I am still learning about being the mom of a new second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Since my son is so busy in his new role, and because he has never been one to provide a lot of details, much of what I learn comes from web searches. The past few years I have also cultivated friends who are veterans of various branches of the U.S. Army.
One friend who is a fellow Citadel parent and a retired Army officer suggested I subscribe to a news source called Stand-To!: A daily compendium of news, information, and context for Army leaders. This site is helpful for getting a glimpse into the latest updates from the U.S. Army.
For general information and support several web sites are helpful. Goarmyparents. com was started as a personal blog of an Army mom. The site features forums, articles, pay charts, military lingo and a weekly chat.
The closed Facebook group, Army Moms, is a terrific place to connect with other Army moms to receive support and learn from the members there. You need to send a request to join the group.
Army Officers Friends and Family Support is a group that formed after LDAC 2010 (Leader Development Assessment Course). Each year the Public Affairs Office at Joint Base Lewis McCord do a great job of keeping friends and family updated about what happens at LDAC, including the address to send letters, scheduling of the exercises, etc. The LDAC 2012 Facebook page is here. Check the About page for links to their blog, photos and Twitter account.
I found the Airborne School Facebook page very helpful while our son was there. They post updates on the jumps and graduation information. Maps area available on their photo page.
Milblogging.com is an internet database for organizing military blogs. a great place to spend time to learn from the contributors about their experiences.
An extensive list of Facebook groups for the U.S. military can be found on their official pages:
U.S. Coast Guard Media Outlets
U.S. Marine Corps Social Media
U.S. Navy Social Media Directory
You can also go to the Topics section of WordPress and enter the military topic you are interested in to find blog posts. I’ve contributed to the military blog site, Off the Base for over a year. The site is maintained by Bobbie O’Brien of WUSF Public Media in Tampa, FL.
Please take a minute and post links to the military social media groups you find helpful.
