The Top 5 Lifestyle Concerns for Military Families
Spouse unemployment remains a top concern for military families, the latest Blue Star Families survey shows. A researcher takes a closer look at the numbers and the other challenges military families face — and shares her own experiences as an Army spouse.
Read the Blue Star Families report.
Follow The Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The Tough Conversations Military Families of Color Are Having
Active-duty service members of color are generally satisfied with the military itself, according to a new survey, but many reported lower levels of pay in the civilian workforce for spouses or fearing for safety in communities with a history of racism. Blue Star Families Racial Equity and Inclusion Initiative Director CT Moss shares the details and her story as a black woman veteran.
Read the report.
Follow The Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Why the Military Is Studying Spouse Unemployment
It's been nearly two decades since the military's last comprehensive look into military spouse unemployment, and since that time, so much of the workforce landscape has changed. What will a new study show? The president of the National Military Spouse Network shares more.
Follow The Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Episode 76: Unemployed By COVID-19: How 5 Military Spouses Pivoted
Many Americans who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic are pivoting to entrepreneurship or new career fields. Five military spouses share their encouraging stories and tips for success.
This episode is sponsored by SpouseLink, a unique space created to help bridge the distance between family and friends that comes with military life. Learn more at SpouseLink.org.
Follow The Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Episode 65: A Spike in Cybercrimes Against Military Families
A Gold Star spouse discovered her late husband's photo was being used in online romance scams. Now, she's part of a new campaign to educate about a rise in cybercrimes impacting service members, veterans and their families at disproportionate rates.
Follow the Cybercrime Support Network on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and visit FightCybercrime.org to learn more. Follow the Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Episode 64: An Army Spouse on Afghanistan: It’s ‘Like a Member of My Family’
As U.S. troops prepare to leave Afghanistan, an Army spouse shares her perspective on a country she's come to know and love through her husband's many deployments and the toll the war there has taken on her life.
Follow Rebekah Sanderlin on Twitter. Follow the Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Episode 62: What a White House Initiative Means for Military Kids
First Lady Jill Biden is tackling military kids’ education as part of the White House Joining Forces Initiative. In this episode, a military kid shares her experiences moving from school to school, and a military child education leader shares what families can expect from the program.
Episode 61: The Story Behind ‘Military Spouse Owned’
A new Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce offers multiple resources for entrepreneurs and, for the first time, the chance to be federally recognized as a military spouse-owned business. Two Army spouses working on this project provide all the details.
Follow the Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Follow the Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Episode 60: What Spouses Say Are the Biggest Challenges of Military Life
The latest results of the annual Blue Star Families Military Lifestyle Survey are in. Hear how much the coronavirus pandemic has impacted military families and which challenges still remain consistent – COVID-19 or not.
The latest results of the annual Blue Star Families Military Lifestyle Survey are in. Hear how much the coronavirus pandemic has impacted military families and which challenges still remain consistent – COVID-19 or not.
Find out more about the survey at https://bluestarfam.org/survey-2/.
Episode 59: Why 2020 Was One Military Spouse Entrepreneur's Best Year Yet
On this month's feature episode, attorney and business coach Rachel Brenke shares how a cancer diagnosis launched her into entrepreneurship and how she's maintained success throughout the hard times of military life and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Episode 58: Struggling with Food Insecurity as a Military Family
Many military families are struggling to put food on the table, research shows. An Army spouse discusses what it’s like dealing with food insecurity and the resources that have helped her family, and a military spouse near Joint Base Lewis-McChord shares how she's growing food to give away to families in need.
Episode 57: Making It Easier for Military Spouses to Work
More states are passing laws to make it easier for military spouses to transfer professional licenses after a move. A lawyer and a teacher share some of the barriers they’ve faced when having to transfer their careers after a PCS.
For more information on state license recognition laws mentioned in this episode, click here.
Episode 56: Many Military Families With Special Needs Aren’t Getting Help
The military offers dedicated resources for families with special medical and educational needs. Yet according to a new survey, many families don't know about it.
Learn more about Partners in PROMISE on Facebook and at promiseact.org. Follow The Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Episode 55: Improving the Experiences of Military Families of Color
A leading military nonprofit has launched an initiative to better understand and support the experiences of minority families. Two spouses working behind the scenes on the project share more about it and what their own experiences have been like as women of color in the military community.
Follow The Spouse Angle on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Episode 54: Being Black Women at West Point: A Family's Story
The four women of the Copeland-Haynes family have all graduated from or are currently attending West Point. To close out Black History Month, Army Col. June Copeland and her daughters share how they all ended up at the United States Military Academy, the challenges they’ve faced as black women in military service and the bond they have from going through it all together.
Episode 53: How Military Spouse Unemployment Impacts Mental Health
New research sheds light on the way unemployment can affect the mental health of military spouses and their families. In this episode, two spouses share their struggles and how they finally found work success.
The Hiring Our Heroes “Wellbeing in the Workplace” resource mentioned in the episode can be found here.
Episode 44: Why Military Families Have Trouble Getting Mental Health Care
A recent audit of mental health care services in the Military Health System shows what many military families have long known: Thousands are having trouble accessing treatment. In this episode, two military spouses share the obstacles they’ve had to overcome to get help and what this means for families like theirs — especially during a pandemic.
Episode 43: Expanded Education Benefits for Military Spouses
A scholarship program to help junior military spouses pursue education for portable career fields was recently expanded. An expert explains what that means for military spouses, and two Army wives share how they used it to jump-start their careers.