Heather Sweeney

Heather Sweeney is an Associate Editor at Military.com. She started writing about her life as a military spouse in 2010 on her popular blog, Riding the Roller Coaster. She joined Military.com’s SpouseBuzz team in 2012 and has been covering military discounts since 2013. Heather earned her Master’s degree in 2004 and in addition to her work at Military.com, her work has been featured in the NY Times, the Washington Post, Healthline and Huffington Post.

Email: heather.sweeney@monster.com

Latest Articles

A U.S. Navy chaplain sets up Christmas packages for service members while deployed to the Middle East, Dec. 8, 2017. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/ Ariana Acosta)

9 Holiday Gifts for Families with a Deployed Service Member

Here's a list of 9 gift ideas for service members and their families when the holidays fall during a deployment.

Students at Jeff Davis Elementary School wave U.S. flags during a Veterans Day celebration in Biloxi, Mississippi, Nov. 8, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo/Kemberly Groue)

2019 Discounts for Military Family Appreciation Month

Businesses are saluting Military Family Appreciation Month with discounts for vets, service members and their families.

U.S. Marines with Black Sea Rotational Force 16.2 open care packages containing a variety of snack and hygiene items at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania, Aug. 23, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps photo illustration by Sgt. Kirstin Merrimarahajara)

7 Affordable Ideas for Military Care Packages

Care packages are the best way for loved ones to send a little piece of home to deployed service members.

Care packages for deployed military members sit at Fairchild Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Nick J. Daniello)

How to Get Free Supplies to Ship Care Packages

To help save on the cost of sending service members a little touch of home, the USPS created the Military Care Kit.

Soldiers assigned to the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), participate in “Flags In” at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., 24 May, 2018. (U.S. Army photo/Lane Hiser)

2019 Veterans Day Free Meals and Restaurant Deals and Discounts

Restaurants are saluting Veterans Day with free meals and discounts for veterans, service members and their families.

A flag rests in a memorial wreath during a Veterans Day Celebration ceremony in Sumter, South Carolina, Nov. 11, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo/Kathryn R.C. Reaves)

2019 Veterans Day Retail Deals and Discounts

Businesses are saluting Veterans Day with a host of discounts and freebies for veterans, service members and their families....

A joint service color guard presents the colors during a Veterans Day ceremony at the Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis, Nov. 10, 2018. (U.S. Air National Guard photo/Jonathan W. Padish)

2019 Veterans Day Deals, Discounts and Freebies

Businesses salute our military heroes on Veterans Day with a host of discounts and freebies for veterans, service members and...

Service members from active and reserve components throughout the region rehearse the flag holding ceremony during the Chiefs football game on Nov. 11, 2018 at Kansas City, Missouri. (U.S. Air Force photo/Thomas Barley)

2019 Military Travel and Recreation Discounts for Veterans Day

We scour the universe for the best military travel and recreation discounts to celebrate veterans and Veterans Day. Find grea...

Vehicle Registration for Military Families

How do you deal with your driver's license and car registration while in the military? We have the answers.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Colorado Army National Guard, along with veterans and dependents of the 10th Mountain Division and 10th Special Forces Group, ski in a serpentine pattern during the 43rd annual 10th Mountain Div. Ski-In Daze at Ski Cooper March 2, 2018. (U.S. Army National Guard photo/Warren W. Wright Jr.)

Hit the Ski Slopes with Military Discounts

Before you book your next ski getaway, check out the great military discounts you can use for all your skiing needs.

A moving contractor loads a moving truck with a service member's household goods during the permanent change of station peak-season at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. March 7, 2018. (U.S. Transportation Command/Oz Suguitan)

6 Deals to Remember When PCSing

You can find all sorts of deals to help lessen pesky PCS expenses. Here are six deals to look into for your move.

In this April 16, 2017 file photo, the Blue Angels fly in formation over Cinderella Castle and the 'Partners' statue at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, in Bay Lake, Fla. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)

Disney Renews Armed Forces Salute for Another Year

Disney recently announced they’ve renewed their salute again for 2020.

Disney characters run in front of a U.S. Air Force Honor Guard group photo at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., June 29, 2017. (U.S. Air Force/Jordyn Fetter)

Disney Discounts for Military Families

Thinking about booking a Disney vacation? Disney has extended their Armed Forces Salute program for 2020!

Pumpkins sit in a batch during the annual Fall Festival, October 31, 2018, at Altus AFB, Okla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jackson Haddon)

Military Discounts on Halloween Costumes and Decorations

Whether you're buying costumes for your kids or looking for festive decorations, military discounts can help while you shop.

Spouses of active-duty Marines select gowns during Operation Ball Gown at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Oct. 2, 2015. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Jason Jimenez)

How to Save Money and Look Great at the Military Ball

Between dresses, shoes and accessories, going to a military ball can be costly. But it doesn't have to be.

Military News

Select Service

My Membership

army

My Profile Army Home Page

navy

My Profile Navy Home Page

air force

My Profile Air Force Home Page

marines

My Profile Marines Home Page

coast guard

My Profile Coast Guard Home Page

national guard

My Profile National Guard Home Page

Spouse

My Profile Spouse Home Page

My Profile News Home Page

Most Popular Military News

Customers bag groceries at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. (U.S. Air Force/Joshua Arends)

New Commissary, Exchange Access Delayed for Many Veterans

Disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients won't see on-base access for commissaries and exchange stores any time soon.

Delta Force sniper Sgt. 1st Class James P. McMahon. Army photo

'Black Hawk Down' Veteran Dies at Age 64

James McMahon served 16 years in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment and then later as a member of the elite Delta Force.

Body bearers from the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. (8th and I), help conduct military funeral honors with funeral escort for Col. Werner Frederick Rebstock in Section 12 of Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 13, 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser/Arlington National Cemetery)

The Most Muscular Unit in the Marine Corps Is Accepting Applications

If you can squat more than 300 pounds -- and then do it again nine more times -- the Marines may have an elite job for you.

From left: Maj. Matthew Golsteyn, pictured in a 2011 photo as a captain; Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, walking into his trial, June 18, 2019; Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance. (Photo Credits from left: The Fayetteville Observer via AP; Associated Press; Courtesy Photo via Free Clint campaign)

Trump Restores Rank to SEAL, Grants Clemency for Soldiers in War Zone Crimes Cases

"As the President has stated, 'when our soldiers have to fight for our country, I want to give them the confidence to fight.'...

In this image provided by the Pete Buttigieg Presidential Campaign, Pete Buttigieg poses for a photo when he was deployed in Afghanistan. Buttigieg volunteered for military service and did a seven month tour in Afghanistan as an intelligence officer. He walks a narrow path between giving his wartime service its due and overstating it. (Pete Buttigieg Presidential Campaign via AP)

Buttigieg Touts Military Service, Wary of Overstating Role

Pete Buttigieg is careful not to call himself a combat veteran even as he notes the danger he faced.

Latest Military Videos

Meet the Griswolds

Pfc. William Griswold and his father Sgt. Bryan Griswold, a K-9 police officer in Aiken, SC, have always been...

Commandos Endure Icy Platoon Live-Fire Training

Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, and 41st Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, join...

Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Arlington National Cemetery, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Changing of the Guard. (DoD video)

Hospital Ship Comfort Wraps Up Deployment with Stop in Haiti

Young patient receives life changing surgery aboard the hospital USNS Comfort (T-AH 20). Comfort is working with health and...

Coast Guard Intercepts Suspected Drug-Trafficking Sub

U.S. Coast Guard crews transfer bales of seized cocaine from a semi-submersible suspected smuggling vessel onto Coast Guard interceptor...

Army News

A soldier tries on a prototype of the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) during a soldier touch point evaluation that began at Fort Pickett, Virginia, on Oct. 28, 2019. U.S. Army Futures Command photo

Army's Future Tactical Glasses Will Help Soldiers Tell Friend from Foe

They also allow a soldier to access tactical information without taking an eye off the battlefield.

jennifer williams alexander vindman testify

Army Providing Security for Vindman During Probe

An official says the Army and local law enforcement are providing security as he testifies during the impeachment hearing.

A St. Francis' satyr butterfly rests on a leaf in a swamp at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Monday, July 29, 2019. It's wing was marked for identification by a biologist studying the rare insect. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Butterfly on a Bomb Range: Endangered Species Act at Work on Fort Bragg

As a 400-pound explosive resounds in the distance, a tiny St. Francis Satyr butterfly flits among the splotchy leaves.

Navy News

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) begins the transit to Newport News, Virginia, to go through a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) maintenance at Newport News Shipyard, Aug. 4, 2017. (U.S. Navy photo/Alora R. Blosch)

Sound Off: Should We Stop Naming Aircraft Carriers After Presidents?

Every single president ever elected in the United States of America has been the embodiment of evil to at least some of the v...

In this Nov. 19, 2019, photo made available by U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, left, the air-defense destroyer HMS Defender and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut transit the Strait of Hormuz with the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf. The U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln sent to the Mideast in May over tensions with Iran transited the narrow Strait of Hormuz for the first time on Tuesday. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Pearson/U.S. Navy via AP)

US Navy Carrier Transits Strait of Hormuz After Deployment

The U.S. Navy says the USS Abraham Lincoln transited the strait on Tuesday, making its way to the Persian Gulf.

Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, Rear Adm. Collin P. Green delivers remarks during the change of office ceremony July 30, 2019 during which NAVSEA 06 (PMS-340) Major Program Manager Capt. Robert "Chad" Muse was relieved by Capt. Brian O'Lavin. (U.S. Navy photo/Laura Lakeway)

As Gallagher Faces Loss of Trident, Lawyers Claim SEAL Brass Showed Contempt for Trump

Navy SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher's high-profile legal battle has been fraught with controversy.

Air Force News

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Garrett Wright, 66th Training Squadron, Detachment 1, Artic Survival School noncommissioned officer in charge of operations, holds a thermometer beside Staff Sgt. Zachary Rumke, a school instructor, during an F-35A Lightning II survival kit test in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Nov. 5, 2019. Rumke braved six hours of minus 65 temperatures to test gear that could be used in the F-35’s survival kit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Beaux Hebert)

Arctic Survival Kit for Air Force F-35 Pilots Surprises Developers During Way-Below-Zero Trial

The kit kept subjects reasonably warm for six hours in temperatures that dropped below minus 65.

Chief Master Sgt. Jason Morehouse. Air Force photo

Air Force Leader Who Wrote Essay About Respecting Subordinates Fired for Disrespecting Subordinates

The command chief of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, was removed from his position last month.

Two A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft fly a flight training mission March 16, 2010, over Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The A-10C is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close-air support of ground forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Benjamin Wiseman)

The Air Force Could Retire These 8 Fighter Planes and Bombers

Some think that getting rid of the old stuff to make room for the new makes sense.

Marine Corps News

A screen grab from a YouTube video shows Marines being arrested during formation at Camp Pendleton in July, 2019. (Screen capture)

Ruling Threatens Smuggling Cases Against Camp Pendleton Marines

Marine Corps prosecutors were scrambling Tuesday to save numerous cases tied to a human smuggling investigation.

Photo of Master Sgt. Jeffrey Briar and Jennifer Crowley from their Sept. 22, 2019 beach ceremony (via GoFundMe)

On Eve of Funeral, Marine's Widow Remains in Limbo

As a last-ditch measure, a law firm now plans to send a cease-and-desist letter on her behalf to the funeral home.

Michael Alexander Brown (Franklin County Sheriff's Office)

Attorney Calls on US Marine Deserter to Turn Himself In

Michael Alexander Brown is wanted for questioning in the murder of his mother's boyfriend.

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard Seaman Ethan W. Tucker, right, is accused of killing Seaman Ethan Kelch, left, in Alaska. Facebook

Coast Guardsman Charged with Murder Released from Brig amid Change in Charges

Seaman Ethan W. Tucker was arrested August 28 after a Coast Guard investigation into the death of Seaman Ethan Kelch.

A Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile Alabama aircrew conducts training with a local fire department, Oct. 2, 2018. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Coast Guard Moves Alabama Training After Swimmers Fall Ill

News outlets report training has been moved from Mobile Bay to the Gulf of Mexico.

Coast Guardsmen from the cutter Harriet Lane interdict $69 million worth of cocaine from a drug-trafficking semi-submersible in the Eastern Pacific Oct. 24, 2019 (video screengrab via Coast Guard)

Coast Guard Seizes Shocking $69 Million Worth of Cocaine from Drug-Running Sub

Video shows the crew of the Cutter Harriet Lane removing 5,000 pounds of cocaine from the semi-submersible vessel.