The other unique stressor is this: if your spouse works for a civilian employer, you may be able to “fight the man,” but can you really fight Uncle Sam?
For the military spouse, it seems to be an unwritten rule that our career will always come second. After all, our husband or wife is serving our nation. Isn’t it almost unpatriotic for us not to give up whatever it takes in our own careers to make sure our service members can meet the requirements necessary to achieve their missions?
The author of a recent piece about four-star females hit the nail on the head: “Military service is still largely predicated on a 1950s family model that relies on a stay-at-home, portable spouse to free the military member to navigate demanding career checklists required for promotion.”
It’s more than that though, the military also seems to be missing how military spouse employment can help fight 2 other issues prevalent in the today’s Department of Defense: retention and transition. Enabling military spouse professionals to maintain a satisfactory CAREER can allow the military’s best and brightest to continue serving for the long-term because everyone in the family is happy with military life.
Related: Goals, Schmoals. 6 Ways Military Spouses SUCK at Goal Setting
Military spouse careers also prepare military families for transition by providing stability and income while the service member searches for their first position in the civilian arena. With current reductions in force, including many service members being separated unexpectedly, we cannot afford to ignore this aspect.
So what am I suggesting? Should you go on the offensive and insist that your serving spouse be home at a certain time of day because you need to work? Or tell them they simply can’t go on that TDY because you have a conference? Probably not. Many of these requirements are just that: requirements, and for good reason.
You should, however, let your voices be heard. Speak up in conversations with your spouse; speak up in appropriate forums for changing military policy. Write a letter to your representative; attend town hall meetings and VOTE. Not sure how to choose a candidate that will support military spouse employment issues? Why don’t you call the offices of candidates and ask them for their thoughts on the topic?
