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
Military families: DOD wants your input on quality of life improvements
What could states do to make life better for military families? DOD wants to know.
Mission Family: Steel Mags share their mettle
Steel Mags, a sisterhood of wives of wounded and fallen Green Berets, share their mettle.
Higher-paid DoD contractors pay more for child care
Taxpayers no longer subsidize child care for the highest-paid DoD contract employees; military family fees go up slightly
DoD: Troops can't use allotments to buy items on credit
The new policy will apply to any personal property that is tangible and movable, such as cars, boats, motorcycles, washers, dryers, furniture, laptops, tables, televisions and cellphones.
DoD tightens child care background checks
The proposed regulation specifies that criminal history background checks must be initiated and overseen by people who are trained and vetted experts — responsible for personnel security or for human resource functions.
Thanksgiving meals deploy for troops
Turkey, cranberry sauce ready for the troops in West Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan
Founder of charity for wounded troops receives joint-service award
Semper Fi Fund founder Karen Guenther receives award for her efforts to help wounded and ill service members and their families.
Vets vocal group 4TROOPS auditioning new members
Consider auditioning for 4TROOPS, a group formed in 2010 that has recorded an album and toured 50 U.S. cities.
Deployed sailors, Marines get free phone cards for holidays
The Navy Exchange Service Command mailed 36,250 free phone cards the week of Nov. 10 to the command master chiefs of the units for distribution.
Military tobacco policy recommendations delayed
Military tobacco recommendations delayed until December
