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Happy MilSpouse Appreciation Day!

I’ve done a few posts over the last few weeks talking about how we can celebrate the MilSpouses around us.

While I still think that’s important, let’s be honest – it doesn’t hurt to celebrate ourselves a little bit, too. Since the President went to the trouble of issuing a proclamation about it and all, we should take five minutes to buy ourselves a latte (or whatever makes you happy) and gives ourselves a pat on the back for being supportive, resilient and just overall awesome.

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day! We all deserve it.

Senior Military Leadership Recognize Military Spouse Appreciation Day:

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen

Army Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey

Chief of the Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz and his wife, Laura Stultz

IMCOM Commander Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch

About Amy Bushatz

Amy is the managing editor of Military.com’s spouse and family blog SpouseBuzz.com. A journalist by trade, Amy also covers spouse and family news for Military.com where she is an Associate Editor. An Army wife and mother of two, Amy has been featured as a subject matter expert on NPR and in the New York Times. Follow her on twitter @amybushatz.

Comments

  1. Petra says:

    We do rock!

  2. Independant in LA says:

    I would like to comment on your "Military Spouse Appreciation Day". What it should be Is "Military Spouse, Fiance or Partners Appreciation Day". My fiance is a Navy Seabee and currently in Afghanistan. I often notice that we fiances or girlfriends are never mentioned or acknowledged as a support system to our men abroad, we have no support system or a day to honor us. I experience the same emotions most wives feel, yet we are forgotten.

  3. Independant in LA says:

    I know they have more money then the average family. Fortunately, I don't need any handouts.. I have a career, and make enough money to send him several packages a week! I can't wait to marry the man I love, yet I find myself embarrassed to carry the title of a Military wife. They are stereotyped as being a cheater, lazy and uneducated… I rarely hear or see military spouses with careers, why is that? You get free education yet make excuses for not capitalizing on this gift. All they have are excuses about not being able to go to schoo because of having kids! Then don't have them.. Why do these woman think just because they marry a military man it's a free meal ticket to not contribute to the family financially.. Be more self supporting and stop being co-dependant on your man, he's the one who is fighting for our freedom and your freedom to work!

    Waiting faithfully for my Fiance…

    • Amy says:

      Thanks for your comment!

      Many military spouses find it incredibly difficult to get jobs thanks to constant moves. Employers prefer to hire people who will not for sure move away. They often feel MilSpouses are risky to hire and not worth the training investment because move schedules are often so unpredictable. Areas around bases are often saturated — not enough jobs for the constant cycle of potential spouse hires. Sure, some spouses are lazy (just like some of every population group is lazy) but the vast majority of educated, equipped spouses are exhausted by the constant search for employment at each new duty station and the unwillingness of employers to step-out and have faith in the incredible skills we
      possess.

      You rarely see a milspouse with a career because a career is really hard to establish when you are never based in one place very long. I have a career because I work from home. My friend down the street, a very talented dancer and actress who has starred in numerous productions, can't find work in this area because there aren't any local production companies – just theaters that bring in touring performances. If she wants work she has to live 2 hours away (or commute daily) to Atlanta. Instead she chooses to be here supporting her husband while staying home and filling her time walking her dog.

  4. Independant in LA says:

    I work fulltime in Law enforcement and feel sory for the men who end up with woman who make excuses about working. Go to school and educate yourself so one day you can help out. what if something happens to your soldier? Oh yea, another excuse not to work! Be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

  5. Retmilspouse says:

    I hope the person who finds herself embarrassed to think of calling herself a milspouse changes her tune when she actually becomes a milspouse. First of all, her statement about military families having more money than average is patently false. It depends on your rank and years in service, among other things. I was also told, on several occasions, when I went to apply for jobs that they did not hire military spouses because they aren't around long enough to train and retain. I did go to school and train myself for a "portable" career, but not everyone can do that. I also worked, but now that my husband is retired and my children are grown, I question the wisdom of that, because I think my children suffered as a result of their father being gone so much at sea and their mother not as available as she should have been due to work hours, commute, etc. I think that it is extremely insulting for that writer to say that anyone should not have children because they may be using them as an excuse not to become educated or employed. I was both educated and employed, but my FIRST responsibility was to my husband and my children. ALSO, I DID NOT get a free education–not sure where that erroneous information comes from–maybe that is a new twist. I think Ms. Independent should be embarrassed all right, but not because of being a milspouse–but for judging anyone before she walks a mile in our shoes. Being a military fiance' is definitely NOT the same thing. It is amazing to me that we were told that "women have the right to work outside the home or not" but boy, if a woman does stay home, she is vilified! Whether or not she "chooses" to work should depend on her family priorities. While it is not wrong to educate yourself and/or work outside the home, it does not necessarily follow that working women are superior.

  6. Angelina says:

    Wow! There are people out there that do NOT know the real situation of each family. I personally graduated and have my certification as Medical Assistant all in my own; no military spouse scholarship at all. I do work!… I know some MilSpouse that do not work and have kids. Their opinion on this is that they're Military husband's make enough money to support their family, and they agree on the mom staying at home with their kids until they're old enough or until they think its necessary. I personally agree with their opinion, and I hope that when we start having kid I can at least work part time and also spend as much time with my kids as possible! Thanks for some of your opinions!!!! IF YOU DON'T KNOW MUCH OR YOU'RE NOT IN THIS SITUATION you should NOT give an opinion!!