Because military installations might not be located near what we might think of as "necessities," the Army has provided such convenience services at most of its posts. Such services include things like shopping, schools, veterinary and legal services. All military personnel and their dependents have access to these services with their ID cards. The services listed here are just like those offered in the civilian sector, some are free, and others are usually offered at a much cheaper rate then their civilian counterparts.

Military OneSource offers tremendous support to Families. It provides a 24-hour, seven days a week, toll free telephone and Internet/Web based service for active duty Soldiers, Guard and Reserve members—regardless of activation status—and their Family members.

Military OneSource can provide information on topics such as parenting and child care, education, relocation, financial and legal matters, emotional issues, well-being, grief and loss, addiction, and deployment and reunion issues. Need to file a state or federal tax return? You can do both online through Military OneSource. You can also ask for free educational materials in many subject areas. Booklets, CDs, or articles will be sent free of charge if you want information on things like buying your first car, relationship issues, or many other topics.

An additional service, only available to Soldiers and Families who have ID cards, is the opportunity for up to six face-to-face free counseling sessions with a trained, licensed professional. This is for short term, non-medical counseling. You can identify your need to Military OneSource anonymously, and they will have a local professional counselor contact you.

Military OneSource can even help you translate a document (in over 140 languages), and an interpreter can help you with multi-language telephone conversations.

Child, Youth and School Services provides comprehensive child and youth programs to foster social interaction, promote personal growth, and develop educational and recreational skills for children from infants through 12th graders. These programs are supported by the installation and offer diverse, flexible activities to meet the needs of Army Families both on and off post.

Child care offers quality options with various types of service, location, and hours of operation. On most posts, three types of child care are available: Child Development Center, Family Child Care Home, and Youth Services programs.

The CDC provides full, part-time, and hourly care for children from six weeks old to five years of age. FCC providers have child care spaces available in their homes. Elementary school age, middle school age, and teen programs are available through the YS programs.

All Army CYSS programs are required by the Army to adhere to very high standards and have yearly inspections.

A CYSS office is available on each post. In order to enroll your child in child care or any of the youth programs on post, you must first register your child at the CYSS central registration office. The CYSS central registration office will also be able to provide you information regarding off post resources if there is a waiting list.

Fees are usually associated with each of these programs, and they are generally based on Family income. The CYSS programs on post might offer employment opportunities for a spouse or other Family member seeking job opportunities in child care or youth services.

When you look forward to moving to a new Army post, there are always some concerns about the schools at your new location. Some Army posts operate their own schools, especially overseas, but most of the time children will go to school in the local community. Each Army installation has a school liaison officer who is there at your new post to help you with any concerns you have and to assist your child's transition to a new school. This person provides information concerning area public and private schools, including the school year's start and end dates, the grading system, eligibility requirements for kindergarten or first grade, placement, and graduation requirements.

He or she can also advises you of which schools are in the various school zones in which you might live and provides online resources. Or, if you wish, the school liaison officer helps you get in touch directly with the public or private schools in which you are interested. Additionally, they can assist if there is any difficulty in the transfer of school records or with any other areas of concern.

Your school liaison officer can greatly ease your Family's transition to a new school. If you want to make contact with the school liaison officer before you move to the new location, check the information listed on the post's Web site.

The Red Cross provides rapid communications between Soldiers and Families in the event of serious personal and Family problems such as a need for financial assistance, for emergency leave, and for disaster assistance. You can contact the Armed Forces Emergency Service Center at 1-877-272-7337 for all emergencies and assistance. Be sure to give the Red Cross telephone number to your parents or others back home who might need to reach you or your Soldier in an emergency.

Every post has at least one chapel. The chapel usually offers Protestant, Catholic, and other religious services such as Sunday School, Bible study, and Family religious classes. At larger posts, there may be several chapels, some devoted to particular denominations. Soldiers and Families are also free to worship at a church off post. On post, the chaplains sponsor and staff the Family Life Center, which has programs on marriage and Family counseling, Family life enrichment, educational programs, community support systems, and just plain fun, and fellowship.

The Staff Judge Advocate is the Army's legal team. Most military posts have an SJA office that provides free legal assistance to Soldiers and their Families on personal legal matters. Assistance can be provided in areas such as Powers of Attorney, Family law (marriage, separation, divorce, adoptions, and name changes), estate planning (wills and trusts), consumer law, landlord-tenant law, taxes, and immigration matters. Additionally, most SJA offices will have a claims office where Soldiers and Family members can file reimbursement claims for the loss or damage of household goods items that occurred during a military move.

The SJA does not provide free legal services for everything. They will not go to civilian court, for instance, if you have an off post driving problem. So, please check with your local SJA on legal services that are available.

Thrift shops are places where ID card holders can take things to sell or go to shop for gently used items. The shop keeps a small part of the sales price, and the money goes back into the military community. Examples of items found at the thrift store include appliances, baby items, bicycles, clothing, furniture, housewares, sporting goods, TVs, and toys. Items in a thrift shop tend to turn over rapidly, so check there often for the items you are looking for—and at a great price.

The veterinary clinic offers standard pet services, such as examinations, immunizations, and health certificates for Family pets. This does not include all the possible animals that Families might own. If you have an exotic pet, call ahead to check on this. If you live on post, your Family pets must be registered with the post veterinarian. Also, the vet is responsible for the safety of food supplied to the commissary and the Army dining facilities.

Full-service banks or credit unions that offer checking accounts, loans, and other banking services are found on almost every Army installation. They are not Army banks. They just have the Army's okay to set up a branch on the post. You are under no obligation to use these banks; they are there for your convenience. But there are advantages, like low-fee ATMs, and reasonable auto loan financing, to being a customer of the on post bank or credit union.

Education is important to everyone. Several programs have been established by the Army to help Soldiers, and in some locations, Family members, continue their education. The Education Center provides counseling services, testing services, the Army Learning Center and education programs. There you can obtain counseling and advice about finishing high school or earning an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree from accredited colleges and universities. Many colleges offer their courses right on post and are very favorably priced compared to what you might pay out in the civilian community. You can also get information concerning vocational and technical education programs.

English as a Second Language is a program for Soldiers and Family members who did not learn English growing up and want to improve their language skills. Course material focuses on language, grammar, and reading. Students develop their conversational skills, and they learn about customs and culture. On most posts the program is offered throughout the year and is self-paced, so you can begin the program when you want and complete it whenever you can.

The commissary is the Army's grocery store, and it offers a great way to stretch the Family dollar. The commissary provides high quality groceries at low prices. On larger posts, the commissary is about equal in size and what they stock to just about anything you might find in the civilian community. In small or remote areas and overseas, commissaries tend to stock the basics. Still, you will see a lot of the products and brands you are used to seeing in a local supermarket in the commissary.

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service is the Army's retail store system. The main store, often called the Post Exchange or PX, is like a department store. Besides the main store, other AAFES facilities you might find on post include barber shops, beauty shops, flower shops, gas stations, laundry and dry cleaning stores, tailor shops, movie theaters, and fast-food restaurants.

On most posts, you will find a clothing sales store that sells official military clothing to Soldiers. Finally, many exchanges have outside concessions or vendors who are allowed to display and sell their wares, such as a sunglass kiosk or a cellular phone store, in the exchange facility.