Karen Jowers
Senior Reporter
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
All Stories By Karen
Lawmakers want details on plans to privatize military stores
Lawmakers are hoping to put the brakes on DOD plans to privatize retail programs.
Here’s where commissary curbside grocery pickups are coming next
You place your order online. Commissary employees pick the items in the store, pack them, and place your groceries in your vehicle at curbside. You pay at curbside. For the first 30 days, the service will be free; after that a $4.95 service fee will be charged for each order.
Here’s how commissary store brands stacked up in our limited comparison
Our comparison had mixed results with prices, but quality may be your deciding factor.
More than 200,000 DHS employees have this new benefit
Coast Guard Exchange stores offer deals on electronics, clothing and other consumer products — and now the stores are open to all Department of Homeland Security civil service employees.
States’ increasing restrictions and bans could put abortions ‘out of reach’ for some military women
Military women face financial and logistical hurdles in seeking abortions in the civilian community.
Here’s how the new SAT tool could affect military students
Some are calling it the "adversity score" with the SAT. How can it measure mobility in military students?
Senate moves toward putting $300 million and more teeth to fix base housing woes
Tenants bill of rights and $300 million to beef up government personnel in housing offices on bases are among the provisions.
Marines are now allowed to ship booze with household goods, like other military branches
Other service members have long been able to have their booze shipped with their household goods.
These two services are now helping military spouses with professional licensing costs after PCS moves
Here's where to go to apply for reimbursement.
Have you shopped at your commissary lately? Savings are up, and more plans are in the works.
Overall commissary savings in the U.S. average 22.2 percent.
