For many military families, life on a base can feel like an endless cycle of temporary addresses, beige walls, and the limitations of rental living. Yet, as the new school year dawned on August 18, 2025, thousands of families across the globe found fresh ways to make these transient spaces feel like home—both in their living rooms and their children’s classrooms.
At the heart of this transformation is Lisa Song, an Army wife living at Fort Irwin in Southern California. While the phrase "on-base housing" often conjures images of drab flooring and awkward layouts, Song sees something different: a blank canvas. With her 15 years of experience as a military spouse, she’s become something of a DIY design evangelist, determined not to wait for a dream home before creating a space that feels truly hers.
“I don’t want to delay happiness or feeling at home in my space, no matter if it’s a home I own or a rental. Yes, it’s temporary. But it’s still our life, so I’m going to make the most of it,” Song told Military Families. Her approach is refreshingly pragmatic—and a little bit rebellious. “People think military housing isn’t the best, that you don’t know what you’re going to get. But I stayed sane coming here knowing I’d have a creative outlet to dream and envision the things I could do.”
Song’s philosophy is simple: decorate for now, not someday. Drawing on her upbringing—her parents worked in real estate, and she grew up touring design rooms—Song uses every move as a chance to reimagine her family’s space. She encourages others to add personality to the standard-issue beige. “There’s a stigma that military housing is dull or unattractive. But I see it as a challenge,” she said. Wall decals, renter-friendly upgrades, and even swapping out light fixtures can make a world of difference. “Switching out light fixtures makes a big impact. You can add window treatments, or paint an accent wall.”
It’s not about breaking the bank, either. Song is a champion of starting small and focusing on what bothers you most. “Start small… There are so many things you can do that are budget friendly,” she advised. Her process is methodical: she uses Pinterest and Canva to build mood boards, and Google Lens for inspiration, uploading images of wallpaper or furniture to see what works and what doesn’t. “Pinterest is my best friend in the early planning stages,” she explained.
Song’s advice to fellow military families extends beyond design tips. She cautions against rushing the process—"Your home shouldn’t feel rushed"—and stresses the importance of designing with family in mind, even if that means mixing styles. “It’s okay to have different styles in your home. You live there. It doesn’t necessarily have to be cohesive,” she laughed. For Song, her children’s rooms are the highlight: “Giving them a space where they can grow and imagine is so special to me. Seeing their faces light up when I show them is so fulfilling as a mom.”
Most importantly, Song warns against the pitfalls of comparison. “Comparison is such a thief of joy. Whatever you are doing for your home and your family, let that be enough for you.” It’s a sentiment echoed by many in the military community, where frequent moves and constant change are the norm.
But it’s not just the homes that are getting a makeover. On the same day that Song and families like hers were reimagining their living spaces, more than 67,000 military children returned to Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) schools at 161 locations worldwide, according to Stars and Stripes. This year, the return to class came with a new vision: the DODEA Blueprint for Continuous Improvement, published in July and announced August 4, 2025. The plan aims for student, school, talent, and organizational excellence through 2030.
“Whether it’s an academic achievement that needs to shore up or whether it’s a behavior issue (or) absentee issue, our student support teams are there to step in,” said DODEA Pacific South superintendent Melissa Hayes. The blueprint’s collective approach is designed to help “identify and provide the right level of support for each student, whether they need enrichment, targeted help or intensive intervention,” added DODEA-Pacific spokeswoman Miranda Ferguson.
The start of the year was marked by bell-ringing ceremonies and music across the globe. At Kubasaki High on Okinawa, Maj. Gen. Brian Wolford and Sgt. Maj. Jorge Ortiz rang in the new year with taiko drumming. At Camp Humphreys in South Korea, the Eighth Army Band played rock music as over a thousand middle schoolers returned. In Japan, students at Sullivans Elementary gathered for a “ring in ceremony” inspired by Navy tradition, with Cmdr. Patrick Gutierrez telling students, “You guys are excited to be here. I’m excited for the first day of class — let’s ring these kids in.”
For many students, the return to school was a mix of nerves and excitement. John Kendrick, a third grader at Bechtel Elementary on Okinawa, admitted he was mostly looking forward to “lunch and recess,” though he likes math and science because “math is easy.” Meanwhile, fourth-grader Isabel Aguon at Yokosuka Naval Base was already plotting her run for student council president or vice president, while kindergartner Morgan Kendrick at Kadena Elementary whispered that she was eager to make friends.
This year, DODEA expanded mental health services by hiring about 20 new school psychologists in Europe and the Pacific, lowering the student-to-psychologist ratio from 1:900 to 1:700, with a goal of reaching 1:500. On Okinawa, two additional psychologists were hired to support special education students, bringing the total to nine across 13 schools. These changes are part of a broader staffing reorganization that also added administrative officers to handle logistics, finance, and facilities—freeing principals to focus on education. “No one lost their job,” DODEA-Europe spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry emphasized, explaining that staffers were reassigned rather than let go.
All incoming freshmen and sophomores now face a new graduation requirement: a semester-long personal finance literacy course. “We really are impressed with the moves that we’ve made,” said Sullivans Elementary principal Dwayne Jefferson. “We have positive behavior intervention supports put in place, and we have daily check-ins for that resiliency of students.”
Even in Bahrain, where hundreds of families left in June due to threats from Iran, schools reported slightly higher enrollments than last year. The resilience of military families, it seems, knows no bounds.
For both parents and students, the start of the 2025 school year is a reminder that home isn’t just a place—it’s an ongoing project, shaped by creativity, community, and a willingness to embrace the present, no matter where the orders take you next.
