationwearehere.com can help you show your appreciation.

Kate Pennington of Blue Star Families shares another way to show your support for military families during November.  

A great way to show support for military families is to volunteer your time for organizations that support and serve them. Say thank you by giving back!

To say thanks to military families, anyone can donate flight miles or hotel points to Fisher House, to support injured service members and their families during the recovery process.

Family Readiness Groups (FRGs) are composed of volunteers, often military spouses, who take care of military families at particular installations, and especially during deployments. Community volunteers and local support for FRG activities are always greatly appreciated.

A group of military spouses wrote Stories Around the Table, a collection of stories about what military family life is like. A portion of sale proceeds benefit Operation Homefront, and organization that helps military families in crisis.

We often tell military families "let me know if you ever need anything," but that's a really broad statement. Sometimes families don't know what they need until they're in the middle of a deployment or other assignment, other times they don't ask because they don't want to impose. But you can help! Identify a need, let the family know you are going to help with it. Be specific, and just do it! The milfam will appreciate the help!

Military spouses are the glue that holds military families together. They manage the homefront while their servicemembers defense ur freedoms. Sometimes, all they need is a little adult conversation and a listening ear.

It's usually the "little things" in life that makes us smile.  

In this video we learn that sometimes you don't have to make a grand gesture to show your thanks for military families.

AFI Army Spouse of the Year, Reda Hicks, propses a toast to all military families! 

Don't be a stranger when it comes to helping families during a deployment.  Stop by the house of a deployed soldier and check in on the family who stayed behind, a little bit of friendship goes a long way during this time of year!

Blue Star Families makes it easy to thank military families. Operation Appreciate lets you send thank you letters to military spouses, kids, and servicemembers. 

To say thanks to military families, you can volunteer at USOs, or donate resources to help them do even more good work.

Military spouses make amazing employees, and entrepreneurs.

If you have skills in things like professional development, or how to start a business, consider mentoring a military spouse!

We're a little late to posting this today, but the message is good for the next 24 hours.  Get out and vote!!!

A great way to thank military families is to get involved in your community; be a good neighbor! And consider flying the colors to show your support.

One great way for business owners to say "thank you" this November is by offering military families discounts. Most military families live on a modest budget, and especially around the holidays every little bit helps!

It's the little things that make the biggest difference. For military families frequently moving around the country, a friendly greeting from a neighbor looking to connect goes a long way.

You don't have to know a military family to say "thank you!" A note of appreciation for a military family's sacrifice makes an impact whether you're a friend, a stranger, or an anonymous benefactor.

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.

Americans love our military, but many people don't quite know how best to express their gratitude. As National Guard Spouse of the Year Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee notes, “saying "thanks" to our military families is something that many want to do, but are at a loss as to how to do it –or in the case of Guard and Reserve, how to find us!”

So the Branch SOYs created #30Ways of Thanks to help. Each day in November, the Branch SOYs will release a video with an action item that people around the country can participate in virtually or locally, individually or in groups. Participants can hash tag #30Ways so that their messages, photos, or videos are spread far and wide. Hash tags #GratefulNation and #MilFamsRock can also be added as a short-hand way to say “You are amazing, military families!” Best of all, the entire #30Ways video collection will be stored on the Branch SOYs' YouTube channel so that it can be repeated in Novembers to come, or whenever someone is looking for a way to say “thank you” to military families.

You can make an immediate, direct, positive impact on a military family by helping a military spouse find work in their profession. Say thank you by flexing your network to help a military spouse make a professional connection.

Military kids face some unique challenges, and sometimes a great teacher makes all the difference. Say thanks to the teachers taking care of our military children!

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.

Americans love our military, but many people don't quite know how best to express their gratitude. As National Guard Spouse of the Year Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee notes, “saying "thanks" to our military families is something that many want to do, but are at a loss as to how to do it –or in the case of Guard and Reserve, how to find us!”

So the Branch SOYs created #30Ways of Thanks to help. Each day in November, the Branch SOYs will release a video with an action item that people around the country can participate in virtually or locally, individually or in groups. Participants can hash tag #30Ways so that their messages, photos, or videos are spread far and wide. Hash tags #GratefulNation and #MilFamsRock can also be added as a short-hand way to say “You are amazing, military families!” Best of all, the entire #30Ways video collection will be stored on the Branch SOYs' YouTube channel so that it can be repeated in Novembers to come, or whenever someone is looking for a way to say “thank you” to military families.

Let's not forget about the pets when thanking military family members this month.  Dogs on Deployment helps deployed service members find temporary homes for pets while they are away. This is a great volunteer opportunity and another way to say, "thanks!"

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.

Americans love our military, but many people don't quite know how best to express their gratitude. As National Guard Spouse of the Year Dr. Ingrid Herrera-Yee notes, “saying "thanks" to our military families is something that many want to do, but are at a loss as to how to do it –or in the case of Guard and Reserve, how to find us!”

So the Branch SOYs created #30Ways of Thanks to help. Each day in November, the Branch SOYs will release a video with an action item that people around the country can participate in virtually or locally, individually or in groups. Participants can hash tag #30Ways so that their messages, photos, or videos are spread far and wide. Hash tags #GratefulNation and #MilFamsRock can also be added as a short-hand way to say “You are amazing, military families!” Best of all, the entire #30Ways video collection will be stored on the Branch SOYs' YouTube channel so that it can be repeated in Novembers to come, or whenever someone is looking for a way to say “thank you” to military families.

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. 

The following article on PTSD was written by American Military University faculty member, Craig Gilman.

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?

Online video is one of the most powerful and effective ways to communicate.

“Today, online video is a must-have for any organization concerned with brand identification, search engine optimization, and online presence. Placing video on your website is simply a smart business practice.” - Bloomberg Business Week 2010

Not only does Macho Spouse provide the best male military spouse video content in the world, but it is also a full-service video production company.

Macho Spouse founder, Chris Pape, is an Electronic Media graduate from the University of Cincinnati who specializes in marketing and educational productions. He has spent the better part of 15 years building a solid reputation as a talented and creative producer, director, writer, shooter and editor.

Over the years Chris has produced work for many nationally known media outlets including: ESPN, ESPN2, NBC, ABC, CBS, The Weather Channel, Current TV, PBS, and The Outdoor Channel.

Chris's work and creative vision has earned multiple awards, including 7 National Telly Awards (2003-2011), 2 Regional ADDY Awards (2005-2007), 2 State Media Awards (WV 1999-2000), and a 2007 Colorado Academic Production Award.

If you are in the market for high-quality video production services, hire a military spouse!

Video production packages can be tailored to meet most budgets. Contact Macho Productions for more information and to learn how video will help brand your organization and clarify your message.

Taurus James is the owner and Sr. IT Specialist at TJ Technology Professionals, LLC, an Information Technology Services company. Taurus takes pride in being a "Master at your Service", handling everything from website design and development to custom programming to server and database administration.

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.

A couple months ago, Bradley Blackburn and Joanna Suarez of Fusion TV (a joint cable/satellite TV network between Disney and ABC TV) stopped by the international Macho Spouse headquarters.  

We can envision this on t-shirts, in videos, and easily readable on social media channels.

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.

Macho Spouse presents Macho Money

Learn how to EARN your money.

Learn how to KEEP your money.

Learn how to LOSE your money.

Learn how to GROW your money.

What is an investment?  According to the American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy (3rd Edition), an investment is, “The purchase of property with the expectation that its value will increase over time.”

Seems straight forward enough, but for those who want a more thorough explanation with examples from USAA Financial Counselors J.J. Montanaro and Scott Halliwell, click on the short video.

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

Macho Money "What Worked For Me" videos are a series of short videos that highlight some financial successes people have accomplished.  

These quick interviews are not from Certified Financial Planners, bankers, or any other type of sophisticated financial gurus...they are normal, hard-working people who made some smart decisions with their money.

In this video, Alan Brown shares a quick tip on what helped him start a savings plan nearly 20 years ago.  We can only imagine how much he has in savings today!

Watch The Video

Macho Money "What Worked For Me" videos are a series of short videos that highlight some financial successes people have accomplished.  

What is a “bond?” No, not a secret agent from England, but an investment tool used to grow wealth.  According to the Wall Street Journal, bonds are a form of debt. Bonds are loans, or IOUs, but you serve as the bank.  You loan your money to a company, a city, the government – and they promise to pay you back in full, with regular interest payments.

Pretty understandable, but for greater detail and examples, click on the video and listen to Scott Halliwell from USAA explain.

Watch The Video

If you hear someone use the letters “CD,” they are abbreviating the term “certificate of deposit.”  And according to Investopedia, a CD is A savings certificate entitling the bearer to receive interest.  

A CD bears a maturity date, a specified fixed interest rate and can be issued in any denomination.

CDs are generally issued by commercial banks and are insured by the FDIC.  The term of a CD generally ranges from one month to five years.

It can get a bit confusing, but for a more clear explanation with examples, click on the video and listen to Scott Halliwell from USAA.

Watch The Video

What is a “market index?"  According the SEC, a market index tracks the performance of a specific "basket" of stocks considered to represent a particular market or sector of the world stock market or the economy.

There are indices for almost every conceivable sector of the economy and stock market.

USAA Certified Financial Planner, Scott Halliwell, does a great job in this video of giving a more thorough explanation of a market index with some examples.

According to Investopedia, a mutual fund is an investment vehicle that is made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and similar assets.

Mutual funds are operated by money managers, who invest the fund's capital and attempt to produce capital gains and income for the fund's investors.

If you're still a bit confused, click on the video and watch USAA Certified Financial Planner, Scott Halliwell explain in further detail.

Watch The Video

USAA Financial Counselors give a more thorough explanation with examples

Macho Money Definitions

"What is an Investment Account?"

This post is about: investment account, IRA, individual retirement account, investment, stock, macho money, USAA, Scott Halliwell, JJ Montanaro, saving, money, finance

When talking investments, IRA is the abbreviation for “Individual Retirement Account,” not “Irish Republican Army.”

OK, so you've taken the advice from our last video, "Before We Invest," and built-up a cash savings account.  Great.  But now that money is looking pretty good in savings, why risk any of it playing the stock market? 

Having something is better than having nothing...right?  When it comes to planning for retirement, not exactly.  

In this video, Scott and JJ (Certified Financial Planners with USAA) share some great insight on why it's important to start an investment account, what we should consider before beginning, and why it's not a good idea to simply start throwing money at random stocks.

Watch The Video

2012 Military Spouse of the Year Jeremy Hilton explains what it means to be the first male Spouse of the Year, and shares his advice for how other men can be better spouses in their own homes.

ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, MORE THAN 624,000 CIVILIAN WOMEN ARE MARRIED TO MEN ON ACTIVE DUTY. THATS COMPARED WITH ONLY ABOUT 47,000 CIVILIAN HUSBANDS. 

2012 Military Spouse of the Year Jeremy Hilton explains what it means to be the first male Spouse of the Year, and shares his advice for how other men can be better spouses in their own homes.

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.

In the return to civilian life, many women find that veteran services fall short of their needs. Unemployment rates for female veterans are higher than for other women, as well as for male veterans. Female veterans are at least twice as likely to be homeless than women who haven't worn a uniform. Special correspondent Gayle Tzemach Lemmon reports on the challenges they face. Read the story: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/homeco...

Macho Spouse is an educational video series and online resource for male military spouses. The Macho Spouse mission is to help male military spouses connect with one another and assure that we are not alone in this military family lifestyle.

Current civilian male military spouses: Here's your chance to possibly help someone out. Just answer this question by adding a comment below or submitting an article in response to the question.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD or PTS) is a serious battle injury we wanted to know more about, so we found Nicholas Lind, PsyD, Co-Owner of Post Trauma Resources (Columbia, SC).  In this multi-part series, Dr. Lind defines PTSD, explains the symptoms, shares how and when to seek help, and offers insight into living with someone who struggles with PTS symptoms.  This first video offers a thorough explanation of what causes PTSD and how it may affect our families.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a serious battle injury we wanted to know more about, so we found Dr. Nicholas Lind, Co-Owner of Post Trauma Resources (Columbia, SC).  In this multi-part series, Dr. Lind defines PTSD, explains the symptoms, shares how and when to seek help, and offers insight into living with someone who struggles with PTS symptoms.  This video offers advice on how a spouse can start the process of helping a loved-one who may be experiencing post traumatic stress symptoms.

In this "Quick Hitter" video on Helping Kids Cope with Deployments, we have a tough question from an anonymous male military spouse that Elizabeth Cabibi, M.S.,LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) answers.

"What is the best thing to do for a child that won't calm down from missing the parent that is deployed? I tried cuddling him and just being there but didn't really seem to help."

With all the stresses and demands in our daily lives, we sometimes forget about showing appreciation to the ones we love most.  A simple, heart-felt compliment, or "thank you," can go a long way to keeping your marriage healthy and strong.  In this "Quick Hitter" video, Elizabeth Cabibi, M.S.,LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), talks about the importance of sharing mutual appreciation in any relationship.

The 2nd Macho Spouse PTSD video, Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,  is now live! Dr. Nicholas Lind, Co-Owner of Post Trauma Resources (Columbia, SC), discusses typical PTSD symptoms while offering some advice on how best to start an initial conversation with a loved-one who may have PTSD.

This video is the first in a multi-part series on communication that features Scott Stanley, PhD. University of Denver, and male spouses from across the nation sharing insight into why it's important for military families to practice good communication skills.

(Interviews with Scott Stanley, PhD., Patrick Donaldson, Glen Mixon, Francis Guerrero, Bill Keller, and Jeremy Hilton.)

The second segment of a multi-part series examining the importance of communication within the military family.

The first video helped define WHY it's important to communicate with our spouses, so this video examines WHAT we should talk about. EVERYTHING!

The third segment of a multi-part series examining the importance of communication within the military family. This video shares some advice on the importance of communicating BEFORE and DURING a deployment. Yes, talking about what you both want to talk about before a deployment begins is one of the most important conversations a military couple can have.

Tim shares some unique advice on how he and his wife handle re-integration after a deployment.  Tim's well thought out plan and his ability to articulate it, makes this video a Macho Spouse favorite!  (Run Time: 11:28...long, but worth it)

Get to know William and learn what created his depression as he speaks openly about a difficult career arc and a strong desire to be a contributing partner within his marriage.  

Male military spouses and stay-at-home-dads of all ages and experiences may relate to William's story.

Tim Blake is an Army male military spouse with over 14 years experience as a stay-at-home-dad who has successfully guided his family through multiple deployments.

2013 Military Spouse of the Year candidate, Patrick Donaldson sits down with Macho Spouse to share his story and offer some relationship advice to young military families.  

Hey guys, here's some solid marital advice for military spouses from male spouse Eric Gardner. This blog post goes well with our Macho Spouse video series on communication. Thank you NextGen MilSpouse for bringing Eric to our attention!

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.

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.

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.

(The video is a little blurry due to some military spouse appreciation happening last night, but you'll be able to clearly hear who was selected as this year's winner.)

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

chris@MachoSpouse.com

Chris Pape, a 1995 graduate from the University of Cincinnati, is a multiple, national award-winning video producer with over 15 years of experience developing educational video productions for public school systems, large corporations, small businesses and state governments.  He is also a civilian male military spouse and has been for over 10 years; in those 10 years Chris has been through three military moves, two deployments, countless TDY's, six job changes, one career change that quickly brought him back to his original career, and a few months of un-employment in between.

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.

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.

Learn why male military spouses and their families should pay attention and get involved with what MOAA is doing.  

Interviews with Karen Golden (Deputy Director, MOAA Government Relations) and Monique Rizer (Deputy Director, MOAA Spouse Programs).

Video Credit to MOAA Video Department for providing some b-roll footage.

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

The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation's largest and most influential association of military officers.

This is an oldie, but a goodie video highlighting the impressive work being done at MSCCN (Military Spouse Corporate Career Network) and CASY (Corporate America Supports You).  

The 2012 Military Spouse of the Year, Jeremy Hilton is an Air Force male military spouse and advocate for military families and dependents impacted by illness or disability. In this Man-to-Man video, Jeremy shares some great advice and life lessons.  Male military spouses of all age ranges and experience will find some useful information in this interview.  (Length: :07:12)

Have you been wondering what your wife really wants/expects, from you when she's deployed?  Us to, and that's why we sat down with Dana Pape of the USAF.  This video will primarily help the newer military spouses gain insight on how to take care of your loved-ones before, during, and after a deployment.  However, it's never a bad idea for us seasoned spouses to review the basics.  Apparently, Dana didn't appreciate the time and effort spent sending a "gag" care-package during her last deployment.  Lesson learned.

This short video is an introduction to the Macho Spouse Project, an educational video series and online informational resource for male military spouses.

This promotional video briefly explains what Macho Spouse is and why male military spouses and their families need support.