What It Means to Be a Military Spouse
Military spouse is a tough job with long lonely hours and lots of sacrifices. It involves being strong even when you don’t feel strong or when you’re tired of being strong. Being a military spouse can feel like being a single parent. You’re sacrificing a lot, a “normal” life, for love and service.
Being a Military Spouse
Being a military spouse means being part of something bigger, supporting an important cause, and helping the person you love serve our country. It’s about being resourceful and persevering through tough times. It means lots of worry and heartache. Being a military spouse means:
- Separation from your spouse for months
- Moving a lot
- Putting your career on hold
- Dealing with the effects of war
- Working to see the positive
- Missing friends and family
- Handling everything at home
Military spouses soldier through all that because they’re tough; they have to be. It becomes a way of life.
Handling Life as a Military Spouse
Some tips for handling life as a military spouse include:
- Take time for yourself and get out of the house. Join a book club, find a job, volunteer, go hiking, and meet up with friends.
- Communicate as much as possible by any means possible: text, email, video chat, and old fashion letters
- Keep the kids informed. Explain the deployment process before departure and get them involved in the deployment preparation with their own projects.
- Avoid news about the danger zones and don’t dwell on the threats he or she may face.
- Be independent but allow your spouse to help around the house when they’re home.
- Take up a hobby or learn something new. Keeping yourself occupied will help distract from the loneliness and worry.
- Deal with housing as soon as you get notice of a permanent change of station (PCS).
- Commit to the military lifestyle. Try to make the best of each situation and look for the positives of a new home town.
- Learn about your spouse’s job, unit, friends, and supervisors. Learn all the lingo and locations. It can help you feel more connected.
- Get involved with your community. Look to make great friends who’ll likely become family. Military spouses are often part of a large community that support each other.
- Stay flexible. The military life is a lot of change and uncertainty. Be ready to adapt with each new challenge. Be patient and trust that things will work out.
Grab the Opportunities Another tip for military spouses is to take advantage of the opportunities that are available. An example is MyCAA: Military Spouse Career Advancement Account. MyCAA is a career development program that helps military spouses pay for the education necessary to find employment in growing, in-demand professions. Scholarships are available to eligible spouses. The goal is to help spouses gain employment in high-growth fields in positions that are portable. A great partner with MyCAA is Meditec, a leading provider of online career training. You can find the program that’s right for you and complete it in your spare time anywhere in the world where there’s internet. Online training is a solution to many of the challenges military spouses face when trying to go back to school. Take advantage of the convenience and flexibility of Meditec courses in fields such as healthcare, insurance, legal assistant or paralegal, and fitness. Enroll today and take the first step in your next adventure!