Community Initiatives and Media

When Battle Buddies Become Sisters and Then Drift Away... Sister, I never thought I’d feel this far away from you again. We’re both stateside now, no uniforms, no formations, no deployment orders. Yet somehow the distance between us feels wider than when oceans separated us. Once upon a time, we stood shoulder to shoulder in boots and camouflage. Today, we stand in different circles, living different lives, and my heart is still trying to catch up with that reality.

United States soldiers carry two powerful loyalties all year long, love of country and love of family, but the holidays make that tension feel especially sharp. While many Americans gather around familiar tables, countless service members spend this season in barracks, on ships, or in distant places, missing the very people and traditions that shaped who they are. ​ From childhood friends who shared playgrounds, classrooms, prom nights, and church pews, to parents and grandpa

Who's Really Thinking About This? Thanksgiving hits different these days. Families are fractured, people are struggling, the country feels heavy, and a lot of the faces that used to light up the room are no longer at the table. The ones who kept the traditions going, the ones we couldn’t wait to hug every year… some are gone, some are distant, and the excitement just isn’t the same anymore. Now we’ve got a new generation that doesn’t really cook like our elders did, phon

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us pause to reflect on the people who bring joy and meaning to our lives. While family by blood often takes center stage during this holiday, there is a special group of people who deserve just as much recognition—our friends who have become family. These are the friends who show up with a smile, share unforgettable weekends, and stand by us through life’s challenges. This season, it’s time to celebrate those chosen family members who fill

Imagine waking up one day and realizing the world you’ve known that was once structured, purposeful, and secure—is suddenly gone.  That’s what happened to me the day I left the military. I was a young female soldier, newly separated, with a child in my arms and nowhere to call home. The uniform that once gave me an identity and a sense of belonging was folded away, replaced by uncertainty and fear. The Reality of Coming Home Without a Home Transitioning out of the military wa