The Life of the Military Spouse

Military spouses vary from base to base and country to country. Some are fiercely independent men and women who have forged their own careers, identity and voice, while others are not employed outside the home and rely more on their spouse for support. Whichever category or subcategory you belong to, it is true to say that military spouses all share one thing in common: they have "lent" the military their spouse for the duration of their career. This is inevitable, as the military takes priority over family life and marriage, particularly during times of political unrest.

Marriage to the military

It does not matter how independent a person was prior to their marriage, as soon as they marry someone who is in the military, they have effectively married the military too! That means that every service they access at their base or camp will be as a direct result of their spouse's job. Tax free shopping and free medical is all through the active duty member. Their ID card will identify them as the spouse or child of so and so and doctor's visits will no longer be for "Mrs. Smith", but for "Mrs. Smith, the wife of Maj Smith". It is not unusual to visit a women's health clinic and fill in forms about your spouse before you even reach the part about why you are there to be seen! You will have to memorize your spouse's social security card number and know it back to front, as you read it off when you want to access a service unique to the military.

Jobs

Finding a job can be difficult if you are the spouse of a military member. As an active duty member, your spouse will get re-assigned and have a secure job until they decide to separate or retire from the military. But that same job security cannot be guaranteed to military spouses. Holding down a job is not easy if you know you will be moving again within two or three years. A resume that is full of short term jobs does not always go down too well with potential employers. But if they are aware of their reasons for so many job changes, their attitude may relax. Longevity in a job is highly prized. Careers are even harder to establish and keep going. Many spouses get around this hurdle by setting up their own business or working from home in some other capacity that allows them to take the job with them when they move. A home childcare job is just one option that the military helps provide for stay at home parents.

Childcare

Military families who have children will need to consider if they will need childcare and what services they can access where they are stationed. The military offers good childcare facilities for families, especially when the active duty parent is deployed.

A lot of juggling is involved for military spouses as they work hard at staying balanced with their job, spouse's absences, long and erratic work hours and other duties that call for their attention. It is not an easy task. But men and women who marry someone who is in the military will readily admit that it is worth it in the end.