What Is a Twitter Chat?
A Twitter chat is like a meeting on Twitter; it has a specific discussion topic and a scheduled start time. Using the hashtag #MilCents at the end of each tweet, MFAN will ask questions to a group of financial experts.
Blog
The MFAN blog spotlights the latest news affecting our community.
MFAN Research: Privatized Military Housing Survey Executive Summary
The mission of the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) is to connect military families with leaders and decision makers. We share the stories of those who serve and respond to their needs through collaboration and, when needed, program development. After hearing from military families about issues with privatized military housing last October, MFAN began researching...
Read MoreTenant Bill of Rights: What’s Taking So Long?
Last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included a Tenant Bill of Rights to address problems reported by military families living in housing on military installations. MFAN was at the forefront of this discussion because data we gathered in our survey of military families detailed where and what types of problems were occurring. The Tenant...
Read MoreA Good Goodbye
PCSing military families find COVID-friendly ways for their kids to move on Even in normal years, military life is tough on kids—and 2020 is not a normal year. This year, about half a million military families will try to navigate the always-stressful PCS process with a heaping spoonful of coronavirus served on top of...
Read MoreDoD Says It’s Time (for some) to Get Moving
This post was updated on June 4. It’s already a PCS season like none other, and—at least for some—it’s beginning. On Tuesday, June 2, senior Department of Defense officials said that 30-40% of military personnel moves are already happening and that DoD officials are continuing to label regions of the country “green”, meaning that...
Read MoreRemembering the People We’ve Lost
More than 1.1 million Americans have died fighting in America’s wars, and thousands more service members have died while serving outside of war. Memorial Day is the day we set aside to honor and remember them. Military service is teeming with ceremony and formality—and rightfully so. It’s a dangerous, serious business. It should be...
Read MoreNew Data Sheds Light on Health Care Needs
Dialing my on-post clinic and telling a receptionist that I needed help for depression was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Admitting that I couldn’t power through on my own was terrifying—so terrifying, that it took me more than a year to work up the nerve to do it. The receptionist quickly scheduled...
Read MoreThe two resources you need to find your dream job
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry You’re two months into quarantine and you’ve already binged your way through Netflix (and Hulu, and Amazon). You’re caught up on those books you’ve been meaning to read. You’ve baked loaves of sour dough and banana bread, redecorated, crafted, cleaned, and your dog...
Read MoreFrom USMC to LEO: A Story for National Police Week
For Wyatt Derr, like many veterans, law enforcement has proven to be a post-military career that provides him with what he missed most about serving in the U.S. Marine Corps—community, camaraderie, and the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than himself. This is National Police Week so we asked Wyatt to tell us...
Read MoreTemporary Policy Makes Using Telehealth Easier for Tricare Beneficiaries and Providers
New guidance issued by the office of the Secretary of Defense this week will allow Tricare providers to receive reimbursement for medical appointments that occur online and over the telephone. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs issued the temporary policy change, called an Interim Final Rule (IFR), in order to encourage patients and...
Read MoreLet’s taco ’bout the week ahead…
Here we are in week seven of quarantine and even the introverts have worked through their Netflix queues and are longing for human interaction. And the extroverts? They’re having philosophical discussions with houseplants and making holiday plans with the mail carrier. Never fear, friends! Just as in weeks past, #MFANConnects has got you covered! This...
Read MoreA Letter to My Children
Our Executive Director tries to make sense of the new normal for her children. Dear Sophia and Georgie, At first, I was grateful that you are young — I thought you would be spared the stress and fear of what is going on in the world. Today, I am less sure. Your little lives have...
Read MoreMFANConnects Events, April 13-17
Another week of quarantine seems surreal, doesn’t it? Even for those who haven’t been personally touched by COVID-19, it’s strange to see neighbors walking around in face masks. The days seem to blend into each other and, after weeks at home, we’re even hearing children say they wish they were back in school. These...
Read MoreHow AER is Helping Soldiers Impacted by COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has left no segment of society untouched, including military families. As a result, Army Emergency Relief (AER) has revised how it processes requests for assistance as well as some eligibility requirements. The changes allow members of the Army Reserves and National Guard who are not serving under Title 10 orders to be...
Read MoreMFAN & Housing Companies Work Together to Help Military Families
Every aspect of American life has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, including where military families will live. To stop the spread of the virus, the Department of Defense froze Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves for at least 60 days which, while necessary, places some military families in a precarious housing situation. Families...
Read MoreFood Insecurity and COVID-19: A breakdown of the evolving resources
In 2017, MFAN began exploring food insecurity in the military community because we were beginning to hear stories about military families going hungry. This year the team dug even deeper into the issue of food security in the military community—the results were overwhelming and alarming. Our most recent Survey revealed that one in eight military...
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