News 6 Mashup: Nov. 8, 2021

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of Nov. 8, 2021, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

38 Privatized Military Housing Communities Under New Ownership

Military Times reported that 38 privatized military housing communities are under new ownership. The Michaels Organization purchased eight of the properties from previous owner, Clark Realty Capital. Lincoln Military Housing sold its company to its employees and changed its name to Liberty Military Housing. The new company now owns privatized housing at 30 military installations. These two sales are considered positive moves for military families.

“We put some very, very harsh downward pressure on Clark because they were a failing partner,” said Army Gen. Edward M. Daly, head of U.S. Army Materiel Command. “We exposed their weaknesses and, quite frankly, I didn’t think they were committed to supporting soldiers and their families. And I told them that.”

Already, in less than two months of ownership, Michaels has implemented all 18 Tenant Bill of Rights that Clark was previously failing.

Department of Defense Decides Against Merging Commissary and Exchanges

The Department of Defense has decided against merging the Defense Commissary Agency and all three separate exchange systems, “finding that the plan would not result in the billions in savings originally projected in 2018,” reported Military.com. A newly released report found that merging the Commissary and Exchanges would cost “an additional $1.5 billion.” Read more at military.com.

TRICARE Open Season

Do you need to make changes to your TRICARE health, dental, or vision insurance? Mark your calendars now for TRICARE Open Season, which starts on Nov. 8. You can make changes between then and Dec. 13, 2021. Any changes go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

A Look at the Male Military Spouse Experience

Male military spouses are on the rise, and according to the Army, some male spouses are making an effort to carve a path in the traditionally female-dominated role. The Army estimates that the number of male spouses married to an active-duty female service member is approximately 11%, and they’ve found a trend that male military spouses tend to have some prior military service.

Darryl Parson, former Naval Reserve member, who is married to Col. Nancy Parson, told Army.mil, “We just need to come out of hiding and support organizations across the Army. Most of us probably don’t (attend) because we think we will be the only male.” He posted on a Fort Irwin Facebook group looking for a “daddy and me” group and was overwhelmed with positive responses from many mom-and-child-focused playgroups.

This Week in History

Nov. 11 marks the 100th anniversary of the burial of an unknown U.S. military service member who gave his life serving in France during WWI. The Unknown was laid to rest at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located in Arlington National Cemetery, during a ceremony that began with observing two minutes of silence. Later, President Warren G. Harding placed the Medal of Honor on the casket.

The Tomb sarcophagus is decorated with three wreaths on each side panel (north and south). On the front (east), three figures represent Peace, Victory, and Valor. The back (west) features the inscription: “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”

If you’re interested in more information about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, check out guest, Jeff Gottesfeld, and his book, Twenty-One Steps, on Army Wife Talk Radio.

Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash