The number of reports of family violence within the military, which had been in decline over several years, has been rising over the last two years, and reports of abused children and spouses increased significantly last year, a report by the Defense Department’s Family Advocacy Program shows. Full story.

More than three-quarters of the schools run by the Department of Defense Education Authority on military bases around the world are either beyond repair or would require extensive renovations before they meet the department's minimum standards, including three on Marine Corps Base Quantico rated as "poor" or "failing," according to the Center for Public Integrity. Full story.

A national emergency grant for $4.8 million was recently awarded to help spouses relocating to Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The grant is part of the Base Realignment and Closure Committee action of 2005 and will help 825 military spouses upgrade skills or find new careers. Full story.

Building Happily Ever After with a military dude requires spouses to master two “initial” sets of skills: D-ployment skills and M-ployment skills. And to tell you the truth, I think the M-ployment skills are harder. Full story.

there is something about the delight of two. Just two. Only two. Table for two. Two sets of feelings. Two seats on the boardwalk. Two people making a life together one word at a time. Full story.