Message from the CEO: Honoring Our Military Family
Veteran’s Day has always held a special place in my heart. In addition to being my brother’s birthday, as the daughter and granddaughter of retired military members, I appreciate a holiday that honors those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. My paternal grandfather fought in the Battle of Mindanao during World War II, my paternal grandmother served in the Army and supported the war effort from home; and my dad graduated from the United States Air Force Academy then served in the Air Force for 15 years after that.
I have and will always take tremendous pride in the fact that I have family members who have served in the military. When I was little, it was always a special day when we got to go to work with dad; but it was even more special when work was a military base. I loved pulling up to the gate and witnessing the guard salute my dad, and my dad salute back. It happened every single time; and every time that happened, I would think to myself “My dad must be someone special that he’s always treated with such respect.”
My dad always wished one of his four children followed his and his parent’s footsteps into the military (especially since the Air Force Academy was a free college education); however, none of us felt compelled to make the leap. For me personally, I suffer from motion sickness, so the Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard were out and since I was more of a drama nerd than an athlete in high school, I suspected I would never make it through the Army’s basic training.
Despite the fact that I no longer have family in active duty, I have immense respect for those that serve and have served. When I was growing up, military service represented a great way to get an education, travel and develop countless life skills; however, since September 11th, every single person who joins the military has a high probability of going to war, and I couldn’t feel more gratitude for those who choose to serve so that others aren’t forced to serve as they were during Vietnam.
We have a number of active and retired military members as clients of the Financial Gym, and we’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges and nuances of military pay, benefits, moves, deployment and much more on families. Two of our trainers, Joy and Mike share their personal challenges in greater detail on this Friday’s podcast; and it’s always been my desire to find ways to help serve our military family better.
I’m excited to share with you on this Veteran’s Day, that Financial Gym, is finally giving our military family the tools, resources, trainers, and most importantly the affordability they need to live financially healthier lives whether they are active or retired. We are officially kicking off our Military Plans that are tailored in content and pricing for military members.
We have also created a special “Military Trainer” designation for our trainers. Financial trainers who have this designation understand how to read and interpret an LES, they understand military benefits like housing and retirement and how they impact your financial choices. They will be able to coach and guide you not only through your years of active service, but also how you can prepare for civilian life and understanding what your compensation needs to look like when you do retire. We have special Military Plan pricing starting at $50 per month that is based on rank so that our services will fit in all budgets.
For all active and retired Military family out there, I salute you. I’m grateful for your service and everything you do and have done to make our country safe. I hope everyone takes today and every other day to express gratitude for our active and retired military members. For more information on our specialized Military plans, programs and teams, please click here.
Cheers!
Shannon McLay
Founder & CEO of The Financial Gym