Once upon a time there were two Army spouses. Both of the women had school-aged children and pets. Both of the women had a limited window of time to locate housing in a place they’ve never even visited, as those places would soon become their new homes.

These are the tales of two families PCS moves and how they dealt with the search for housing.

Juanita Klemm began the search for off-post housing as many do, online.

“I looked on Zillow, Militarybuyowner.com, or any other website I could find, but the school districts were my prime focus,” Klemm said.

Her husband had already reported to Virginia a few months earlier, so she was fortunate to have him on location to view potential homes.

Klemm, a middle school administrator, stayed behind with her daughters to finish up her job and the girls’ school year. But her plan was to have a home to go to once the school year ended.

“I found that rentals listed under property management companies seemed to get back with me faster than rentals managed by the owners,” she said.

Her husband was busy in his new job during the day, so Klemm chose some homes in her desired school district and scheduled viewing appointments for him in the evenings. She also found that those same property manager listings, often yielded managers with additional home recommendations and resources.

Klemm, her daughters and their three dogs eventually made the journey from Kansas to Virginia and reunited with their soldier in their new home.

Kim Carlile had a little less time to formulate a moving plan, and, she had much further to go. Once her family received the final orders to travel from Alabama to Germany, they had about three weeks to make it all happen. And their search for a new home could not begin until they arrived in the Germany.

 “We were limited,” Carlile said. “We basically had two places to look, either government housing or privatized. If government housing is available, even if it’s off post, that’s where you go.”

When the Carliles arrived, government housing was full both on- and off-post, so they were provided with a list of landlords with properties that had been referred in the past. There were two homes to choose from on the list.

“Our only other option was to spend money out of our pockets and find our own realtor to help us search,” Carlile said.

They chose a home from the list and lived in a temporary lodging for three weeks while they waited for their new home to be move in ready.

Her son and daughter  had previously attended a DOD (Department of Defense) school on-post prior to the move, so not only was the transition smooth for her children’s education, but Carlile said the school administrators were extremely helpful with recommendations and logistics.

Both of these home searches ended successfully, but not without learning experiences.

Klemm, taking advantage of her television satellite company’s no stress moving policy, discovered upon arrival that her neighborhood homeowner’s association had strict rules about satellite dishes. The company refunded any additional money Klemm spent, but she highly recommends obtaining a copy of the homeowner’s association policy before a move or even before signing a lease, to avoid surprises.

Klemm also recommends being pro-active with a property manager.

“Ask him or her if there is anything additional you need to know about the house,” she said.

Once the Carliles settled into their new German home, although she was happy there, Kim discovered she may have had some additional resources to take advantage of in her home search.

“If I had had more time to prepare, I would have found a military spouses Facebook group in Germany to provide me with feedback on housing options, the search process and the move in general. When you’re doing this for the first time, sometimes you just don’t know what questions to even ask,” she said.

Both Klemm and Carlile did as much preparing as they had the time or resources to do so. Their families worked together, and these ladies used technology and in-person resources to make their moves a success. Both families are currently living …”happily ever after.”

Military children matter.

And school officials better start understanding this fact.

That's the message sent by a recent study conducted by the Army's top officials. In 2013, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno launched an evaluation of local schools that hosted large numbers of military children. He was looking for schools that were not meeting baseline education standards.

An additional independent study confirmed what most military families know - many schools outside of major Army bases stink.

Our children have attended half a dozen schools during our moves. A few were good. Most, were awful.

When I met with a principal at one school principal in North Carolina outside of Fort Bragg to discuss a disturbing situation in my child's classroom the principal said, you will be gone in two years anyway. It doesn't really matter.

It doesn't really matter.

A school principal said this about my military child.

Schools see us as expendable. As students who really have no place in their school, who are just hanging out until the Army sends them elsewhere.

That is disgusting.

Especially since these school receive money from the U.S. Department of Education through the Impact Aid program which attempts to fill the gap between the number of students brought into a district via military orders and the property taxes those families are not paying because they live on base.

I know the Impact Aid program isn't a windfall but these students are part of the community. They are part of this school. For their time there, they see this as home.

And as these students struggle to adjust and deal with parents who are deployed or injured, the center of their universe, their school, has told them that they simply don't care.

And so far, there has been absolutely no repercussion for school systems who treat military children as less than equal.

Hopefully, that will change. Military budgets are dwindling. Less is being spent on programs for military families. Even the Army wants to make sure it is getting the most bang for its buck.

So as military leaders are considering what bases to close and re-align, the attitude and performance of the local school system may play an important part.

Both top defense officials and writers of the study suggest that the military will consider poor performing school systems to be part of the catalyst in closing a military base.

And what happens when you close a military base? Civilian jobs disappear, by the hundreds, sometimes thousands, and the community looses hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The thought that a bad school system could be blamed for the crushing economic blow to its community makes me giddy.

Quite frankly, these school systems that see military children as a burden to be ignored until they are moved on do not deserve to be part of a military community. Military families need communities that support them and see them as part of their hometown for as long as they are lucky enough to live there.

I know that most military members try their best to make each duty station feel like home and be part of the community. Often, when a family makes a PCS move, a tiny hole is left behind in the community, where they volunteered, made friends and were part of what made that town great.

It is only fitting that the worst school systems who are tasked with caring for our military children, and refuse to do so, should not only loose every single military child and every military dollar that comes with them, but should also shoulder the blame for the staggering economic downfall their town will suffer as a result.

I implore military leaders to follow through and put the education of our military children at the top of their priority list. Make our civilian school systems understand that military children don't need a babysitter, they deserve a quality education too. And if they are not interested in providing it, the military will move to a community that will. 

Not happy with the local schools at your next duty station?

Schools that are performing below state standards could soon pay for their downfalls.

The Military Times reports that as officials decide what bases to close, they may take a closer look at what the nearby public schools have to offer military children. Schools that rate as subpar may be the deciding factor in closing that base.

In October, 2013, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno launched an evaluation of local schools. The report was meant to make two lists: the first to recognize communities that meet the Army's baseline education standards and the second, to identify those that don't. The Military Times reports that the report is not for public release.

Global security think tank Stimson Center did, however, have access to the report and conducted their own study as a result.

Military Times says, according to the report, 19 Army posts contribute at least 15 percent of the total income of their host counties. In six counties, the Army generated 50 percent or more of every dollar earned. Another four posts generated at least one-third of their counties' income.

Military Times reports write that while some school districts perform well, other communities that rely heavily on the income generated by living in an Army town are giving military children inadequate and less rigorous academic standards.

Authors of the report offer a final  thought after their analysis:  "If host communities do not offer soldiers' children a consistently high-quality education, they risk the economic challenges that result from losing support of a major employer."

The report, "The Army Goes to School: The Connection between K-12 Education Standards and the Military-Base Economy," is scheduled to be released Thursday.

To read the full Military Times article, visit http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/benefits/education/2015/06/25/poor-quality-of-schools-could-cost-military-communities/29233125/

It is PCS season! Which means, people are leaving their jobs. Which means, employers near military bases are hiring!

A great way to get your resume out and check out the businesses near your new home is to take part in a hiring fair. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation continues to hold monthly fairs around the nation that are open only to military members and their spouses.

Here is a list of the ones happening in July. Remember to click on the link and register. Spaces fill up so register soon.

July 10

Cleveland, Ohio

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/cleveland-hiring-fair

July 14

Montgomery, AL

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/montgomery-hiring-fair

Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/fort-worthdallas-hiring-fair

July 17

Springfield, OR

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/springfield-hiring-fair

July 22

Anchorage, AK

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/joint-base-elmendorf-richardson-transition-summit

Davenport, Iowa

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/davenport-hiring-fair

July 30

Arlington, Texas

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/arlington-hiring-expo-texas-rangers

Are you driving across country this summer to PCS? Heading to the in-laws. In the middle of nowhere? Trying to keep your kids occupied while dad is deployed for the summer?

More than 2,000 museums across the nation want to make this summer a little less stressful for you. And, the cost is free.

The Blue Star Museums program is again offering free admission to more than 2,000 museums in all 50 states for military members and their families. The program runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Sept. 7.

Check the website at http://arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums and click on the map for a user-friendly list of blue star museums in each state.

To get your free tickets, simply show up to the museum and present Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID.

The military ID holder plus five family members will be admitted for free. Family members include children, spouses, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Also, the military member does not have to be present for the family to participate. The family can still gain entrance with a dependent family member ID card.

The program was created several years ago to show support for active duty military families who have faced multiple deployments and to give those families a chance to be together and explore these museums. The program recognizes that many of these families would otherwise not have the means, or the time together, to do so.

For all the details, go tt http://arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums/frequently-asked-questions#sthash.30D5lmJJ.dpuf

Happy Travels!

Can you really post, comment and tweet your way to a job?

"Absolutely! I just hired someone today who found me and sent me her resume on LinkedIn," said Jennifer Takacs-O'Shea, President, Caterpillar Career Consultants, Inc. "Sites like LinkedIn are often a direct professional connection from job seekers to hiring managers and companies that are actively hiring."

Very few employers don't use social media to some degree these days, so savvy job hunters should be fully aware of the many ways they can benefit from this digital playing field. Here are some insight and tips from two career management experts on how to raise your professional stock using social media during the job search.

Uncover the good stuff

Researching companies is very important at every stage in the job search process. And with social media, there is a whole lot more to be found than just vacancy announcements.

"Take advantage of being able to go deeper into the organization," said Jeff Bockelman, career behaviorist and personal branding expert.

For example, company blogs and online newsletters contain articles about a company's internal   projects and community initiatives. This makes for great networking conversation and during interviews it can show you've done your homework and that your background or interests match the employers'.

"Also, through some social media sites you can learn a lot about what the company wants by looking at the backgrounds of people it has hired in certain types of jobs. Then, make sure that you are presenting relevant skills to those employers," Bockelman said.

Finally, don't forget to use social media as a professional development tool. Follow closely professional associations and publications to keep up-to-date with industry trends, research and other important information about your field. No matter how much of an expert you are, there is always more to learn. 

Prove your expertise

Everybody can call themselves an expert in their career field, but with social media you can, and  should, prove it without a doubt. Every post or comment you make online can help build your brand, so make them count!

"Sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook allow job seekers to demonstrate their professional knowledge by making posts related to their field and demonstrating their professional talents," Takacs-O'Shea said.

Just don't make the mistake of only posting items, but not interacting with your colleagues. Start or join in on professional discussions, answer questions from others, and provide resources like articles or websites with lead in messages about how they could be helpful. Not being actively involved can look like you are just scheduling posts and have no real interest or expertise that you are willing or able to contribute.

"Furthermore, professional interactions and how prospective employees may conduct themselves within the workplace and amongst industry professionals is an important part of identifying the right match for the job opening and the company's culture," said Takacs-O'Shea.

Now, sit down, log on and review your social media presence. Make it better and make an impact with future employers!

Did you or your spouse ever apply for a security clearance to work for the military? For a government job?

You may want to start paying attention, to both the news and your personal data.

Earlier this month the government announced that hackers had stolen federal government data for thousands of government employees. The finger was pointed at China and little more was said.

That may be because it's bad. It's real bad.

The Navy Times reported that the stolen info is from "tens of thousands of Standard Form 86s". That is the 127-page document which anyone who applies for a security clearance must fill out.

The forms are a treasure trove of personal information. They include bank information, social security numbers, addresses, job assignments and more. And not just for the applicant. For everyone the applicant notes on the form as a reference.

So how at risk are people?

The government isn't being forthcoming.

Earlier this week lawmakers questioned the Office of Personnel Management, which handles the DOD's background checks. The Navy Times reported that OPM officials knew the data was vulnerable.

An OPM spokesman said those individuals who may have had data stolen will be contacted, as soon as possible.

And in the meantime, we all just may want to be a little more proactive.

Check your bank and credit card statements, often. Get your free credit score report with three major credit bureaus. Be mindful of who is contacting you and why.

If you haven't been vigilant about keeping track of your personal information, now is the time.

Military spouses come in all shapes, sizes and genders.

And we want to hear from the men!

We know that strong women in uniform are often backed by a supportive spouse too who handles all the household duties, kids and emergencies that arise.

We also know that sometimes, those men wear the uniforms themselves – meaning both spouses are always busy, all the time.

We have lots of blogs from our women military spouses, now, we want to give the men a chance to speak. If you think you are interested in blogging for Salute to Spouses about your life as a military husband, please contact editor Allison Marlow at adperkins@bryantstratton.edu

We are waiting to hear from you!

Cable and Internet in our neighborhood is spotty.

I sometimes think we should specialize in dropped calls, channel black-outs, and error messages instead of boasting about our community pool and our shiny, enforced “No Soliciting” signs.

Last year, I once had to call the cable company because we had continually dropped service for two weeks.  During the debacle, I realized that the company wouldn’t charge me for days, weeks, or months in which they had been unable to provide service.

And because it’s terribly frustrating to lose Internet for days on end – especially when you work online – I always took them up on that.  I call every time there’s an issue now.

So last week, unable to use the Internet and with less channels on TV than public-access, I called.

They went through all the rigmarole about my password and identity and birth-weight of my first-born child.

And then they asked me my address.

And I answered.

The line got quiet.  The customer-service representative might as well have screeched “Huh?” through the phone; the silence was so deafening.

“Ma’am,” she said. “We’re a Georgia branch.  That’s not a Georgia address.”

And she was right.  It wasn’t.  It wasn’t our current Georgia address.  It wasn’t the Georgia address we had three years ago.

It wasn’t even the South Carolina address we had before that.

It was the Florida address we had.  Four addresses ago.

I prattled it off like I’ve been living there for the last six years, despite us moving three times in that same time frame.

“Ma’am, are you military?” she asked.

Still shocked, I did manage to eke out my normal, “No.  My husband is.”

While I am always impressed I can remember the addresses of all our homes in the last decade, it’s odd to revert like that, even for a tired Mom like me.

It’s the first time I’ve ever done that, in fact.

Luckily, the woman brought me back to present-day, where I remembered my correct address and received a deduction on my monthly bill since Internet service was yet again non-existent.

Later that day, the service had been restored.  And then 30 minutes later, it promptly dropped again.

Tired Mom rearing her ugly head, I called back, and due to a crazy stroke of luck, I got the same customer service representative.

She asked how she could help me.

“Well, earlier I gave you my old, old Florida address. Now I know why,” I said. “Because that was the last place I could finish writing an e-mail without my Internet service giving out. I’d like to go back to that, if you don’t mind.”

 

If you are a new college grad without a job, don't be discouraged about finding one. Employers who responded to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2015 Spring Update survey reported plans to hire 9.6 percent more Class of 2015 graduates in the U.S. than they hired from the Class of 2014.

In the fall they predicted it would be only be 8.3 percent so things are looking even better, thanks to the growing economy and an unemployment rate that, according to the Department of Labor, is the lowest it has been in years at 5.4 percent in April 2015.

New graduates with degrees in engineering, business and computer science are highest in demand. Within the engineering field, civil a engineers will fare better than most other engineering areas with a whopping expected growth of 20 percent between 2012 and 2022, which is faster than the average of 11 percent for all fields. About 53,700 jobs will be added during that timeframe and those hired to help improve the aging U.S. Infrastructure will earn a median income of about $79,300 a year.

Business degreed graduates with interest in marketing research, marketing management and accounting are atop U.S. News & World Report's three best business jobs in 2015.

The BLS reports their growth to be 31.6 percent, 12.7 percent and 13.1 percent respectively. Marketing managers had a median income of $123,000 in 2013 while market research analysts earned around $60,300 annually and accountants earned about $63,500.

Finally, computer science degrees are the third highest in demand according the NACE Job Outlook Survey 2015 report of January 2015. Some of the specific occupations and their median salaries include: computer networkers and software developers with median incomes of $91,000 and $93,000; security analysts earn about $86,000 while the remaining occupations earn in the mid- to high-$70's. The top three fastest growing are security analysts (37 percent), system analysts (25 percent), and software developers (25 percent).

But, what if you are a graduate who doesn't have a degree in engineering, business or computer science?

Don't fret, take your skills to a growing industry, like the medical industry. The population is aging and therefore the healthcare industry will need people in all occupations to support that growth, including those with healthcare backgrounds and non-healthcare backgrounds, to include, for example, human resources, food management, marketing and public affairs.

In fact, according to the BLS, healthcare will add the most new jobs between 2012 and 2022, at nearly one-third of the projected growth in all jobs. Other growing industries to consider are financial services, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, online publishing and broadcasting.

There are three industries to be wary of due to projected decreases in employment: manufacturing, federal government, and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting.