A military wife posted in a Facebook group that being a military spouse with dreams and aspirations is one of the hardest things she has to go through.
Although, I’ve been a military wife for 21 years, I must say it is definitely one of the most difficult tasks for me as well when it comes to making choices for my career advancement. As a dual military spouse, you have to decide who is going to take the assignment that is not really going to broaden your career, but it will get you stationed together or at least in the same state. It’s not always the perfect situation, but you have to choose to stay the course or get out of active duty and become a traditional spouse (one that’s not serving the military on active duty).
It’s important to have a spouse who supports you and encourages you through your experience. It’s also important to reach out to other veteran spouses who have been dealing with the same situation for years and who can provide reassurance and additional resources to help you through this hardship.
As a traditional MilSpouse, there may be employment available, but it may not match your education and experience. The struggle is real because you also do not have the stability to let your roots settle locally. As soon as it’s about to feel comfortable, your spouse breaks this news to you “Babe we got orders, it’s PCS time!” Permanent Change of Station is great news for some, for others, it’s the news they dread every 2 to 4 years. Many of us do our best to bloom where we are planted, but that can come with some challenges if the community is not supportive of your MilSpouse status.
They know that you’re only there for a few years and you’ll uproot and leave them and their companies behind so you may not get offered the same opportunities that you are usually “over qualified”. We are grateful for all the businesses out there supports military families and understands our situation. Thank you for hiring us and giving us the opportunity to be a valuable member of your team.
As difficult as entrepreneurship may be, it gives you more control of the situation. I think the best way to deal with frequent moves for some is to create a business that they can operate from anywhere. With that comes the need for support. Being a military spouse is not an easy task, but we chose to be the #1 supporter for our service member. Today I ask you to support military spouse businesses. We thank you in advance.
If you’re a military spouse, you are welcome to share your business in the comments. Write a sentence or two on what your business is about. If your business would like to hire milispouses, please do the same. Thank you.
Your situation may be difficult, but there are support groups for every situation out there. Maximize your resources and remember to do all things with love, courage and grace.
-Maxine Reyes
Sincerely Maxine Reyes®️?
Social: @sincerelymaxine