AWTR Show #901: PCSgrades & First Command (Katie Waters)

Giveaway alert! This podcast just got even better. One lucky listener is going to get the chance to win a stressless PCS Kit and a spouse-serve planner from PCSgrades. For a chance to win simply comment on this podcast or any social media post sharing this podcast or leave a comment on armywifenetwork.com on this post. We will randomly choose a winner one week from when this podcast airs.

We’ve all been there, when your spouse gets orders to a new duty station, you have tons of questions. Maybe you hop to Facebook to check for a group page. But the information is all over the place and it’s not always complete. That’s where PCSgrades comes in.

Discover trusted local area insights by and for military and veteran families for base housing, off-base neighborhoods, schools, and more. You can also earn cashback when you buy or sell a home! PCSgrades offers in-depth area guides, BAH calculators, neighborhood reviews, housing photos, weekly webinars, PCS checklists, and more! We are your one stop PCS shop!

Jenah Wieczorek- as Director of Marketing with 5 PCSs worth of experience, this Army spouse runs the social media efforts, a team of military spouse sponsors, and the outreach into local military communities. Jenah also dedicates her time to serving in local spouse clubs, SFRGs, and running a meal ministry in her neighborhood. Jenah is married to an active-duty Soldier, has two children and one fur baby.

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about PCSgrades, check out their website here or connect with them on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, or LinkedIn.

Empowerment Patrol with Amanda B.

Today we are showcasing one of our volunteers who is an MRE winner, which by the way, that stands for Motivated and Ready to Empower. A huge congratulations to Army Wife Network Command Team Member, our Empowerment Agent, Amanda Bicknese.

Amanda officially became a military spouse in 2014. She is a mom to her 2-year old daughter, Mikayla, and to two fur babies—a dog named Daisy and a cat named Cadet. Amanda is from Florida, where she and her husband, Michael, met in high school and began dating during their freshmen year of college. She holds a Bachelor’s in English Literature from the University of Central Florida and a Master’s in Teaching Elementary Education from North Carolina State University. Amanda has a passion for teaching and is currently a part-time online ESL teacher as well as a full-time third grade teacher at a Project-Based Learning school in Colorado. She has a love of learning along with teaching and is always seeking out development, both professionally and personally.

In her spare time, Amanda enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, practicing yoga and barre, watching movies, trying out new restaurants, and exploring new places and activities around her. She finds daily inspiration through a favorite quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Amanda is very happy to be a part of such an amazing and supportive community and hopes she can provide encouragement and empowerment anywhere she goes.

So much thanks goes out to Brooklyn for doing your part to empower military families all across the globe.

Education Minute with Brooklyn

Here are some tips for ending the school year strong. If you set goals at the beginning of the year, go back and check to see that you have finished these. Don’t put off responsibilities and work to stay motivated. Finally, take some breaks – you deserve it.

News 6 with Jolene

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of May 23, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

Finland and Sweden Apply to Join NATO

Last week, Finland and Sweden officially applied to join the 30 members of the NATO alliance, reported the Department of Defense. Sweden has historically taken a neutral posture until recent events. “Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging an unprovoked attack on a peaceful and democratic Ukraine. War is raging in Europe on a scale not seen since the Second World War,” said Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist.

Reduced Cost of Living for Service Members in Germany

Approximately 50,000 service members and families in the Kaiserslautern Military Community in Germany will have their Cost-of-Living allowance, also known as COLA, cut starting June 1, reported Military.com. The Pentagon made the decision “because prices in the continental United States are now more expensive than in Germany.” An unverified email described a reduction between $200 and $500 for service members based upon rank, years of service and number of dependents.

DoD Seeks Small Businesses to Address Supply Chain Gaps

The Department of Defense highlighted their Defense Logistics Agency Small Business Innovation Research program that is continually “seeking opportunity to match America’s small businesses with research and development projects that address critical supply chain gaps and security threats.” The program has three phases to ensure a company is the right fit for the need. “Only half of the companies make it to the second phase.” Small business can submit proposals here.

Last Tuskegee Airman in Rhode Island Turns 100

Retired Sgt. Victor Butler is believed to be Rhode Island’s last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen and he turns 100 this month. What was his birthday wish? Birthday cards. So far Butler’s family thinks over 12,000 cards have been mailed from 41 states, said ABC 7 Chicago.

Send a card!

Victor W. Butler
c/o Gary Butler
P.O. Box. 3523
Cranston, RI 02910

You can check out more of this week’s top stories here.

Special Feature Interview

Joining us today to talk about the financial considerations around PCSing is First Command Financial Advisor Katie Waters. Katie’s last PCS was during the beginning of the pandemic, and she had a two-week old in tow. Talk about superwoman! 

Katie has some great insight into preparing for a PCS and how to prepare. She shared her tips for how to take the stress out of a PCS, some of which are below:

• Once you find out you are PCSing, start saving.
  • Set a goal for how much to save each month. First Command can help you decide areas where you can save and will hold you accountable to your goals.
• Keep good records of everything.
  • Save all receipts.
• Take photos of things that get packed in case it gets broken.
  • This will help proving it wasn’t packed broken.
• Keep stuff separated that you want to pack with you.
  • It might be best to keep it in a locked place.

Thank you again to today’s sponsor, First Command Financial Services. With four out of five of financial coaches coming from the ranks of military spouses or veterans, they’re uniquely qualified to help you pursue financial security. Visit www.firstcommand.com to learn more and find a financial coach near you.

Thank You

Thank you for tuning into this week’s episode. Please leave a five-star rating and review on Apple podcasts, then send us a screenshot of your review to info@armywifenetwork.com or DM us on Facebook or Instagram @armywifenetwork to receive a special in-real-life gift as a thank you on behalf of AWN. We appreciate your engagement and support.

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