That's right, my husband is a Marine. So that makes me a military spouse...but not quite.
I think that there is a general perception of a military spouse in America today that sends us back to World War I days. It is true, the average military spouse is still a "wife" rather than a "husband," but today's military spouses are anything but the homemakers of yore.
Yes there are still many military spouses that choose the life of the stay at home mom running the Key Volunteer Network (or family readiness group if you happen to be in the Army), but the ranks of military spouses in the professional world is substantial and growing every day. According to a 2004 RAND study, today's military spouses are on average more educated than their civilian counterparts. I like to think I fit into this category.
But having a career while being a military spouse is not without its challenges. Let's just take my case for instance. I am not a lawyer, nor am I a nurse/doctor, or even a computer scientist. No, I am a policy analyst...defense and foreign policy at that. What that means is there are very few jobs available to me in the vicinity of your average Marine Corps base. Therefore, in order for us to be a happily employed, dual-career family, I live near Washington, DC and my husband lives...well...wherever the Marine Corps tells him to.
My chosen situation is not unusual and one that the military may soon have to face as they address family satisfaction as a factor in reenlistments.
Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not complaining. I actually love this life! But I do know that more and more military spouses are frustrated by the lack of meaningful employment opportunities near many military bases.
1 comment:
Following along to see where your blog takes us.
I think you are correct in that the military is going to have address the issue of spouses with careers. We have friends that had to make hard decisions regarding this issue. He's a doctor and Navy and she had to put her engineering career on hold when he was transferred to Japan for 2 years. With a baby, she just felt they couldn't be separated for that length of time. So they are all in Japan, far away from grandparents and other support persons. Tough situation.
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