Oh… Military Life! This is likely what brought you to Mission: Milspouse in the first place. It is what binds the military community together with its wildly unique lifestyle.
Whether you are here to learn how to better live in this military life, how to support a loved one who is living the military lifestyle, or to see if this lifestyle is something you may like to be a part of, you have come to the right place.
Here at Mission: Milispouse the military lifestyle is what inspires us, drives our home lives, our moves, and our service member’s career, and gives us a camaraderie like no other. So welcome friend, take a seat and read more about all things that make us who we are and make the military lifestyle a life like no other!
April 5 was Gold Star Spouses Day, and at this year’s events, I had the pleasure of spending time with some of my fellow Gold Star Spouses. Seeing these strong, beautiful, spirited people recently made me think about what a Gold Star Spouse is. Not the technical term, in that it’s a spouse who lost their service member while he or she was serving on active duty, but what kind of person we are.
I distinctly remember when Kevin took me on Fort Hood, Texas (our first non-training duty station), for the first time.
I was scared to death.
One absolute necessity for making it through this roller coaster ride we call military life is meeting our battle buddies. These are the friends who, no matter what else is happening, will drop whatever they’re doing to help you out. These are the friends that you can call (and who can call you) at any time of the day or night just to talk to you or keep you from banging your head against the wall (much).
I’m an introvert by nature and was a very shy kid. The moves of military life forced me to learn how to connect and make friends. Believe me, I really had to learn how to do that—it didn’t come naturally.
I read books to learn. Books are my go-to answer for everything. I interviewed many military spouses to share what worked for them. When we ask any military spouse who has been through a deployment or other challenge of military life, “What helped you get through that time?” we always hear, “My friends, my battle buddies.” Spouses who have the hardest time with military life are those isolated by circumstances or who choose to isolate themselves. Research shows isolation can lead to depression. Plus it’s a dream-killer.
I am a planner.
Few things get me more excited than having a game plan for the day, complete with a to-do list. (Confession: If I accomplish something not on my to-do list, I have been known to write it down, then immediately mark it off. I know. I’m kind of a nerd. I’m okay with it.)
Recently, I’ve seen a number of posts on Facebook and heard a number of comments made about how people outside military life just don’t understand it.
It’s true.
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904