Nearly 35,000 men and women graduate from Air Force basic training every year. Recruit graduation is the culmination of weeks of physical and mental training and the most significant accomplishment in their life. Unfortunately, many recruits have no family members… Read More ›
Recruit training is challenging with many ups and downs. Over the following months, your recruit depends on letters from home offering the needed encouragement to keep them pushing toward the ultimate prize – graduation and earning the title of a U.S…. Read More ›
The Declaration of Independence was the first formal statement by a nation’s people asserting their right to choose their own government. When armed conflict between bands of American colonists and British soldiers began in April 1775, the Americans were ostensibly… Read More ›
Happy Father’s Day to all of our military dads. We appreciate the dedication from all our service member’s dads, stepdads, grandfathers, and uncles who have been ‘boots-on-the-ground’ supporting their sons, daughters, and grandchildren. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to… Read More ›
Discover the history of the annual holiday and check out 13 facts about the American flag and how to properly display it. When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, the colonists weren’t fighting united under a single flag. Instead,… Read More ›
The Spring 2022 Stars and Stripes Military Transition Guide is now available to Service Members and Veterans on bases and military communities in the US, Europe, the Pacific, and the Middle East! In this Spring 2022 edition: -How to look… Read More ›
The American Red Cross Hero Care Network enables us to provide critical services to military members, veterans, and their families all over the world. They can access these Red Cross services by downloading the FREE Red Cross Hero Care App on any Apple or… Read More ›
Navy recruits will complete 10 weeks of boot camp in 2022, rather than the eight weeks that have been the standard. (article adapted from NavyTimes.com) The additional two weeks of Basic Military Training at Recruit Training Command aboard Naval Station Great Lakes,… Read More ›
October 13, 2021, marks the Navy’s 246th birthday. This year, the theme of the Navy’s birthday celebration is “Resilient and Ready,” which organizers claim speaks to the history of the Navy and being “able to shake off disaster,” which includes… Read More ›
Serving in the military, both enlisted and as an officer, can be overwhelming, especially financially. The military brings new opportunities, as well as challenges. From transitioning from base to base, long deployments, and the general demands of serving Although there… Read More ›
Military quotes have an incredible intensity of courage and stamina around them. Originated by the brave men and women who fight in wars, face demanding environments, and support humanitarian efforts around the globe, it is no wonder we experience goosebumps… Read More ›
Welcome to the world of military terms, phrases, acronyms, and alphabet. Don’t feel bad if you find understanding your recruit’s new lingo, you aren’t alone. You can start learning the phonetic alphabet to make you look cool to your new… Read More ›
When two USMC veterans come together, watch out. When an entire Marine Corps community joins forces, revelation is about to take place. Gunny Wolf has been providing his iconic SemperToons caricatures and humorous cartoons for over 27 years. Gunny’s goal now… Read More ›
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” But it’s more than just an old tale — laughing can benefit your health. According to physicians, just a few minutes of laughter a day can improve your health… Read More ›
More than 50 percent of veterans are married. With a majority of American households now requiring two incomes to support a stable standard of living, any solution to help veterans transition out of the military must take into account the… Read More ›
More than 700 million pieces of mail are sorted and delivered by the Postal Service each delivery day. And military base mail rooms sort through 50,000 to 100,000 letters per week. So how does each piece get from point A… Read More ›
Can I get a ⚓️ 🇺🇸 HOOYAH! According to the Navy Recruit Training Command, they have lifted the masking mandate. There is no mask requirement for recruits, staff, and guests attending Pass-In-Review. And they have increased the number of guests (see… Read More ›
The “Sailors Creed” was written by a “Blue Ribbon Recruit Training Panel” in 1993 at the direction of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Frank Kelso, who personally participated in the final edit of the working group’s proposal. Admiral Kelso then… Read More ›
The 900 division is a time-honored tradition at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes and for those recruits privileged to be part of its ranks. With the return of the 900 division, so returns the traditional graduation ceremony. Recruit graduation is… Read More ›
Three things motivate a recruit: EAT, SLEEP, and MAIL TIME. Although families & friends can’t control the first two, they can ensure their recruit’s name is yelled out at mail call each night. For most families, writing to a service member… Read More ›
A mom’s insight: My son left a month ago. He was completely prepared. We ordered his labels (LetterTrac), bought stamps, we even ordered the stationery and he received envelopes as well. He had his 2 books for ROM and his… Read More ›
The United States military can bring an unprecedented amount of firepower onto any battlefield. Starting at recruit training, service members learn how to fire, handle, safe-keep, and most importantly, clean their weapons. But what about their feet? The iconic movie… Read More ›
Travel insights from Jenna Buege, contributing editor of The Compass Elegant, dramatic and oozing with history, these castles aren’t home to princesses waiting to be rescued from fire breathing dragons, but they will make travelers feel like they’re exploring a… Read More ›
The Battle of Midway was an epic clash between the U.S. Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy that played out six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. Navy’s decisive victory in the air-sea battle (June 3-6, 1942) and… Read More ›
The first lesson you learn in recruit boot camp is teamwork, and I want to tell you about Monday Delivery’s collaboration with the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN). MondayDelivery.com helps families stay in touch with their recruits, and… Read More ›
On May 30, 1868, Gen. John A. Logan visited Arlington National Cemetery to speak at a ceremony for what was then called Decoration Day — and in doing so, set a precedent that holds to this Day. Cities and towns… Read More ›
Did you know? Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. The following article was adopted from A&E Television Networks, LLC, the History Channel. Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on… Read More ›
If a Hooah was ever appropriate, now is the time. It’s been more than a year since the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May suspended family attendance graduation events at Cape May, NJ to stop the spread of COVID-19. The following is from… Read More ›
If a Hooah was ever appropriate, now is the time. It’s been more than a year since the U.S. Air Force suspended family attendance at Basic Military Training graduation events at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, to stop the spread of COVID-19. Effective Nov…. Read More ›
Thirteen years ago, Mary Lujan decided to join the Navy, “I walked into the Navy recruiting office not knowing anything about the Navy. I just knew it was a way to get out of a small town and avoid college debt.” As… Read More ›
The Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) gives active-duty service members and their families a voice on the direction of our Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Since its inception in 1954, AUSN has provided the naval community with legislative… Read More ›
Sending mail in the 21st century may seem archaic compared to the high-speed communication delivered by text, email, and video calls. However, one community still enjoys receiving a letter or postcard the old fashion way – the U.S. Mail. Millions… Read More ›
Leslie Hobbs’s daughter is spending her 20th birthday as a recruit at RTC Great Lakes, home of Navy boot camp. There will be no cake, no candles, and no singing of happy birthday. Like most recruit parents, Leslie quickly realizes… Read More ›
Military marriage. Getty Images
FAMILY DAY & GRADUATION CEREMONY As the Marine Corps turns the chapter of COVID restrictions to the opening of the time-honor recruit graduation, we are thankful as a country for the strength & courage of each recruit, family member, friends, and drill… Read More ›
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island As of On June 17-18, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., will be accessible to the public for all Family Day activities and Graduation. ✅ General info: While the depot will be be… Read More ›
Navy ends Fort McCoy stop before boot camp, cuts ROM for fully vaccinated recruits. As with all breaking news, there are always multiple versions of the truth. The following update on the Recruit Training Command modifications of their 14-day quarantine is… Read More ›
New to the military? Get ready for a plethora of acronyms, abbreviations, and peculiar terms. The first few to learn are TG (training group), DIV (division), and Ship. I would like to thank RTC Public Affairs for providing the following… Read More ›
Coast Guard Training Center Cape May is the nation’s only Coast Guard enlisted accession point and recruit training center. (Cover image: U.S. Coast Guard photo.) The following is adopted from the Coast Guard website. Basic Training Welcome aboard – now… Read More ›
Semper Fi! MCRD San Diego and Parris Island have started to open up recruit graduations to family members. Recruit graduation is a tradition enjoyed by families and friends. The culmination of weeks of training finally ends and recognizes our newest… Read More ›
Hello! My name is Melana Griffee, and my identical twin sister is Navy Recruit Maegan Muse. She left for training on March 17th, 2021! We grew up in New Bern, North Carolina, and call it our home today. Ever since we… Read More ›
What is BEAST Week in Air Force Basic Military Training? It is a full five days of challenging and exhausting training. BEAST stands for “Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills and Training.” BEAST Week is designed to train your recruit in simulated combat deployment… Read More ›
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