Resources

So many resources are just a click away! Scroll down through this page to find resources for military wives, military families, military members, veterans, etc.

*This page is a work in progress. If you know of a wonderful resource that isn’t listed here, please let me know!

For military wives:

• Army Wife Network is an interactive Web site with blogs, columns, radio shows and plenty of answers to your military life-related questions. I always find something useful here.
• Christian Military Wives is one of my favorites online communities! With an online magazine and “groups” you can join to discuss your interests (whether it’s praying for your husband, good books to read, or newlywed military life), you will easily find other military wives and information to support you.
• Military MOPS- Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) has a group just for military wives.
• Wives of Faith is both an online community and a support for those of you create local chapters. Founder Sara Horn always has useful info and inspiration on her site. She’s a Navy Reservist’s wife, so she reaches out to National Guard and Reserves wives quite a bit, but the majority of her stuff is applicable to active duty as well.
• Protestant Women of the Chapel International offers a number of Bible studies online. You can download the participant’s guide, the leader’s guide and more from the Web page. Several of the studies are written by Faith Deployed contributor Ronda Sturgill, including Wives of the Warriors: Living Confidently in Christ.
• A number of books I recommend can be found in this Web site’s Bookstore.
• Scriptures for deployments. This category in the Faith Deployed blog contains collections of Scriptures that are relevant for the military wife and the deployed husband.
• **NEW: For small group leaders: Free Faith Deployed Small Group Guide! Download the PDF and you’ve got yourself a ready-to-go six-week study!
• Wings for Women. Founded by Air Force spouse Alane Pearce, Wings for Women is a conference for military spouses, but the Web site has a blog and other resources as well.

For the military marriage:

• The Five Love Languages. Check out this Web site for vidoes, stories, conference sessions, and free downloadable study guides!
• The Great Marriage Experience. Dr. Gary and Barb Rosberg, America’s Family Coaches, are offering military couples FREE membership to The Great Marriage Experience. Click here to see a brief two-minute video describing all the benefits you’ll receive. Note the button at the top right corner of that Web page-click it to send an email stating you’d like to sign up for your free membership. Be sure to mention that you are military. To see a more detailed list of what you’ll get from your membership, see this page and look at the “member” column–normally a $9 per month subscription, but free to you.
• The Deployment Love Dare. Thanks to the Web site ExcellentorPraiseworthy.com, you don’t have to wait until your husband is home to try the love dare. The people at ExcellentorPraiseworthy.com have adapted the book into 40 online chapters of a “Deployment Dare” — just for military couples during deployment.
• Operation Military Family. This impressive Web site offers a support network, action plans, resources and more for dating, engaged or married military couples.
• Marriage conferences for military couples. See a list of marriage conferences here.
• Loving Your Military Man by Beatrice Fishback. In this ten-part study, the author shows how to help build lifelong marriages that leave strong, stable legacies for their children and grandchildren. Click here to purchase.
• God + Military Spouse: United We Stand by Kathleen Cline. Read a book review on the Faith Deployed blog.
• Family Life (1-800-FL-TODAY)
  Hop online or call them for the HomeBuilders Bible study for military couples.
• Marriage Counseling. Most installations have a Family Life Chaplain who has received specialized training in marital and family counseling. If you are not near a military installation, seek guidance from your local pastor or a Christian counseling center if one is available. Another source of help is Military Onesource which offers up to six cost-free, confidential counseling sessions to eligible military personnel and their family members.

For military families:

• Brochure: Resources for our Military Families. Download the PDF suitable for printing here, or the online version which has each resource hyperlinked, here.
• Military-supportive churches. A Faith Deployed round-up of military-friendly churches across the country. Also see Military Missions Network for their lists of churches who support military families.
• Campus Crusade Military Ministry (1-800-444-6006)
  The Web site includes a variety of resources including PTSD healing (www.ptsdhealing.org), military marriage seminar schedules, and book, video and music resources. Call or email info@ptsdhealing.org to get in touch with counselors and prayer warriors. Check out www.excellentorpraiseworthy.com, their online devotional site.
• Navigators Military Ministry email: milsupport@navigators.org
  This ministry is composed of nearly 400 workers serving Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel in the U.S. and overseas.
• Officers’ Christian Fellowship of the USA (1-800-424-1984)
  This fellowship is designed to build spiritual maturity in member military officers and to provide support, especially for transient officers. They offer the quarterly magazine, Command.
• Cadence International (1-800-396-6680)
  This nonprofit organization targets military singles, families and youth through hospitality houses, retreats and Bible studies and youth groups.
• Christian Military Fellowship (CMF) (1-800-798-7875)
  CMF reaches out to all ranks, family members and civilian employees. Members share their prayer requests with the Home Office where they are published monthly and made available to the entire fellowship.
• National Military Family Association. News and resources on deployment, education, health care, finances, etc.
• Operation We Are Here. A clearinghouse of resources for military families and for churches who want to serve them.
• Military prayer guides. A Faith Deployed blog post with ten top resources on praying for the military.
• Life After Deployment: Military families share reunion stories and advice by Karen Pavlicin is an excellent book full of good advice. It’s not written from an explicitly Christian perspective, but I have used it as a resource several times. I especially appreciate the author’s exploration of expectations, communication, and age-appropriate ways to work the returning parent back into daily family life.
• RealWarriors.net. Terrific resource for active duty, Reserves, National Guard and families. Lots of articles, tips, checklists, and 24/7 hotlines.

For children of deployed soldiers:

• The Web site OperationWeAreHere.com has a very thorough list of a variety of wonderful resources for children of deployed military members. Check it out here.

Veteran resources:

• After Deployment. This Web site helps returning soldiers and their families make the post-deployment transition. Resources offered cover dealing with stress, depression, anger, sleep problems, physical injuries and more.
• Housing and Mortgage Guide for U.S. Veterans. This mortgage guide for veterans is offered as an educational resource for those interested in understanding the home ownership possibilities available through the Veterans Affairs Mortgage Loan Programs.
• Medical Support for Veterans with Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma cancer is caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Countless veterans were exposed to asbestos while aboard naval ships, while repairing military vehicles and aircraft, and while residing in aging military housing. Troops currently serving in Iraq are also at risk of asbestos exposure, making this a very timely health and safety issue for veterans and all members of the military community. This Web site includes content focused on military asbestos exposure, a listing of veteran-specific hospitals and medical centers, and a database of medical & legal resources for veterans.
• Campus Crusade for Christ’s Military Ministry. They offer several resources, including the Bridges to Healing program, which is training for churches about how to minister to those with PTSD.
• The Sanctuary. This is an impressive ministry, providing a retreat of refuge for veterans in several states where they foster trust and healing.
• Point Man International Ministries. The primary focus of Point Man has always been to offer spiritual healing from PTSD, but Point Man today is also involved in group meetings, publishing, hospital visits, conferences, supplying speakers for churches and veteran groups, welcome home projects and community support.  All services offered by Point Man are free of charge. Read a previous post about it here.

Web sites to support those with PTSD:

• Point Man International Ministries. See description directly above.
• PTSDSupport.net. A grass roots website with tons of great background resources from someone who’s been there.
• CombatFaith.com. A Web site and ministry dedicated to educate, train, arm and equip individuals to utilize principles from the teachings of Jesus Christ to be healed from negative emotions and thoughts caused by sin, wrong choices, or by trauma or injury to body, soul or spirit.
• IraqWarVeterans.org. Lists support groups for veterans and families for PTSD. Also links to articles.
• National Center for PTSD. The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs, addresses the needs of veterans with military-related PTSD.
• RealWarriors.net. Terrific resource for active duty, Reserves, National Guard and families. Lots of articles, tips, checklists, and 24/7 hotlines.

Books about PTSD:

• The Combat Trauma Healing Manual by Rev. Chris Adsit. For veterans dealing with combat trauma. Used by Campus Crusade Military Ministry’s Bridges to Healing program.
• When War Comes Home: Christ-centered Healing for Wives of Combat Veterans by Chris and Rahnella Adsit, Marshele Carter Waddell. Workbook for wives of vets with PTSD.
• Two Wars: One Hero’s Fight on Two Fronts–Abroad and Within by Nate Self. Captain Self’s memoirs take the reader on a journey from West Point to Afghanistan and back to the States. The book illustrates how PTSD was developed, what it looked like and what Self did to combat it.
• Faith Under Fire: An Army Chaplain’s Memoir by Roger Benimoff, describing his spiritual journey through PTSD. To read a brief account from his wife Rebekah’s point of view, see this Redbook magazine article. (Rebekah Benimoff is also a contributor to Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives.)