Military families often face a number of financial challenges. Frequent moves can weigh heavily on the loved ones of servicemembers, and sometimes lead to debt and unemployment. That is why the Department of Defense says that it’s important for military couples to deal with finances early in the year so they can take stock of their financial situation, according to American Forces Press Service.

Barbara Thompson, the director of the Pentagon’s office of Family Policy/Children and Youth, said there are many resources available to military families to help them ensure their financial stability. For instance, bases usually offer counselors who can help soldiers and their families manage debt or help plan for their children’s futures. They can also help members of the community change their spending habits. 

“When you map your money coming in against your money going out, you are one step closer to paying off debt, building savings and feeling confident about your financial status,” Thompson told the news source.

The financial concerns of the military community have been heightened as of late due to the threat of sequestration looming in the distance. Troops may face changes ranging from lowered retirement and health benefits or even cuts in pay.

The Holiday Mail for Heroes program, which is organized by the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, helps bring some cheer to servicemembers and their families during the holiday season, and this year the program was especially successful. Americans sent out an estimated 1.2 million cards this year, and everyone from NFL teams to congressmen helped play a role.

The cards made their way to a wide variety of places. Some were sent to military hospitals while others ended up at bases across the globe. Among those who supported Holiday Mail for Heroes were country star Trace Adkins and the first families of several states, including those with large military populations such as Pennsylvania and Georgia. 

“We thank all the generous people who collectively sent in more than a million cards this year,” said Sherri Brown, senior vice president, Service to the Armed Forces at the Red Cross. “The cards went to people all over the world, to places far and near, including ships at sea. These expressions of thanks and cheer make the holidays a little brighter for those who have sacrificed so much for our country.”

This is the sixth year of existence for Holiday Mail for Heroes, and it has grown considerably since its early days. It started in 2007 when Walter Reed Army Medical Center simply wanted help distributing cards to wounded soldiers. 

It’s not very often that members of the service academies make it to the NFL, but this year, one of them is heading to the Super Bowl. Chad Hall, who played college football at Air Force, was signed to the San Francisco 49ers earlier this year as a member of the practice squad, and will be with the team when they play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, according to Military.com.

Hall, who stands just 5-foot-8, impressed coaches with his exceptional work ethic. He is currently listed as the team’s back up kick and punt returner, and was put on the active roster on January 19, just in time for him to be on the sidelines for the NFC Championship game. He says that his time in the Air Force has helped prepare him for the challenges of professional football.

“It’s not easy, but the Air Force definitely got me prepped for that,” he told the website.

During his time playing for Air Force, Hall was one of the best players on the team. In fact, in 2007 he was named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year after leading his team in both receiving yards and rushing yards. 

Amid all the pageantry surrounding the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, there was one event that paid tribu​te to America’s military families. On the day before the ceremony, first lady Michelle Obama and second lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted a concert that was broadcast to thousands of military children around the country, American Forces Press Service reports.

The show, which featured performances from the likes of Usher and Katy Perry, was organized in honor of the national day of service. Aside from musicians, those in the audience, as well as those watching at home, were treated to appearances by everyone from David Letterman to “Dancing With the Stars” winner and former servicemember J.R. Martinez. Obama also spoke about the challenges facing the youngest members of military families. 

“Think about how hard it is for military kids to be apart from the people they love most – how they miss their moms and dads every day and would do anything to have them back home,” Obama said. “And that’s just a glimpse of what it means to be a military kid. It means always thinking about things that are so much bigger than yourself.”

Looking out for military families has become one of Obama and Biden’s chief concerns. The duo launched the Joining Forces initiative, which has helped servicemembers and their loved ones get jobs.

Of all the vacancies in President Barack Obama’s Cabinet, few have been more closely watched than Secretary of State. On Tuesday, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry was confirmed to replace Hillary Clinton. Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, was easily confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 94 to 3, reports The Boston Globe.

Kerry enjoyed support from both Democrats and Republicans who say he is more than qualified to fill this vital Cabinet post. In addition to his time in Vietnam, which earned him a Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, Kerry has years of experience in international affairs. Most recently, he was the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“John has earned the respect of leaders around the world and the confidence of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, and I am confident he will make an extraordinary Secretary of State,” Obama said in a statement. “I look forward to his counsel and partnership in the years ahead as we ensure American leadership in the world and advance the interests and values that keep our nation strong.”

The smooth confirmation may signal good news for former Senator Chuck Hagel, whom Obama nominated to replace Leon Panetta as Secretary of Defense. Hagel, who also spent time in Vietnam, will have his first hearing on January 31.

Few people are more affected by the activities in Congress than soldiers and veterans. Their deployments and benefits are often directly tied to what gets through the legislature, so it should come as no surprise that many servicemembers turn to a career in politics to serve as a voice to other troops. Earlier this year, when all the new members of the House of Representatives were sworn in, nine of the new faces included veterans of the country’s most recent wars, reports Stars and Stripes.

Illinois’ Tammy Duckworth
Duckworth earned a fair amount of attention during the campaign not only because she served in the Iraq War, but also because she was seriously injured when she was involved in a helicopter crash. She lost both her legs and suffered significant damage to her right arm. Despite her injuries, she returned to active duty a little more than a year later. Aside from her inspirational story, Duckworth also brings a new perspective to a divided Congress.

“It’s about your constituents and the rest of the nation you serve,” she told the publication. “And we are not all going to get what we want, and not going to like the outcome 100 percent.”

Rep. Brad Wenstrup from Ohio
Wenstrup has been in the Army Reserve Medical Corps since 1998 and served as a combat surgeon in Iraq. Given his close professional relationship with wounded troops, he knows firsthand the challenges they face. As a result, he has signaled that making sure troops get the care they need is one of his top priorities, and with assignments to the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees, he is well situated to address those issues. 

Pennsylvania’s Scott Perry
Perry is one of the most seasoned veterans to get elected to Congress in 2012. He has served in the Army National Guard since 1980, according to Stars and Stripes, a period which includes a 2009 deployment to Iraq. He has pointed to avoiding sequestration, which could have serious ramifications on the military, as his chief concern. 

Troops still need more representation
Veterans have long been staples of Congress, with well-respected lawmakers such as John McCain and John Kerry having served. However, their numbers have slipped as of late. This year, around 19 percent of the 535 members of Congress have spent time in the military. In 1977, that figure stood at about 80 percent, according to USA Today. 

The Department of Defense (DOD) operates a wide variety of programs designed to improve the life of military family members, and a task force is slated to begin an extensive review to measure the effectiveness of such initiatives. The 120-day study will investigate whether there are any gaps and will account for shifting demographics in the military community, reports American Forces Press Service. 

Analysts say the biggest reason for the review is that many military families no longer live on bases. In fact, about 75 percent of families live in the communities surrounding military installations, rather than on the base itself. Investigators will look at everything from recreational programs to some that serve young children and teens. Researchers will rely heavily on feedback from servicemembers to measure how effective the programs are. 

“What we’re looking at now [in that review] is building effectiveness measures on those programs [to see] which ones are effective, which ones are moving the needle, which ones have an impact,” Charles E. Milam, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy, told the news source.

Whatever the review finds, it’s undeniable there are many programs that play a vital role in the lives of military families, many of which they can access through recently revamped Military OneSource website. 

Just by surviving, Brendan Marrocco had already made history. The 26-year-old soldier became the first person to survive after losing all four of his limbs, injuries he suffered when he was hit with a roadside bomb explode in 2009. On Monday, he entered the record books once again when he received a double arm transplant, an innovative new procedure that could help many wounded troops regain their independence, reports The Associated Press.

A rare surgery
The operation was performed on December 18, but Marrocco’s father only recently made it public. The unique approach included a bone marrow transplant from the donor so that Marrocco was better able to accept the new limbs. Experts say that the operation could signal a breakthrough for the estimated 300 soldiers who have lost an arm or hands in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Marrocco’s surgery was just the seventh such procedure performed inside the United States and took doctors around 13 hours to complete. The operation was led by Dr. W.P. Andrew Lee, who is the chief of plastic surgery at Johns Hopkins University. Lee has been involved in several other similar surgeries, and though there is reason to be hopeful, he stressed that Marrocco has a long road to recovery.

“The maximum speed is an inch a month for nerve regeneration,” Lee told the AP. “We’re easily looking at a couple years [until we know for sure].”

No stranger to adversity
A lengthy recovery likely won’t be unusual territory to Marrocco, who has faced his fair share of challenges since he was wounded. Several months ago his Staten Island home, which was outfitted with more than $895,000 of features to help him get around, was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, according to The New York Times. The house sustained some significant water-related damage, and it was more than a month before he and his family could return.

A beacon of hope 
Improvements in modern medicine have helped save the lives of many soldiers wounded by improvised explosive devices, and as a result the number of soldiers coming home with amputations has been especially high over the last decade-plus of war. An estimated 1,500 soldiers have had at least one limb amputated. Of those who lost a limb, 83 percent have lost one or both legs, according to The Huffington Post. Marrocco’s success could have a far-reaching impact on hundreds of wounded soldiers.

The existing GI Bill makes it easier for veterans to earn a college degree, and another bill making its way through Congress may extend some of the benefits. The legislation, which has support from both parties, would require all public institutions to offer resident tuition rates, even to veterans who do not live in state, according to Military Times.

Known as the The GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act, the new law would go into effect in August 2014, and could open up a number of new educational opportunities to soldiers separating from service. Under the current rules, veterans who attend a public school outside their home state have to pay the difference between tuition and the funds offered by the GI Bill. The new law would help an estimated 40,000 troops save a considerable amount of money.

“The men and women who served this nation did not just defend the citizens of their home states, but the citizens of all 50 states,” the bill’s cosponsor, Rep. Jeff Miller, said in a statement. “The educational benefits they receive from the taxpayers should reflect that.”

Aside from helping veterans save money, the bill also addresses the fact that many soldiers have trouble distinguishing residency in a particular state due to frequent moves.

The Super Bowl may be more than a week away, but the weekend before NFL fans get to see some of the best players who didn’t make the championship when they hit the field in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. Earlier this week, a group of soldiers and their families got a preview of the all-star game when they got front row seats at practice, reports The Associated Press.

The practice was held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, which is located just a short distance from Pearl Harbor. Despite persistent rain, thousands of military families showed up to see their favorite stars, ranging from Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald to this year’s rushing leader Adrian Peterson. For Fitzgerald, the opportunity to meet with the country’s soldiers was one he cherished.

“It’s an honor to be out here and to be able to meet all the servicemen and women – it makes it special,” Fitzgerald told the AP. “It’s important that we come out and play well this year.”

Sports and the military have a long-standing relationship. Many teams throughout the four major leagues hold events for soldiers, most notably the San Diego Padres, who hosted the MLB’s first-ever military appreciation day back in the 1990​s.