| Welcome to the Adventure of Military Life! | p. 1 |
| Dealing with Jargon, Political Correctness, and Other Nonsense | p. 2 |
| Your First Day as CinCHouse | p. 6 |
| Getting Documented | p. 6 |
| Getting to Know Your Base | p. 11 |
| Controlling Your Family's Destiny | p. 15 |
| Getting Started in the Military | p. 16 |
| Understanding Career Tracks | p. 20 |
| The Daily Grind | p. 21 |
| The Reality of Relocation | p. 23 |
| Reservists' Duties | p. 26 |
| Differences Between Military and Civilian Jobs | p. 27 |
| Community and Family Resources | p. 30 |
| Government and Nonprofit Organizations | p. 30 |
| Civil Servants vs. Bureaucrats: How to Get Business Done on Base | p. 34 |
| Spouse Clubs and Command Family Support Groups | p. 36 |
| What Are Other Military Wives and Female Service Members Like, Anyway? | p. 38 |
| The Case for Getting Involved | p. 40 |
| Protocol, or How to Get Along in a Hierarchy | p. 44 |
| Ranks and Privileges | p. 44 |
| What the Uniform Means | p. 46 |
| Enlisted Rank Insignia | p. 50 |
| And Your Name Is...? | p. 54 |
| What to Wear? The Appropriate Dress for Every Military Occasion | p. 56 |
| Your Portable Career | p. 62 |
| Education | p. 68 |
| Personal Finances-Military Style | p. 70 |
| How Military Pay Works | p. 70 |
| Reserve Pay | p. 74 |
| How to Read a Leave and Earnings Statement (Pay Stub) | p. 76 |
| Taxable vs. Nontaxable Income | p. 85 |
| Problems with Military Pay | p. 85 |
| Direct Deposit | p. 86 |
| Tax and Regulatory Benefits | p. 87 |
| Lower Your Interest Rates by Going to War | p. 88 |
| Retirement Benefits | p. 89 |
| How Politics Affects Your Retirement | p. 91 |
| Survivor's Benefits and Life Insurance | p. 91 |
| Educational Benefits | p. 93 |
| Health Care Benefits | p. 97 |
| Myths About Military vs. Civilian Care | p. 97 |
| Tricare: The HMO for the Military | p. 100 |
| How Tricare's Coverage Rates | p. 102 |
| Tricks for Getting the Best Health Care | p. 103 |
| When a Family Member Has Special Needs | p. 106 |
| Tricare Regions and Contact Information | p. 109 |
| Dental Care | p. 112 |
| Relocation and Housing | p. 113 |
| Moving Your Household Goods | p. 115 |
| Reimbursement for Your Travel | p. 119 |
| House-Hunting Leave | p. 124 |
| The Logistical Process of Moving with the Military | p. 126 |
| Storage | p. 127 |
| Shipping Your Cars | p. 127 |
| Shipping a Mobile Home | p. 128 |
| Shipping Firearms | p. 129 |
| Relocating Pets | p. 129 |
| Traveling Overseas | p. 130 |
| Moving Out | p. 131 |
| The Big Trip | p. 136 |
| Moving In | p. 136 |
| Housing | p. 139 |
| Easing the Transition to a New Community | p. 144 |
| Pearls of Wisdom for a Great Move | p. 145 |
| Master Relocation Checklist | p. 146 |
| Marriage Hoo-ah! | p. 151 |
| Creating a Family Strategy and Lifetime Dreams | p. 151 |
| A Big "If" | p. 158 |
| Calling All Military Men: Better Ways to Communicate with Your Wife | p. 159 |
| Handling Deployment Separation Together | p. 161 |
| Extra Parenting Skills for Military Couples | p. 165 |
| The Adventures of Military Life | p. 169 |
| Furnishing a Military Household | p. 169 |
| How to Vacation at Almost No Cost | p. 172 |
| Children's Activities (for Kids from Two to 92) | p. 173 |
| What Happens When the Worst Happens-and What to Do | p. 177 |
| When You Must Live Near an Ailing Family Member | p. 177 |
| If you Must Separate from an Abusive Spouse | p. 178 |
| When Your Service Member's Pay Gets Screwed Up and Your Have No Money for Groceries or Bills | p. 178 |
| When You Have Emergency Expenses | p. 178 |
| When You Desperately Need to Track Down a Deployed Service Member | p. 179 |
| When Both Parents or a Single Parent Is in the Military and Forced to Deploy | p. 179 |
| When a Service Member Dies | p. 180 |
| When Your Man Comes Home "Changed" | p. 180 |
| Preventing Trouble in Paradise | p. 187 |
| Really Stupid Acronyms and Jargon | p. 190 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 199 |
| Index | p. 201 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
