Newsletter · Issue 1
November 2026
National Veterans and Military Families Month. Published 1 November 2026.
What November carries
November is the month the country sets aside for the people who serve alongside the uniform. Four observances run the whole month. One week and two days sit inside it.
| All month | |
|---|---|
| National Veterans and Military Families Month | The name used in the annual presidential proclamation, and the reason this first issue exists. |
| Warrior Care Month | The Defense Department's observance for wounded, ill and injured Service Members — and for the families who do the caring. |
| National Family Caregivers Month | For the spouses, partners and parents doing care work that never appears on anyone's org chart. |
| Native American Heritage Month | American Indian and Alaska Native Service Members, Veterans and their families. |
| One week | |
| National Veterans Small Business Week | Beginning Monday 2 November. |
| Two days | |
| Tuesday 10 November — the United States Marine Corps turns 251 | Founded 10 November 1775. Our Fireside Chat is that same night. |
| Wednesday 11 November — Veterans Day | One hundred and eight years since the 1918 armistice. |
Two of the four month-long observances — Warrior Care Month and National Family Caregivers Month — point at the same room. So does our first session of the month.
October in review
Four Tuesdays. Three sessions and one closed night.
Presented by Laurie Pimentel-Johnson, an Army Veteran.
- Understand the hiring authorities that give Military Spouses a competitive edge
- Learn how to navigate USAJOBS and identify spouse-eligible opportunities
- Turn your experience into a strong application that meets agency requirements
The federal résumé is its own document. Two pages, uploaded as a PDF, sans-serif, half-inch margins. Write the bullets as Situation–Task–Action–Result and mirror the exact words in the announcement. Leave off your Social Security number, your photo and your LinkedIn.
NAF jobs are a different door. Nonappropriated Fund positions — lodging, child care, fitness, dining on the installation — are self-funded, carry their own retirement, and accept an ordinary private-sector résumé.
Stack every pathway you qualify for. Military Spouse Preference now runs through December 2028 and is no longer one-and-done per location. Schedule A needs only a short letter from your doctor, naming no condition.
The questionnaire is the filter. Most rejections trace back to a missing document or an answer the résumé did not support. Print it beside the announcement before you write anything. Nine handouts went to everyone who attended.
This is peer discussion and general information. It is not official guidance from any federal agency, and it is not a statement of hiring policy — check the hiring agency for what actually governs a vacancy.
Presented by June Dillinger, founder and steward of Heart Cards Global.
- Pause and reconnect with yourself through a guided Heart Cards experience
- Explore new perspectives in a supportive, conversation-driven space
- Discover simple, meaningful ways to let your heart lead your next steps
The cards carry one word each and no instructions. There are no right answers; the meaning is whatever the person holding the card decides it is. The opening question was what do I need from me, and members answered in the chat with a single word each.
The group drew Commitment, then Action, then Joy, and later Presence and Greatness. The arithmetic that came out of it: commitment plus action equals joy. A deliberate departure from a normal Tuesday, and it may come back. heartcardsglobal.com
No session this week, for a PCS break. Closed Tuesdays are planned in advance and go on the calendar; they are not cancellations.
Presented by Tina Cameron of Denver RE Experts, a U.S. Army Veteran and a Colorado Realtor® specializing in military relocations, VA loan purchases, and families buying and selling near Buckley Space Force Base.
- Learn how today's market affects timing, expectations and decision-making during a move
- Gain practical insights on navigating purchases, sales and relocations under PCS timelines
- Leave with a clearer sense of what's yours to handle and what's best left to licensed experts
Spend a concession on the rate, not the price. Her figures that night: roughly 63% more listings than buyers nationwide, conventional rates near 7.4% and VA near 7%. In that market, ten thousand dollars applied to a rate buy-down moves the monthly payment more than ten thousand off the asking price.
Decide how you will leave before you buy. Sell needs equity, so ask for a seller net estimate first. Rent only works if the payment lands near market rent. Hold is the strongest position, and realistic if this is a final duty station. A fourth came up from the room: one spouse goes ahead while the other stays with the house.
Assumable loans are a military advantage. VA, FHA and USDA loans can be assumed if the seller is current. Closing the equity gap was the most-asked question of the night. New construction is the other opening — builders are buying rates down to between 3.5% and 4.99%, though the same builder is your competition if you resell before the community is finished.
Underwater, or picking an agent. If you are underwater, get a seller net estimate and call a property manager the same week — a short sale needs documented hardship and the bank has up to 120 days to answer. And interview any agent before you sign: do you do this full time, what is your process, how are you helping buyers succeed right now? Resources: assumelist.com, and the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP).
This is peer discussion and general information, not financial, tax, real-estate or legal advice. Your own situation deserves a licensed professional who knows it.
November's Tuesdays
Every session runs 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT / 6 PM MT / 5 PM PT.
Presented by Ashley Craig, M.Ed., a learning and development manager with the Veteran Spouse Network and a suicide prevention training specialist. As the spouse of an Army Veteran, she combines 17+ years in education with lived experience in the military community.
- Prioritize your well-being while balancing the demands of military life
- Learn healthy ways to navigate stress, transition and burnout
- Connect with resources and fellow spouses who understand the journey
Discussion is informational only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
You do not have to wait for Tuesday. The Veterans Crisis Line is for family members too, and you do not need to be enrolled in VA care. Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online.
The Marine Corps' 251st birthday. Bring whatever you actually want to talk about; that is the whole format.
Registration is free, it is required, every one is checked by hand, and it covers every Tuesday after that.
MilSpouseU™ is a free peer-support and networking community for Military Spouses. Sessions are informal discussions in which participants share their own experience.