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

Sailors and Marines visit the Los Angeles Zoo during the second annual Los Angeles Fleet Week, Sep. 1, 2017. (U.S. Navy photo/Abby Rader)

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.

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.

Air Force and Army coed softball teams render military honors during the All-Star Armed Services Classic Championship game, Washington, D.C., July 13, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo/Rusty Frank)

Military Discounts for Major League Baseball Games

Major League Baseball teams are showing their appreciation for service members with military discounts on game tickets.

Sailors representing several local naval commands participate in the annual Pilgrimage to the Alamo during Fiesta San Antonio, April 22, 2019. (U.S. Navy photo/Burrell Parmer)

10 San Antonio Discounts for Military Families

Whether you're stationed in the San Antonio area or just visiting, there are many family-friendly military discounts availabl...

A U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules is parked on the flightline during the Celebrate America fireworks display, July 3, 2018, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Donald Hudson)

2019 Fourth of July Military Discounts

Service members and families are being honored with a variety of military discounts to celebrate the Fourth of July.

20 Military Discounts in Hampton Roads

Whether you live in Hampton Roads or you're just visiting, take advantage of the following 20 military discounts.

A father holds his son on the flightine at the 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield, Ohio, on June 20, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo/Christi Richter)

10 Father's Day Gift Ideas and Military Discounts

Here are some ideas to celebrate Father's Day with great military discounts.

Pacific Park (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Lance Cpl. Norman Eckles)

The Best Amusement Park Military Discounts

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

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.

Arlington National Cemetery (Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard)

2019 Memorial Day Events

Memorial Day commemorates military personnel who have served and died. The following is a list of 2019 Memorial Day events.

Capts. Laura and Bryan Watson, 4th Force Support Squadron operations officer and 336th Fighter Squadron pilot, kiss during a deployment homecoming, April 11, 2018, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. (U.S. Air Force photo/Shawna L. Keyes)

2019 Military Appreciation Month Discounts

Service members and families are being honored during Military Appreciation Month with a variety of discounts.

Master Sgt. Krisopher Whetzel, a Nevada Air National Guardsman, is greeted by his kids upon his return from deployment. (US Army/Paul Macomber)

Top 10 Ways to Prepare Military Kids for a PCS

What can we do to help make the PCS moving adventure less stressful on our kids? Here are some ideas.

1st Lt. Kathryn Bailey, a Black Hawk pilot with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, goes over a checklist of her household items with her movers. (U.S. Army/Karen A. Iwamoto)

8 Tips to Prepare for Your First PCS Move

Getting ready for your first PCS? Here are eight tips to help you make it a great one.

Top Ten PCS Don’ts

Getting ready for a military move? Watch out for these PCS don'ts.

Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen stand in formation following the 2017 Freedom Run at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza in New York, May 28, 2017. Service members participated in the run to honor the lives lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/Troy Saunders)

11 New York Military Discounts

If you're planning a trip to New York, make sure you include a stop at the following places that offer military discounts.

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Most Popular Military News

Sgt. Kelvin Ansari a Savannah, Georgia, police officer who served 21 years in the Army, was killed May 12, 2019, while responding to a robbery. He left behind a wife and four children ranging in ages from 5 to 25. Savannah Police Department

Police Officer Killed in Line of Duty Was Father of 4 and Army Veteran

Kelvin Ansari left behind a wife and four children ranging in ages from 5 to 25. He had served 21 years in the Army.

A motorcycle passes as a woman leaves flowers at the scene of a fatal accident on Route 2 in Randolph, N.H., Saturday, June 22, 2019. Investigators pleaded Saturday for members of the public to come forward with information that could help them determine why a pickup truck hauling a trailer collided with a group of motorcycles on a rural highway. (Paul Hayes/Caledonian-Record via AP)

Members of Marine Motorcycle Club Among 7 Killed in New Hampshire Crash

The bikers were members of a Massachusetts chapter of Jarheads Motorcycle Club, a group of veterans and military personnel.

Aircrew Aviation Electrician's Mate Striker Brandon Caserta, 21 died by suicide on June 25, 2018. An investigation found that leadership at Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 in Norfolk, Virginia, "contributed" to his decision to take his own life. Photo courtesy of the Caserta family

His Suicide Note Was a Message to the Navy. The Way He Died Was the Exclamation Point

Leadership "contributed" to Brandon Caserta's decision to take his own life, an investigation found.

A P-8A Poseidon assigned to the "Skinny Dragons" of Patrol Squadron (VP) 4 flies over the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Aug. 29, 2017. (U.S. Navy photo/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alex Perlman)

Iran Chose To Take Out Drone Instead of Manned Navy Jet, lranian General Says

Iran claimed that it could have killed Americans by shooting down a P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft.

Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, practice proper techniques to clear a stairway during an Urban Operations exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 9, 2014. Each building is designed differently to offer an unpredictable layout that Marines would normally experience in UO. The rooms are filled with distracting elements including holes in the walls, open ceilings and multiple doorways. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Moore/Released)

Inside Project Metropolis: Marines Prepare to Wage Big-City Battles

The four-year effort, known as Project Metropolis, is being led by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico.

Latest Military Videos

Get in Step Air Force’s Catchy Hip-Hop Recruitment Video

Members of the 90th Missile Wing Security Forces Group come together to create a music video with the hopes.

Army Chinook Conducts Sling Loads

A Chinook from the 50th Multi Roll Bridge Company (MRBC) out of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri sling loads a.

Task Force Barrier Southern Border Wall Under Construction

Task Force Barrier – 30-foot bollard barrier emplacement for Arizona primary barrier (Video: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers)

New Satellite Arrives at Cape Canaveral

U.S. Air Force Col. David Ashley, senior Materiel Leader from the Military Satellite Communications Directorate, discuss the relationship between.

Smoke Trail from Shot Down Global Hawk

Video showing the smoke trail left after a U.S. Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down over the.

Army News

Former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. David G. Bellavia (second from left) attends a Medal of Honor reception at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel, Arlington VA, June 24, 2019 (U.S. Army/Sgt. Kevin Roy)

'The Audie Murphy of His Generation:' Why David Bellavia's Medal of Honor Is Making History

The presentation of the MoH to an Iraq War vet has reignited discussion over why it took 16 years to select a living recipien...

Arrest warrants were issued last week for two Army soldiers serving at Fort Bragg, N.C. One of them is described as "the facilitator" in a sham-marriage conspiracy; the other soldier is a naturalized citizen from Ghana. (US Army photo)

Fort Bragg Paratroopers Treated for Heat Exhaustion

Eleven paratroopers were taken to a hospital and seven others treated for heat exhaustion.

In this photo taken Jan. 4, 2011, U.S Army Capt. Mathew Golsteyn is congratulated by fellow soldiers following the Valor Awards ceremony for 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C. (James Robinson/The Fayetteville Observer via AP)

Arraignment Scheduled for Soldier Accused of Killing Unarmed Afghan National

Maj. Mathew Golsteyn is expected to be formally advised of the charges against him Thursday.

Navy News

Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, right, walks with his wife, Andrea Gallagher as they arrive to military court on Naval Base San Diego, Monday, June 24, 2019, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Julie Watson)

Doctor: Stabbing by Navy SEAL Could Have Killed Prisoner

Dr. Frank Sheridan said he couldn't determine a cause of death because of a lack of evidence.

In this April 26, 2016, file photo, former Congressman Joe Sestak, center, his wife Susan Sestak, left, and daughter Alex Sestak react after speaking to supporters gathered outside his campaign headquarters in Media, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Retired Navy Admiral Joe Sestak Launches Presidential Campaign

The retired Navy admiral who calls himself "Admiral Joe" on his campaign website joins a crowded Democratic field.

Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher leaves a military courtroom on Naval Base San Diego with his wife, Andrea Gallagher, Friday, May 31, 2019, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Julie Watson)

Fellow SEALs Say Chief Shot Girl and Old Man

The defense says neither witness saw Gallagher fire the shots.

Air Force News

A SpaceX Falcon heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., early Tuesday, June 25, 2019. The Falcon rocket has a payload military and scientific research satellites. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

SpaceX Launches Hefty Rocket with 24 Satellites

It was the third flight of a Falcon Heavy rocket, but the first ordered by the military.

The Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) passing by U.S. Army Fort Hamilton Garrison during the 29th annual Fleet Week New York's Parade of Ships. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Travis Simmons/Released)

Fort Hamilton Airman, Two Small Kids Found Dead in Suspected Triple Homicide

Her husband was taken into custody while wandering the streets of Brooklyn.

The sun sets behind a C-17 Globemaster III as soldiers wait in line to board the aircraft at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson)

Iraq Boosts Security Measures at Base Where US Trainers Stay

The stepped-up Iraqi security measures at Balad air base come amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Marine Corps News

5 Times Chesty Puller Proved He Was One of the Greatest Marines

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller wasn't just a great warfighter, he was an icon of Marine military prowess and...

Truck driver charged with 7 homicides in motorcycle crash

Truck Driver Charged in Crash That Killed 7 from Marine Motorcycle Group

The driver of a truck in a collision that killed seven motorcyclists was charged with seven counts of negligent homicide.

Inside Project Metropolis: Marines Prepare to Wage Big-City Battles

The four-year effort, known as Project Metropolis, is being led by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico.

Coast Guard News

The cadets of the class of 2019 throw their covers into the air as they officially become ensigns during the 138th commencement exercises at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., May 22, 2019. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Matthew Thieme)

Coast Guard Graduates Put Careers on Hold for Chance to Compete in Olympics

Two recent graduates of the Coast Guard Academy are putting their military careers on hold.

Panamanian line handlers prepare the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC 913) for transit through the Panama Canal, May 2, 2019. The Mohawk was supporting joint, multinational counter-drug operations under Campaign Martillo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jordan Thompson)

Key West-Based Coast Guard Crew Returns Home After Seizing More Than 18,000 Pounds of Drugs

The crew of the USCG Cutter Mohawk, with the help of partner agencies, were able to seize more than 16,500 pounds of cocaine.

Coast Guard Service Pendant, on display at the Coast Guard Research and Development Center, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, in New London, Conn. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Coast Guard Research and Development Center Technical Director Retires

Tim Girton is retiring after two decades at the center, the last 12 of which he's spent as technical director.