How to Leverage Your Military Benefits to Rock the Summer of 2017

Sitting in the pickup line, waiting for that final bell to ring on the last day of school I can feel the pit in my stomach grow. The pit is filled with equal part excitement and angst as the long, hot sticky summer looms before us. Even though I am over 30 years old, I still get excited for the freedom summer break gives us. Unlimited pool trips, ice cream for dinner and free days filled with adventure provide our family with the bit of joy and adventure we need to get through the school-year, packed with endless activities to participate in, concerts to attend and lunches to pack. But along with the freedom comes a bit of worry. Worry that with all of the togetherness my children may possibly kill each other or that repeating myself 300 times a day really will cause my head to explode. In order to avoid any sort of bodily harm to myself or my little angels, I have found the secret to an amazing summer is leveraging our military benefits . There is no doubt that being in the military comes with its fair share of downfalls: constant moving, being far away from family and having your spouse in harms way all take a toll on military families. Thankfully many organizations understand the plight of the military family and offer amazing discounts/incentives to help military families make the most out of the long, hot sticky days of summer! Here are our three tips to leveraging your military benefits to rock the summer of 2017. 1. Plan ahead. The saying “failing to plan is planning to fail” couldn’t be more applicable to the mission of making the most out of the summer of 2017. I’m not saying that you have to have a day-by-day, minute-by-minute itinerary (although if that’s your thing, go for it!). What I am saying is that you need to map out how you want your summer to flow . Do you want to have an activity every day, every other day or once a week? Do you want to stay close to home or become a globetrotter ? Answering these questions will help you choose which benefits to take advantage of and which ones to store for a later date. 2. Take advantage of generous benefits. Free tickets to events! Vet Tix : this organization provides tickets to events in order to reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, build life-long memories and encourage service members and veterans to stay engaged with local communities and American life. Vet Tix provides tickets to all branches of currently serving military and veterans, including immediate family of troops KIA. Vet Tix secures tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts, educational and family activities across the nation. Waves of Honor : Sea World, Busch Gardens and Sesame Place salutes the men and women of our armed forces and their families by offering one complimentary admission per year to for military personnel and as many as three direct dependents. Free admission to museums! Blue Star Museums : in collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, offers free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve and their families, from Memorial Day through Labor Day to more than 2,000 museums across America. The program also provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their new communities after a military move. Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers and dozens of children’s museums. Discounted tickets from your installation’s travel office! Whether you’re heading for the beach, ready to take a cruise or are destined for a week at a great theme park, the travel office can assist you in a number of ways, including with purchasing discounted attraction tickets, booking a cruise, cruise, securing a resort vacation rentals and much more. Discounted lodging at military installations! When you are out exploring, you can take advantage of many convenient and inexpensive lodging options available around the world from each branch of the military. There are thousands of rooms available at temporary housing facilities, hotels, resorts, and guesthouses around the world. Each branch of the military offers its own special lodging styles and locations. Free (or nearly free) flights! Space Available Flight , better known as Space A, is an awesome benefit provided to service members, retirees and their families. Under the program, eligible passengers can fill unused seats on DoD-owned or controlled aircraft once all the space-required passengers and cargo have been accommodated. Space A Travel is not always predictable, but if you have the time and flexibility, it offers incredible discounts to a wide variety of locations. Free admission to the great outdoors! Free National Park Pass: Available to Current U.S. military members and the dependents of deployed military in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, as well as most members of the Current U.S. Reserves and National Guard. The passes can be obtained in person at any federal recreation sites that charges entrance or standard amenity fees and permits owners and any accompanying passengers in a private non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas, or the pass owner and up to additional three adults at sites that charge per person. For more on unknown military discounts- check out this article !

3. Enjoy the ride. For some of us control freaks out there, this can be the hardest part of summer vacation. In order to truly rock the summer of 2017, it is imperative that you are able to roll with the punches and enjoy the unexpected twists and turns . It is almost guaranteed that every adventure will not go exactly as planned, but that’s half the fun! The memories you make and the lessons you learn will make you a more well-rounded and experienced partner, parent and friend. As the final bell rings and the sounds of children gleefully exiting the building fill the air, I take a long deep breath and smile. The mixed feelings of angst and excitement are still there but now that I have planned, researched affordable adventures, and primed my positive mindset I can use that pit as fuel for what will surely be the best summer yet! [maxbutton id="13"] Connect with us on Facebook!

How to Leverage Your Military Benefits to Rock the Summer of 2017

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