Dear Brand-Spanking New Military Spouse

2. Open Door Policy/Chain of Concern

You’ve no doubt heard “Chain of Command” come from your service member’s mouth, but maybe not Chain of Concern. The two mirror each other but the latter is for spouses. While you do not report to anyone, there is a preferred way of talking to people involved in your spouse’s career. Ideally, you’d start with your Family Readiness Leader/Key Spouse/Ombudsman and progress up the ladder as needed. While you do not need to “sir or ma’am” these officers, you do need to be respectful. We all know that the old adage, “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” runs true.