It can be difficult for a military spouse to find work. Whether it is the regular moves, single-parent duties or an attempt to go back to school, spouses often need flexible hours if they are looking to add extra income, something that can be difficult to find in this economy. Luckily, Uber wants to help. 

What it is
Uber is a technology company that matches drivers with people who are seeking rides. Unlike a traditional taxi service, drivers can use their own vehicles and choose their own hours. This makes the company a desirable option for people looking for extra income who are unable to work 9 to 5. 

After announcing its UberMILITARY program, which aimed to help vets and inactive military members earn extra income, in September 2014, Uber is now partnering with military families through the UberMILITARY Families Coalition. The new campaign seeks to help people in this demographic take advantage of the flexible hours offered by the company to earn additional income for their families. 

According to the Uber blog, the company is partnering with Hiring Our Heroes, Blue Star Families, National Military Family Association and American Military Partner Association in the effort to assist military families in the U.S.

"Military spouses face significant challenges with employment due to their service members' frequent moves, and the UberMILITARY program is a unique and innovative way to help address these challenges," said American Military Partner Association President Ashley Broadway-Mack in the AMPA blog. "AMPA is proud to partner with Uber for this program, helping make a difference in the lives of our modern military families who sacrifice so much for our nation."

How it can help
In addition to employment, the Families Coalition will provide rides for military spouses and family members to career fairs and other events, establish alliances with local chapters of the partner organizations and collaborate with the partners to discover new ways to support and empower these families across the country. 

Since initiating the UberMILITARY program eight months ago, Uber reported that drivers in the initiative have already taken home over $35 million and now earn over $1 million a week collectively. 

Military spouses can easily sign up on Uber's website and will be contacted by a company representative.   

You served your country, and now it is time to come home to a different type of duty: your family. Dynamics with your loved ones can be difficult to navigate when returning from deployment. Consider one of these retreats created specifically for military families to help ease the adjustment period. 

Operation Purple Family Retreats
The retreats put on by Operation Purple allow families to learn new communication skills, enjoy the outdoors together and bond with others in similar situations. According to the website, families can take part in a variety of fun activities, from canoeing to birdhouse building, while creating new memories together. The National Military Family Association provides each family with a $200 stipend to help with travel costs. For more information or to apply, visit the NMFA website.

Operation Purple Healing Adventures
These retreats are specifically geared to help families to rediscover fun and intimacy after a member is injured in the line of duty. Through outdoor adventures and specially developed communication strategies, these three-day retreats aim to guide your family after a parent is injured. The healing adventures are free to military families and include food and lodging. Applications can be submitted on the National Military Family Association website. 

Lone Survivor Foundation Retreats
The Lone Survivor Foundation organizes retreats that focus on supporting veterans and service members who struggle with invisible injuries. These can include battles with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and military sexual trauma, among others, that have devastating effects on both the individual and family.The five-day retreats focus on coping skills, education and reducing the stress symptoms. All military backgrounds and branches are welcome, but there is an emphasis on service members and veterans of Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Learn more and fill out the application form at the Lone Survivor Foundation website.

Active Heroes Military Family Retreat Center
If you and your family enjoy camping, consider taking advantage of the Active Heroes Family Retreat Center. Located in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, the 144-acre retreat area is open to the public, as well as military families, allowing current and former servicemen to begin integrating into the public with the safety of military-only "Healing Areas" to retreat to for solitude. Starting in the summer of 2015, the retreat center will be free to military families and outings include a large meal, entertainment and seminars. 

Project Sanctuary
Retreats put on by Project Sanctuary take advantage of the beauty of the Colorado wilderness to help you and your family connect and bond over six days and five nights. Free to military families, the retreats use recreational therapy methods to help bring down walls through fun activities, according to the group's website. Attendees also have access to professional counseling and family support services, such as classes devoted to improving your finances and marriage. Start the application process by visiting the Project Sanctuary website and filling out the initial application. 

When a spouse is sent away for deployment, adjusting to your new lifestyle can be challenging at first. You will likely have to make sacrifices and adjustments that take patience and time to get used to. From taking care of the children on your own to cooking or learning how to fix household products when they break, military spouses are forced to make a lot of changes very quickly. 

It is essential to prepare as best you can before your partner leaves, as it is helpful to know what to expect and which resources are at your disposal to assist you through the adaptation process. Remember these suggestions on how to make the transition to life without your spouse easier. 

Keep busy from the get-go
One of the first emotions you may feel after your spouse's deployment is loneliness. Although this is a difficult feeling to shake when you are used to having another person around the house – especially if you do not have children – staying busy will drastically improve your ability to focus on the positive aspects of your time alone. 

If you do not have a job, consider starting a hobby that you are passionate about. If you have always wanted to create your own blog or become a member of a local sports team, now is the best time to start. After all, engaging in new activities is always beneficial to one's health and will help pass the time. 

Spend time with loved ones
Remember that if you have children, they are probably struggling with your spouse's deployment as well. Spending quality time with one another is essential. Whether it be trips to the park to enjoy the nice weather or family dinners, being together and supporting one another is key to adapting to life during deployment. 

Calling on friends can also provide a strong source of support for military wives and husbands. Creating new relationships or reconnecting with old friends will help fill the temporary hole that often emerges following deployment. 

Use available resources for support
There are millions of spouses across the nation who are experiencing the difficulties of life after deployment. There are many resources designed to bring those in need of support together. If you are living on a military base, there may be a community group for spouses available right on site. 

Meanwhile, programs like Child Care Aware of America were created to help military spouses with children. The organization will direct you to local care services and may even assist you with care fees. Military OneSource offers a list of resources and an explanation of benefits for men and women with a spouse in the army and even has categories for each stage of deployment, including pre-departure and return stages. 

Be easy on yourself
Realizing that you are not going to be able to complete your daily routine as efficiently as you used to is something that you have to come to terms with before you can start successfully adapting to your new role as both mom and dad for your kids.

Do not forget that handling both your responsibilities and the tasks that your partner once took care of can be incredibly overwhelming, especially during the first couple of months during deployment. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself and remember that it will take time before you get the hang of dealing with all of these changes without running into problems. For example, if you find that you do not have time to cook you and your children an intricate dinner every night like you used to when your spouse was home, do not feel bad about ordering out or preparing a quick and easy meal for the family. 

Leaving your family behind is never easy, especially when you have young children at home. When you receive the news that you will be deployed, it is important that you act quickly in preparing your kids for your departure and the months you will be away. 

Although it is bound to be an emotional time, having the talk with your children will not be too stressful or overwhelming if you ensure that you have an idea of what to say and do. Remember these tips to speak with your kids before deployment. 

1. Be clear about where you will be
Explaining to young children or toddlers that you will be halfway across the world can be intimating for them. Setting out a map and circling or starring the country you will be stationed in may make it easier for them to understand where you will be and appear that you are not so far away. 

You can also mark the locations of other family members or friends who your kids are close to who live in different parts of the world. If you will be deployed near a loved one, this may be comforting to them, especially if they have been there before. 

2. Explain why you are going
It is common for children to be confused as to why a parent is leaving his or her family for an extended period of time. This is why it is essential that you explain that you do not want to leave them, but it is your job and you have to follow the rules. Explain that you are protecting people from harm both at your destination and at home. Remind your children that you are there for a certain period of time and that as soon as you are able, you will come back. 

3. Remind them that you will stay in touch
It can be scary for children to hear that their mom or dad will be leaving for a while. Alleviate this anxiety by assuring your young ones that there are plenty of ways to stay in touch and that you will take advantage of them as often as you can. Communication tools like Skype and FaceTime on the iPhone make it easy for families to see one another and talk every day. If they are worried about you missing a certain event or celebration, tell them that you will make sure that your spouse films it and sends it to you.

4. Hold multiple family meetings
It takes more than one talk to prepare a family for deployment. Designate one or two nights a week before your departure to make plans as a family. For example, setting a communication schedule together or creating a list of each family member's new responsibilities after you leave will make your kids feel more in control of the current situation. 

You can also plan out special bonding time before you are gone. Choose a weekend to go on a mini vacation or take a camping trip before your deployment to ensure that you have plenty of time set aside to enjoy together. 

5. Bond with each other
After you have explained everything to your children and made the proper plans, focus on spending quality time together. As the weeks before deployment can be stressful, you do not have to go all-out and plan an elaborate weekend. Simply reading to your kids before bed or going out to a family dinner once a week can create memories that will last and sustain your family throughout your deployment. 

Those in the military are no strangers to moving multiple times throughout their lives. Often, they receive little notice and are forced to pack their belongings, pick up their families and relocate to an entirely different area. In fact, those in active duty are expected to move every two to four years, reported Miltary.com. As you move more and more, you will likely develop a set of your own tips and tricks for streamlining the process. Until then, make the following considerations when packing up for a military move.

1. Purge old items
You are probably already aware that the government will pay for your moving fees, provided that your belongings fall under a certain weight. Therefore, it's important to purge all broken or unnecessary items before your move so you're not wasting valuable space in the moving truck on things you don't need. Your new home should only contain furniture and household supplies that you'll actually use. Anything else can rack up the cost to move, and you could be forced to pay out of pocket for everything that falls outside of the reimbursed amount.

2. Consider a DIY move
Also known as a personally procured move (PPM), a move that requires you to move your own belongings can provide certain benefits. For starters, you'll be in control of what you pack and how you store it, reducing the chance of broken or lost items. You essentially have more autonomy, and the move can be done in baby steps on your own timeline. When you're not being asked to move immediately, this can be a great choice for families who want to take their time putting together their belongings.

3. Stay away from the peak move times
It's no secret that the summer months are popular for moving. The weather, combined with school vacations and more availability, makes them the ideal time to uproot your life. That's why, if you're able to make the move outside of the busy season, you'll be better off. You'll have better access to moving trucks and you could save some money in the process.

4. Know your housing options
Military families are offered the opportunity to live on a base or rent or buy a home nearby. It may be beneficial to take advantage of living on a base to improve life after service for veterans and bring together similar families to help one another get settled. Whatever you choose, make sure you perform substantial research beforehand so you make the best decision for your new living arrangement.

5. Anticipate your next move
While you should settle into your place and encourage your whole household to do the same, it's also important to keep your eye on the bigger picture.

"Anticipating your next move is important because when your orders finally arrive, you may have only a few weeks before you hit the road," The United States Army website reported, as in the military families money and mobility brochure that is distributed during first-term PCS Money and Moving classes.

This means keeping moving boxes, a list of items to pack, medical records and all other materials that are required when you're relocating. If you don't wish to keep them in your home, look to a storage company that can keep all of these necessary items for when you need them. 

6. Get insurance
When you let the government move your belongings, all of your items are automatically insured. However, if you opt for PPM, it's up to you to either get them insured or hope for the best. In this case, it's important to be as prepared as possible. Ask your moving company for more information regarding their insurance policies, and consider taking advantage of them. There's nothing worse than having your valuables lost or broken without any compensation.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recently announced that big revisions will occur concerning military benefits and pay.

A report by the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission is set to be released Feb. 1, and is expected to fuel the debate surrounding speculated cuts. The committee behind the report was created in 2013 by Congress and charged with the responsibility of examining what changes could be made to military retirement, health care, benefits and overall pay, reported Military.com. The group has been researching ways to adjust compensation for the past two years, and the results are expected to be somewhat controversial. 

Military Times noted that the report, which will be made public, is expected to contain recommendations to revise the military's long-standing 20-year cliff-vesting retirement pension. Notably, Hagel told sailors in San Diego that people with existing military contracts would most likely be "grandfathered in" to the system, so the updated standard would begin with new recruits. 

The source explained that the anticipated cuts are mostly due to the current military budget, which is essentially flat, compared to the cost of supporting troops on the current pay scale, which is constantly rising. If changes are not made in the realm of salary and benefits, corners would most likely be cut for new weapons and technological research. 

Hagel noted that although the cuts are likely to happen, keeping the troops appropriately supported is still a top priority. 

"In the end, as advanced as our technologies are, as good as they will become, even better, without quality people, it won't matter. … We are going to continue to keep and must prioritize a cycle of bringing good people, the best people, into this business," he told sailors aboard the assault ship America.

Some of the best artwork doesn't necessarily start out with the intention of being placed in a museum for all to see. However, many of the popular paintings from the 1940s that were used to promote war support efforts are becoming historical pieces of art. The Fairfield Citizen reported that the Fairfield Museum is opening an exhibit to display these impactful pieces that began as advertisements.

Mobilizing the homefront
​According to the news source, Norman Rockwell, Jean Carlu, H. Price and Victor Keppler are just some of the well-known artists of the time whose drawings are on display in the new exhibit. Titled "Mobilizing the Homefront: Posters from World War II," the opening of the gallery is a timely event that celebrates the 70-year anniversary of the Allies' victory over Nazi Germany. It features many of the most famous posters used to drive participation and support for the war.

Jean Carlu's "Give 'em Both Barrels" poster is a famous illustration of a soldier holding a gun and a factory worker carrying a tool used to make war supplies. They stand together, symbolizing that participation on the homefront was crucial to America's victory. Americans could invest in war bonds, plant victory gardens and participate in other activities to show their support and help their country.

The importance of teaching
These posters give viewers an interesting look at what it was like to live during World War II. Perhaps even more important is what they can teach the future generations. They show viewers that supporting the troops is crucial when a country is at war, and it takes the assistance of an entire community to successfully return home. It can be challenging for veterans to readjust to life after service, and coming home to a crowd that supports them is invaluable.

In fact, Veterans Coming Home, an organization that honors those who serve, reports on all of the different ways communities welcome their veterans back home. Throughout the nation, media outlets are working with the organization to highlight local stories and bring awareness to the importance of supporting the troops. Radio shows like "StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative" and "Breaking Ground: Military Children" give personal accounts of how military life doesn't just affect those who serve. It impacts the children, spouses, neighbors and colleagues of those in the armed forces.

While combat operations officially ended in Afghanistan a few months ago, Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, are preparing to head back to the nation, according to a press release. 

The release, issued by the Marine Corps, explained that the troops will be responsible for "security operations" in the country, which is still engulfed in conflict. The servicemembers have already undergone thorough training exercises to prepare for the deployment. They practiced reaction strategies for a variety of insurgency scenarios, such as improvised explosive devices and discovering the root of enemy fire after an attack. Soldiers were also taught how to appropriately interact with local village elders, unload from CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopters and what to do in the event of snipers. 

Military Times reported that it is not completely clear what role the Marines will be playing in Afghanistan, but they will most likely be supporting liaison troops that remain there. It also has not been released when the troops will be deploying, but officials explained that before they arrive they will stop in Germany for more training, this time alongside Georgian soldiers. 

Body Labs, a 3-D body modeling company, is using its state-of-the-art software to see how armor for female soldiers can be redesigned for a better fit. In addition to being uncomfortable, ill-fitting military garb can leave body parts exposed and vulnerable, making well-tailored armor absolutely crucial to the lives of female troops. 

CNN reported that Body Labs, a company based out of New York City, recently signed a two-year, $825,000 deal with U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center to design better protective combat clothing for women. Current items worn by women in the military were designed with the goal of being unisex, but fit the torsos of male soldiers far better than female soldiers. 

According to Forbes magazine, the company is using data gathered by Brown University. Researchers took scans of a variety of women, all of different shapes and sizes, striking a plethora of active poses. The 12-person Body Labs team assigned to this project uses algorithms to create 3-D models of female soldiers, allowing them to customize their designs more closely. While each woman soldier will not receive a completely custom-fitted uniform, Body Labs specialists will be able to create a better shape based on average measurements and body part ratios. 

CNN noted that this initiative is the latest in a series of pushes toward fully integrating women into the armed forces, something officials are hoping to achieve by 2016. Currently, there are 71,000 active female soldiers – far too many troops to justify them heading to the front lines in ill-fitting armor. Beyond military apparel, Body Labs hopes to improve the fit of civilian clothing and athletic apparel using its unique 3-D model approach. 

Capt. Derek Herrera will receive a Bronze Star with a "V" for heroic actions on Friday, Nov. 21. 

The awards ceremony will be even more meaningful to the soldier because he will walk across the stage in front of his colleagues and loved ones – an act that was impossible for him just a few short years ago, reported Military Times. 

In June 2012, Herrera was serving in Afghanistan, leading members of the Marine Corps Special Operations Command. He was bringing a group of U.S. and Afghan soldiers toward the Helmand River in an effort to cut off insurgents known to be heading to the area. His team was attacked with grenades and machine guns, according to Military Times. Herrera sprang into action, finding a rooftop where he could command his colleagues and give emergency medical care to one of his troops who was struck in the neck with a bullet. Even though Herrera was gravely injured from the gunfire himself, he set aside his pain and continued to delegate orders and fire back at enemy forces. 

Herrera is now paralyzed from the waist down, but has not let that slow him down in his life after service. The source noted that he regularly participates in triathlons and races and went back to school for a business degree. He uses an innovative exoskeleton prosthetic device, known as ReWalk, which allows him to walk, sit and stand. 

The Bronze Star is given to soldiers in any branch of the service who distinguish themselves while serving on the ground against an opposing force. The "V" annotation accompanying Herrera's award stands for valor, since he displayed outstanding courage, heroism and sacrifice for his nation.