Military Spouse Network
Tips, news and community createdjust for Military Spouses.
Access our library of free homebuying ebooks and PDF guides.
“Montego Bay, Jamaica… Best day of my life” – Liz Cartwright
Your wedding day is a magical celebration of love and commitment with the people who care most about you. If you and/or your spouse is serving our country, you know how the military becomes your life and your lifestyle. Adding the right touches to your military-inspired wedding is a great way to add your personality, and it can also make the big day more meaningful to you both.
The possibilities are endless. You can do anything from something subtle that only the two of you will know about, or you can incorporate military traditions into your ceremony and reception. At the end of the day, your wedding will be a reflection of you, and these tips can make your day more important to you and your guests. See More
Military Families are not strong by virtue of being military families but they are strong because we work to overcome all the obstacles in our way.
One of my pet peeves is when people ask me if it is hard to love a military guy. Deployments are hard. Moving is hard. Worrying is hard. Other people will say, “I don’t know how you can do it.”
But loving someone in the military is easy as pie. Really.
Part of loving someone is supporting them and going through all the things that are hard about life, together. So, we make do. We face deployments and even when he is home he misses some birthdays and family events, but we make do.
We’ve moved three times, and each time we moved, he got called away at the last minute for duty right before moving day. I was left to juggle packing and children and movers on my own, but we make do.
I fell in love with a person who happens to be in the military. Being in the military is a part of who he is and I wouldn’t change that about him even if I could. So, we make do.
I have many requests recently for advice about helping your marriage in the military — here are the six essential pillars that help me “make do” when the times are rough. See More
Everett Lopez’s 11-year journey as a male military spouse has included stereotypes, insufficient support and isolation.
Everett Lopez is an exception within the exception.
He’s a male military spouse, whose ranks account for just 7 percent of all military spouses. Beyond that, he’s a male military spouse with a private sector career, an even rarer combination.
While he’s proud of his wife and of his role, his 11-year journey as a military spouse has been marked at times by stereotypes, insufficient support and isolation.
See More
True romance is less hearts and rainbows and more like a taste of home.
The No. 1 requested item in a care package?
A letter.
It sounds simple but a letter is priceless to service members during a deployment or even training. I have never talked to a service member or veteran who didn’t think fondly of the letters they received. There is just something about a snail-mail, handwritten love letter. It is a physical reminder that you took time to sit down and write to your spouse. It is something tangible: your spouse can hold it, tuck it away in a pocket and revisit your words at any time.
I have written hundreds, maybe even thousands of letters. Sometimes I feel like I can write 50 pages and pour my heart out and other times I pull a blank. So here is some advice for when you are feeling less inspired and trying to craft that perfect love letter.
As a member of the United States Armed Forces I often hear: “Thank you for your service.” But how often do we thank a military spouse?
To do our duty we must leave all that is home behind us.
Who thanks those who work behind the scenes to make the home life of military personnel less of a concern so military members can focus on the task at hand? Soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, Coast Guards — they are all people with personal lives and personal affairs. When we are overseas we have to leave everything behind. I can’t tell you how important it is that things at home are “squared away.” Soldiers worried about their children, their home, their bills or their parents will not be able to focus on the mission. This isn’t a job you can do half-heartedly or amid distraction. See More
Building a strong marriage is a lot of work, but it will help your relationship stand the test of time.
Building a strong and healthy marriage is a lot of work, and even the strongest marriages will be tested along the path of life. People who stick out the worst often later say they acquired a new sense of appreciation for their spouse and had a deeper sense of marital satisfaction. Families who stay together tend to endure less financial stress and fewer instances of mental health issues in the long run.
Joining the military is an experience like no other. Marrying into this lifestyle can be very intimidating, even if a couple has been dating longterm beforehand.
We asked readers at our Military Spouse Central Facebook page to share their advice new military spouses. They rose to the occasion, submitting dozens of excellent tips to help new military spouses start off on the right foot. Below are some of the most common military spouse tips shared:
Find a battle buddy and you’ll have a friend who always knows what you’re going through.
Military families don’t always get to rank their priorities. A marriage often endure deployments, PCSs, and TDYs in addition to work, school, children and everyday life. That mix can make a healthy marriage fall pretty far down the list.
Sometimes a marriage need a little reinforcement to ride out the inconsistencies of military life. Whether it’s to revive or just maintain a healthy marriage, here are some resources designed specifically for the military marriage: See More
Military spouses endure a lot of challenges living the military lifestyle. Some obvious ones include deployments, PCSs and constantly changing circumstances. Beyond the day-to-day, some spouses have to deal with the additional challenge of assuring their spouse they are invested and willing to hang tough in the face of uncertainty and often trying times.
It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. Here are a few ways you can express solidarity and work to ensure your military spouse knows you’ll always be there for them: See More
Having a relationship in the military requires a great commitment to the lifestyle on both sides, but what happens when it’s time to decide whether to extend that commitment? Is it the service member or spouse that has the ultimate decision, or both? So many factors can play into a reenlistment decision including finances, career development and family.
Military Spouse Central asked for spouse opinions in which resulted in a few different approaches. Here are some to consider: See More
Recent Comments