Behind the Camouflage: An MCA Initiative

Behind the Camouflage: An MCA Initiative Behind the Camouflage, an initiative by the Marine Corps Association, provides essential resources, education, and support for Marine spouses and families.

Launched in 2024, the Behind the Camouflage initiative by the Marine Corps Association aims to bridge gaps in Marine Corps resources for spouses and families by offering essential education and support. Through its core pillars—website, spouse summits, articles, awards, advocacy, and podcast—Behind the Camouflage strengthens the Marine Corps and fosters connection across the community.

06/14/2026

Season 6 of Behind the Camouflage is here 🌏🎙️
From island life in Okinawa to the realities of overseas PCS moves, Claire Weisenfels shares the honest, funny, and unforgettable moments that come with calling the Pacific home as a Marine Corps family.
Listen now to “Home is Where the Marine Corps Sends You: Okinawa” and join the conversation. 🇯🇵✨

Listen Here: https://podcast.show/3771952/home-is-where-the-marine-corps-sends-you-okinawa-with-claire-weisenfels-behind-the-camouflage-sea/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSb1H9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFwYWhiRlFjb1pmRk9hcmFBc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHtuf9PjoMW86BW8WRjPaajSHgPdY5eVW3P9ht1Q-f6bTHSyl4XCvBc18r-HV_aem_47cCOwDmRH0aJGtRK11Xxw

06/12/2026

Season 6 of Behind the Camouflage is here 🌏🎙️

From island life in Okinawa to the realities of overseas PCS moves, Claire Weisenfels shares the honest, funny, and unforgettable moments that come with calling the Pacific home as a Marine Corps family.

Listen now to “Home is Where the Marine Corps Sends You: Okinawa” and join the conversation. 🇯🇵✨

https://podcast.show/3771952/home-is-where-the-marine-corps-sends-you-okinawa-with-claire-weisenfels-behind-the-camouflage-sea/

Meet Megan Slaton, the military spouse behind Sugar, Spice, and All Things Iced — a home bakery built on faith, family, ...
06/10/2026

Meet Megan Slaton, the military spouse behind Sugar, Spice, and All Things Iced — a home bakery built on faith, family, and service. From donating cakes to children facing critical illnesses and foster youth to supporting military families and base organizations, Megan uses her talent to bring joy and connection to her community.

Read the full spotlight: mca-marines.org/btc-chronicles/spouse-spotlight-megan-slaton/

Know a spouse making an impact? Submit them for a Spouse Spotlight: [email protected]

Behind the Camouflage is back for Season 6, and we’re kicking things off with the return of our summer series, “Home is ...
06/09/2026

Behind the Camouflage is back for Season 6, and we’re kicking things off with the return of our summer series, “Home is Where the Marine Corps Sends You.” This season, we’re diving into the unique places, experiences, and challenges that come with military life, from overseas duty stations like Guam and Okinawa to recruiting duty, life at the recruit depot, and everything that goes into making a PCS happen.

Listen Here: https://podcast.show/3771952/home-is-where-the-marine-corps-sends-you-okinawa-with-claire-weisenfels-behind-the-camouflage-sea/

In our season opener, we welcome Claire Weisenfels, who is currently stationed in Okinawa, to share her family’s experiences living in the Pacific and navigating some of the Marine Corps’ more unique duty stations. From living out in town to adjusting to island life, embracing new communities, and even finding the best burger on Okinawa, this fun and honest conversation covers a little bit of everything.

Whether you’re preparing for your next move, curious about life overseas, or just love hearing real stories from military families, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Give a listen!

TRICARE can be complicated, but understanding your healthcare benefits should not be.This quick overview fact sheet brea...
06/08/2026

TRICARE can be complicated, but understanding your healthcare benefits should not be.

This quick overview fact sheet breaks down the basics for active-duty families, retirees, reservists, and military spouses so you can better navigate your coverage and care options.

Download the fact sheet here:
https://www.mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Military-Health-Tip-TRICARE-Overview-Fact-Sheet.pdf

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06/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17uhuDFNHD/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The pantry is looking for someone with a heart for serving others to join us as our new Board President!

Position onboarding can start right away. This is a non-paid, volunteer position, but it’s a great way to grow leadership skills, strengthen your resume, and give back to the wonderful Okinawa military community.

Please share this post! And if you or someone you know might be a great fit, feel free to reach out or send us a message. We’d love to connect!

Tomorrow is the final day to apply for Lean Forward — a free 16-week Military Spouse Coaching Cohort designed to help sp...
06/04/2026

Tomorrow is the final day to apply for Lean Forward — a free 16-week Military Spouse Coaching Cohort designed to help spouses in transition find direction, confidence, and community.

Participants receive:
• 1:1 coaching with certified coaches
• Virtual group sessions
• A cohort of peers who understand the journey

Space is limited to 16 participants. Don’t miss your chance to lean into what’s next.

Apply now: https://www.mca-marines.org/lean-forward/

Meet Rachael Kolb, a Marine Corps spouse whose work strengthens readiness by helping families feel informed, connected, ...
06/03/2026

Meet Rachael Kolb, a Marine Corps spouse whose work strengthens readiness by helping families feel informed, connected, and supported. Today, Rachael serves as the Marine Corps Family Team Building Program Manager on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, where she equips Unit Readiness Coordinators with current information, resources, and training so they can better support unit families while balancing their primary military duties. She also helps deliver a diverse class schedule that builds personal readiness and resiliency, with a focus on clear communication and practical tools that strengthen the connection between commands, installation resources, and families.

Alongside her professional efforts, Rachael has invested deeply in building community among spouses through her leadership in the Hawaii kickball leagues. Serving as Kickball Commissioner and later as President for all leagues, she helped lead a program that brings together roughly 140 spouses and active duty participants in an environment that is competitive, supportive, and welcoming. For many spouses, kickball has become a consistent source of joy, connection, and belonging across ranks, ages, and backgrounds, and Rachael’s leadership has been central to sustaining that community.

Rachael is defined by her commitment to improving communication, expanding access to resources, and ensuring families feel confident, connected, and prepared. By strengthening the families who support Marines, she strengthens the mission, and she embodies exactly what the Behind the Camouflage Spouse Spotlight is meant to honor.

https://www.mca-marines.org/btc-chronicles/spouse-spotlight-rachael-kolb/

Have a Spouse you want to submit for a Spouse Spotlight? Email [email protected] with the name and contact information of your spouse spotlight!

  is looking for guest blog submissions from spouses leading meaningful, spouse-driven efforts that create connection, s...
06/02/2026

is looking for guest blog submissions from spouses leading meaningful, spouse-driven efforts that create connection, support families, and strengthen military communities.

Whether you started a mentorship network, volunteer initiative, support group, leadership program, or grassroots community effort, we want to hear how your idea made an impact.

Tell us:
▪️ What inspired you to start
▪️ What need you saw
▪️ What the experience taught you
▪️ How it impacted others

Interested in being featured on the BTC blog? Submit a short summary of your initiative along with your name, installation/community, and contact information to [email protected].

Your story could inspire the next spouse to step forward and build something meaningful. 🇺🇸

Military spouses spend so much time supporting others. Lean Forward is designed to support you.Gain clarity, confidence,...
06/01/2026

Military spouses spend so much time supporting others. Lean Forward is designed to support you.

Gain clarity, confidence, and a community of peers through this free 16-week coaching cohort exclusively for Marine Corps Association members.

✨ 1:1 coaching
✨ Virtual group sessions
✨ A cohort of spouses who understand the journey

Applications are now open. Space is limited.

Learn more and apply: https://www.mca-marines.org/lean-forward/

Address

715 Broadway Street
Quantico, VA
22134

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