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.
BONUS: Secrets to Financial Success for Military Families
A financial expert who works with military families shares his top tips and practical advice for building financial security — especially during hard times.
This episode is sponsored by First Command. To learn more about the services the company provides to military families, visit firstcommand.com.
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.
BONUS: Good News Stories for the Military Community
The Spouse Angle co-founders share positive news stories from the military community — from a top Army spouse saving someone's life to new on-post work spaces for spouses and how military kids are becoming pen pals with veterans in hospice.
Episode 50: Meet the Military Kids Who Are Spreading Kindness
Two inspiring military kids volunteering as Giving Tuesday Military youth ambassadors share how they plan to help spread kindness this holiday season. Then, The Spouse Angle team offers a look back at Season 1 and what's ahead for future episodes.
Two inspiring military kids volunteering as Giving Tuesday Military youth ambassadors share how they plan to help spread kindness this holiday season. Then, The Spouse Angle team offers a look back at Season 1 and what's ahead for future episodes.
Episode 49: When Deployment Meets Pandemic
The pandemic was already making Army spouse Simone Gorrindo's life more difficult. Then, her husband deployed on short notice. Simone recently wrote about her experiences for the New York Times and joins Natalie on this episode to talk more about what the last few months have been like.
Episode 47: #IAmVanessaGuillen: How a Movement Could Transform Military Sexual Assault
The tragic death of Vanessa Guillen led to a bipartisan bill that could transform the way sexual assault is handled in the military. In this episode, a retired Air Force JAG breaks down the legislation, and a Navy veteran and military spouse shares her story of survival and healing after being sexually assaulted.
Episode 45: What Equity in Benefits Would Mean for National Guard Families
After a summer of record-breaking National Guard activations, is it time to bring these troops' military benefits in line with those of full-time active-duty service members? In this episode, two Guard spouses explain the differences and why they matter.
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.