Camo & Crayons

Laurie Trahan Lafrenaye
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Personal Journals

Camo & Crayons Military Life & Family Support Podcast is a podcast dedicated to the military community—bringing together service members, veterans, military spouses, parents, and experts for honest conversations about military life. From boot camp to deployments, PCS moves to homecomings, we share real stories, practical advice, and the lessons learned along the way. Whether you're preparing to send a loved one to basic training, navigating military life, or simply looking to better understand those who serve, Camo & Crayons offers encouragement, education, and a reminder that no military family walks this journey alone.

  1. 6h ago

    Military Parents Ask, the Panel Answers

    This week, a panel of active-duty service members, recruiters and military moms answers real questions from our TikTok community. The panel is Sergeant Butterworth, Adam, Berek, Brian, Sherry, Annika and Laurie. They don't sugarcoat anything. In this episode: How phone plans work when you're stationed overseasWhich branch a 17-year-old should enlist in (hint: talk to all of them)Advice for a new service member who's nervous about senior leadersWhere to get confidential help with a drinking problemMedical and moral waivers, explainedWhat happens when a service member goes AWOLHow to help a service member who feels overwhelmedCan you change your orders?TSP, 401(k) and who can help with your financesLeave, 96s and 4-day weekendsRe-enlisting: advice from the panelMilitary Family Spotlight Want your service member featured on a future episode? Fill out our form: https://forms.gle/pw8cHq58N6oEmD6s9 Connect with your hosts Laurie: https://linktr.ee/laurietrahan Sherry: https://linktr.ee/sherrydavis69.sd Connect with our pannel Adam: https://www.tiktok.com/@cao.boo.blue?lang=en Berek: https://www.tiktok.com/@casgamer82ps?lang=en SSG Butters: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsbutters93 King of Pogs: https://www.tiktok.com/@king_of_pogs Contact us Camo & Crayons: camoandcrayons@gmail.com If you or someone you know is struggling: The Military Crisis Line is free and confidential, 24/7. Dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255. Recorded and produced by SWA Creative Media. SWA Creative Media: singwithaaron@gmail.com

  2. Oct 28

    Do I Call Him Son or Sir?" Two Veterans Talk Service, Family & Coming Home

    Do you call your son "son" or "sir" when he makes Colonel? 🎖️ Marine veteran Ruben and Marine and Army veteran Dennis "Sarge" sit down with Laurie, Sherry "Army Mom" Davis and Annika for an honest, funny and emotional conversation about service, family and coming home. In this episode: • Ruben on watching his son become a Marine Colonel • Dennis's "Heritage Room," with sand from Iwo Jima and dirt from WWI and WWII battlefields • What Vietnam-era veterans want today's service members and their families to know • Getting through the transition to civilian life, and why it's okay to ask for help • 52 years of marriage that started with a snow cone Connect with us 🎙️ Host, Laurie Trahan: https://linktr.ee/laurietrahan 🪖 Host, Sherry "Army Mom" https://linktr.ee/sherrydavis69.sd 🪖 Guest, Ruben:https://www.tiktok.com/@ruben57borrego?lang=en 🪖 Guest, Dennis "Sarge":https://www.tiktok.com/@sarge.dt?lang=en 📧 Podcast email: camoandcrayons@gmail.com 📧 Military Spotlight Form: https://forms.gle/oSrqDxTSjcQB86ca6 If you or a veteran you know is struggling, call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1. Produced by SWA Creative Media. #CamoAndCrayons #Veterans #MilitaryFamily #Marines #Podcast

  3. Oct 19

    Girl Talk Q&A: Your Military Moving Questions Answered

    Grab your drink, your sweater, and your slippers, because it's girl talk time! In Episode 14 of Camo & Crayons, Laurie, Sherry, and Annika answer questions from you, our followers, about military moves. They also cover how to help military kids through them. Annika is joining us live from Okinawa, where she just got her household goods after months of waiting. She compares her stateside PCS with her overseas move to Japan. She covers: What changes when you go from a domestic move to an international oneMedical clearance and waiting in limbo while your service member goes aheadHousehold goods that travel by boat across the ocean, and why she hid AirTags in hersThe housing crunch in Japan and families stuck in hotelsHow the government travel charge card worksHelping kids adjust to a new placeHard conversations to have at home before a deploymentTravel questions about boot camp and military leaveHow parents can support a child in the militaryHave a question for a future episode? Send it to us! Follow and connect: 📱 TikTok: @camoandcrayonspod📘 Facebook: Camo & Crayons on Facebook▶️ YouTube: Watch on YouTube✉️ Send us your questions: camoandcrayons@gmail.comConnect with the hosts: 🌲 Laurie: linktr.ee/laurietrahan🌲 Sherry: linktr.ee/sherrydavis69.sd📱 Annika on TikTok: @annika_lyonRecorded on Riverside. Produced by SWA Creative Media.

  4. Oct 14

    The Military Is What You Make of It" with Seasoned Soldier

    Laurie and Sherry sit down with CPT Will Aldana, known on TikTok as Seasoned Soldier. He has served for over 23 years in the Air Force, the Army National Guard, and active-duty Army. He worked as a career counselor, went through Officer Candidate School, and is now an ROTC instructor at the University of New Mexico. In this episode, he talks about: His path from airport security on 9/11 to commissioned officerWhy he says to find the job you want before you choose a branchHow OCS, ROTC, and JROTC work, and how they can ease the move into military lifeStaying physically fit, speaking up for yourself with recruiters, and earning certifications and education to prepare for life after the militaryThis one is useful for future service members, parents, and military families. Connect with CPT Will Aldana TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@seasoned_soldierConnect with Camo & Crayons Email: camoandcrayons@gmail.comTikTok: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593425550543Laurie: https://linktr.ee/laurietrahanSherry: https://linktr.ee/sherrydavis69.sd#562856016?viewRecorded and produced by SWA Creative Media.

  5. Oct 7

    Army Service as a Religious Affairs Non-Commissioned Officer

    What does it take to join the Army at 32, with a wife and kids at home? In this episode of Camo & Crayons, we sit down with Sergeant Bills, also known online as the King of Pogs and Kyle the Unhinged Puppet. He is a Religious Affairs NCO (Chaplain Assistant) who recently marked 10 years in the Army. Sergeant Bills is a husband of 14 years and a girl dad to three daughters. He tells us why he calls joining at 32 his "midlife crisis" and why it was the right move for his family. He walks us through what basic training was like as one of the older recruits, and how drill sergeants handled a soldier with more life experience. He also shares the story of the 26 jobs he held before enlisting, and how the deal he made with his wife shaped his path into the chaplain assistant role. If you're a military family, thinking about enlisting later in life, or curious what a Religious Affairs NCO actually does, this conversation is for you. In this episode Joining the Army at 32: a "midlife crisis" and a family decisionBasic training as one of the oldest in the formationTeaching younger soldiers life skills, from laundry to tying a tie26 jobs before the military, and finding a career that fitThe deal with his wife, and the road to becoming a Chaplain AssistantSupporting soldiers and families as a Religious Affairs NCOGuest: Sergeant Bills (King of Pogues / Kyle the Unhinged Puppet) King of Pogues: https://www.tiktok.com/@king_of_pogsKyle the Unhinged Puppet: https://www.tiktok.com/@kyle.the.unhinged.puppetHosts: Laurie - https://linktr.ee/laurietrahan Sherry - https://linktr.ee/sherrydavis69.sd Annika - Connect with Camo & Crayons Email: camoandcrayons@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593425550543Follow, rate, and review the show on [Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube links]Recorded and produced by SWA Creative Media.

  6. Sep 30

    Vet on the Mic: Turning 23 Years of Service Into a Mission of Motivation

    In this episode of Camo & Crayons, Laurie, Annika, and Sherry sit down with Vet on the Mic — a 23-year retired U.S. Air Force veteran and one of TikTok's most motivational voices. From growing up idolizing his Vietnam-veteran father to a 23-year career in Aerospace Ground Equipment that took him from Tinker AFB to Korea, Germany, Okinawa, and beyond — this conversation is packed with heart, humor, and hard-won wisdom. We talk about: 🎖️ What it's really like to serve 23 years and retire as Senior Master Sergeant✈️ Life on the flight line as Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE)🌍 Duty stations around the world — Korea, Japan, Germany, and more👨‍👩‍👧 Raising a military family across four continents😂 How humor became his tool for fighting depression and anxiety after service🎤 Building a following on TikTok as "Vet on the Mic"If you're a veteran, military spouse, military kid, or just need a dose of motivation today — this episode is for you. Important Links: Email: camoandcrayons@gmail.com Hosts: Laurie & Sherry 🎙️ Follow Vet on the Mic: https://linktr.ee/VetOnTheMic Project Healing Waters

  7. Sep 23

    The Inside Scoop from a Marine Corps Drill Instructor

    Laurie, Sherry, and Annika discuss GySgt Cruz’s experiences and time throughout his Marine Corps career. Discussing topics from leaving home, to being in the Marine Corps, as well as serving as a Drill Instructor. Email Camo & Crayons Hosts: Laurie's Linktree Sherry's linktree Guest Links: Jonas The Mad Hatter on TikTok Irreverent Warriors

  8. Sep 16

    You Asked, They Answered: Live Q&A with Berek & Brian

    This episode is all about YOU. Every question answered today came straight from the Camo & Crayons community — pulled directly from Laurie's Saturday and Sunday TikTok Lives, where followers ask their real, unfiltered questions about military life, love, and everything in between. To help tackle them, Laurie and Sherry brought in two special guests for a panel-style sit-down: Berek T. Krehmeier, a retired Marine Corps Staff Sergeant (20 years of service, now a Career Services Specialist & SkillBridge Coordinator), and Brian, "King of POGs", an active-duty Army Sergeant and Religious Affairs NCO marking his 10-year milestone. (Annika's sitting this one out — she just landed in Okinawa after 27 hours of travel!) One of the top questions submitted by followers: is getting married right out of boot camp a good idea or a bad one? Berek and Brian dig into it with total honesty, covering: 🗣️ Why communication — not timing — makes or breaks a military marriage📋 Brian's "100 Questions" checklist he gives service members before they say "I do"⚓ How certain MOSs (like Marine Security Guard) restrict spouses and communication🏕️ What being a "Geo Bachelor" means and how deployments test relationships❤️ Berek's candid take after three marriages on what he wishes he'd knownIf you submitted a question during one of Laurie's TikTok Lives, this could be the episode where you get your answer. Follow along for future Lives to get your own questions featured! Email: camoandcrayons@gmail.com Hosts: Laurie Trahan https://linktr.ee/laurietrahan Army Sherry https://linktr.ee/sherrydavis69.sd Guests: Berek T. Krehmeier (USMC, Ret.) Berek.krehmeier@yahoo.com Brian, King of POGs (US Army) billz84@gmail.com Military Spotlight: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf_qH1ak2vl6Fy8MccvRSKJh0hzYgWiapBPkEgB3wzXLIobig/viewform

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Camo & Crayons Military Life & Family Support Podcast is a podcast dedicated to the military community—bringing together service members, veterans, military spouses, parents, and experts for honest conversations about military life. From boot camp to deployments, PCS moves to homecomings, we share real stories, practical advice, and the lessons learned along the way. Whether you're preparing to send a loved one to basic training, navigating military life, or simply looking to better understand those who serve, Camo & Crayons offers encouragement, education, and a reminder that no military family walks this journey alone.

Information

  • Creator
    Laurie Trahan Lafrenaye
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Laurie Trahan Lafrenaye
  • Show Website
    Camo & Crayons

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