How To Celebrate Our Military Families This Month

How To Celebrate Our Military Families This Month

November is Military Family Appreciation Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the sacrifices and the unique challenges faced by the family members of our service members. Military families deserve this recognition and support from their fellow citizens and any institutions that can assist them with their future endeavors.  

This article will cover how you, as an individual, a company, or an institution, can celebrate and support military families this month and beyond. We will also cover how qualified U.S. Soldiers have an opportunity to pursue technical and industry-recognized professional credentials with funding from the military through Army CA.  

Ways You Can Provide Support During Military Family Month 

Supporting military families can take many forms. Military families deal with many upheavals and changes, which means that their needs are different from most families. These families truly deserve our respect between deployments, months apart, emotional returns, and constant uncertainty about the future. Luckily, there is plenty that you can do to show our support.  

• Make a Donation: Consider donating to nonprofits that are dedicated to veterans and military service members, such as Armed Services YMCA, Our Military Kids, United Service Organizations (USO), Wounded Warriors Family Support, and the Green Beret Foundation. 
• Send a Care Package: Whether you know a service member or their family personally or not, sending a care package can lift their spirits and provide them with items they might need.  
• Volunteer: If you prefer to volunteer virtually or in-person there are a multitude of options when it comes to giving back to military families. 
• Support Veteran-Owned Businesses: Explore these veteran-owned businesses and discover the numerous categories in which you can show your support. 

One other way you can help is by providing support through quality education opportunities and career training. We will discuss this further below.  

Benefits of Distance Learning for Military Families 

Members of military families tend to move around a lot, but they need to gain knowledge and skills for the workplace just like anyone else. Choosing a program that will allow them to further their education and gain skills in an online format with flexibility is important for their success. Fortunately, there are plenty of learning opportunities available for Soldiers and their spouses (more funding information for spouses can be found here). 

Here are some of the great benefits to studying online that will be appealing to both Soldiers and their spouses: 

• Portable job skills training: Learn skills needed to be successful in a job that suits a nomadic lifestyle, such as graphic design, medical billing or coding, and much more. 

• Study at a comfortable pace: Military life can be hectic between big moves, deployments, and active duty for months on end, so they need the freedom to learn at their own pace—anywhere, anytime. 
• The same curriculum as on-campus classes: They will benefit from the same high-quality content they would experience in classes on campus. 
• Respectable job opportunities: Online learning takes self-discipline and commitment, which is something employers respect, meaning they should be able to find some great job opportunities after completing a program.   

What Is Army Credentialing Assistance (CA)? 

The Army Credentialing Assistance (CA) Program offers qualifying Soldiers up to $4,000 in military benefits funding for their education. This funding may be used to pay for approved courses or training as well as books and study materials required to complete an education program. The Army CA is also designed to support Soldiers by helping them attain industry-recognized credentials that can further their future careers.  

By focusing on career progression while they are still serving, they can feel secure in their future, especially if they have a family. Making use of the Army CA funding to increase skills and improve capabilities will be beneficial once they become a civilian again.  

Pursue Academic Goals With ed2go 

At ed2go, we empower students to achieve and exceed their goals while equipping them with relevant knowledge and transferrable skills. With over 900 online courses to choose from, we help individuals prepare for in-demand occupations—on their time. 

Furthermore, Soldiers can use Army CA funding to pursue their own academic goals and pay for our courses. Funds can be used for any approved courses, vocational training programs, or certified courses to help them find the best jobs after military service. We are also proud to support eligible military spouses with their educational needs.  

Educational Support for Military Families 

We hope this article provided insight into how we can better show our appreciation and support through online courses and education funding programs for military family members and Soldiers. So, whether it is providing more workplace flexibility, job opportunities, or simply writing a thank you note, there is no better time than now to show your support during Military Family Appreciation Month.