USNchic's Armed Forces Fashions

Home is Where the Navy Sends Us

2010-02-24T07:55:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine has the CUTEST craft that a friend of hers made that says, "Home is Where the Navy Sends Us." Such a true statement. I put my creative energy to work to come up with a cute design for my shop bearing this phrase. If you click on the images, you will be taken to the shop. There are a few functional products, such as post cards and note cards that can be sent out when you move to inform friends and family of your new address:

There are also some decorative items, my favorite being the framed print which displays your previous duty stations.

If you are interested in a personalized product, please email me at usnchic@hotmail.com and we will sort out the details.

New St.Patrick's Day Kid's Shirts!

2010-02-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

I have made some new Children's St. Patrick's Day shirts for your little Leprechauns! Remember, you can click on the images to be taken to the shop.

"Mom's Lucky Charm: Lucky Since [insert date of birth here]"

Get them on white, yellow, blue, pink and grey T's in my Cafepress shop:

Or you can get it in a variety of colors, including green, in my Zazzle shop:

Personalized "Kiss Me I'm Cute" shirts, also available unpersonalized. If you don't see the name you want, email me at usnchic@hotmail.com and I will be happy to personalize this design for you.

New Chief and LDO Stuff

2010-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

I had a few requests this week! YAY!

The first was a mug for an HMC, from his wife. The other side of the mug displays the CPO anchor.

The second was pillows for the USS Gettysburg Chief's Mess.

The third was a "Navy Chief Navy Pride" Shirt.

And lastly, I designed these simple yet unique stickers.

http://www.usnchic.com/

Navy Wife Shirts and Gifts

2009-11-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

The majority of my designs are obviously Navy designs since we are a Navy family. This post will give you a preview of some of my Navy Wife shirts and Navy Wife gifts, as well as a few Navy Girlfriend shirts and Navy Fiance shirts. Please keep in mind that there are many more designs and each design is available on a variety of different products, not just the product in the image on this blog post.

You can click on an image to be taken to my shop.

Here's a unique Navy Wife Deployment Survivor shirt I created. You can even get a design that shows off how many deployments you've survived.

Here are some Navy Chief Wife shirts:

Here are some Navy IA Wife shirts I created while my husband was deployed as an IA.

*Iraq and Afghanistan also available.

Here's a couple Navy Wife and Veteran shirts I designed for all of those ladies who are veterans and Navy Wives.

If you are looking for a Navy Submariner's Wife shirt, I have a couple of those as well! Here is one example.

If you are the wife of a prior enlisted sailor turned commissioned officer, otherwise known as a mustang (LDO, CWO) I have some great Mustang Wife shirts and stickers for your car.

Maybe your heart belongs to a tattooed sailor? How about a unique I love my Tattoed Sailor shirt?

I also have a special Missing my Deployed Sailor or Corpsman shirts.

And last, but certainly not least, Navy Girlfriend shirts and Navy Fiance shirts.

I hope you like my designs! If you would like something personalized or have a question or suggestion, please feel free to contact me. usnchic@hotmail.com

I would love to hear your feedback or create a special design just for you.

Please become a fan of my work on Facebook.

A USMC Update

2009-11-26T16:38:00.001-08:00

So, here's an update regarding the USMC requiring Zazzle to pull all user submitted USMC designs and products. Another shop keeper on Zazzle emailed the USMC Trademark Office, and they sent her the following response. It makes me much less peeved at the Marine Corps and more peeved at the print on demand sites (Zazzle, Cafepress) for not obtaining the license agreement for us. It's good to know that the profits go to the MWR. That's a great cause.

Zazzle - Marine Corps Products Q & A

1. Question: Why did Zazzle remove all my Marine Corps-branded Products?

Answer: The United States Marine Corps Trademark Licensing Office contacted Zazzle and requested all unlicensed Marine Corps-branded products be removed from their site.

2. Why did the Marine Corps ask Zazzle to remove my Marine Corps-branded products?

Answer: According to law (see below), permission is required from the Marine Corps in order to sell Marine Corps-branded products commercially. All companies and individuals wishing to sell Marine Corps-branded products must first enter into a license agreement with the Marine Corps Trademark Licensing Office. As the Trademark Licensing Office has yet to enter into a license agreement with Zazzle and/or any of it’s shop keepers (you), all products are unauthorized.

3. Question: What trademarks require permission to use from the Marine Corps?

Answer: The Eagle, Globe and Anchor, term Marine Corps, Marines, U.S. Marine Corps, initials USMC and the official Seal are deemed insignia owned by the United States Marine Corps. This list is not exhaustive, and if you have any questions about any Marine Corps-branded marks, please request permission before proceeding.

4. Question: I can see why the above insignia need a license agreement, but I am NOT selling any products which incorporate the seal, emblem, name, or initials USMC. Why did Zazzle take down my non-Marine Corps-branded products?

Answer: The Marine Corps requested Zazzle take down all Marine Corps-branded products which used the seal, emblem, name, or initials USMC. If your products do not contain any of these elements then please send us an electronic version so we may confirm. There should be no reason as far as we are concerned for Zazzle to pull any products which do not incorporate the above mentioned materials.

5. Question: Aren’t Marine Corps insignia in the public domain?

Answer: No they are not. Please see 10 USC 7881, as well as 15 U.S.C. 1225 and 10 U.S.C. 2260. In addition to being protected by specific statute, Marine Corps insignia are considered to be trademarks and, as such, are not to be used by third parties without permission. While it is true that works (such as written works) created by Federal employees are generally not protected by copyright, and are in the public domain, this does not apply to trademarks. Also, under 10 U.S.C. 2260, the U.S. Marine Corps may license trademarks and may retain and expend fees received from such licensing, to be used to cover the costs of securing trademark registrations, the costs of operating our trademark licensing program, and to be used for Marine Corps morale, welfare, and recreation activities.

6. Question: What about fair use? I was told military insignia were fair use.

Answer: "Fair use" is a principle of copyright law that allows for the limited unauthorized use of another's original copyrighted work for the purposes of criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Commercial sales are not included in fair use. In the trademark law context, “fair use” contemplates the use of another party’s trademark that is not considered to be a “trademark use,” where the use does not function as a brand or identifier of source. While some instances of use of military insignia (such as in the background, or some other incidental use) might qualify as “fair use,” each such use must be reviewed in order to determine if it is a fair use, or a trademark use (requiring a license).

7. Why are the Marines being so greedy? Is this about money?

Answer: Our priority is to protect the integrity of our name and historical USMC marks. However, money is also a factor. How much money do you think Zazzle is making off of Marine Corps sales? Where does that money go? Did you know that proceeds from the revenues generated from licensed USMC products go back to Marine Corps morale welfare and recreation quality of life programs? Indeed, as is noted above, 10 U.S.C. 2260 allows for the use of licensing revenues to be used for Marine Corps morale, welfare, and recreation activities, which is a very honorable cause.

8. So what you’re telling me is that by selling USMC products without a license is actually taking away from Marine Corps quality of life programs?

Yes, that’s exactly right. When we have thousands of unlicensed vendors (like you) selling unauthorized products there is less money going into licensed product sales. Much of the money generated from the sales of USMC licensed products goes right back to the Marines, as referenced above.

Oh, we thought you were just being mean, so you’re actually not being evil and greedy?

Answer: No we’re not. Historic USMC insignia deserve protection. Many of the products being sold on Zazzle were augmented or modified tremendously. With all due respect, in our view, many of the USMC-branded products were in bad taste and offensive to the integrity of the Marine Corps’ image, which damaged the true historic value of the Marine Corps brand.

Do vintage USMC recruiting posters need to be licensed?

Answer: No they do not, provided they are faithful reproductions of the original artwork, and assuming they are not subject to copyright. Please be sure to maintain their historic integrity by not adding or deleting any of the original elements.

I’m a Marine Corps veteran and taxpayer. I bled for the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe and Anchor and if I want to make a buck off of it I should have that right!

Answer: First, thank you for your faithful service. There are hundreds of thousands of USMC veterans out there who are proud of their military service. Being a veteran does not give one the authority to launch a product line of Marine Corps-branded products. The USMC is the best custodian of its insignia and names which is why Marine Corps-branded products need to first be approved.

Can’t the Marine Corps and Zazzle work something out kind of like Zazzle did with Keds?

Answer: We’re not sure what agreement Zazzle has with Keds, but we’re more than willing to and have tried numerous times to reach out to Zazzle to discuss options. We haven’t heard anything substantive back yet.

I’m just a small time shop I can’t possibly qualify to become a licensee on my own.

Answer: We know that and are sensitive to your situation. Please understand we have to protect the Eagle, Globe and Anchor and our name. We hope to soon have an online manufacturer who will carry the license agreement on behalf of its shopkeepers. Just be prepared to meet USMC design guidelines!

Can I still make stuff for my Marine Corps friends using the term Marine Corps and Eagle Globe and Anchor?

Answer: You do not have the authority to create, promote and sell USMC-branded products without a license agreement. Department of Defense employees and their immediate families have an implied license to use the Eagle, Globe and Anchor on personal products such as printed materials, literature, briefings, coins and web sites. These items must be intended for internal use and not for sale, advertising or potential endorsements. Use of the Eagle, Globe and Anchor must adhere to guidelines set by the Trademark Licensing Office.

15. I did not know I needed permission to use Marine Corps insignia on products I was selling. What laws or terms and conditions have I violated?

Answer: When you first signed up for a Zazzle account you signed a User Agreement or Terms of Service.

If you were selling USMC-branded products and have agreed to the terms of the agreement you are responsible for ensuring your products do not violate any laws. In our view, your sale of Marine Corps-branded products was an infringement of the Marine Corps trademark rights, and a violation of 10 U.S.C. 7881, and therefore was a violation of law, which we view as a breach of the Zazzle terms of agreement

Here’s a sample of what ALL Zazzle users have agreed to;

“In using this Site, you agree to not:

upload, download, post, email or otherwise transmit any Content that may infringe any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other intellectual or proprietary right of any party. As a guideline, you may contribute only original work that you have created yourself from original elements. This means you can't use images of celebrities or corporate products, nor images, text, or design that you've copied from a website without written permission from the owner.”

“By uploading any Content, you represent and warrant that you have the lawful right to reproduce and distribute such Content and that the Content complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances”

Please understand if you are selling Marine Corps products via any other distribution channel you will need permission from the Marine Corps in the form of a trademark license agreement.

16. Now that I understand permission from the Marine Corps is needed to sell products bearing their owned trademarks, how can I get permission?

Answer: The Marine Corps is similar to any other major brand owner such as spam or Disney. We have strict guidelines and standards in order to ensure USMC products are of the highest quality and come from approved sources. We are sure you understand the need to protect the integrity of historic Marine Corps insignia. Even though Zazzle vendors mean well and love the Marine Corps unfortunately, much of the content on Zazzle displays incorrect use of Marine Corps trademarks which in turn degrades the strength of our brand. (We’ve seen every liberty taken with the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, stretching, skewing, distorting, incorrect color, scandalous or overly “edgy” products, etc.)

Permission to sell Marine Corps products is given in the form of a trademark license agreement issued by the Marine Corps Trademark Licensing Office. We believe the licensing solution lies not licensing each and every vendor (you) but for Zazzle to enter into a license agreement with the Marine Corps. This would enable them provide an umbrella license to vendors who meet our design guidelines. These types of agreements are not uncommon among online manufacturing companies such as Zazzle and brand owners like the Marine Corps. This way a Zazzle vendor who may not otherwise qualify for a license agreement is able to produce and sell approved USMC products.

17. Is it difficult to obtain a license agreement?

Answer: Yes, it can be difficult. As a popular brand owner the Marine Corps must protect its insignia against incorrect and unauthorized use. Our licensing department is similar to that of other brand owners such as Disney, spam, the NFL, the NCAA, etc. We have ethical, financial, legal, manufacturing and business standards each of our licensees must adhere to.

Welcome!

2009-11-22T16:59:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my new blog! I have a personal blog, but thought it would be a good idea to set up a separate blog for my military pride designs. Here is some background information on myself and my military pride designs.

I'm a Navy Veteran and Navy Wife. I served 4 years in the Navy as an Operations Specialist on board the USS Gettysburg (CG-64). My husband is an LDO (Limited Duty Officer). He was an FCC and was picked up for LDO while deployed to Iraq as an IA. There were two different instances in his career that inspired me to design military pride shirts and gifts. The first was when he made chief and I couldn't find any way of displaying my pride in my chief at the NEX, so I decided to create my own. It was fun, so I made a couple more simple designs, but then I got busy with school and kind of forgot about it. Then, my husband was selected to deploy to Iraq as an individual augmentee. Once again, I wanted some way to display my support for my husband, and couldn't' find anything. So..........I made an IA Wife shirt design and a few other designs for parents of sailors deployed to war zones. The designs became popular, so I started creating more. It became a wonderful hobby that kept me busy while my husband was deployed.

I absolutely love doing this. I love creating military pride designs and am always up for personal requests. If anyone has a new idea for me, I'd love to hear it! I also like to hear feedback from my customers, bad or good. You can contact me at usnchic@hotmail.com.

I do have three different websites that I sell my designs on: Cafepress, Zazzle and Spreadshirt. They all offer different products, and I like the variety. I do, however, wish there was one website that offered exactly what I want, but there isn't. Maybe some day!

Lastly, I ask that you please become a fan of my page on Facebook. Thank you for your support!

p.s. I did import some blog posts regarding my shops and other military related posts from my other blog, which is why there are posts older than this one. :)

I'm a little peeved at the USMC

2009-11-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

I have three different websites that I sell my military pride designs on. One of them is Zazzle.com. I was recently informed that all of my Marine Corps related designs were being removed as per request from the Marine Corps. It would be one thing if the design contained the official Marine Corps Seal, but none of them do.

"The USMC now requires anyone using the USMC EGA or the words USMC, Marines, U.S. Marine Corps and more to have a license. A $1,000 initial fee with a minimum payment to the USMC of $5,000 in royalties a year."

Apparently they "own" the words MARINES, MARINE CORPS, U.S. MARINE CORPS, and the initials USMC. They didn't even look at the designs before they were deleted. If a product was tagged with the word "marine" it was removed. One girl had a simply design with two hearts and a yellow ribbon removed. No mention of the Marine Corps whatsoever! As for things that are tagged "marine", what if I was referring to marine life, as in dolphins and whales? In reading the message boards over at Zazzle, this has affected a lot of people and everyone is up in arms over it. Supposedly Cafepress is next, and the Navy will also be enforcing the same regulations.

First of all, the military is run on tax dollars. The military is not a private individual or a corporation. Salaries, benefits, pensions, etc. are provided by the taxpaying citizens of the U.S. They are not private, they are public. They obviously have proprietary and security interests in regard to their logos and symbols, and there are rules governing such things. But for them to own the words "marine" or "army"? As one poster in the Zazzle forum states, "There are a lot of armies in the world. Can the US military take down all designs with that word in the tags?"

Second, wouldn't the money they are spending to have government employess scour the web in search of items containing the letters USMC be better spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

I support the military. I served four years in the military and continue to serve as a Navy wife, but their impracticalities never cease to amaze me.

In conclusion, here are some of my favorite quotes from the Zazzle discussion board:

"Yeah, it's sad that one can't even express pride and appreciation for the military. I'm retired Air Force and I always assumed that, since they military in general was a part of the government and we taxpayers pay for it, we could express our support as long as we weren't using personal images (ie pictures of specific soldiers, their families, etc,). I mean, I would assume I could create a shirt that says "Go Supreme Court!" or "Go 39th Congressional District!" or something.... How can you "trademark" the Marines?

I can see it now-- military partnerships with other trademarked entities:
"The Navy, brought to you by Coca-Cola and your local Chevrolet Dealers."

I can't wait to see the new uniforms..." -dradcliffe

*image posted by Softproduct

"My family has served in Viet Nam, Desert Storm, and Iraq. Although we never considered ourselves a "military" family we've always tried to have some pride, and fealt what we were doing was necessary, but not always right.

When I returned from my overseas tour, I was spit on, called "baby killer" (not to mention a few others very nice names. I was even attacked by some "so called" peace demonstrators. I was refused employment because companies didn't hire "baby killers". My biggest disappointment through my military tours was the lack of support from our own government, and eventually the American people. I spent two years as a member of the honor guard burying "dead" from Viet Nam. It sucked, to say the least, but was my only way to show support for fellow servicemen and their families.

For the Marine Corps to trademark, then charge a large licensing fee for use, is totally irresponsible, lacking of forethought, and downright ignorance. In essence they are only increasing the possibility of lack of support for the military personnel who put their lives on the line every day.
I am appalled that they have done this to their own people. I've always asserted that they've never really given a "rats ***" about their own, and this just proves to me that I was right. Just another replacable number.
Maybe they will use the licensing fees to purchase the some of the equipment they were suppose to have when they first went into Iraq but didn't because they didn't have the funds for it.

It's a sad day knowing that I cannot make a bumper sticker or something else with the phrase "Proud parent of a US Marine". My goal for my "military related" products was not money for me, but donated to various military support organizations. My pride for the Marines Corps and the idiotic bureaucracy that allowed them to do this is dwindling rapidly at this point." -Tom Purse

FRG Fundraising Ideas

2009-10-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

As you may know, the hubs is deploying soon. I will be taking over as Vice President of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) and we're trying to come up with some fund-raising ideas. I've compiled a list via google, but thought I'd make a blog post in case anyone else has any unique ideas to add. Here's what I have so far:

• Bake Sale. Okay, so it’s not exactly reinventing the wheel, but there’s a reason this is one of the most popular fundraisers. It’s easy to organize, allows less-involved spouses to participate and you can even get the kids involved. If baking is not an option, purchase wholesale candy and sell it. Set up your sale at your instillation or around town. Don’t forget to obtain approval from the venue first. Many retail locations are eager to show support for the military and will allow a foldout table or two. Do this around pay day, and don’t price the items. An officer might give you $5 for a brownie!

• Car Wash/Dog Wash. Pretty self explanatory. I like the dog wash idea!

• A Luncheon for Active Duty Personnel. This is another easy-to-participate in activity. Have each member contribute a main dish, side, dessert, snack or drink. Hold the lunches monthly and pick a different theme for each one. Or keep it simple and go potluck. Charge around $5 a plate; it’s less than what many spend on a fast food lunch anyway. Many commanders will enthusiastically allow spouses and kids to come by for scheduled spouse lunches, making it a wonderful way to raise money and spend time with your husband.

• Group T-Shirts, Magnets, Car Stickers, etc. Create items with the group logo on them and sell them to the group members. It gives your group an identity and earns the group money in the process.

• Gas and Glass. Do this at the base gas station, it's for donations, you basically go to the dollar tree and get a bunch of paper towels and window cleaner and wash peoples windshields and pump their gas.

• A Club Bracelet (or Necklace or Charm). Aircrafts, vehicles, symbols–you name it, you can put it on a charm or necklace. Selling a specialized piece of jewelry within your club is an awesome way for spouses to unite and raise funds. Silicone bracelets are another option. Lance Armstrong started this trend with LIVESTRONG and many charities have followed suit. They’re inexpensive and available for order in bulk. Check out ReminderBand.com or Wristbands-4-Less.com for price information.

• An Auction/Raffle.

• Yardsale. All of the members of the group compile things they no longer want and hold a yard sale. Find someone who lives in a good location and just make sure to advertise on Craigslist and with signs and put out a donation bucket. You can also sell baked goods and sodas.

• Krispy Kreme. http://www.krispykreme.com/fund.html

• From Yahoo Answers: Our FRG sold t-shirts with the unit logo on it we also had an auction where the highest bidder got to smash a pie in the CO's face but that was when our guys were home. You can also hold a raffle for the first kiss upon the ship’s return. You can sell tickets all year long during FRG meetings or events. At the end of the deployment, one name is drawn out of the box, and that spouse gets the honor of having her sailor disembark from the ship first and deliver the first reunion kiss.

• Cook Book. Compile favorite recipes from group members, and create and sell cook books.

• Food Sales. Lumpia sales. Get everyone together to makes tons and tons of lumpia (trust me, someone knows how, and the ones who don't will bring the food processors to chop up the ingredients). Have somone out there frying them up for sale on the spot (3 for $5, including sauce), and also have them bagged up and frozen for purchase by the dozen.

If you really can't find someone who knows how to make lumpia, do it with little cinnamon rolls or some other sort of bread-y thing that you can put in freezer bags by the dozen.

We've also done Breakfast Burrito sales but you have to be really careful about them because of food allergies and the possibility of contamination/food poisoning.

So, that's what I found. I hope other FRG leaders will find this list and find it helpful. I did design shirts for our FRG (the dog tags are personalized), as well as for the parents and children of the crew. If you would like something similar for your FRG, feel free to contact me. :)

USNchic's Armed Forces Fashions

Packer Win = Awesome Birthday Present!

2009-09-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a pretty mellow birthday. Can't do too much celebrating when you're 9 months pregnant! I spent Saturday painting doors and baseboards upstairs. Not fun, but I felt motivated and just wanted to get it done. There's a nice big vent up there, so don't express concern about why I'm painting while I'm pregnant. Saturday evening we went out to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. My dinner was delicious, the cheesecake, not so much. I ordered a turtle cheesecake because I've been craving my dad's turtle cheesecake, however, it was quite inferior to his. Rick's carrot cheesecake was good though!

Yesterday was Sunday, and therefore, quite obviously spent watching football. Unfortunately, Rick's Bucs lost to the Cowgirls. They had a nice start, but somewhere along the way they just lost it. Better luck next week in Buffalo!

I don't even know where to begin when it comes to talking about last night's Green Bay Packer victory over the Bears. I enjoyed this quote from the Chicago Tribune, "Cutler was supposed to be the Packers' worst nightmare; instead, he was their best friend. He did everything but wave a green and gold towel, leap into the stands and join the 70,000-plus in a rousing chorus of "Bang the Drum All Day."' LOL! Seriously, there was so much hype about Cutler, and boy was he awful. He ended the day with four interceptions and a 43.2 passer rating, completing 47 percent of his throws, compared with a 92.0 passer rating and a completion percentage of 61 for Rodgers. So, the Bears and their fans discovered last night that their new leader on the offensive side of things probably isn't going to be the savior they had hoped for. To pour even MORE salt on the wound, their superstar linebacker, Brian Urlacher, who injured his wrist last night, had surgery on said wrist this morning and is out for the remainder of the season! OUCH!

As for the Packers side of the ball, although it was a gut wrenching nail-biter until the very end, we looked good. The new 3-4 defense seems to be a good fit. The D kept Cutler to under 50 percent on his pass attempts and held Matt Forte to 55 yards on 25 carries. Rodgers was interception free and finished the game in a way he was unable to last season. We lost so many games in the final minutes of play last season because our offense simply couldn't perform under the pressure, but last night, against our biggest rival, they pulled it off beautifully.

I had so much adrenaline from the game that I stayed up past 2:00am! To pass the time I made some new Green Bay Packer Football shirt & gift designs for my Cafepress shop. :)

If you click on a shirt, you'll be taken to the shop.
Shirts are available in Men's, Women's & Children's

Cheesehead Born & Raised Shirt Sample

Cheesehead Shirt Sample

The Bears Still Suck Shirt Sample

Here are a couple designs from last season that I put back up:

Packers Maternity Shirt Sample

Mommy's Little Packer Backer Sample (Also available in Daddy's Little Packer Backer)

This Girl's a Packer Backer Shirt Sample

I even made a Green Bay Packer Cheesehead Dog Shirt! :)

Become a Fan!

USNchic's Armed Forces Fashions on Facebook.

"Good Friends are Like Stars....

2009-08-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

You can't always see them, but you know they are always there." This is my favorite quote. As a military family, we are always on the move. We make great friends, and then we move or they move. And don't forget about all of the friends we have "back home", wherever that may be. This quote is the perfect fit for anyone on the move who has friends scattered through out the country. I wanted to find this quote on something cute and crafty to send to my friends as a reminder of our friendship, but I just couldn't find anything cute and affordable. So, I did what I usually do when I can't find what I want...........I made it! :)

I made a cute design and uploaded it to a bunch of practical and affordable items on my website. I really like the magnets, so I ordered a 10 pack and sent them to some of my closest friends. I also ordered myself the tile coasters. One is on my side table and one is on display on an easel on our bookshelf. I am SO pleased with how they turned out, and all my friends seem to have been thrilled when they received theirs. I hope everyone else likes it as much as I do and will share it with the friends that they miss, too. :)

You can view all of the available products here. There are a couple different designs, so click on the design you like to view products with that design. Here is the magnet I sent out:

Isn't it cute?! I also LOVE the framed tile.

"10 Reasons Why my Husband Should be a Chief"

2009-08-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, I have this nifty little gadget on my sidebar that tells me the location of people visiting my blog and how they found it. If they found it via a search engine, it tells me what the term they searched for was. I'm seeing a lot of "why my husband should be a chief" popping up. As most of you know, it's Chief initiation season in the Navy and the chief selectees have to do all sorts of things. One thing is to keep a notebook in which they are assigned to do different things. One of the assignments when Rick made chief in 2007 was to have his wife write a list of 10 reasons why he should be a chief, and based on the search term popping up, I guess they still have to do this. So, I thought it would be fun to dig up my old list and share it for those wives who may be looking for a little inspiration for their list. :)

10 Reasons Why FCC (SEL) Leapard Should be a Chief

1. He passed the test.
2. He passed the board.
3. He looks good in khaki.
4. He's a great leader.
5. He knows his job very well.
6. "Chief Leapard" sounds HOT!
7. He needs the extra money to support my addiction to shopping.
8. So he can take me to the khaki ball.
9. He is an excellent role model for all junior sailors.
10. Did I mention he looks good in khaki?

If you've done this, I'd love to see your list! Add it as a comment if you'd like. :)

Now don't forget to visit my Chief Pride Shop!
Have a Great Navy Day!

I ♥ Requests!

2009-08-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a design request from the proud mother of a Marine. I love getting requests! She wanted a shirt that said, "Marine Mom" with the phrase "Always Faithful" under it. Here is what I came up with.

I went ahead and made one for Marine Wives, too!

Go here to see all of the available shirts and products.

More New Stuff........Chief Pride!

2009-08-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I guess I'm feeling extra motivated today because I made another new design! In honor of it being Chief initiation season, I made a chief pride design for wives and parents. Check out all of my chief pride designs and products here. Please share the link with all your friends in khakis! They will appreciate it almost as much as I do! :)

Here are some samples of the new design:

http://www.usnchic.com

New Designs!

2009-08-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Rick's underway for the week, so I had some free time to make a couple new designs in my Cafepress shop. As you know, I'm a Navy Veteran turned Navy Wife. I have a lot of fellow veteran/wife friends and know there are tons more out there. I am so proud to have served in the military and to continue serving as a military spouse. I thought I'd make a couple designs that allow us to display this pride. There is a traditional design as well as a more girly design. I love the shirts, and I especially like the license plate frames! I hope you do too!

You can view both designs and all of the available products here.

Here are some samples:

I'm always looking for new ideas, so if you have something you've been looking for, please let me know! I'm also always open to special requests and personalization. If you are on Facebook, please become a fan of my page and if you like my work, please share my site with your friends.

USNchic's Armed Forces Fashions on Facebook

Military Charities

2009-06-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

I'd like to dedicate this blog post to military charities. The name of the charity is hyperlinked to their website, so click on the name of the charity to learn more about them if you'd like. I will list the ones I've heard of and ask that anyone who reads this add any that I may have left out in a comment. Thank you!

American Red Cross
Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.

Fallen Patriot Fund
The Fallen Patriot Fund of The Mark Cuban Foundation was established to help families of U.S. military personnel who were killed or seriously injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Financial resources are vital to enhancing the sustainability of the family unit who has suffered a loss because their loved one sacrificed him/herself for freedom. Within that group, grant recipients will be selected in accordance with criteria established by The Mark Cuban Foundation. All proceeds will be disbursed.

Folds of Honor
Folds of Honor Foundation is a legacy foundation designed to provide scholarships for dependents and spouses of service members that have been killed or disabled as a result of their military service.

Homes for our Troops
Homes for Our Troops is a non-profit, non-partisan, 501 (c)(3) organization founded in 2004. This organization is strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to their country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries. We assist severely injured Servicemen and Women and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and then coordinating the process of building a new home or adapting an existing home for handicapped accessibility. The finished home is then given to the veteran.
*All services provided by Homes for Our Troops are at no cost to the veterans we serve.

National Military Family Association
In addition to serving at the installation and national level, the National Military Family Association is a direct resource for you and your families. For example, in the past year we have secured the following for all military families:
*Increased child care centers and hours to help military members working extended shifts
*Changes in the Family Medical Leave Act permitting service members’ spouses and parents to have more time off from work to help the wounded without fear of losing their jobs
*Additional funding for families seeking psychological care to better cope with wartime stress
*State action allowing students easier transfers between states by removing redundant or missed entrance/exit exams, streamlining graduation requirements, and aiding transfer of records
*Full replacement value on families’ belongings damaged during a move
*Training schools located off-installation about the lifestyle of military children.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
The mission of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is to provide, in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps, financial, educational, and other assistance to members of the Naval Services of the United States, eligible family members, and survivors when in need; and to receive and manage funds to administer these programs.

Operation Gratitude
OPERATION GRATITUDE seeks to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed overseas. Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, hygiene products, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support. Through Collection Drives, Letter Writing Campaigns and Donations of funds for shipping expenses, OPERATION GRATITUDE provides civilians anywhere in America a way to express their respect and appreciation to the men and women of the U.S. Military in an active, hands-on manner.

Operation Love ReUnited
Operation Love ReUnited provides portrait sessions for deploying/deployed families and sends an album of portraits to the deployed service member. They also do homecoming photos.

SOS Fund
The SOS Fund was founded in March 2004. The initial mission was to bring attention to Americans the trauma suffered by the families of the troops killed in the War on Terror. We wanted to point out their plight at having to dealing with, not only an emotional loss, but also with financial distress as well.

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
Founded out of tragedy in 1994, TAPS has grown and established itself as the front line resource to families and loved ones of our military men and women. TAPS has provided comfort and care, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through comprehensive services and programs including peer based emotional support, case work assistance, crisis intervention, and grief and trauma resources.

USO
The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The original intent of Congress — and enduring style of USO delivery — is to represent the American people by extending a touch of home to the military. The USO currently operates more than 135 centers worldwide. Service members and their families visit USO centers more than 6.9 million times each year. The USO is the way the American public supports the troops.

Wounded Warriors Family Support
Our mission is to provide support to the families of those who have been wounded, injured or killed during combat operations. The families of our casualties suffer in many ways: some financially, some psychologically.

Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors.
PURPOSE:
To raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women,
To help severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and
To provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members.

More Charity Listings

You can also find some of these charities on Facebook and become a fan or support their cause!

It's official!

2009-02-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

My husband is a Naval Officer. He was commissioned on Friday as a Limited Duty Officer (LDO). Since he was prior enlisted, he is considered a mustang. I am SO proud of him! Here is a slide show of the pictures.

My Makeover!

2009-01-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

I was just checking out a blog I just found, Lovely Yellow Ribbons' Glam Gals, and I realized that I never posted about my Parenting Magazine makeover here! Allow me to first give you the back story. While my husband was deployed to Iraq last year I was taking a full load of classes online and our son had just turned one year old when my husband deployed. Between school and taking care of my son I didn't have much time for myself, so when I saw that Parenting Magazine was holding a makeover contest I jumped at the opportunity.

I had to submit a 60 second video stating why I deserved a Mom Squad Makeover. I made a list of all the thing I wanted to mention, then I made a mini script. I must have shot the video at least 30 times before I finally had it within the 60 second time limit. You can view the video here. There are a couple parts in the beginning where the sound gets all messed up, so make sure your volume isn't up too high. The video was submitted on February 17th.

On April 8th I received the following email:

Dear Allison,
Hello! I’m an editor at Parenting magazine, and I’m writing to tell you that the Mom Squad loved the video you sent in for our makeover contest. You’re one of our three finalists!

I’d love to talk to you on the phone in the next couple of days, if you can spare the time, to get to know you a little better and tell you more about the Mom Squad. Is there a good time I can give you a call? And, what’s your number? If you’d rather call me, my number’s below.

Thanks—I look forward to talking to you!

Sarah

OMG! She can't be serious! But she was! So, we chatted on the phone for about half an hour one day. We talked about my experience in the Navy, my life as a Navy wife and the joys of motherhood. Then, on April 18th I got the all too exciting news:

Hi Allison,
I’m so happy to say that our editor in chief agreed with us that you are the perfect person to win our Mom Squad makeover contest! I’ll be in touch with you next week about details. We decided to run the piece a month later than we were first planning (October instead of September), so we won’t need to rush and scramble so much. We’ll still want to visit there or have you come here in May, but probably late May, even the first week of June, instead of early May. Would that work for you, I hope? Let me know! We’ll work around your schedule.

Thanks, and I’ll talk to you soon! Have a great weekend!

Sarah

It was unbelievable. I have always thought a makeover would be so much fun, and now I was getting one that was going to be featured in a popular magazine, along with a free trip to NYC!

The timing ended up being perfect. My husband was scheduled to come home from Iraq on June 30th and they flew me out to New York for my makeover on June 21st. They put me up in the Thirty Thirty Hotel in Manhattan. I first met with Sarah, the editor, and Sharon, the fitness expert. They were both super nice. Sharon gave me a workout routine that is suitable for my schedule and the cold weather here in Illinois. It is something I can do at home and isn't too time consuming.

After my workout session Sarah took me to the salon, Bumble and Bumble, where I was having my hair colored. A very nice girl named Kitty colored my hair. Nikki was also there. She is the girl who was eventually going to cut my hair the day of the photo shoot. She is also super nice. She brought her 5 year old son with her. He was so adorable. He wrote me a little love letter! Haha! He handed me a folded up piece of paper and said, "This is for you" so I opened it and it said, "I (heart) you"! SO ADORABLE! He was also all about helping his mom out. He helped blow dry my hair.

So, I totally ended up loving my hair color. I had previously dyed it blonde, but Kitty made it closer to my natural brown color and left some blonde highlights in it. It turned out so great!

The next day I met with Janine, the organizer. We mainly talked about how I could better stay organized when school starts back up in the fall. I think the resources and ideas she gave me will be a great help! One of the best resources I received from her was a Whomi Planner. It helps keep all of the different aspects of my life organized.

The third day was the big photo shoot! The most exciting part of the whole adventure! It took place in Greenwich Village. The first thing they did was the worst part; the before picture! lol! I didn't blow dry my hair that morning or put any makeup on, so it's a pretty horrific picture! Then, it was time for makeup. A lovely lady named Sara did my makeup and it was great. She gave me lots of tips and made clear what I should do when I normally wear makeup and what she was just doing for the photo shoot. After that, Nikki cut and styled my hair. She cut off so much hair! It was really scary! I do have a lot of hair though, and it was pretty long. After it was cut and styled everyone told me how much they loved it. I wasn't really sure I liked it, and it took some getting used to, but I ended up loving it after a couple days.

After my hair was finished I had a bra fitting that was set up by the fashion stylist, Billie. It was a great idea. I got two great bras out of it, and it's so nice to finally have bras that fit! After nursing Ethan, it was impossible to find a bra that fit me well. Following that, we picked out some outfits for me to wear and proceeded on to the photo shoot.

The photo shoot was so fun! I could definitely handle being a model for a living! Haha! The first shirt I wore, for my close up shot, was a pretty teal blue. I loved it. I wasn't crazy about the second outfit that I wore for the full body shots though. The jeans were pretty sweet, but I wore a dress over them and I thought it looked like I was wearing a muumuu or something. However, once again everyone said they liked it, and the pictures turned out great, so whatever!

That night the editors, Sarah and Stephanie, took me out for dinner. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them and we are actually still in touch via facebook. They were so fun and so nice; totally not what I was expecting in the big city! :)

The makeover was featured in the October issue of Parenting Magazine, but you can still check it out online: My Makeover

I also did a little site seeing while I was there. A big chunk of my husband's family is from Syracuse and he had a cousin that lived there at the time, so her and her boyfriend showed me the sites. I had so much fun with them!

Here are my personal photos from the trip:

Speaking of Optimism

2009-01-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

This is something I found almost 2 years ago. I think it is really enlightening and everyone should read it. I even recommend printing it out so that you can remind yourself of it whenever you are feeling down.

Be Optimistic

How to be Optimistic

While being skeptical can be a healthy way to avoid getting taken advantage of, being pessimistic - that is, always assuming the worst - can have major negative consequences on your life. Seeing only the negative aspects of any situation can cause you to miss opportunities, neglect problems that need to be solved, and fail to take action that would otherwise improve your relationships and quality of life. Optimists look for the light at the end the tunnel. If you've always had a pessimistic worldview, it can be difficult to shift your focus, but it is possible to start seeing the glass as half full, not half empty.

Steps

1. Let go of the assumption that the world is against you, or that you were born with a gray cloud over your head. It is an assumption that has no basis in reason or science. To believe that the universe or a spiritual entity has singled you out and shifted the world order just to make your life miserable is both self-centered and illogical. Be humble and stop pretending you've got the world all figured out. Sometimes bad experiences lead to good experiences, and you can't predict the future, so you can't assume it'll always be bad.

2. Look for the source of your pessimism. Deep-rooted negativity can often be traced to childhood experiences, when growing minds observe their circumstances and make presumptions about how the world functions. If all you saw growing up were disappointments, betrayals and failure, it's no surprise that now it's what you expect from the world as an adult. Sometimes we pick up a flair for pessimism from a parent who made negative assumptions about the world somewhere along the line. Either way, the sooner you can attribute your pessimism to a unique set of circumstances rather than the state of the world itself, the easier it'll be to change your perspective.

3. Understand that the past does not equal the future. Just because you've experienced pain or disappointment in the past does not guarantee that it's all you'll experience in the future. There were many things in your past that you couldn't control, and everybody comes across unfortunate circumstances at some point in their lives - you're no exception. But there are also many things in life we can control to one degree or another, and therein lies the possibility of change. A day or week that starts badly will not necessarily end badly. Do not make a bad start turn into a self fulfilling prophecy for a bad ending.

4. See yourself as a cause, not an effect. You don't have to be a product or a victim of your circumstances. Stop thinking about what is happening to you and start thinking about what you can make happen. If you're not happy with the way your life is now, set goals and move on. Use your past negative experiences to build character and make better decisions, instead of letting pessimism turn you into someone who avoids risk at all costs. Sometimes it is necessary to take risks to receive rewards. Moreover, taking no action is taking an action. It is better to play to win rather than merely to avoid losing.

5. Accept pain, failure and disappointment as a part of life, not the entirety of it. Life involves taking many risks every day, and not all of them will end positively. That's what defines risk. But the flip side is that some actions will lead to good results, and it's generally better to have a mixed bag than to have nothing at all. Ideally, the good stuff will outweigh the bad, but you'll never reach that point unless you put yourself out there and hope for the best. When in doubt, remember Lord Alfred Tennyson's words of wisdom:

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

6. Be thankful. Everyone has something to be grateful for. Make a list of the good things that have happened to you. If nothing instantly springs to mind, you aren't trying hard enough. The key to being an optimist is recognizing the benefits and possibilities of any situation, and understanding that it could always be worse. If all else fails, think of how life could be worse, and flip the thought process to recognize what you do have. For example: "I'm flunking out of school" can turn into "Well, at least I have a chance to go to school, and I still have time to turn my grades around." Get a notebook and a pen, and write down all the good things that you have. Every time you are feeling negative, read through them and remind yourself that it's not all bad.

7. Use positive affirmations. Write down short statements that remind you of what you're trying to change about the way you see the world. Put them in places where you'll see them every day, such as on your bathroom mirror, the inside of your locker, on your computer monitor, and even taped to your shower wall. Some affirmations to start with are:

* "Anything is possible."
* "I create my circumstances, my circumstances don't create me."
* "The only thing I can control is my attitude towards life."
* "I always have a choice."

8. Remember that life is short. When you feel pessimism clouding your judgment or you start to feel down about the future, remind yourself that every minute counts, and any time spent brooding guarantees nothing but less time to enjoy whatever life might have to offer. At its core, pessimism is impractical because it causes you to spend time dwelling on things that haven't happened yet and aren't guaranteed to happen, and it prevents you from getting things done. Pessimism breeds indecision. It's a waste of time, and time is a limited resource that you can't afford to take for granted.

9. Be a balanced optimist. Nobody's suggesting that you become an oblivious Pollyanna, pretending that nothing bad can or ever will happen. Doing so can lead to poor decisions and invites people to take advantage of you. Instead, be a rational optimist who takes the good with the bad, in hopes of the good ultimately outweighing the bad, and with the understanding that being pessimistic about everything accomplishes nothing. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best - the former makes you sensible, and the latter makes you an optimist.

Tips

* Use quotes to remind yourself how to be optimistic. Maybe during a particularly tough day someone mentions some saying that gives you a rare boost of motivation, write it down. Here are a few inspirational saying:

o Even the longest journey begins with a single step
o Life has a way of reminding one that it can be worse
o Until one understands the low and darker side of life, the appreciation of the awe-inspiring highs will remain stagnant
o Every cloud has a silver lining

* Look happy. Studies have shown that putting a positive expression on your face can actually make you feel happier and more optimistic about the future.[1]

* Practice by conveying these ideas to others. If you hear someone being pessimistic, counsel them based on these steps. Sometimes it's easier to understand a perspective if you explain it to someone else first.

* No matter how odd this may sound, listen to optimistic music (that you like) and read books that have a least a little optimism in it.

Warnings

* Avoid negative people. If you can't avoid them, learn how to not let them get you down.

* Don't confuse pessimism with depression. Depression can make everything look worse than it is.

* While it is true that you create your own circumstances, accept that the past is the past. Don't let negative circumstances trigger irrational guilt.

* Realize that it's not about what happens to you, it's about how you react to what happens.

Military Discounts

2009-01-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

Here are places I know of that offer discounts, however every location may not offer discounts. Never hurts to ask! If you have any to add, please leave them in a comment. Thank you!

Stores:
Payless
Footlocker
GNC
New York & Co.
Nike More Info
Sally Beauty Supply
Bass Pro Shop (Last week of the month)
Kohls

Services/Attractions:
Sears Portrait Studio (20%)
Budget truck rental (10-20%)
Ripley's attractions and museums
GM More Info

Restaurants:
Sweet Tomatoes
Quizno's
IHOP

Cell Phone Service Discounts:
Cell Phone Service Discounts
Cell Phone Service Discounts for Military

* Alltel: Log in to your account on Alltel's Website and change your profile e-mail address to your .mil e-mail address. Further information is available by dialing 1-800-ALLTEL1

* Cingular: Call 1-866-246-4852. You can also go online to www.cingular.com/discounts.

* Nextel: Call 1-800-639-6111. Has merged with Sprint. New customers should go to a Nextel store; existing customers can provide their information over the phone to get the discount.

* Sprint: Call 1-888-703-9514 and reference "AAFES code #0109565715"

* T-Mobile: New customers should call 1-866-646-4688. Current customers should go to www.tmobile.com/corpdiscount. Follow instructions to register for “My T-Mobile,” and you’ll get a temporary password.

* Verizon: Call 1-800-922-0204.

Here is a website that lists military discounts as well.
www.benefits.military.com

Salute to Heroes

2009-01-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

Budweiser is continuing it's Salute to Heroes as well. FREE entrance to it's parks for military members and their direct dependents (up to 3). But you must register online and print a form. herosalute.com

Parks include Sea World, Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, Sesame Place, and Water Country USA.

Disney's Armed Forces Salute 2009

2009-01-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Beginning Sunday, January 4, 2009

Active and Retired U.S. Military, including members of the U.S. Coast Guard and activated members of the National Guard or Reservists, may obtain one complimentary 5-Day Disney's Armed Forces Salute Ticket (Base Ticket with the Park Hopper® option and Water Park Fun & More Option - No Expiration option is not available). They may also purchase 5-Day Disney's Armed Forces Salute Companion Tickets for up to five (5) family members and/or friends for $99 plus tax (Park Hopper® Option and Water Park Fun & More Options may be purchased for an additional $25 + tax for each option - No Expiration option is not available). These tickets are valid through December 23, 2009.

Military Personnel must present valid United States Military identification (active or retired). Activated members of the National Guard or Reservists must present active duty orders in addition to valid Military ID. Sales locations should refer to the Military ID Reference Sheet for verification.
In order to be eligible for this program, the military member must have been active for any length of time between January 1, 2008 and the end of this offer (December 23, 2009).
Walt Disney World Resorts News

Sidenote: They are now including a room reduction for on-site hotels of 40% for military and you can add the dining plans to the tickets. It is not as good of a deal as the buy 4 get 3 free deal they have going right now BUT if you are going later in the year it's an awesome deal!! You can even add the dining plan for the military member w/the free ticket. (Thanks for the info Kamryn)

Congrats New Chiefs!

2008-08-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

Congrats to all of the new CPO Selectees! Did your spouse make the cut? You can view the list of selectees at npc.navy.mil. Look on the bottom right hand corner under "New Messages" and click on 213/08 PART 2 - FY08 ACTIVE DUTY E7 SELECTION BOARD RESULTS or 213/08 PART 1 - FY08 ACTIVE DUTY E7 SELECTION BOARD RESULTS. Find ways to support your new Chief here.

Has your spouse been an IA?

2008-07-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

I want to hear from you, the readers! Has your spouse been an Individual Augmentee? Where were they deployed to? How did the IA deployment differ from a typical ship deployment? What was the hardest part? Is there anything the Navy could do to make IA deployments easier on the families? Please share your experience!

IA Information

2008-07-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of writing a rather lengthy blog about my husband's 9 month deployment as an IA to Iraq. In the meantime, here is some useful information for families who are currently enduring or about to endure an IA deployment. If anyone has anything to add, please let me know!

The first three are PDF files.

Download the IA Sailor Handbook for your Hubby

Download the IA Family Handbook

IA Spouse Support

Fleet & Family Support Center

Fleet & Family Support Center IA Page

IA Activities List of Locations

IA Monthly Newsletter

IA Family Connection Virtual Discussion Group

Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center

The Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center has also established a hotline for IA spouses and families. This toll free number, 877-364-4302, is for both active duty and reserve sailors deployed as IA's. This number provides families a contact point for information or resources they need during this very different deployment.

Here are a couple things that will help your children get through any deployment, not just an IA deployment.

Daddy Dolls

Dog Tags for Kids

Flat Daddies

I had a Flat Daddy for our deployment and it was great. My son would give daddy a good night kiss every night before bed thanks to the Flat Daddy. They are free; you only pay shipping. They are typically on back order though, so you should order one as soon as possible.

Here is a site where you can get welcome home and support banners.

Build a Sign

Lastly, a little shameless plug. While my husband was deployed I couldn't find any shirts at the NEX to support my IA, so I made my own. You can check them out at the bottom of this page:
USNchic's Armed Forces Fashions Navy Wife Shirts

IA Deployment

2008-07-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

If you are a part of the Navy family you’ve probably heard the acronym IA before, but you may not be clear on what it means. IA stands for Individual Augmentee. An IA is Sailor that is temporarily sent to assist, or augment, another command. According to Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC), to support the global war on terrorism (GWOT), the Navy is sending IAs to assist commands in other branches of the service, primarily the Army and Marine Corps. These assignments are not on ships, but on the ground in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay or Africa. IAs can be sent anywhere in the world that they are needed.

IA deployments affect the family much differently than a typical ship deployment for a few different reasons, primarily because it is just the service member deploying by him/her self rather than with a whole unit or ship. This may make the service member and their families feel isolated. There is not as much support for the family left behind as there would be if a whole ship were deploying; however; many commands are working on fixing this issue by initiating Family Support Groups and other means of assistance. These deployments are also more difficult because notification of the deployment is typically short notice and the deployments tend to be longer than conventional shipboard deployments. Lastly, the most difficult part of an IA deployment is dealing with the element of danger that is not usually associated with a shipboard deployment.

I can tell you first hand that all of these things are true. When we transferred to Naval Station Great Lakes for shore duty it never once crossed my mind that Rick would be deployed to Iraq. I was so excited to be moving near my family in Wisconsin and to have Rick home with me for three straight years. When we transferred to Great Lakes, my biggest concern was selling our home in Mayport, FL, but that is a whole different blog post! To make that long story short, we ended up living apart for six months until a friend offered to rent the house from us. We were finally able to move in together and be a family again in April of 2007, but two months later Rick's command got the call that they needed to supply a name for a possible IA billet. Rick and one other chief were the only two at his command qualified to fill the billet, so we discussed it, and after shedding a lot of tears (me, not Rick) we agreed that he should go ahead and volunteer.

After he volunteered, we were just waiting to find out if he would be chosen to go and when. A couple days later, Rick was told that they had selected someone from a different command to go. I was so incredibly relieved! Unfortunately, that wasn't the last we would be hearing about it. Two weeks later they got a call that the other person ended up not being qualified, so Rick was now the IA. Oh the heartache! After being told that he was in the clear only two weeks earlier, the change in plans was a hard pill to swallow. We didn't have much time before he was due to deploy though, so I had to put on my big girl panties and make the best of the month and a half we had left together. We celebrated our son's first birthday, made a trip to Florida so he could see all of his friends and family, and then he was off to training with the Army.

He trained with the Army for one week in Virginia, one week in Maryland, and two weeks in South Carolina. He wasn't able to come home before he deployed, but thankfully I was able to fly to South Carolina to see him for a day and a half right before he headed out to the Middle East. I was so greatful to be able to see him one last time! I just had so much uncertainty in my head with him deploying to Iraq, so being able to see him before he left was wonderful.

In the nine months that followed there were a lot of ups and downs. He ended up being stationed at FOB Marez in Mosul, Iraq. His job was to run a shop that repaired jamming devices. During the first half of the deployment I couldn't bear to watch the news because there was never any good news about Iraq. The first time I tried to watch the news there was a report about how Mosul was becoming the most violent city in Iraq, and five soldiers had died there that day, so that was a big mistake. After a while though I had to give in and watch the news because I was uninformed on the presidential race.

While he was deployed, I felt pretty alone. I made great friends, and my family was nearby for support, but I was one of very few wives left behind. It wasn't like a ship deployment where there are a whole shipload of wives in the same boat as you. Everyone was busy enjoying family time with their husbands and kids on the weekends. As luck would have it, it was the snowiest winter on record in Illinois, so I spent a lot of time shoveling, which had to wait until nap time since my then one year old son hate being outside in the cold. Rick's command never checked on me to see how I was doing, not even after a massive snow storm blew threw. It was a really difficult time.

I managed to keep as busy as possible with online classes. I ended up earning my associate's degree, with high honors, in December. We attended play dates during the week and Ethan was in swimming lessons at the base pool. I started putting a lot of time into my Cafepress store. I compiled all of the IA support information I could to try to help other spouses about to face the same situation I was in. Staying busy is absolutely the key to making the time your spouse is deployed go faster.

The best thing that came out of the deployment was that Rick made LDO, limited duty officer. So, he would be commissioned the next year. That was incredibly exciting news, especially since it was the first time he had submitted a package.

Rick returned home to a made-over wife and almost 2 year old son on June 29th, 2008. It was one of the most exciting days of our lives. I don't think we had ever been happier to see each other! Ethan went almost the whole second year of his life without his daddy, but thanks to our flat daddy and the daddy book I made for him, I'm pretty sure he recognized Rick. He was really shy at first, but he warmed up to him pretty quick. It was wonderful to have our family complete again. My parents and my brother were here for the big day as well.

Here are some photos from the homecoming: