Our Top 10 Military Stories of 2021
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As another year comes to a close, we are reflecting on all that took place at The Spouse Angle in 2021.
This past year, we saw a lot of growth — in content, downloads, social media communities and more. We were privileged to partner with national organizations like Military Times and Wreaths Across America Radio, who shared our episodes with their audiences each week. Our content also reached the ears of prospective advertisers, who decided to believe in our mission and enable us to continue this work we love so much.
So whether you listened to one episode or 100; whether you shared your story on the podcast as a guest or just shared a link with a friend — THANK YOU! Your support means more than you know.
As we look ahead to a fresh start in 2022 — and hopefully the end of the pandemic that’s continued to challenge us all — we wanted to share our most popular episodes of 2021. While we continue our brief hiatus between seasons, we hope you’ll take some time to listen to these stories, if you haven’t already.
Shannon Kent’s Gold Star Husband Shares Their Story
Gold Star husband and retired Green Beret Joe Kent reflects on the life of his late wife, who was killed on a special operations mission fighting ISIS in Syria. Joe is raising the couple's two young sons and shares how he's preserving Shannon Kent's legacy as a mother and a warrior.
Why Military Teens ‘Are Not Okay’
Many military teens struggle with food insecurity and mental health. Yet a large percentage plan to one day don the uniform, a new study shows. Two high school seniors who helped lead the research speak about their tough experiences as military kids and how they're helping other teenagers.
What Life Is Like As a Space Force Spouse
A recent gaffe by the president's press secretary has put the Space Force back in the spotlight. Two Guardian spouses share what it's like to be part of the newest branch of the military — one that many people don't understand.
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.
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.
Why DoD Wants to Hear from Military Spouses
For the first time ever, all spouses of active-duty service members can share their opinions on military life in the Department of Defense's biennial survey. Find out why that's important and what to expect.
Surviving Deployment As a Military Spouse
The military is standardizing the amount of time troops spend at home between deployments. An active-duty Army spouse and a military blogger discuss what this means for families and offer tips to help spouses through deployments and reintegration.
A Same-Sex Spouse’s Perspective on Military Life
In 2018 Brian Alvarado was the first same-sex military spouse to receive the Navy Spouse of the Year Award. Now he's using his national platform — including an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" — to advocate for military spouses and families. In this episode he also shares how the military's transformation since the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" era has shaped his family's service.
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.
An Army Colonel’s Journey to the Paralympics
This episode features retired Army Col. Patty Collins, who competed as a Team USA Paralympics triathlete in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. She offers a behind-the-scenes look at the elite competition and shares her story of healing after trauma and life as an amputee.