News


By Noriko Kudo, U.S. Army Garrison Japan Public Affairs

CAMP ZAMA, Japan -- Current Army Family housing residents on Camp Zama and Sagamihara Family Housing Area were able to provide direct input and ideas aimed at improving the quality of life for future residents.

Camp Zama's Directorate of Public Works invited residents to participate in the U.S. Army Garrison Japan Family Housing District area development plan, held May 13 through 16, allowing them to discuss housing issues and ideas for improvements with a team of subject-matter experts and outside consultants.

From the Office of the Navy Chief of Information

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- From military installation searches to special family needs, relocation and retirement, the MyNavy Family mobile application is a one-stop shop for Navy spouses and Sailors’ families, combining official information from more than 22 websites.

Developed by the U.S. Navy, the app covers a wide variety of topics: New Spouse Mentorship & Networking; Employment & Adult Education; Parenthood; Special Needs Family Support; Moving & Relocation; Service Member Deployment; Counseling Services; Recreation, Lodging & Travel; Family Emergencies; and Transition & Retirement.

From the Office of the Navy Chief of Information

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy’s Professional Military Knowledge Eligibility Exam (PMK-EE) mobile application conveniently allows Sailors to prepare for and complete these exams, which they must pass to advance through the E4/5/6/7 paygrades.

Sailors can use their mobile devices to access the PMK-EE app to review topics, access bibliographies and complete the exam that corresponds to each paygrade.

From Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- To support the summer permanent change of station (PCS) season, Navy Personnel Command (NPC) is taking action to improve the PCS move experience for Sailors and their families.

Sailors who have already completed at least one PCS move, know the process can be quite complex – from the household goods shipment to budgeting for potential out-of-pocket expenses. Navy Personnel Command (NPC) is working with numerous partners across the Navy and Department of Defense to rapidly field numerous customer oriented improvements to simplify the process for hardworking Sailors and their families. The new MyPCS Checklist, a tailored and interactive checklist to assist in move preparation and execution, is available now via MyNavy Portal at https://my.navy.mil.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Microsoft Corp., recently formed a partnership that aims to improve how Veterans living in rural areas can access VA’s online services and benefits.

The agreement, which was formalized in mid-April, allows VA and Microsoft to work together to advance and improve the quality of life for Veterans by identifying opportunities to extend broadband internet connectivity to underserved rural Veteran communities.

by Amanda Turner

Your home is your safe space, a place where you and your family can come together and unwind, after a long day. That’s why it is so important that you keep your home in tip-top shape so that you and yours can have confidence that when you walk through the door, you’ll feel relaxed and at ease. If you’re ready to spruce up your abode, here are seven tips for freshening up your home and health:

Create a Sleep Routine

Before you can begin to take on your home, you need a good night of rest. In fact, a regular sleep schedule is important for everything from boosting your immunity to increasing patience with your kids. This is one simple health tip that will give you more energy to not just freshen up your home, but to have a refreshed perspective on your life.  

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) will host Memorial Day ceremonies from May 25 to May 27 to commemorate the nation’s fallen service members.

“At VA, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice by providing them with a perpetual memorial in our national cemeteries,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “And we also care for their survivors, whether during war or peacetime. It is a profound and personal commitment for every one of us at VA.”

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

The Air Force announced the spouse relicensure reimbursement program, May 15, which would provide financial relief up to $500 to Airmen whose spouses must obtain state occupational relicensures or recertifications during a permanent change of station or assignment across state lines.

The Air Force will reimburse qualifying relicensure and recertification fees incurred during PCS/PCAs authenticated on or after Dec. 12, 2017.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

All three military service secretaries signed a memorandum today to jointly explore how military spouses can find employment and sustain careers at overseas bases.

“Military service is a team sport that begins with the family," said Secretary of the Army Mark Esper. “Helping our spouses pursue their careers while they support their service members is not only the right thing to do, it improves the readiness of the force and our retention of top talent.”

By Sean Kimmons, Army News Service

The Army recently issued a directive to reduce the financial burden for spouses who wish to continue their professional careers after they move to a new duty station. 

The policy allows spouses to be reimbursed up to $500 for qualified relicensing costs that result from a permanent change of station or assignment to a different state.