Oak and Liberty Blogs

Navy Ship Types Explained: Carriers, Destroyers, Submarines, Amphibs & Coast Guard Cutters (A Family Guide)

For families with a loved one in the Navy or Coast Guard, ship terminology can feel overwhelming at first. Between carriers, destroyers, cruisers, fast-attack subs, amphibious ships, and multiple types...

PCS, TDY, TAD & Military Orders Explained: A Simple Guide for Families

When your service member finishes boot camp or prepares for their next assignment, you’ll hear a whole new vocabulary: PCS, TDY, TAD, training orders, follow-on schools, and more. These terms...

How Leave, Liberty, Pass & Holidays Work in the U.S. Military: A Simple Guide for Families

For new military families, one of the most confusing parts of the journey is understanding how time off actually works. You’ll hear terms like leave, liberty, pass, duty day, and...

How to Choose the Right Size for Military Apparel: A Family-Friendly Guide for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps & Coast Guard Supporters

Choosing the right size for military apparel can feel confusing — especially when your service member has just completed weeks of intense training that change their body shape. Soldiers, Marines,...

Active Duty vs. Reserve vs. National Guard: A Simple Guide for Military Families

When someone joins the military, families often hear terms like Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard — and it’s not always clear what each one means. While all three paths...

Understanding MOS, AFSC, and Rates: A Simple Guide to Military Job Codes for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps & Coast Guard

When your loved one joins the military, one of the first things you’ll hear about is their job code — MOS, AFSC, Rate, Rating, NEC, or Designator. At first, these...

Supporting Your New Service Member After Graduation: A Guide for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps & Coast Guard Families

Graduation may feel like the finish line, but for your service member, it’s the beginning of an entirely new chapter. Whether they’ve completed Army BCT, Navy Boot Camp, Air Force...

Military Graduation Differences: Army vs. Navy vs. Air Force vs. Marine Corps vs. Coast Guard

Every branch of the U.S. military has its own identity — and that comes to life in its graduation ceremony. From the Army’s large outdoor formations and emotional Family Day...

Best Military Graduation Gifts for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps & Coast Guard Families

Military graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone that marks the moment your loved one officially becomes a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. After weeks of discipline, transformation, teamwork, and personal...

Army AIT Graduation Guide: What Families Need to Know About Phase II of Your Soldier’s Journey

After completing Basic Combat Training, Soldiers move on to Advanced Individual Training — the stage where they learn the skills, certifications, and discipline required for their specific Army MOS. While...

Army Divisions & Units Explained: A Simple Guide for Families (82nd Airborne, 101st Airborne, 1st Cav, 10th Mountain & More)

For many families, Army structure can feel overwhelming at first — divisions, brigades, battalions, companies, regiments, and specialty units. When your Soldier graduates from Basic Training or AIT and heads...

Fort Jackson Travel Guide: Everything Families Need to Know for Army Basic Training Graduation (Family Day + Graduation)

Fort Jackson is the Army’s largest and busiest Basic Combat Training location, welcoming nearly half of all new Soldiers into the service each year. If your loved one is graduating...