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

10 Back-to-School Deals for Military Families

Here's a list of discounts to help military families get the kids off to school in style while staying within your budget....

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? Here are the Disney Armed Forces Salute program details for 2021.

Online shopping on a laptop with credit card

Where to Find Military Discounts Online

Take advantage of the following military discounts from the comfort of your own home.

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.

Why You Shouldn't Let Your Kids Miss Too Much School

Do not take your kids out of school. No matter what the demands of your recent move or deployment schedule or the current...

The Best Amusement Park Military Discounts

Amusement parks are a fun way for families to spend time together and many offer military discounts.

Cheap Lodging for Military Families

Here are some great deals for military families to find cheap lodging on the go.

How to Use Military Discounts While Traveling

Traveling is even more fun when you find great discounts to help you out along the way.

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.

How to Find Cheap Military Flights and Baggage Discounts

Whether you're traveling on orders or for leisure, you can find discounted rates on flights as well as checked baggage.

Photo: U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Shannon Barnwell

How The Navy Helps Spouses Find Jobs

The first place Navy spouses should call when seeking employment is the Fleet and Family Support Cente or FFSC.

Where to Find Military Discounts at Zoos Around the Country

Admission fees at zoos can be costly. So we've put together a list of zoos around the country that offer military discounts.

Military Discounts on Auto Sales

Buying a new car? Check out the military discounts offered by automakers both stateside and abroad.

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.

Is It Time To Go Back To Work?

The minute the youngest child heads to Kindergarten, every stay-home military spouse starts to wonder: Is it time to go back...

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Most Popular Military News

Airmen await takeoff in a C-17 Globemaster III

DoD Making Masks Mandatory Again, Even for the Vaccinated, in Some Places

The DoD resumed requiring all people to wear masks indoors at facilities in places where the disease is spreading quickly.

Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division, stand in formation

Cavalry Not Horsing Around with Mismanufactured Patches. Can you Spot the Error?

You probably need a jeweler's eye to notice what is wrong with the 1st Cavalry Division’s current patch.

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)

Congress Rebuffs Air Force's Plan to Retire Older Aircraft, Putting A-10 Move on Hold

Lawmakers would block the retirement of the A-10s again if the recent Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the bill...

Biden Orders Military to Move Toward Mandatory COVID Vaccine

Biden said making the vaccines mandatory is important because troops often serve in places where vaccination rates are low.

US Navy Loses Two More Sailors to COVID-19

The total number of COVID deaths in the military is at 26 as of July 21, according to the DoD.

Latest Military Videos

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This Day in History: NASA is Created

This Day in History: , NASA Is Created. July 29, 1958. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was...

Palestinians, Israeli Troops Clash after Funeral

Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops clashed following the funeral of a child believed killed by army fire the previous...

Army News

Officers load gun clips with ammunition at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.

Ammunition Shelves Bare as Gun Sales Continue to Soar

The U.S. military is not affected by the shortage.

Biden Unveils Picks for Key Religious Freedom Roles

Biden appointed Khzir Khan, the Muslim-American father of a U.S. Army captain who died in Iraq in 2004, to be a commissioner.

Staff Sgt. Micah E. Walker, of Peyton, Colo.

Army Says Drowning Wasn't the Cause of Green Beret's Death, Retracting Prior Claim

Staff Sgt. Micah Walker, 31, was taking part in dive training when he died at Naval Air Station Key West.

Navy News

U.S. Navy sailors board an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter on the flight deck of USS Ronald Reagan.

US Navy Says Drone Strike Hit Oil Tanker off Oman, Killing 2

The USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Mitscher were escorting the Mercer Street as it headed to a safe port.

amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego

Sailor Charged with Arson in Bonhomme Richard Fire Claims Innocence, Lawyer Says

The accused sailor spoke with investigators after the fire and was confined to the Marine Corps Station Miramar brig for...

Smoke rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego

Navy Charges Sailor with Setting Fire that Destroyed USS Bonhomme Richard

The sailor was a member of the crew at the time, Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a U.S. 3rd Fleet spokesperson, said.

Air Force News

Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucano soars over Kabul

Hospital Bombed in Southern Afghanistan as Battles Rage

Provincial council chief Attaullah Afghan confirmed that the hospital was struck by the Afghan air force.

An F-22A Raptor taxis at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Unspecified Maintenance Error After F-22 Was Washed Led to Crash at Eglin

The F-22 crash was the first of two nearly back-to-back fighter crashes at Eglin last year.

Aircrew egress systems specialists hoist an F-16 Fighting Falcon canopy

Lawmakers Move to Protect Pilots from Ejection Seat Problems

Lawmakers plan to require the Air Force and the Navy to notify them when the live-saving seats are in need of repair.

Marine Corps News

Hershel "Woody" Williams receives the Medal of Honor from President Harry S Truman at the White House in October 1945. (Hershel Williams Medal of Honor Foundation)

The Last Battle for Iwo Jima Legend Woody Williams, Only Surviving WWII Medal of Honor Recipient

At age 97, Woody Williams still has promises to Gold Star families to keep.

Families of Marines who died in amphibious assault vehicle accident.

Families of 9 Troops Killed in Amphibious Vehicle to Sue

BAE Systems declined to comment on the expected lawsuit and directed questions to the Marine Corps.

F-35B Lightning II lands at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Lightning Strike Damages Two F-35B Stealth Fighters over Western Japan

Both aircraft, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, landed safely after the strike and neither pilot was injured.

Coast Guard News

A towering crane pulls the engine room section away from the remains of the capsized cargo ship Golden Ray.

Section of Overturned Shipwreck Separated, Oil Discharged

On Saturday, a pilot steered the sixth section away from the rest of the Golden Ray’s half-submerged wreckage.

Commissioning of Coast Guard Cutters Myrtle Hazard, Oliver Henry and Fredrick Hatch

Coast Guard Sector Guam Rebrands Itself During Cutters' Triple Commissioning Ceremony

The U.S. Coast Guard renamed its Guam outpost the Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam during a triple commissioning...

That is one Semper Paratus game face. (U.S. Coast Guard)

5 Combat Victories the Coast Guard Scored Against America’s Enemies

To honor the Coast Guard's August 4th birthday: five stories to remind you the Coast Guard punches way above its weight.