What are YOU doing for Military Families this Valentines Day?

Update your MilitaryAvenue Reward, your military discount or incentive on MilitaryAvenue.com, with a special Valentines Day gift for your military customers.

We are always happy to get the word out for you when you honor our military and their family.  Not only will your Valentine's special be listed in the Rewards section at your local-base or -post, it will be shown under the category your ad is created in.  Then as an added bonus Quality Military Rewards are manually placed on Twitter as well as Facebook!

Think about the spouses of the deployed service members, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and around the world? What would warm their heart this Valentine's Day (besides of course having their loved one at home!)?  Think about the children of military families getting used to a new community.  Could you make their day a little brighter this Valentines?  What about our Veterans and Active-Duty?  Is there a special way you can say thank you to them?  The possibilities are endless!

I'd love to compile a list of Valentine's Specials for our military like we did for Veteran's Day.  Let's get that proverbial ball rolling!

- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

February Featured Military Reward

This month has been extremely busy for the men and women of our armed forces! With Haiti relief in full swing and many deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq and other "hot spots" the community is feeling very stretched! We have decided to recognize this month's Featured Military Reward with a military spouse run business! We had many wonderful Rewards to choose from but hers stood out!

Thank you for your service as a military spouse Stephanie and for your wonderful Military Reward! The military community around Tacoma, WA can enjoy a great salon experience at a much lower cost while preparing for Valentine's Day!

If you know of a business offering a military discount tell them about MilitaryAvenue!

This Month's Featured Military Reward is given to:

Stephanie's Hair Services (Angelo Mendi)


Her Military Reward says:

I operate a Full Service Salon in Tacoma WA. I am offering GREAT Military Discounts including 50% off all Cuts, FREE hair cut with color service, and discounts on hair extensions and UpDos. Call Stephanie for app. Bless our Troops!

Click here to view the coupon featured at two Washington installations:
Ft Lewis and McChord AFB!

A special thank you to Stephanie's Hair Service and all of our MAPP partners for supporting your military community with your Rewards.

Why Should Your Business Offer A Military Discount?

We choose a Featured MilitaryReward each month to highlight our Partners and their wonderful support to the military community! Our military family team chooses one based on value for the military family and how well it sends the message "military friendly business".

Photo Credit: Military spouses enjoy an afternoon of free spa treatments and discount shopping during the 2008 Military Spouse Appreciation Day event hosted by Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation at the Nehelani, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Photo Credit: Spc. Kyndal Hernandez

Part of the Pulse: Department of Defense (DoD) Roundtables

Have you been watching the news about Haiti? There is real devastation. Real needs. Real hopelessness.
Real help. Real hope. Real heroes.

As a team at MilitaryAvenue we have been very proud of our US Military and the aid they are providing to the people that need it. It has been an opportune time for us to continue our partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD) and get the word out about the aid that the military is providing, what they need, the obstacles they have run into. US Marines, US Sailors, US Airmen, US Soldiers, US Coast Guard. They are there amidst the rubble. We have been there to hear from the admirals, the generals, the doctors, those in command. Col. Dale Kissinger (USAF retired) has been focusing on the DoD Roundtables that he is personally invited to by the DoD two or three times A DAY.  Why? Because it is important to us that you, your neighbors, your customers, the military families in your community know what is going on.

Do you want to know more about what is happening in Haiti? What is happening in Afghanistan? Tune into our Military Family blog. We are proud to be a part of the pulse!

Department of Defense Roundtables and MilitaryAvenue

In my own civilian-neighborhood, far from any military-base, we have a Coast Guard (reserves) member that is off to Haiti. He had to leave his family with two days notice. His wife is a teacher with three young ones. Some deployments we get many months notice before saying good-bye, some only a few precious hours.  How about your neighborhood? Your community? Your customers? Who needs help? Get to know the military-families and you will be part of the aid they need!



- Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

Haiti and Our Wonderful Military Response to a Natural Disaster

When tragedy strikes anywhere in the world our military personnel are usually immediately called as first responders! Despite fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq and worldwide operations that continue today, we find a way to find more cargo planes, carrier groups, hospital ships, rescue resources, security, etc. etc. to respond! I have never heard a complaint during these operations and I have participated in a lot around the globe!

As a rescue, special ops and airlift pilot during my career I saw operations as far reaching as Panama, Kosovo, Iceland, within the US and so many more ! Why do we respond? What makes us the leaders during a crisis such as the tsunami in Thailand? First, our military personnel are the most professional and well trained that you can find! The medical folks are top notch and I have never seen a better group of folks than Air Force pararescuemen that daily risk their lives, "So That Others May Live".

(Continued)

You ARE the expert!

A question very recently posted on MilitaryAvenue Answers:

"Does anyone know anything about the housing on post (Or apartments near post)
at Letterkenny Depot in PA? Or the number to the housing office there? Thanks!"
(http://www.militaryavenue.com/Answers/AnswersList.aspx?QId=1347)

Let's say you signed up to be a MilitaryAvenue Answers Expert for Letterkenny Depot in Pennsylvania, perhaps as a Real Estate Agent or an apartment manager. You would have received a very short and sweet email letting you know there was someone looking for help in an area you are an expert. This is a potential new customer, an opportunity for *you* to welcome them to the neighborhood. You can leave your answer for them; something to the effect of "Here are my thoughts... and if you want some more information here is my phone number. " You get the idea! You ARE the expert!

Take the opportunity to sign up as an Answers Expert. It only takes a moment or two. You can select your area installation(s) and any categories you know about. You won't regret it!

Looking for more information on the program? Read on: An 'Expert', me?! Most certainly!

Thank you for being there for our military-members, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guard & their families!

Getting to Know Your Customer: The Use of Child Care Amongst Military Families

Do you often wonder how integrated the military families are within your community? Do they spend all of their time on their installation, work & pleasure, not venturing into the community around them?

Not according to a recent survey of military families! A survey down by The Rand Corporation shows that just about 40 to 50% of military families with preschool children in child care use off-base facilities. This is just a glimpse of how your military community is infused in your neighborhood. You have taken a great first step by advertising your service on MilitaryAvenue.com; continue to update your Military Rewards to fit their needs and they will come.

Not yet a MilitaryAvenue Partner? Willing to discount your child care services for a Military Family? Why a Military Discount is Valuable for your Marketing Strategy

Note from MilitaryAvenue.com: This chart represents all Active Duty members. It does not take into account our retired military veterans as well as our National Guard and Reserve Forces.

Military Dates to Remember - January 2010 to March 2010

This blog is a series of quarterly blogs to keep you aware of military events so we can help our military Partners and community stay connected! Just as you can find the military community working hard anywhere in the world we work hard to find new ways to help you reach out! One of our recommendations has been to stay in tune with the military community events in your local area. This quarter is pretty light with national events but next quarter is jam packed with events such as the month of the Military Child, National Military Appreciation Month, etc.! So watch for this blog for next quarter in March!

To help you know when national events are about to occur here is quarterly listing of dates important to the military community so you can use them for marketing your message of involvement in their lives. So for January, February and March here is a list of dates you should know. Some of these are not military specific but have a direct impact on many in the military community!

For example, picture the importance of Valentines Day for a couple that have been through a deployment and are getting back together after a very long separation! That would be a great way to reach out with a special for those returning or deploying soon! If you know of other dates please leave a comment with your date and the reason it is important.

January

18th Martin Luther King Jr Day


February

1st Freedom Day

2nd Ground Hog Day

14th Valentines Day

15th Presidents' Day


March

8th Daylight Savings Begins

Thank you for the great support to your military community! Please pass on these dates to business organizations such as your chamber of commerce to insure that they are appropriately recognized! One other quick recommendation is to not just have a sale on days like Veterans Day but include a military discount or some recognition such as a small token of appreciation! Recognize those serving or who have served in some manner! Be military friendly and the word will spread rapidly!

Are you aware of a local event that the military community needs to know about? You can place it directly on MilitaryAvenue! Go to the installation home page in your area and go to the Upcoming Local Events at the bottom center of the page and click on the Let Us Know to tell us about it! We will review and quickly post!

Photo credit! 12/25/2009 - U.S. service members participate in a four-mile Christmas Day run on Forward Operating Base Salerno in the Khowst province of Afghanistan Dec. 25, 2009. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith, U.S. Army/Released) Defense.Gov

Another great military blogger with a great explanation of some of the important military dates focusing on the US Army is Loving A Soldier Living the Life. Thank you Star and Tara!